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Over the past few weeks, I’ve been on a mission to come up with a sugar-free, gluten-free, low carb BBQ sauce recipe. Sure, the ultimate time to think about this is grilling season, but I actually love using barbecue sauce for all kinds of recipes throughout the year. I truly believe that the right condiments can make all the difference between something like boring, plain chicken and a rich, flavorful meal.
Finding good quality low carb condiments on the market is hard. They’re usually filled with artificial sweeteners and preservatives, or they just don’t taste that good. Then there’s your usual garden variety BBQ sauce packed with high fructose corn syrup. Ugh.
Prior to this low carb BBQ sauce recipe, I was using this store bought sugar-free BBQ sauce. It’s decent, and much better than any other sugar-free one I’ve tried. However, the balance of flavors is not as rich and smoky as I would like. Besides, I’m not thrilled that the sweetener used in it is artificial (sucralose). It still tastes pretty good and contains no added sugar, so I do recommend it if you prefer not to make your own.
Nonetheless, I really wanted to come up with a better, homemade alternative for sugar-free BBQ sauce.
I must admit, this challenge was a bit daunting. Making homemade barbecue sauce can be a Big Deal. People have competitions for barbecue sauce recipes! And, different parts of the country (and the world!) all have different interpretations of what makes an excellent BBQ sauce.
As if that weren’t enough, this low carb blog is also all about recipes with ten ingredients or less. If you’ve ever looked at the ingredient list for a barbecue sauce, or tried to make your own using just about any recipe, you probably know this isn’t the easiest promise to uphold. No matter how you like it, BBQ sauce has a ton of complex flavors!
It took a few experiments to get my low carb barbecue sauce recipe just right. (Or, at least, just right according to several friends-and-family taste testers I had.) And, I even managed to squeeze it into just ten ingredients, not including water and sea salt. Yay! I’m really excited to share the result with you. If you can, I’d encourage you to try my version.
In my world, the perfect barbecue sauce is a balance of sweet, smoky, spicy, tangy, and thick. This low carb BBQ sauce is all of the above. The liquid smoke really makes the biggest difference, so don’t skip that part – even if you have to shop online to find it.
By the way, the wonderful thing about this sugar-free BBQ sauce is it’s crazy easy! Mix all the ingredients in a saucepan, then let it simmer for twenty minutes. Totally effortless.
So, what’s your favorite way to use a low carb barbecue sauce? Chicken? Ribs? Fish? Salad? Pizza? I’m going to be using this recipe year-round, so I’d love to hear your ideas. And when grilling season comes a few months down the line, we’ll all have even more possibilities!
Low Carb BBQ Sauce Recipe (Sugar-free, Gluten-free):
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| Servings | Prep Time | Cook Time |
| 2-tbsp servings | 5 minutes | 20 minutes |
| Low Carb BBQ Sauce (Sugar-free, Gluten-free) This sugar-free, gluten-free, low carb BBQ sauce recipe is sweet, smoky, spicy & tangy in one. Super easy too, with only 5 minutes prep time!
|
- 2 1/2 6-oz cans Tomato paste
- 1/2 cup Apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup Powdered erythritol (or any sweetener of choice, preferably either powdered or liquid)
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce *
- 1 tbsp Liquid hickory smoke
- 2 tsp Smoked paprika
- 1 tsp Garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp Onion powder
- 1/2 tsp Sea salt
- 1/4 tsp Chili powder
- 1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper (or more if you like it hot)
- 1 1/2 cup Water (approximate amount - see instructions)
- Whisk all ingredients together in a saucepan, adding the water last. Start with a cup of water, then whisk in a bit more at a time, until it reaches a consistency *slightly thinner* than barbecue sauce. I ended up using about 1 1/2 cups of water, but it will vary depending on how thick your tomato paste is.
- Bring to a gentle boil at medium-high heat, then reduce to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered, stirring frequently, for 20 minutes, or until slightly thickened.
- Taste and adjust sweetener or cayenne pepper if you prefer the sauce to be sweeter or spicier. If it's still thicker than you like, you can stir in additional water, a tablespoon at a time, until reaching desired consistency.
Net carbs per serving: 3.5g
*The Worcestershire sauce linked in the ingredients list is gluten-free. Technically it contains a little sugar, but with 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce used for the entire recipe, each serving would contain only 1/20 tablespoon of it (like a drop). This is factored into the nutrition info and net carbs above. If you prefer, you could even omit it or use a dash of molasses with a little water instead, but it would affect the flavor.
**Each serving is 2 tablespoons. Entire recipe makes 2 1/2 cups.
| Print recipe |  Yum |
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Want more low carb, gluten-free ideas for dips and sauces? Try these:
Stacey Crawford says
I love making my own suace & trying out new BBQ sauce recipes. You’re right , the ones in the store are not so great.
Sarah says
Oh, I can’t wait to make this! I love to grill chicken, slather it with barbecue sauce, and top it with bacon and cheese – Smokey mountain chicken!
Abby says
I’m eager to try this recipe…. GUY’S BBQ SAUCE is the one I use also. this recipe sounds so easy & looks yummy ! Thanks
Rhiannon Taylor says
How long would it last in the fridge? And could you freeze it?
Maya | Wholesome Yum says
Hi Rhiannon, I don’t have an exact duration for how long it would last in the fridge, but it should be the same as any other BBQ sauce (which is a while). I’ve had mine for a couple of weeks and it’s still good. There’s a fair amount of vinegar in it, so that helps it stay fresh. You should be able to freeze it without a problem too, but I haven’t tried it. If you do, keep air away to prevent freezer burn, and just thaw it in the fridge or in water before use.
Katrin says
I am so trying this recipe – my kids go crazy for BBQ ribs, I am sure they would love this sauce
Michelle says
I am going to try this recipe this weekend. I like to use BBQ sauce to make my version of sloppy joes. The low carb sauces in the store just don’t work because they are way too thin.
Georgina says
I love anything that contains liquid smoke – yum!!
Taryn Scarfone says
Yum! I really need to make bbq sauce. I don’t use it very often so I normally just cave and use a tiny bit of the bad for you store bought ones.
Kim | Low Carb Maven says
I love making my own BBQ sauce for the exact reason you list above. Store bought is good, but aspartame is something I try to avoid and sucralose is something I try not to have too much of. I bet your version is good with the chili powder in it. I agree, you can’t skip the liquid smoke – it’s like liquid gold. I like this recipe very much Maya! Thanks for sharing.
Monika says
So 15 ounces of tomato paste? And Worcestershire sauce isn’t typically gluten-free, so is the one you link to gluten-free? It contains mostly sugar.
Maya | Wholesome Yum says
Hi Monika, Yes, the recipe uses 15 ounces of tomato paste – either tomato sauce or paste is an integral part of BBQ sauce. The Worcestershire sauce used in the recipe is gluten-free (there’s a link in the ingredients list). It does technically contain sugar, but the amount of Worcestershire sauce per serving ends up being only 1/20 tablespoon. I added some notes to the recipe card about this.
Lauren says
I’m glad I wasn’t the only one to notice this! Worcestershire sauce contains a LOT of sugar and, unless you’re specifically buying a gluten free variety, it also has soy sauce. I guess Maya isn’t reading her labels very carefully!
Maya | Wholesome Yum says
Hi Lauren,
This should have had more clarification. I do always read labels. 🙂 The Worcestershire sauce linked in the recipe has no soy sauce in it and is gluten-free. I added some notes to the recipe card about it as well.
The amount of Worcestershire sauce per serving comes out to 1/20 of a tablespoon. A teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce has 1g of sugar according to the label, and 1/20 of a tablespoon is about 1/7 of a teaspoon. So that’s about 0.14g sugar per serving from the Worcestershire sauce, which I thought was low enough to call it sugar-free. (The rest of the carbs in the BBQ sauce come from the tomato paste, with no sugar added). The nutrition facts do reflect all of this. Hope that helps!
Jack Tripper says
I made this tonight to go on some ribs and I have to say it was quite crackin’ good. I didn’t have worcestershire or onion powder but I added a couple tablespoons of this Pepper Plant Chipotle sauce in instead, and a LOT more cayenne pepper and some black pepper. I mean, wow. That’s proper sauce and thanks to the smoked paprika and liquid smoke its pretty amazing. I still can’t get over the weird artificial flavor of the stevia/erythritol, it gives you that “diet soda taste” but all in all I really like the recipe. Thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum says
Hi Jack, I’m glad you enjoyed the barbecue sauce and that your modifications worked for you. There is no stevia in the recipe (though it could be used if desired). You could definitely try a different sweetener if you’d like, if you’re detecting a flavor from the powdered erythritol. I chose powdered erythritol, because the powdered consistency keeps the sauce smooth and to me it doesn’t have an aftertaste, but everyone’s taste buds are a bit different when it comes to sweeteners.
Gene Olvera says
You poor thing, having to repeat yourself over and over. I tried this recipe and it is awesome.
Maya | Wholesome Yum says
Thank you, Gene! I’m glad you liked it.
Linda Carter says
I was thinking it will freeze well – kind of like spaghetti sauce will. I think I will try freezing it in ice cube trays, then when frozen putting the cubes in a freezer tight bag. I am single so I do this with spaghetti sauce and it is awesome. Just take out what you need.
This is a GREAT recipe. Thanks for all the work that went into it AND how patiently you answer people.
Maya | Wholesome Yum says
Thank you, Linda! I love the idea of freezing this in ice cube trays. I’ll need to try that next time I make it!
Sherie says
I made this today and used 1/2 cup of Splenda and it’s AWESOME! Sweet and then you get the fabulous smoked spicy from the paprika for a great finish! I love it and will keep it on hand at all times!
Maya | Wholesome Yum says
Thank you, Sherie! I like to always keep it on hand, too.
Patrick Manley says
I used this with pulled pork at our church lunch, and everybody loved it. Tasted others in the family on it, and they couldn’t get over how good it was. For the sweetener I used 1/2 honey and 1/2 pure maple syrup, and I doubled the cayenne and chili powder. It wasn’t too hot at all.
Great Recipe. Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum says
Thank you, Patrick! Happy to hear everyone enjoyed it!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Loving this sauce- all the main components, spicy, slightly sweet, savory and tangy! Can’t wait to try it! Just pinned!
Maya | Wholesome Yum says
Thank you!