24 Keto BBQ Sauce Recipes for the Best Backyard Cookouts
It may sound crazy but BBQ sauce always inspires a fierce debate in my house.
Half of my family thinks it should only be used as a marinade- an easy way to kick up the flavor of grilled proteins before they hit the grill. The other half is positive that BBQ sauce should only be used as a condiment- used after the meat or veggies are cooked. I can’t tell you how many arguments we’ve had over the dinner table about this one topic!
But it doesn’t matter how you use it, BBQ sauce can be a great way to boost the flavors of the grill, whether you’re making delicious pork kebabs or easy grilled cauliflower.
And, to satisfy everyone in my house, I’ve put together a list of over 20 Keto BBQ sauce recipes which cater to both opinions on how the sauce is to be used.
From Keto-friendly versions of BBQ classics like a low carb Dr. Pepper BBQ sauce to inventive new spins, like White BBQ sauce, this list has enough grilling inspiration to keep you at the BBQ all summer long!
Barbeque sauce is easier to make than you think. Just check out this video on how to make it:
Here are just a few of the Keto BBQ Sauce Recipes we’ve included:
- Sugar Free Smoky Tomato & Mango BBQ Sauce
- Spicy Chocolate BBQ Sauce
- Bacon Keto Barbecue Sauce
- Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce
- Paleo Sweet Chipotle BBQ Sauce
- Low-Carb Dr Pepper Barbecue Sauce
- White BBQ Sauce
If you click or tap any of the links above, it will instantly take you to the recipe below. Or download the entire list by clicking on the green button below.
Spicy Keto BBQ Sauce Recipes
Sugar Free Smoky Tomato & Mango BBQ Sauce
– I Breathe I’m Hungry
Photo Credit: Mellissa from I Breathe I’m Hungry
Ingredients: tomato puree, sugar free ketchup, white vinegar, dijon mustard, granulated sugar substitute (Splenda, Truvia, Swerve, etc.), liquid smoke, apple cider vinegar, fish sauce, lemon juice, Texas Pete hot sauce, dehydrated onions, ground coriander, celery salt, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, allspice, cinnamon, cardamom powder, ground cloves, ground ginger.
BBQ is a great way to get more tomatoes into your diet. Registered Dietitian Megan Ware, RDN, LD says, “A tomato is a nutrient-dense superfood that offers benefit to a range of bodily systems. Its nutritional content supports healthful skin, weight loss, and heart health.”
Although there is an extensive list of ingredients in this keto barbecue sauce recipe, the instructions are so easy and it only takes minutes to cook down, leaving you with a sweet and smoky sauce to use on all your meats for the grill. This sauce works on chicken, pork and even sausages and can be used as a dip too. If you can’t get mango syrup just leave it out and add extra sweetener.
BBQ sauce
– Diet Doctor
Ingredients: olive oil, tomato paste, yellow onion, chili powder, garlic powder, fennel seeds, ground cumin, cayenne pepper, canned whole tomatoes, cider vinegar, salt.
This recipe gives you a tangy and very moreish sugar-free barbecue sauce that doubles as a marinade for meat like pork chops and chicken. It does not involve any kind of artificial sweetener, so it’s ideal for people with issues relating to them. If you like a little smokiness in your keto barbecue sauce you can also add in a bit of liquid smoke, although it is great as it is.
Spicy Chocolate BBQ Sauce
– Keto Diet Blog
Ingredients: sugar-free ketchup, garlic, butter, ghee or extra virgin coconut oil, paprika, chile powder, cocoa powder, smoked salt or pink Himalayan rock salt, apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar, coconut aminos, erythritol, liquid stevia, ground black pepper.
This recipe for chocolate barbecue sauce is very low in carbohydrates and calories, so it would be perfect for those folks who are trying to watch their weight. It is a good combination of sweet and heat, but obviously, you don’t need to add the chili powder if you don’t like spice. This sauce stores really well in a jar in the fridge or you can freeze it in batches to last all through the year!
Low Carb Barbecue Sauce
– Grass Fed Girl
Ingredients: apple cider vinegar, tomato paste, gluten free soy sauce, sea salt, gluten free horseradish mustard or spicy mustard, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, cumin, garlic powder, lemon juice, Stevia Liquid, water.
If you are not confident in the kitchen and prefer your recipes to be easy you are going to be very impressed with this ketogenic no-cook sauce! It has the right level of sweetness and smokiness to offset any grilled meats and can also be used as a dip. Kids love this sauce to dip mini burgers or sausages in, but it also goes well with chicken or pork.
Low Carb BBQ Sauce
– Carb Manager
Ingredients: xylitol, mustard, apple cider vinegar, ground cinnamon, smoked paprika, water, tomato puree, garlic powder, onion powder, celery salt, cayenne pepper, ground cloves, black pepper.
Here is another simple keto sauce recipe that gives you the ideal marinade or dip for grilled meats. All you need to do is put the ingredients in a pan and cook down for a few minutes, then you are ready to go! It has a bit of a kick from the mustard and cayenne and takes its smoky note from the smoked paprika. This is a versatile sauce that even tastes great as a dressing for salads!
Bacon Keto Barbecue Sauce
– Keto Babble!
Ingredients: lard or ghee, bacon, white onion, garlic, diced tomatoes, pumpkin puree, tomato paste, vegetable stock or chicken stock or bone broth, apple cider vinegar, coconut aminos, erythritol or liquid stevia, chili powder, allspice, ground cloves, salt, ground black pepper.
This ketogenic sauce comes with a big surprise – it is made with bacon! It gives the sauce an amazing savory note and adds a boost of flavor to what is actually a great sauce. This is a low carb recipe and the sauce can be stored for a month in the fridge, but it can also be frozen. You can experiment with the flavors and uses, but I like to add a little to homemade tomato soups!
North Carolina BBQ Sauce
– Buttoni’s Low-Carb Recipes
Ingredients: cider vinegar, red pepper flakes, course-ground black pepper, Mexican chili powder, salt, dry mustard powder.
When it comes to barbecue sauces, it really depends on where you live whether they are sweet, spicy or vinegar based, so the fun is trying all the options till you find your family’s keto favorite. Because the base of the sauce is vinegar, this will not go out of date and stores on the shelf for a long time, so you will be able to use it whenever the need arises!
Mustard-based Keto BBQ Sauce Recipes
Keto Spicy BBQ Sauce
– My Sugar Free Journey
Ingredients: coconut oil, onion, garlic, tomato paste, yellow mustard, water, salt, chili powder, paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper, Tabasco sauce.
As you probably know, store-bought barbecue sauces can be great, but they are often loaded with sugar. So if you like a bit of heat from your sauce but want to make it sugar-free, this recipe would be the one for you. This keto sauce only takes five minutes to prepare and can be made into a sweet version by omitting the Tabasco and cayenne pepper.
Carolina BBQ Sauce
– Maria Mind Body Health
Ingredients: yellow mustard, Swerve confectioners or stevia glycerite, coconut vinegar or cider vinegar, chili powder, ground black pepper, ground white pepper, cayenne pepper, tamari sauce or coconut aminos, butter or coconut oil, liquid smoke flavoring.
If you are looking for a complete change to the normal reddish barbecue sauces we are used to, perhaps you would be interested in trying this yellow, mustard-based sauce instead! It packs a good bit of a punch from the cayenne and goes really well with hotdogs and steaks. This sauce is low carb, gluten and sugar-free but is absolutely filled with flavor!
Carolina BBQ Sauce
– Low Carb Papa
Ingredients: yellow mustard, Swerve sweetener, stevia glycerite, rice wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, tamari soy sauce, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, avocado oil.
It often amazes me how different the sauces for barbecues are, depending on where you live, and this keto recipe is another great Carolina sauce with a mustard base that you could serve for your next family barbecue. Homemade sauces are much fresher in flavor and you can rest easy knowing that the ingredients are all healthy. I like to add a little celery salt to this just to boost the savory notes.
Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce
– Faith 4 Keto Kitchen
Ingredients: yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar, monk fruit sweetener, butter, sugar-free ketchup, hot sauce, black pepper, salt, onion powder, garlic powder.
This is another sugar-free sauce recipe that is keto-friendly and very low in calories, so it is perfect for anyone on a weight loss plan. It is also good for diabetic conditions and is very family friendly too, especially as you can adjust the amount of hot sauce you use to avoid it being too spicy for kids. If you already have a sugar free ketchup recipe, this sauce can be made in minutes!
Other Keto BBQ Sauce Recipes
Paleo BBQ Sauce with Chipotle
– 40 Aprons
Ingredients: ghee, onion, coconut aminos, garlic, cumin powder, mustard powder, chipotle chili powder, chili powder, tomato paste, chicken stock, apple cider vinegar.
Barbecue sauces are a great way to liven up what can easily be a boring piece of meat or chicken, and this one works just as well as a dip too. This recipe is also suitable for vegan diets.
Low-Carb Dr Pepper Barbecue Sauce
– Lowcarb-ology
Ingredients: tomato paste, diet Dr Pepper, water, vinegar, salt, smoked paprika, chipotle, garlic powder, onion powder, stevia.
If you have been put off making your own sauce because it might take a while to make, then read on! This keto recipe involves no cooking at all, and the results are amazing! This low carb, low-calorie sauce is full of flavor and is sweet, spicy and smoky all in one. You could even experiment with other diet drinks to give you different flavors – diet Cherry Coke works well in this recipe!
Low Carb Smoky Barbecue Sauce
– Step Away From The Carbs
Ingredients: tomato sauce, cider vinegar, dry mustard powder, paprika, liquid smoke, garlic or garlic paste, low carb sweetener, salt, pepper.
This great recipe has fewer ingredients than some, making it a bit more wallet-friendly, and you are likely to have most of them already in your store cupboard. The sauce has a wonderful smoky flavor with the tang of tomato and a hint of sweetness and it goes really well stirred into pulled pork and served on a lettuce wrap for a delicious keto lunch or at your family barbecue.
Healthy Homemade Low Carb Barbecue Sauce
– Wholesome Yum
Ingredients: tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, sweetener of choice, liquid hickory smoke, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, chili powder, and cayenne pepper.
It makes a great coating for chicken drumsticks and can even be used as a condiment at the dinner table. If you like your sauce sweet, you can use the sweeteners listed or add in some raw honey or maple syrup, depending on your diet.
Keto BBQ Sauce
– The Keto Cookbook
Ingredients: apple cider vinegar, low-sugar ketchup, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, ground cumin, sea salt, liquid stevia.
This sauce must be one of the healthiest ever as it is zero carbs and very low in calories, making it great for anyone on a weight loss plan. The sauce has a lovely smoky hint and just the right amount of sweetness, and this makes it great to serve with any grilled meat. It also makes a great dipping sauce for mini keto meatballs or burgers.
White BBQ Sauce
– Dj Foodie
Ingredients: mayonnaise, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, Swerve, cracked black pepper, salt, cayenne pepper.
Even if you have never heard of white BBQ sauce you should really give this one a try! It is very tangy and goes well with chicken and pork. You can use it as a marinade to infuse the meat with flavor before cooking or brush it onto the chicken as it grills. This sauce is a bit thinner than some so if you want to thicken it up before using you can add in some extra mayonnaise.
Simple Low Carb BBQ Sauce
– Grilling 24×7
Ingredients: salted butter, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (pureed), salsa.
This is such a simple low carb recipe as it only has three ingredients and can be made in under ten minutes! There are no complicated instructions to follow and even novice cooks could make this to impress the family and friends. It is up to you how hot you make this sauce as you can add cayenne or hot sauce if you want it really spicy.
Sugar-Free Barbecue Sauce
– Healthful Pursuit
Ingredients: sugar-free pasta sauce, balsamic vinegar, mustard powder, garlic, smoked paprika, sea salt, ground pepper.
If you are looking for a homemade sugar-free barbecue sauce that fits with your keto diet then this recipe will be very handy. It only involves a few ingredients and can be ready in a few minutes. I have used this keto recipe as a marinade, as a coating for chicken and also as a sauce to serve with homemade meatloaf and the flavors can jazz up pork chops and burgers too.
Barbecue Sauce with NO Sugar!
– Happy Herbivore
Ingredients: onion, garlic, tomato paste, tomato sauce, apple cider vinegar, yellow mustard, Dijon mustard.
Thanks to the molasses in this keto recipe, the flavor of the barbecue sauce are rich and slightly sweet, and it makes a great coating for chicken and pork that you are cooking on the grill. It is a good idea to use the Worcestershire sauce if you like your barbecue sauce to have a nice savory flavor, although this is an optional ingredient as most types have sugar in them.
Low Carb Barbecue Sauce
– Little House Big Alaska
Ingredients: fruitchup, apple cider vinegar, smoke flavor, olive oil, black pepper, garlic granules or powder.
It is a great idea to use fruitchup as a base for this barbecue sauce as it is sugar and gluten free and can add the sweetness you need. This is an adaptable recipe as you can add different types of vinegar like a good balsamic to give it a richer flavor, and a bit of heat from some chili powder if you like a bit of spice. If you can’t find liquid smoke you could use smoked sea salt or smoked paprika to give the same sort of effect.
Better Barbecue Sauce (stevia sweetened)
– Nourishing Days
Ingredients: extra virgin olive oil or unrefined coconut oil, fresh onion or dried onion flakes, sea salt or tamari soy sauce, garlic or garlic powder, ground cumin, dry mustard, ground chipotle (smoked dried jalapeno pepper), dried basil, sugar-free tomato paste, water or chicken broth, apple cider vinegar or lime juice, stevia extract powder.
Barbecue sauce can be one of the first things you miss on a sugar-free diet, so handy recipes like this one are great. This sauce can be used as a coating on grilled meats like chicken drumsticks, but also makes a lovely addition to some pulled pork to give it an even better flavor. If you choose to use lime juice you will find it gives the sauce a wonderfully tangy taste that goes really well with pork.
Secret Ingredient BBQ Sauce
– Lavishly Low Carb
Ingredients: olive oil, garlic, onion, tomato sauce, Diet Dr Pepper, apple cider vinegar, liquid smoke, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, ground clove.
The secret ingredient in this wonderful ketogenic recipe is Dr. Pepper soft drink which makes a great base for BBQ sauces. This sauce works with chicken, pork or any other meats you are cooking on the grill and can be reduced even more if you like your sauce really thick. Deglazing the pan with the soft drink means that all the flavors from the pan are picked up and included in the sauce.
Low Carb BBQ Sauce
– How To This and That
Ingredients: Lakanto Gold brown sugar substitute or sweetener of choice, apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, water, butter, tomato paste, garlic powder, onion powder, dry yellow mustard, salt.
Many store-bought BBQ sauces have a very high carb count and are loaded with added sugar and this means that on the ketogenic diet it is necessary for us to make our own so we don’t miss out at family barbecues! This recipe uses tomato and mustard, so the sauce is a true mix of different barbecue sauce styles, and it has a good bit of heat from the cayenne, although this can be omitted if you don’t want it spicy.
