This post may contain affiliate links to products I use and highly recommend. You can read my full disclosure . As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
This easy homemade Keto BBQ sauce recipe takes just 15 minutes to make using one-pot and simple ingredients. The sweet and smoky flavors taste great on any bbq dish. But, take my keto pulled pork, air fryer bbq wings, keto ribs, and bacon wrapped chicken kabobs to the next level. This delicious sauce will have your taste buds begging for more.
Why Make Homemade BBQ Sauce:
- Have BBQ minus the sugar: Most store-bought BBQ sauces, or barbecue sauce that you will find when you go out to eat are loaded with sugary ingredients (and sometimes high fructose corn syrup). By making your own keto bbq sauce, you can have the flavor minus the sugar content.
- Easy: though it might seem that making keto bbq sauce is difficult, it’s actually pretty simple. You just need a whisk and a sauce pan to make this easy recipe.
- Control ingredients in your BBQ: BBQ foods taste great because the sauce and even the dry rubs are mostly brown sugar. By making sauce and learning the quick & easy swaps (like using keto brown sugar), you can control what you eat.
Ingredients Needed
If you’ve made traditional bbq sauce, you’ll notice that this recipe requires slightly fewer ingredients and takes just a few minutes. Plus, there are several short cuts.
The keto-friendly ingredients you’ll need to make this easy keto BBQ sauce include:
- No Sugar Added Ketchup:
- Better than Bouillon Chicken: this is a paste. I find it more flavorful than regular bouillon or chicken broth.
- Liquid Smoke: I’m using Wright’s hickory-flavored (you can pick it up at the market or click to get it online). You can also use mesquite or any other liquid smoke you enjoy to give you a smoky flavor.
- Keto Brown Sugar Substitute: By using a keto-friendly sweetener, you immediately cut many of the carbs in traditional sauce.
- Sriracha: this could be substituted with your favorite Hot Sauce
- Garlic Powder
Once those are gathered, you can head to the recipe card for the full amounts and step-by-step instructions.
How to Make Sugar-free BBQ Sauce
Once you gather all of the ingredients, sugar-free barbecue sauce is a one-pot recipe that requires about 10 minutes of cook time.
To make Keto BBQ sauce:
- Gather all the ingredients and put them into a small pot
- Whisk the ingredients together until they are smooth
- Heat the BBQ sauce on medium-low for 8 to 10 minutes
The BBQ sauce will thicken as it cooks and again once it cools.
Top Cooking Tips & FAQs
- Use sugar-free ketchup as a flavor packed substitute for tomato paste.
- Add a “straight from the grill smoked-flavor” with liquid smoke.
- If your personal preference is to have a little extra kick in your BBQ sauce, add a little black pepper and cayenne pepper to taste.
Storage & Leftovers
If you have leftovers from this low carb barbecue sauce, a great way to store it is in a mason jar or an airtight container for next time (up to 5 days).
Is BBQ Sauce Keto?
BBQ sauce is typically made with a lot of sugar. Some recipes use brown sugar. Others rely on molasses or fruit compotes. Since a good amount of sugar, especially refined sugar, impacts ketosis, BBQ is not usually keto-friendly.
But, the wonderful thing is my easy homemade barbecue sauce gives you a low carb way to enjoy sticky, saucy barbecue without added sugar.
Where Can I Find Keto BBQ Sauce Online & In Stores?
With keto and low carb diets gaining more attention in recent years, it is becoming easier to find keto-friendly BBQ sauces both in grocery stores and online.
In stores, you can find a good option for low-carb BBQ sauce in the condiment aisle.
If you are looking online, I suggest trying this stevia-sweetened BBQ sauce (use DRDAVINAHS to save on it).
Recipes Using Keto BBQ Sauce
Keto BBQ sauce pairs well with a lot of different grilled food recipes. Some of my favorites include:
- Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Wings
- Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Breasts
- Crockpot BBQ Chicken Legs
- Crockpot BBQ Chicken Thighs
- BBQ Wings in the Crockpot
- Keto Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker Pulled Pork
- Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Drumsticks
- Keto BBQ Ribs Recipe
- Air Fryer Ribs
- Bacon-Wrapped Cola BBQ Chicken Kabobs
- Keto Chicken Tenders (use the sauce as a dip)
Keto BBQ Sauce Recipe
Use DRDAVINAHS at checkout to save on some equipment & ingredients!
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup No Sugar Added Ketchup
- 1/2 cup Water
- 1 tsp Chicken Better than Bouillon, I'm using the paste
- 1/3 cup Keto Brown Sugar Replacement
- 2 tbsp Sriracha Sauce, or Hot Sauce
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Liquid Smoke, I'm using Hickory
- 1/8 tsp Xanthan Gum, this is just a dash of to thicken the sauce
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients for the bbq sauce to a small sauce pan on medium heat
- Use a silicone bottom whisk to combine the ingredients
- Cook the sauce for 8-10 minutes – it should be slightly looser than bottled bbq sauce since it will continue to thicken as it cools. I stir it intermittently.
- Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool
Nutrition Details
The nutrition facts come from entering the recipe ingredients into Spoonacular API, a database of food ingredients. They may vary for any recipe based on the exact product used. The keto sweeteners I use have 0g net carbs & are not included because sugar alcohols do not impact most people. This is provided as a courtesy, but you can do your own calculations if you wish!
Andrea says
How long can this BBQ sauce be stored in the refrigerator or can it be frozen?
Davinah Cenou Montezuma says
Hi Andrea,
For best quality, I’d store this for up to 5 days. I haven’t tried to freeze it alone.
Hope that helps!