Enjoy a low-carb barbecue with this spicy, smoky BBQ sauce. It’s a quick, easy recipe you can make in minutes and keep in the fridge for whenever you need it.
Skip reading long ingredient lists on store-bought bottles to hunt for a low-carb option—make your own instead. Many traditional BBQ sauces are loaded with sugar; this version keeps the carbs low while delivering big flavor.
This sauce is tomato-based and spicy with a pronounced smoky character from liquid smoke and warming spices. Increase the liquid smoke for a deeper smoke flavor, or tweak the paprika, cumin and sweetener to suit your taste.
This flavorful, smoky BBQ sauce pairs beautifully with meat, fish and vegetables. The chief taster declared it BBQ heaven, and I’ve been happily splashing it on everything from roasted vegetables to grilled chicken. If you’re like me and weren’t previously a BBQ-sauce fan, this one might convert you—keep a jar in the fridge for regular use.
How to make low-carb BBQ sauce
Making this low-carb BBQ sauce is effortless: combine the ingredients in a saucepan, heat gently, stir, and adjust the seasoning. Use the recipe below as a base and vary the sweetness, heat or smokiness to match your preferences.
How to use this keto BBQ sauce
This low-carb BBQ sauce is versatile: use it as a marinade, brush it on meat or fish while grilling, or stir it into dips for extra flavor. It works well on chicken burgers, in roll-ups, in stir-fries with zucchini, and to brighten vegetarian dishes like BBQ palm hearts.
Other sauces to try:
Roasted Garlic & Tomato Sauce
Red Pepper, Tomato & Chilli Sauce
Sugar-Free Hot Pepper Sauce
Roasted Red Pepper Dip
Spicy Smoky BBQ Sauce
Angela Coleby
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Ingredients
- ½ cup tomato paste no sugar
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 4 tablespoons erythritol low-carb sweetener
- 1 tablespoon butter unsalted
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
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Place all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat.
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Stir and simmer for about 5 minutes, until the ingredients are combined and the sauce is smooth.
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Taste and adjust seasoning, sweetness or smokiness as desired.
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Pour into a glass jar or container and refrigerate until ready to use.
Notes
Net carbs are calculated as total carbohydrates minus fiber; sugar alcohols are excluded from the carb total.
Nutritional information is an estimate based on ingredient data and may vary depending on product brands and preparation methods.
Nutrition
The nutrition information is an estimate provided by an online calculator.