This keto bbq sauce recipe is low carb, sugar free, and healthy. Its taste is sweet, tangy, and slightly spicy — you would never guess that it’s homemade. Ever so versatile, you can use this bbq sauce for pulled pork, ribs, brisket, or even my 5-ingredient barbecue meatloaf — see below for instructions.
So yes, barbecue sauce can actually be part of a healthy diet. Read on for the recipe!
How do you make low carb bbq sauce that’s keto friendly?
Low carb bbq sauce is made using tomato puree, apple cider vinegar, worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, and erythritol sweetener instead of sugar. These ingredients are combined in a small saucepan, simmered for about 15 minutes until the sauce thickens, and then chilled in the refrigerator until ready to use.
To develop this recipe, I experimented with various flavors and ingredients. Paprika is great for its smoky flavor and coloring, and the cayenne helps bring the heat.
This homemade version tastes just like the storebought kind. You can adjust the cayenne to taste to match your preference. I recommend using 1/4 teaspoon cayenne for a mild to moderately hot bbq sauce. If you’re concerned that it’ll be too spicy, start with only 1/8 teaspoon and add more to taste after the sauce has simmered and reached its desired thickness.
Check out the recipe card below for printing options and nutrition facts per serving.
What is erythritol powder?
Erythritol is key to making this bbq sauce keto friendly, low carb, and sugar free. It’s a sweetener that cannot be digested by the body and has no effect on blood sugar or insulin levels. It works fabulously in this recipe, as it becomes wholly incorporated into the sauce. You won’t taste a “cooling” effect or experience erythritol crystallization.
I use powdered erythritol, and not the granulated kind. If you buy erythritol granules, you can pulverize them in a blender such as the Nutribullet until it becomes very fine powder. The volume will significantly increase as well. The powder is more easily incorporated into the sauce and I recommend using that form in this recipe.
Note that erythritol is only about 70% as sweet as table sugar. If you replace with another type of sweetener, you’ll have to adjust the amount used. You can either do the math or add your preferred sweetener to taste.
What can I do with keto bbq sauce?
There are so many ways you can use this keto bbq sauce:
- bbq meatloaf (scroll below for my 5 ingredient recipe)
- bbq ribs
- bbq burgers
- bbq shredded chicken
- bbq pulled pork sandwiches
- bbq brisket
- bbq salad dressings
- bbq meatballs
- bbq pizza or flatbread
And the list goes on. Give this recipe a try, and in the comments section below, let me know what you used the sauce for!
Keto BBQ Sauce Recipe (Low Carb & Sugar Free)
DESCRIPTION
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup
canned tomato sauce or puree (8 to 9 oz wt.) - 1/2 cup
apple cider vinegar - 1/2 cup
powdered erythritol sweetener - 2 tbsp
worcestershire sauce - 1 tbsp
smoked paprika - 1 tsp
garlic powder - 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp
ground cayenne
INSTRUCTIONS
- Add all ingredients to a sauce pot over medium-high heat and stir together as you bring to a simmer.
- Simmer until the sauce reaches your desired thickness, about 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Gradually reduce the heat as needed to maintain a simmer.
- Taste the sauce. Add erythritol and cayenne as needed to adjust sweetness and spiciness.
- Let cool. Cover and refrigerate.
NUTRITION
| Nutrition Facts Per Serving |
| Calories 20 | |
| Total Fat 0g | 0% |
| Saturated Fat 0g | 0% |
| Trans Fat 0g | |
| Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
| Sodium 270mg | 11% |
| Potassium 20mg | 1% |
| Total Carb 3g | 1% |
| Dietary Fiber 0.5g | 3% |
| Sugars 1g | |
| Protein 1g |
How about some keto bbq meatloaf?
The above recipe yields 1.25 cups of homemade keto bbq sauce. That’s more than enough to make my delicious 5-ingredient meatloaf. This is a keto meatloaf that doesn’t require milk or bread crumbs. Ingredients include:
- 1 pound 80% lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup low carb bbq sauce
- 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese (sandy consistency)
- 1/2 cup finely diced onions
- 1 large egg, beaten
Mix all of these ingredients together except for half of the bbq sauce, and form into a loaf and place on a baking dish. Bake at 325 F until cooked through, about 1 hour. Drain out the meatloaf drippings, brush the meatloaf with remaining bbq sauce, and bake for another 5-10 minutes until the sauce is cooked in. This meatloaf yields 4 servings, each with 210 calories and 4 g net carbs.
I spent some time investigating how to make meatloaf as moist as possible. If your meatloaf is a tad bit on the dry side, I recommend using fattier ground beef (no less than 20% fat) and avoid lean meats such as turkey or chicken. Use a thermometer so that you don’t overcook the meat — take it out of the oven when the center reaches 155 F.
Very good. I’ll have to play with the sweetener next time. I used Splenda because it was in my cupboard. I tasted the chemical component of it, which is unusual for me. I used hot paprika and chipotle instead of cayenne (personal preference). Other than that, I stuck to the recipe, which is unusual for me. I would make this with real sugar if I chose to go off low carb rather than buying sauce. That’s how much I liked it.
With the amount of sweetener it was far too sweet for me. Sickly sweet even though I used 2/3 of what was suggested. Next time I’ll probably not use any at all. Otherwise a nice sauce.
Did you use erythritol as opposed to erythritol blends like Swerve and Lakanto? Erythritol is only 70% as sweet as Swerve, so if you used Swerve then it would have been too sweet. Also, the recipe calls for powdered erythritol. The same amount of sweetener often takes up significantly more volume when in powdered form as opposed to granulated.
How long do you think the keto BBQ sauce would stay fresh in the frig?
Hi Christine. I usually use mine up pretty fast, within a week, so it should last at least that long.
I freeze mine and thaw it out as needed.
can I add this in a slow cooker to make pulled pork or will that be a problem? im not familiar with the heat stability of sugar alcohols.
Not a problem at all, you can definitely do that.
I made this without the erythritol using Monk instead because my wife can’t tolerate erythritol. It turned out very good so the next day I started with fresh tomatoes, classic mirpoix w/ Anzac cognac flamebee, deglazed with white wine and veal stock then reduced by 2/3 with a bouquet garni adding some Kerrigold butter at the end for the sheen. I apologize for Frenching a barbecue recipe but French IS Keto- except of course for the bread, pastries, potatoes, flour-based roux, etc., etc
Thanks! Great recipe – I added a bit more ACV to 1/2 the batch and it made a great Carolina style sauce delicious on some smoked country ribs and pulled pork!
Did you add more erythritol to counter the ACV?
This is so yummy!! I did not have smoked paprika so I used regular paprika and added some liquid smoke. I am in love!
This sauce is amazing!!!! Very happy with the results