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Summer is the perfect time for grilling and nothing beats the taste of this finger-lickin good Keto BBQ Sauce. My signature keto barbeque sauce is sugar-free and the perfect blend of smoky flavors with a hint of spice.
If you’ve never made homemade BBQ sauce before, you may never go back to store-bought. Making your own sauce is a game changer!
Enjoying bbq is one of the easiest ways to stick to a low-carb and keto diet. Typically BBQ sauce is full of sugar and many recipes use honey. Our recipe uses a small amount of monk fruit sweetener and I promise you will not notice the difference.
If you’re looking for a few keto side dishes to enjoy with your bbq dinner, I recommend my Cauliflower Mushroom Risotto and Brown Butter Sage Carrots.
Keto BBQ Sauce Ingredients
To make my keto BBQ sauce I use a variety of ingredients and spices which add a lot of flavor and depth. When you compare homemade BBQ sauce to store-bought you will notice a huge difference right away. It is why I stopped purchasing many sauces and began making my own.
This barbeque sauce has a wonderful smokey flavor profile. Below are the key ingredients you’ll need.
- liquid smoke
- smoked paprika
- garlic, onion, and mustard powder
- cayenne pepper
- Worcestershire sauce
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Tomato Paste
- Monk fruit sweetener (to make the bbq sauce sugar free)
- water
- salt to taste
How I use this sauce
I love to make a big batch of this sauce and use it to jazz up a multitude of dishes. In addition to just adding it to grilled chicken, ribs, and salmon, here are some ways to get more creative.
- BBQ Tacos & Taco Bowls
- BBQ Chicken Pizza (the keto bbq sauce replaces tomato sauce)
- Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Cole Slaw
- BBQ Potato Skins
- BBQ Pork & Beans
- BBQ Meatballs
- Use ontop of Meatloaf
- Condiment for Burgers & Hot Dogs
- BBQ Shrimp Skewers
- Make Chipotle Aoli by simply adding mayonnaise
- BBQ Shortrib sandwiches using pre-made shredded short rib
Now you can see why I make this BBQ sauce every month, even more often during the summer! If you’re not following the keto diet, I also recommend this awesome Jack Daniels BBQ Sauce!
How to make Keto BBQ Sauce
1.Take a small saucepan and add all the ingredients.
2. Mix everything to a low boil over medium heat, stirring continuously. Reduce to low heat and simmer for 15 minutes until water evaporates and the sauce thickens.
As the sauce begins to thicken, it will produce bolder flavors and reduce the tartness of the tomato paste.
3. Once you have achieved the desired consistency, remove it from the heat. Give the sauce a taste and add extra salt or cayenne pepper, if needed.
4. Optional: add 1 tbsp of butter, providing a glossy look to your sauce.
Substitutions
- For a glossier appearance, you can add 1 tbsp of butter.
- If you dislike the smoky flavor, you can omit the liquid smoke and use regular paprika instead of smoked paprika.
- add 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper if you do not like spice
- if you do not care if the recipe is Keto or Sugar-free, you can substitute the monk fruit sweetener for brown sugar (though I promise you won’t notice a difference)
Storage
I add my BBQ sauce to a mason jar and store it in the refrigerator. This sauce will last 7-10 days.
Discover More Keto Recipes
Smoky Keto BBQ Sauce (Sugar Free)
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 5 oz tomato paste
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- ⅓ cup monk fruit sweetener
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 tsp liquid smoke hickory
- ½ tbsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp mustard powder
Instructions
- Take a small saucepan and add all the ingredients.1 cup water, 5 oz tomato paste, 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1/3 cup monk fruit sweetener, 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce, 2 tsp liquid smoke, 1/2 tbsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp mustard powder
- Mix and bring it to a boil over medium heat, stirring continuously.
- Reduce to low heat and simmer for 15 minutes until water evaporates and the sauce thickens.
- Once you have achieved the desired consistency, remove the saucepan from the heat.
- Taste and add extra salt or cayenne pepper, if needed.
Notes
- For a glossier appearance, you can add 1 tbsp of butter.
- If you dislike the smoky flavor, you can omit the liquid smoke and use regular paprika instead of smoked paprika.
- add 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper if you do not like spice
- if you do not care if the recipe is Keto or Sugar-free, you can substitute the monk fruit sweetener for brown sugar (though I promise you won’t notice a difference)
Nutrition
If you make this BBQ Sauce I’d love to hear your feedback. Comment below!
Sondra Barker
