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.
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This is incredibly good and so easy to make. I threw out my previous sugar-heavy BBQ sauce.
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!!
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!
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.
Absolutely incredible sauce!
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.
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.
Your Cronometer is probably counting the erythritol carbs, which have zero carb impact.
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.
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
Swerve is actually available almost everywhere in Canada.
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!
So glad you like it!
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!
I love that this bbq sauce can be made without any cooking. It was the perfect addition to our chicken wings this weekend!
This sugar-free sauce is fantastic!
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.
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).
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/
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.
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!
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!
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.