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!
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
Free Bonus: Secrets to Keto Baking!
Sign up for your favorite recipes delivered straight to your inbox plus get our FREE bonus: Secrets to Keto Baking!
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!
So glad you like it!
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.
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?
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.
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.
Use a pressure canned
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.
This is the perfect recipe, not too “hot” not too dull! Thank you for sharing 🙂
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.
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.”
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!
Glad you made it to your own taste. Please don’t bottle it, though, since it’s copyrighted under me! 🙂
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!
Very good recipe. Tangy and sweet. I used 1/2t cayenne instead of chipotle powder. It’s just spicy enough! Thank you!
So glad you liked it!
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!
This sounds delicious!! I love that it’s sugar free!
That’s brilliant! I know so many who would appreciate this recipe.
FYI. PC brand ketchup made with stevia contains soybean oil
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.
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
Oh that’s super good to know about PC. Love their brand, miss it down here in the US.
Found brown sugar swerve at Winners in food section.
Winners! You must be in Canada. 🙂
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.
It uses Sucralose which I personally do not use, so that’s not an option in my eyes. But to each his own!
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!
Good to know – I use sucralose, so this is a great option for me!
french’s makes a ketchup thats pretty good made with stevia! not splenda, i agree with you, dont eat that stuff!
I’d love to try. Looks like it’s available in Canada.
Have you made this in larger batches and stored it in the fridge? If so how long do you think it would stay fresh?
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.