Yummy Homemade Keto Barbecue Sauce

This Homemade Keto Barbecue Sauce recipe is a spicy and tangy substitute for traditional high sugar barbecue sauces. If you want a super simple, delicious sugar-free barbecue sauce, this is the one for you.

Summer is here, and you know what that means? Grilling Season! 

Ever since we purchased our new barbecue grill, we have been all about grilling! It is such an easy and efficient way to enjoy the Ketogenic Diet.

Since sauces and other condiments are generally not allowed on the keto diet, I usually like my meat to be dry-rubbed. But lately, I’ve wanted a little bit more. 

What is Keto BBQ Sauce?

From past low carb adventures, I knew that finding an excellent, low-carb barbecue sauce on the shelf at the local supermarket is not an easy task. And when/if you do find one, sugar-free barbecue sauce usually is flavor-free or full of not-really-keto-friendly alternatives. Who wants that?

So, I set out to experiment with some of them that seemed very popular in the keto circles.

All over my Instagram Feed (@ketoyeah), I’ve seen products endorsed by others on keto or low carb diets. G. Hughes Smokehouse Sugar-Free BBQ Sauce, Primal Kitchen Classic BBQ Sauce, Keto Primo Super BBQ Sauce, Rib Rack Sugar-Free BBQ Sauce, and so many more.

The first one I tried was G. Hughes Smokehouse Sugar-Free BBQ Sauce. The taste was ok, but I noticed an odd after taste. Upon examination of the ingredients, I noticed that it contains sucralose. Now, some people have no issues with sucralose. However, others can find that they are thrown out of hard-earned ketosis if they consume any sucralose. Others may be sensitive to sucralose (me, I found out on accident a few months back) or products containing sucralose and have noted adverse reactions called sucralose intolerance. I can no longer use this product.

The next one I tried was Primal Kitchen Classic BBQ Sauce. The taste was bland, and an examination of the ingredients showed that it contains Organic Tapioca Starch. While some may claim tapioca starch is keto-approved, and a closer look into the ingredients concludes that tapioca starch, like rice flour and corn flours, is a gluten-free flour that is a rapidly absorbed starch and it is generally ultra-processed. No thanks! Plus, with the price tag of $6.00+ in-store retail, I have to pass. 

Rib Rack Sugar-Free BBQ Sauce and Keto Primo Super BBQ Sauce both contain my least favorite sweeteners: Stevia and Monk Fruit. I don’t know if it is just me, but both stevia and monk fruit leaves a nasty bitterness behind in recipes. If a recipe contains either of these sweeteners, I can immediately tell, and I am turned off. So, I didn’t even try these.

With all these no-go Keto BBQ Sauces, what is a girl to do? Well, I do whatever when I need a healthy alternative—I created my own Homemade Keto Barbecue Sauce.

Homemade Keto Barbecue Sauce Ingredients

A healthy Homemade Keto Barbecue Sauce is what you want to transform your dinner from boring to exceptional. This rich, tangy, spicy sugar-free barbecue sauce will take your chicken, ribs, kabobs, or whatever you’re cooking to the next level!

A proper keto barbecue sauce has many intricate flavors!

So what ingredients are in a good keto barbecue sauce recipe? Not that many, actually… and that’s a great thing.

Look at the back of a traditional bottle of BBQ sauce, and you will see they all contain high fructose corn syrup, useless chemicals, or weird additives. When you make this keto barbecue sauce at home, you are only using about a dozen ingredients that you probably already have on your pantry shelves.

Yeah! 

This Homemade Keto Barbecue Sauce is made with the following ingredients:

• Coconut oil
• Fresh onion
• Garlic cloves
• Chicken stock or bone broth
• Tomato paste
• Spicy brown or yellow mustard
• Pumpkin pie spice (trust me, it works REALLY well in keto BBQ sauce recipes)
• Chili powder
• Himalayan salt
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Red pepper flakes (optional)
• Swerve or another sugar-free sweetener (optional)

As with any recipe, you can modify it to your particular tastes. Want a keto barbecue sauce with just a bit more sweetness? No problem! Increase the Swerve by a dash.

Need it to be a bit tangier to balance other parts of the meal? Hey Presto! Add a bit more a dash more mustard. 

Don’t need it to be Keto, try my Paleo version HERE. 

This keto barbecue sauce is delectable the way it is, but you can always adjust it to be all the more perfect for the meal you’re using it for. Do what you do!