This easy low carb BBQ sauce is totally going to blow your mind. It requires no cooking, just whisk together the ingredients and you’ve got the best BBQ sauce on the planet. Sweet, smoky, tangy and totally sugar free!
You are simply not going to believe how easy this low carb sugar free BBQ sauce is. I can’t even believe it and I’ve been making it for a few weeks. Every time I make it, I think to myself that the last time must have been a fluke. That maybe I am dreaming, that nothing THIS easy can be THIS good.
But it is. Every time. This truly is the easiest and best low carb BBQ sauce I’ve ever tried. That includes my own homemade versions and the store-bought versions too. And the funny part is, I whipped it up one evening when I was in a hurry, just trying to find a quick sauce to add to our pulled pork. I didn’t expect much from it, so when I tasted it, I was stunned.
It was so good, I had to write down the ingredients as quickly as possible. And then I had to try making it it again and again, to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.
Sugar Free BBQ Sauce In Minutes
Check out the video in the recipe card to see just how easy this keto friendly BBQ Sauce is to make!
What’s so special about this low carb BBQ sauce?
Well for one thing, it requires no cooking. None whatsoever. Which means you can whip it up in about 3 minutes flat, whenever you want. You can’t get much easier than that!
Ingredients
BBQ sauce should be sweet and I used the new Swerve Brown as a brown sugar substitute. This stuff is phenomenal. If you haven’t tried it yet, I urge you to go grab some as soon as possible. I’ve tried several others and this is the best brown sugar sub by far! And because you don’t cook the sauce, it doesn’t re-crystallize at all. It’s not gritty either, as long as you take the time to whisk it well.
For the base of the sauce, I used the new unsweetened ketchup from Primal Kitchen. Also an excellent new keto product! It’s only 2g total carbs per tablespoon, far lower than other low carb and sugar free ketchups. Now, if you can’t get hold of some, then you can always whisk together 3 tablespoons of tomato paste with about 5 or 6 tablespoons of water. You will want to add a bit more sweetener, salt, and a pinch of cloves to your low carb BBQ sauce to make up for it.
For the the spiciness, I used chipotle powder. Chipotles are smoked jalapeños and you can purchase them ground into a fine powder. I use chipotle powder frequently in my cooking so I recommend it as a good addition to your spice cabinet. Chile powder is a decent substitute for this sauce but you may want a pinch of cayenne too, to kick it up a notch.
For some serious smokiness, consider adding a bit of liquid smoke. I made it optional in this recipe but it really takes it to a whole new level.
Some apple cider vinegar for tanginess, some garlic powder because garlic is awesome, and some salt.
Whisk whisk whisk together until the sugar substitute dissolves. And you’re done.
How to use it?
Oh friends, you are going to want to slather it on everything, I promise you. I’ve done pulled pork, I’ve done ribs, I’ve done chicken wings, all made extra special with the addition of this sugar free BBQ sauce.
Oh and I have a very special recipe coming for you in a few days! Keto Smoked BBQ Meatloaf. I am so excited to share this recipe, as it was amazingly delicious. Hang tight for that one!
And because this low carb sauce takes only a few minutes to make, with no cooking, you can whip it up any time the urge strikes. Give it go, I promise you will love it.
Sugar-Free BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sugar-free ketchup I highly recommend Primal Kitchen
- 3 tbsp Brown Sugar Swerve
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tbsp liquid smoke optional but highly recommended
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 to 1/2 tsp chipotle powder
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk all the ingredients together until the brown sugar substitute dissolves, about 2 minutes.
- That's it. That's all. You're done. Go slather it on some delicious grilled meat!
Alicia B says
Have you made this in larger batches and stored it in the fridge? If so how long do you think it would stay fresh?
Carolyn says
Hi Alicia. I’ve made a double batch before. And I’ve kept some in the fridge for over a week. As long as your ketchup isn’t about to go bad, it should be okay for at least a week. The ketchup is the “freshest” part of this sauce.
John-Mark Pawlowski says
Hi Carolyn,
Hienz makes a no added sugar ketchup as well. It has only 1g carb per tablespoon (half as much as the Primal Kitchen brand). Another advantage might be that it might be easier to find, seeing as how Heinz is in most grocery stores.
Carolyn says
It uses Sucralose which I personally do not use, so that’s not an option in my eyes. But to each his own!
Christine Facchina says
Yeah, I finally found one here in Canada that uses stevia instead of sucralose made by French’s brand. So I just ordered some via amazon.ca. I’ve been using the Heinz brand before this cuz that’s all I could find here so I’m happy about that. I’ve been learning that sucralose is not so good for keto/diabetics and I’m looking for the best options I can get my hands on. Thanks for this awesome recipe, looking forward to making it when my order comes in, 2 thumbs up!
Murphy says
Good to know – I use sucralose, so this is a great option for me!
lacey isaak says
french’s makes a ketchup thats pretty good made with stevia! not splenda, i agree with you, dont eat that stuff!
Roxanne Ramirez says
I’d love to try. Looks like it’s available in Canada.
Claudia says
This looks fab! Have been craving BBQ sauce, so will make this as soon as I can track down Swerve brown sugar (it doesn’t seem to be available in Canada yet).
Heads-up for fellow Canadians: President’s Choice makes stevia ketchup! You can find it at the Superstore, Loblaws, all the usual places that sell PC and Blue Menu stuff.
http://www.presidentschoice.ca/en_CA/products/productlisting/pc_blue_menu_ketchup_type_sauce17036.html
Carolyn says
Oh that’s super good to know about PC. Love their brand, miss it down here in the US.
Susanna Wood says
Found brown sugar swerve at Winners in food section.
Carolyn says
Winners! You must be in Canada. 🙂
janet says
Oh. this sounds great. I use your cooked BBQ sauce on my pulled pork and I love it.But sadly it doesn’t always come out even, so now I can whip this up when there is still pork but no sauce left. 🙂 Thanks for the recipe.
Sharon says
FYI. PC brand ketchup made with stevia contains soybean oil
Julie Blanner says
That’s brilliant! I know so many who would appreciate this recipe.
Michael Wurm Jr says
This sounds delicious!! I love that it’s sugar free!
Sabrina says
Love the idea of adding liquid smoke to really boost the flavor! We grill out a lot so I’m excited to try this out!
Sarah Walker Caron says
I can’t believe how easy this is! Great recipe! I love when things come together on a whim and turn out to be something excellent!
Nikki says
Very good recipe. Tangy and sweet. I used 1/2t cayenne instead of chipotle powder. It’s just spicy enough! Thank you!
Carolyn says
So glad you liked it!
Beth says
My 16 year old son recently decided to go keto and I made this for pulled pork for his birthday surprise party. The BBQ sauce was a huge hit with his non-keto friends. They told me I should bottle it. I did tweak it a bit — it seemed too sweet to me so I added extra worcestershire, ACV, and a little extra chipotle powder. Yum!! Thank you!
Carolyn says
Glad you made it to your own taste. Please don’t bottle it, though, since it’s copyrighted under me! 🙂
Amy says
I made this over the weekend and it is terrific! Thanks so much for providing it. I love not having to cook the sauce.
One note of caution: if you use Heinz Reduced Sugar ketchup (have not seen No Sugar Added mentioned above), start with 1 Tbsp. Brown sugar substitute and add more to taste. 3 T was too sweet for me. I will be looking for the Primal Kitchen brand and will try again.
Erica says
Heinz “Reduced Sugar” and “No Sugar Added” are the same Splenda-sweetened, no-sugar-added product. Heinz recently switched the name to “No Sugar Added.” Stores that see less turnover on it probably still have bottles labeled “Reduced Sugar.”
Suzanne says
This is the perfect recipe, not too “hot” not too dull! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Erica says
Like others, I altered the recipe based on taste and availability of ingredients: I used a combination of bottled ketchup and the cheater’s ketchup recipe in Easy Keto Dinners; used granulated Swerve with a small drizzle of molasses, and a few Truvia packets because Swerve doesn’t taste very sweet to us; used chili powder and cayenne instead of chipotle powder; and I did warm it on the stove for just a couple minutes to combine everything and meld the flavors (Truvia being grittier and harder to dissolve than Swerve). I’m sorry for butchering your recipe, Carolyn. But not that sorry, because the result was absolutely fantastic and made the best BBQ chicken! Sweet, smoky, kicky at the end…so good, and so much simpler than the BBQ sauce recipe I’ve been using. Why spend an hour simmering 15 or 20 ingredients when <10 ingredients and 10 minutes produce a better sauce? Thank you so much for the base recipe, which is obviously very forgiving and adaptable. Have to give it 5 full stars because I'm pretty sure if I weren't a weirdo on whom the sweetness of Swerve is lost, the balance of flavors in the original recipe would have been just right.
Angela Yoder says
I’m interested in canning some BBQ sauce this year so I have some I can just open quickly. Do you think this would work well canned?
Carolyn says
I honestly can’t say for sure. Canned items need a certain amount of acid in them to avoid going bad and I am not sure that this has enough. You may need to research that a bit.
Kristi says
Hi I make and can my own sugar free ketchup, hot packed into sterilized jars water bath for 15 minutes for a 4-8 oz jelly jar. I’m going to use the same method for this bbq sauce.
Noelle says
Use a pressure canned
sarah says
This is the perfect BBQ sauce for non traditional Thanksgiving birthday ribs! It is a fine balance of sweet and tangy heat. It is 5-stars and definitely a keeper. Thank you for all the work you put into developing and sharing reliably delicious keto recipes.
Amanda Grimes says
I love this bbq sauce!! I’ve tried a few bottled low carb BBQ sauces and they had an off flavor. Carolyn’s recipe is easy and perfect …a little sweet and a little spicy! I’ve made it twice in the last couple weeks. I use 1/4 teaspoon of the Chipotle powder and it has a nice little spicy kick. This will be my go-to low carb BBQ sauce. I got a cooked brisket on sale and I’m going to chop it up and mix it with BBQ sauce and eat it in a low carb tortilla! Thanks Carolyn!
Carolyn says
So glad you like it!
Jasmine says
This was ridiculously easy and SO GOOD. It came together in minutes. I used low-sugar Heinz ketchup (it’s made with Splenda, so be aware in case you don’t like to use that). I thought 3 T Brown Sugar Swerve might be too much, but it is not. It is just right, and not sickly sweet at all.
The only ingredient I did not have at home was the chipotle powder, but I found it easily in the regular spice section of my big-chain grocery store. Go easy and add to taste. I used 1/4 t, which is perfect if you want a spicy kick without too much heat. You could actually use 1/8 t if you do not like spicy things. I personally do not feel the liquid smoke is optional! It is essential to the flavor.
Carolyn, I have stopped consulting other low-carb blogs. Your site has everything I could ever imagine. You are truly a great chef. You make it easy for me to stick to my low-carb diet. Thank you!
Carolyn says
Jasmine, so glad you liked it. The first time I made it, I was using up some sugar -free Heinz that my husband bought. But if you can find the Primal Kitchen unsweetened, it’s fabulous and you can sweeten more to taste.
ketocheeto says
Excellent recipe. I originally tried this with Heinz sugar feee ketchup (sweetened with Splenda) — DO NOT use it. I strongly advise buying Primal Kitchen or another natural ketchup with NO SWEETENER added at all, as it will give off a nasty aftertaste. I made this recipe with all the ingredients listed and it was super easy and delicious. I love that it tastes like actual BBQ sauce and you don’t get that weird after tastes that you’ll find in bottled sugar free BBQ. Add a little extra chipotle powder for an extra kick!
Liz Anderson says
I love this BBQ sauce and have made it a few times for the pulled pork but havent tried anything else. Do you have a recipe for the bbq chicken wings or can you share how you make them? I am a total recipe follower and have a hard time “winging” it (pun intended).
Carolyn says
Okay, here’s a great way to make crispy wings and then at the end, you just sub my sauce and don’t do the garlic Parmesan sauce! https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/keto-crispy-garlic-parmesan-wings/
Carlos says
Hi Carolyn. Thanks for all the great recipes and content you post. As someone else already mentioned, after finding your website, I just stopped looking for other sources of great recipes and inspiration. Thank you!!!
I just wanted to mention a very small detail that caught my eye on this recipe: since I usually don’t find several of your recipe ingredients here in my country (Colombia), I was shopping for them on Amazon (using your links, of course), and I found that the Worcestershire sauce has sugar listed as the third ingredient on the label. Since the recipe is labeled as sugar free, I just wanted to mention it, in case you find that relevant.
I don’t have a problem with a little sugar here and there, so I will buy that and try the recipe anyway, because I’m trying to find healthy substitutes for BBQ sauce that my younger kid likes to eat a lot.
As an added bonus to me, I didn’t know about the no-sugar ketchup, which I will buy for the recipe, but also to try with my young kid, hoping to replace the regular ketchup he also loves. Maybe I’ll add some of the swerve brown sugar to make it sweet for him. Do you have any ideas on this last point?
Again, thanks, thanks, thanks.
Christine Spettigue says
I just made this using icing sugar style swerve, I don’t have the brown sugar style yet… For all of the remaining ingredients after the worcestershire sauce I added a seasoning called “The Ultimate Smoked Garlic Seasoning” made by a company called the Garlic Box.. It is made of smoked garlic, smoked paprika, chipotle, and cumin as well as parsley, black pepper. I’d forgotten I even had it. It turned out smokey and delicious. Added hot sauce for a kick. Thanks for the recipe. P.S. Love your recipes and your cookbook.
Anna says
This sugar-free sauce is fantastic!
Jocelyn says
I love that this bbq sauce can be made without any cooking. It was the perfect addition to our chicken wings this weekend!
Wenda says
This barbecue sauce is so easy and so delicious…I made pulled pork and it was the best!
Thank you for all the great recipes!
Kristen says
This BBQ sauce is PERFECT!! I had tried another one that was tomato sauce based (and not sweetened with sugar or anything else) and it was the weirdest taste. I had to throw it out! I am SO GLAD I found yours – you’re so right…Primal Kitchen ketchup and brown sugar Swerve is the way to go!! I’ve made this sauce 3 times now and we are obsessed. Great for BBQ baked (sweet) potatoes and also for a BBQ Cobb salad. I’m glad I don’t have to look any further for the ideal low carb BBQ sauce!
Carolyn says
So glad you like it!
Ellen MacDonald says
Hi Carolyn, thanks so much for this! Can’t wait to try it. Would monk fruit be a recommended sweetener? I’m in Canada so Swerve is not currently an option.
Thank you!
Ellen
Carolyn says
Swerve is actually available almost everywhere in Canada.
Dawn says
This is the best sauce ever!! My son that doesn’t do sugar free anything insisted that I make him a jar full of your delicious sauce!! It’s so addictive. Thank you for sharing your recipes.
April says
When adding exactly all of the ingredients you suggest for this recipe in my food diary, Cronometer, My macros are much much higher. Specifically, for six servings, the carbs are 7.8 per serving.
Carolyn says
Your Cronometer is probably counting the erythritol carbs, which have zero carb impact.
Julie Bee says
Looking forward to try this with the ribs recipe. But just a thought it’s not 100% sugar free since one of the ingredients in worcestershire is sugar. It is a very small amount but sugar free purists like me may want to substitute.
Gabby says
Absolutely incredible sauce!
lacey isaak says
can i used regukar swerve in place of the brown one. just dont have that yet on hand! & if i am using a ketchup with stevia added , should i use less swerve? thanks!
Carolyn says
Yes, it may be too sweet if you use the regular amount of swerve. This is best with the brown but you can use the regular.
Susan Ulrich says
I love this recipe! I’m just finishing up my first batch and it’s time to make my second batch! I use the Heinz No Sugar Added Ketchup and have no real fears of it going bad in my fridge, so I might just as well make a double batch. This recipe is far easier than I ever dreamed low carb BBQ sauce could be! Thank you so much!!
Kayla Gray says
This is incredibly good and so easy to make. I threw out my previous sugar-heavy BBQ sauce.
Carolyn says
Does this sauce do ok if I put in croc pot with meatballs to heat? My Son is diabetic and I try to find recipes for him so he won’t be left out at an occasion.
Carolyn says
Yup, it sure does
Sarah says
So good! I chose this recipe because I had everything on hand. Even got the thumbs up from my husband who typically turns his nose up at my homemade sauces/substitutes. Thanks for sharing this!
Heidemarie Erfmann says
Fabulous recipe. Best ever. Great with ribs, chicken and pork. I love all your recipes.
Carolyn says
Thanks!
Vhm says
Used double the chipotle but otherwise followed the recipe to a T. So, so great. Thanks!
jennifer says
Amazing!! How long does it last in the fridge?
Carolyn says
Nothing in it goes bad quickly so it should last a while. But you want to re-heat before adding, to make it soft again.
Jennifer says
yay!! Excellent -quick and AWESOME tip – to make perfect pulled pork, throw the chunks (once cooked) into a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and let turn it on medium speed and it “pulls” the pork perfectly!!
Bretta says
Absolutely the best! I agree with Carolyn, I could put this on everything! THANK YOU!
Patricia says
I made this tonight. Too good to be true. No cooking and absolutely delicious!
Dawn says
I made this today and dare I say it is life-changing! I have been low carbing for over twenty years and BBQ sauce is something I really miss. I have tried the various bottled versions and they are OK but don’t caramelize on the grill. This sauce was super easy to make, super tasty, and it caramelized on the baby back ribs, I was in heaven and reminded of my dad’s fabulous BBQ Chicken and Ribs! I am tempted to throw out all of my bottled sauces now, they don’t make me happy like this did! Thanks, Carolyn!
Carolyn says
So glad to hear it!
Heather says
Omg this is my third day on keto and this is amazing
Mark says
I have a very good brown sugar substitute, but in BBQ Sauce artificial sweeteners will not caramelize. However if you substitute with Date Paste it will and will not spike your Blood sugar, So a healthy choice for diabetics. Easy to make in a food processor. Puree a cup of pitted dates with 1/2 cup of hot water to form a paste. To replace a cup of granulated sugar use a 1 to.1 rayio. to replace Maple syrup a 2 to 1 ratio. Look it up online and you will tests have proved it has very little effect on Blood sugar.
Carolyn says
I am sorry, you are ABSOLUTELY incorrect. Date paste and maple syrup would be disastrous to my blood sugar, or to any diabetic.
Angelia says
Carolyn, I’ve had your recipe pinned for months and finally had a reason to try it. It was delicious on the pulled pork that I cooked in the crockpot tonight! It’s sweet, tangy, and spicy. I was able to make a 1 1/2 batch using up the bottle of Heinz Sugar Free Ketchup that I bought months ago and didn’t like. I found Primal Kitchen ketchup at Walmart so I’ll give that a try! I used the largest amount of chipotle chili pepper (It was ground so I think that’s the same thing as chipotle powder) that the recipe called for. The next time I make it, I’ll try it with the smallest amount of chipotle powder to see which amount I like best. My hubby even liked your bbq sauce and he’s only eating some keto foods so that says something! Thanks for another great recipe! I always look here when I need a keto friendly recipe! You haven’t failed me yet!
Carolyn says
So great to hear, Angelia!
Bev says
I made the Instant Pot Pulled Pork and followed the recipe for the sauce. I ordered all of the ingredients you use and the whole meal was amazing. Thank you for being so generous in sharing your recipes . I love all of the ones I have tried so far. . I also have 3 of your cookbooks working on getting the rest of them.
Kristy says
Could lakanto monk fruit Golden be use in place of the brown sugar swerve??
Lisa says
Wow–this was fabulous. My 6-year-old and I loved it.
Jennifer says
This was delicious and ridiculously easy! (I think you may be a wizard.)
I’m glad that I took your advice to try the Primal Kitchen ketchup. I am not a fan of their mayo, but I love the ketchup.
Jennifer says
I also recently tried Primal Kitchen BBQ sauce (both varieties). We did not like them at all. I went right back to making Carolyn’s sauce.
It makes a great sauce for barbecue chicken pizza!
Carolyn says
You know what? They’re pretty good for bottled sauce but I agree with you…
Jennifer says
That is such a good point! I have also had bottled salad dressings “ruined” for me after making my own.
I was able to use up the Primal Kitchen by mixing it with your sauce.😉
Katrine says
Thanks! This was SO good. I didn’t have any sugar-free ketchup so I just replaced it with about the same amount of pure tomato paste. I don’t know if that has more carbs in it – but the end result was seriously tasty. My otherwise very skeptical 14 year old daughter called me a master chef! Also we don’t have the brand Swerve here so I used Sukrin gold btw.
Carolyn says
Excellent!
Elizabeth says
Storing this one for use again and again! Absolutely delicious! Had tomato paste on hand and your tip worked like a charm! Now I have half a can of paste in the fridge…guess I’ll have to make another batch!!! So good! Thank you!!!
Molly Z says
Have used this recipe multiple Times. Still so so so good
Karen Anthony says
I love this sauce! Awesomely delicious. The simply best, so easy to make. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I hope you& your family are doing good thru the pandemic.
Brenda L Danner says
This sauce is so easy and tastes amazing!! Thank you so much for the recipe. I used Splenda Brown Sugar since I didn’t have Swerve on hand.
Jo says
I’m not keto but trying to lower carbs to lose weight because I’m prediabetic. Also on a major budget because of job loss & starting over as a trucker.
I cook most food I eat on the road and this looks like a keeper.
Will try Traderr Joe’s organic ketchup ( better price point) but I’m certain my body does not like erythriol so swerve is out. So perhaps brown sugar stevia or leaving out sweetness and focusing on smoke & heat may be better.
Thanks for posting this as it gives me a jumping off point.
Love your dry rub recipe. It’s a little similar to the creole seasoning recipe I found on gumbo pages.com. I’d been toying with using that but this likely is a bit better.
Again thank you so much for posting this.
Janice Scott says
This is absolutely the best bbq sauce period. I took it to a family barbecue and it was gobbled up by adults and kids alike. Everyone was choosing the lowcarb ribs over the regular. I love that it is so easy to make. Thank you for this incredible recipe
Deborah M Kloss says
This is a keeper! No cooking, how easy! We had it on Instant Pot Pulled Pork and it was so good! Thank you for the great recipe!