This easy keto bbq sauce is sweet and tangy and the perfect complement to chicken, ribs, and pulled pork just to name a few. Your search for a delicious low carb barbecue sauce is over!
A good keto bbq sauce is hard to find. There are brands you can purchase, but most of them have a chemical flavor or the balance of sweetness is way off for my taste. The best keto barbecue sauce is typically homemade in my opinion.
And the good news is that this one is easy and foolproof and comes together in just a few minutes with no cooking involved.
This keto bbq sauce is the same one that’s in my first book Keto for Life. It goes really well with the Jerk Chicken recipe that’s also in that book (page 172) – but there are a lot of other delicious ways to use it!
What can I put this low carb barbecue sauce on?
Keto BBQ Sauce Serving Suggestions
- Grilled chicken (boneless breasts or skin on parts)
- Pulled Pork (this is my favorite pork shoulder recipe)
- Chicken tenders dipping sauce
- Ribs (grilled, smoked, baked, or ribs made in the instant pot)
- Meatballs (pork, beef, or these kid friendly chicken nugget meatballs)
- Polish Sausage (aka. Kielbasa – makes a great appetizer sliced and skewered)
- Burgers
As easy as it is to make your own keto bbq sauce at home (using this recipe of course ha ha,) there are times when you don’t have the ingredients or just don’t want to take the time.
In my personal opinion, the best store bought low carb barbecue sauce is Sweet Baby Ray’s. This isn’t an ad, they don’t know I exist, but they are my favorite – at least of the brands I’ve tried so far.
If you’ve found another good one let us know in the comments. Then make this one and see if you agree that it’s better than store-bought!
Keep your eyes out, because this easy keto bbq sauce is only the first of a series of keto condiment recipes that I’m going to be posting over the next few weeks.
One reason I’ll be posting more dressings, sauces, and marinades is because those things are what take simple meats and veggies and easily transform them into delicious and crave worthy keto meals.
The other reason is because we are still neck deep in remodeling and furnishing our new (to us, it was built in 1870) house in New York, which is taking up most of our time and energy. So this will allow me to post new and useful content for you here without spending hours in my kitchen – or requiring me to spend hours in our storage unit finding the rest of my pots, pans, and other essential cookware that I currently have no space for. 😅
As a side note – are you interested in following our remodel project here or on social media? I haven’t posted anything about it yet, but I can if it’s something you guys would like to see – I can throw up some before and afters and an update once or twice a month if so.
Let me know in the comments! And then go make this keto bbq sauce!
PrintEasy Keto BBQ Sauce – Low Carb
- Total Time: 8 minutes
- Yield: 3/4 cup 1x
- Diet: Diabetic
Description
This easy keto bbq sauce is sweet and tangy and the perfect complement to chicken, ribs, and pulled pork just to name a few. Your search for a delicious low carb barbecue sauce is over!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup no sugar added ketchup (store-bought or homemade)
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar substitute (I prefer Lakanto Golden for this)
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon blackstrap molasses (optional, see note)
- 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke (you can usually find this in the bbq sauce aisle)
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (optional, to thicken)
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and whisk together.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
While molasses does contain some sugar, the small amount called for in this recipe adds authentic flavor and texture that I think is well worth the negligible amount of carbs it adds per serving. You can omit it if you prefer.
- Prep Time: 8 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Keto Condiments
- Method: No cook
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 15
- Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 3g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 0g
Jen F says
This BBQ sauce is so easy to make and you don’t even miss the sugar! I make a batch of this and toss it in the Instant Pot with some chicken thighs for a quick and delicious weekday dinner.
M S says
This BBQ sauce is one of our absolute favorites!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thank you!
Nicole says
Yes! I would love to see the remodel! I can’t wait to try this. Your marinara sauce is hands-down the best, and I love bbq sauce but just haven’t had much luck with a low-carb one. I’m sure yours will be a winner!
Nancy Stentz says
Yes, see your remodel! Grew up in 1880’s farmhouse and loved it all. Way in the past.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Oooh I love farmhouses! Ours is a colonial 4 square and the walls and trim are in horrendous shape so it’s taking a looooong time to get it ready to paint and we are taking it room by room. I have a feeling I’ll be posting a lot more befores than afters for awhile ha ha!
K.D. Morgan says
I’m excited to try this recipe, especially since no cooking is involved. The cooking part is always a hurdle that keeps me from making condiments more often.
Re: store bought — Sweet Baby Ray’s has far too much sugar and other processed ingredients to be considered a healthy alternative, regardless of carb count. Their first ingredient is high fructose corn syrup — absolutely nothing healthy about that! It also has food starches, coloring, sodium benzoate, and concentrated pineapple juice — all red flags from a health standpoint.
A far healthier low carb store bought sauce is Primal Kitchen BBQ sauce. It has No Added Sugars and only 3 carbs per serving, instead of the 16-18 g carbs in a serving of Sweet Baby Ray’s. It is organic, grain-free, and contains mostly whole food ingredients. The only knock against it is the tapioca starch used as a thickener. If it is not available in a store, it is available on Amazon.
Mellissa Sevigny says
I’ve tried the Primal Kitchen and I’m not a fan of the flavor unfortunately! But the Sweet Baby Ray’s no sugar added comes in two flavors and only has a few grams of carbs per serving so I think you are referring to their regular brand which is full sugar and definitely NOT keto I agree!
Karyn says
Thank you thank you thank you for this recipe.I have been following you for about 2 years, I find the soup fast to be daunting, but do-able (and necessary). The egg fast is, for me, so easy and I love it. I do both at different times when necessary.
This bbq sauce is great. I grew up in the South and have traveled many places and sampled many sauces. Yours is wonderful. I have your book, and wish that I could be your neighbor. It seems like we are so much in tune with our food loves, and our family life.
Sorry if that sounded creepy. I would, however, love to see photos of your house project.
Melissa, thank you for all you do, and please, continue.
All my best,
Karyn B.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks so much Karyn! 😘 BTW I have been friends with another Karyn who spells her name the same way for years! As far as being neighbors, if you can stand the cold winters and ridiculously high taxes then you should definitely move to the Hudson Valley and look me up! 😂
Kay says
I’m so happy you made a bbq sauce recipe. Your recipes are some of the best I have made! I’m excited to try it.
Yes! Please share your remodel projects. I vote for here.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks for that Kay, I hope you think the BBQ sauce is as good as the others! Stay tuned for a post on the house project soon!
Vicki Mills says
Have not made this recipe yet, but another store bought one that we like is G Hughes Smokehouse Sugar Free BBQ sauce…2 carbs/2 T serving.
Mellissa Sevigny says
I’ve tried that one and I do like it too, there’s just something about the SBR that pushes it slightly over the edge for me!
Laurie Hale says
I am going to make this tonight as the coating on my meatloaf thank you I would love to see remodeling pictures
Mellissa Sevigny says
Oooh I forgot to add that to my list of ways to use it Laurie – I LOVE BBQ sauce on my meatloaf too!
Screaline says
Thanks for the recipe, I’ll give it a try.
As for the home remodeling…YES! Please post pictures. I love home updates.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Will do! I love them too – maybe I’m just nosy but I love seeing what projects people are up to!
Gladys says
Question:
I am sorry, a bit confused I am, are you trying to say this is your KETO version of SWEET BABY RAY’s?
I am Canadian, I saw Sweet Baby Ray’s at the Roseville, Michigan, Costco. I bought a bottle.
My it is sooooo very sweetly delicious.
And I am a person who has never used BBQ sauce in my life.
Nope, not ever. I learned to cook from mom. She did not believe that a great cut of BBQ’d meat actually needs a sweet sauce to mask its flavour! To her BBQ is S&P and smoke.
This sounds nuts, but the food served in the Seven Star Lounge at the Windsor Caesar’s Casino was so bad, that I actually would bring the bottle with me inside the dining room and squirt a tiny amount on the pork being served. Keto diet or not…that meat needed something to make it edible.
So, if this a KETO replica of Sweet Baby Ray’s all I have to say is,,,, “I love you!”
With your permission, I will use YACON syrup instead of molasses. There is no blackstrap molasses here, just Fancy Barbados, which is much higher in carbs,
Looking forward to your up coming recipes!
Many thanks,
Stay safe, 😷😷😷😷😷
Gladys,
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Mellissa Sevigny says
Ok Gladys. To be clear, I am in no way saying that my keto bbq sauce is as good as the original Sweet Baby Ray’s, but it’s GOOD. So as a SBR connoisseur, you’ll have to let me know what you think after you’ve tried it! Also I’ve heard of Yacon syrup but have never tried it – I’ll have to order some and see how it tastes!
Kathy H says
I’d love to see your remodel pictures, if for no other reason than to know I am not the only one that has lived thru remodel hell. My husband has remodeled every house we have bought, while we were living in it. Kitchens are the worst. We are pretty much done now so there is light at the end of the tunnel :) Can’t wait to try your BBQ sauce, looks easy which is nice.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Ugh, kitchens ARE the WORST! Sadly we haven’t even started on the kitchen yet and probably won’t until next year because it’s “good enough” for now and the rest of the house is a hot mess. So we are currently spending most of our time busting out bad plaster, repairing cracks and skimming to repair the walls to make them paint ready. Lots of gorgeous old trim that has been repaired and painted over (badly) that we are slowly cleaning, patching, sanding, and repainting. It’s exhausting but it’s finally starting to look like a house people actually live in rather than an abandoned condemned building ha ha. Or at least it feels like that some days!