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
- ½ cup sugar-free ketchup I highly recommend Primal Kitchen
- 3 tablespoon Brown Sugar Swerve
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ tablespoon liquid smoke optional but highly recommended
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon 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!
LauraSamuelson says
De-frickin-licious!
Easy and quick, no one will know you didn’t slave over the stove for this sauce! Instant pot pulled meat and this sauce is all you need for a delicious dinner!
DebiSuss says
Very tasty! I’ve made it several times now.
Jasmine says
This bbq sauce is just so great. It is a staple in our household and it’s better than any regular, commercial bbq sauce out there. It comes together in about two minutes, using ingredients we always have on hand, and nobody ever guesses it’s made without added sugars. We use it with burgers, ribs, chicken wings, steak, eggs… It’s unbeatable.
Carolyn says
I am so delighted you think so!
Sue says
This is my new go to bbq sauce. I’ve tried others that weren’t bad, but yours is so easy & tasty, it’s all I make now. I don’t like ketchup so I never have any on hand, I always make this with the tomato paste so thanks for including that substitution.
Doreen Ontiveros says
I just left a review about your delicious ribs and now I need to add you Low Carb BBQ sauce review. My daughter on a low carb diet loves it and my teenage granddaughter (not low carb) prefers it to any bottled sauce. They prefer this sauce without the sweetener, but I love a sweeter sauce. Thanks for adding Golden Monk Fruit. We love your recipes.
Carolyn says
So great to hear!
Kathy H says
I am just so mad at myself! I think I have tried every LC BBQ sauce out there & they are all disappointing. This is perfect & so easy! I didn’t think I had any chipotle powder but found a pack I had gotten as a sample from Spice House. How did I not know about this stuff? Yum! Also had a bottle of the Primal Kitchen ketchup in the pantry, I don’t care for a lot of their stuff so wasn’t sure I wanted to try it. It is actually very good to my surprise. Highly recommend the Swerve brown sugar, so much better than others. Oh & the liquid smoke isn’t optional in my opinion! Thanks for saving my summer!
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!
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
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.
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.
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.
Molly Z says
Have used this recipe multiple Times. Still so so so good
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!!!
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!
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.????
Lisa says
Wow–this was fabulous. My 6-year-old and I loved it.
Kristy says
Could lakanto monk fruit Golden be use in place of the brown sugar swerve??
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.
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!
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.