If there’s one thing you need to do before the month of July is over, it’s master the Best Keto Barbeque Sauce. After all, July is National Grilling Month. And what better sauce to add to grilled favorites than keto barbeque sauce?

Here’s one of our favorite recipes, and why it stands above commercial sauces, for the Best Keto Barbeque Sauce.

Best Keto Barbeque Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 6-oz cans tomato paste (15 ounces total)
• 1/2 cup raw apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup monk fruit/erythritol blend powdered sweetener (or, use your favorite keto-friendly sweetener to taste, but powdered or liquid work best)
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon liquid hickory smoke
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder (chipotle chili powder preferred if available)
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste if you like more spice)
• approximately 1 1/2 cup water (see instructions)

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, which all ingredients together, using just 1 cup of the water. Continue to whisk and add water until the sauce reaches a consistency just a little “thinner” than most barbeque sauces.
2. Turn burner onto medium-high heat and bring mixture to a gentle boil. Reduce to medium-low.
3. Stir frequently and simmer for ~20 minutes, or until slightly thickened.
4. Taste. Adjust sweetener and/or cayenne pepper to your preferred taste. If it’s too thick, add more water, one tablespoon at a time. Makes 2 1/2 cups.

Nutrition info (per 2 tablespoons): 20 calories, 0.1 grams fat, 3.5 grams net carbs (4.5 grams carbs, 1 gram fiber, 3 grams sugar), 1 gram protein) 

How Does Our Best Keto Barbeque Sauce Compare to Commercial Barbeque Sauce?

Why go to all this trouble for some barbeque sauce? If you’re eating in the Keto Zone, most commercial barbeque sauces will knock you right out. After all, to maintain ketosis, most people must keep total carbohydrates to less than 40 grams per day (and net grams carbohydrates under 25 grams per day).

While you’re in ketosis, you’ll enjoy many health benefits which may include steady energy, less hunger and cravings (1), improved weight, improved blood sugars, and more (2). Is it really worth giving all this up for some commercial barbeque sauce?

Here’s what 4 popular choices offer:

Sweet Baby Rays

Sweet Baby Rays is loaded with high-carb ingredients. In fact, it contains high fructose corn syrup, distilled vinegar, tomato paste, modified food starch, contains less than 2% of: salt, pineapple juice, natural smoke flavor, spices, caramel, color, sodium benzoate as a preservative, molasses, corn syrup, dried garlic, sugar, tamarind natural flavor.

The high fructose corn syrup, food starch, pineapple juice, corn syrup, and sugar all send its carb count through the roof. For every 2 tablespoons it contains:

70 calories, 18 grams of carbohydrates, 16 grams of sugar

Bullseye Original Barbeque Sauce

Bullseye Barbeque sauce has many of the same issues as Sweet Baby Rays, it’s high in sugar and carbohydrates. For every 2 tablespoons, it has more carbohydrates than a slice of bread. It contains: high fructose corn syrup, tomato puree (water, tomato paste), vinegar, molasses, modified food starch, apple cider vinegar, contains less than 2% of salt, natural hickory smoke flavor, mustard flour, spice, honey, dried onion, dried garlic, potassium sorbate (to preserve freshness).

These ingredients and specifically the high fructose corn syrup, molasses, food starch, and honey add carbs. For every 2 tablespoons it contains:

50 calories, 14 grams carbohydrates, 11 grams sugar

Heinz Original

While still too high in carbs, at least Heinz Original is using more basic ingredients and avoiding high fructose corn syrup. It contains cane sugar, white distilled vinegar, tomato paste, blackstrap molasses, corn starch, salt, water, natural smoke flavor, spices, tamarind concentrate, onion powder, garlic powder.

However, even with better quality ingredients, we end up with almost 20 grams of carbs! It’s sugar, molasses, and corn starch spike it. Every 2 tablespoons contain:

130 calories, 18 grams of carbohydrates, 16 grams of sugar

Oh So Sweet BBQ Sauce (Keto-Friendly)

This one is a great find in terms of ingredients and carbohydrates. You could pick up a bottle, and save about 1/2 an hour in the kitchen.

That’s IF you’re okay with paying $12.99 per 12-ounce bottle!

Still, the ingredients and macronutrients are on point. It contains tomato paste, water, apple cider vinegar, monk fruit extract, erythritol, butter, distilled white vinegar, pink Himalayan sea salt, hickory smoke flavor, spices, dehydrated onion.

Every 2 tablespoons provide:

30 calories, 4 grams net carbs (5 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of sugar, 1 gram of fiber)

Bottom Line

A little convenience will cost you a whole lot of carbohydrates, or almost $13, when it comes to barbeque sauce! If you don’t want to spend either, try our Best Keto Barbeque Sauce recipe for only 3.5 grams of net carbs instead. It’s easy to make, delicious, and won’t break the bank!

For more delicious Keto Zone recipes that will help you avoid high-carbohydrate foods, check out our Quick and Healthy Keto Zone Cookbook or our FREE Keto Zone 21-Day-Challenge today!