• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Heather Cooan logo
  • My Story
  • Recipes
  • Articles
  • Resources
  • Services
  • Success Stories
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • My Story
  • Recipes
  • Articles
  • Resources
  • Services
  • Success Stories
    • Amazon
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • My Story
    • Recipes
    • Articles
    • Resources
    • Services
    • Success Stories
    • Amazon
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes

    Keto & Low-Carb BBQ Sauce Guide

    Published: Sep 12, 2019 · Modified: Jul 13, 2020 by Heather Cooan, MBA, NTP, FDN-P, ONC · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Keto & Low-Carb BBQ Sauce on the counter with brush.

    Use this keto & low-carb BBQ sauce guide to find the perfect BBQ sauce for your needs without sacrificing your health.

    When it comes to keeping with a ketogenic eating template, there are plenty of pre-made sauces and seasonings we simply can’t live without. But, BBQ sauce is easily at the top of this list. No summer cookout is complete without some zesty BBQ sauce for your ribs or chicken.

    However, some of these condiments have some not so healthy ingredients lurking inside. Most mainstream smoky sauces contain sugar, corn syrup, or much worse, and I don’t just mean a tiny teaspoon. Some BBQ sauces have as many as 51 grams of sugar per 2Tbs. serving. That's enough to toss you right out of ketosis with one meal, and you don't even have to finish it!

    This list is all about keto and low-carb BBQ sauces. Some of them you’ll love and some of them you’ll hate. For the most part, they're all pretty tasty, but as with any sugar-free food, you risk consuming some unsavory chemicals like aspartame. If you are less concerned with your food quality, this may be fine for you, but if you’re more of a purist, some of these sauces may send you running for the hills.

    Clean Keto & Low-Carb BBQ Sauce Options

    I believe that food quality and ingredients matter when it comes to health. The closer we can stick to whole, real foods, the better! I hope that you also feel this way so I've split this keto & low-carb BBQ sauce guide into two parts to separate the BBQ sauce options with clean ingredients from those with questionable ingredients.

    Let's start with the clean BBQ sauce options. These sauces are made with whole foods and do not have any gums, food starches, or chemical sweeteners in them. The sauces in this section are sauces I recommend.

    AlternaSweets

    Image source: AlternaSweets

    This is a yummy BBQ sauce that contains ingredients that won’t make your head spin. Great for people who dislike artificial sweeteners. This recipe does include blackstrap molasses, which can spike your insulin. However, there are 4 net carbs in 2 Tbs., which is minimal and will be slowed with the fatty meat you are eating along with it as long as you watch your portions.

    Good Food For Good

    Image source: Good Food For Good

    This BBQ sauce is a buffet of nutrition. It’s tasty and doesn’t contain any weird ingredients. It’s sweetened with dates, so you do risk a slight insulin spike. However, there are only 4 net carbs in 2Tbs, so just be careful not to use too much.

    Primal Kitchen

    Image source: Primal Kitchen

    A wonderful, clean BBQ sauce that contains ingredients with integrity. The Classic flavor is sweetened with neither natural sweeteners nor artificial. It contains 2 net carbs per serving. It’s perfect for people who are on a clean-eating keto journey.

    Stevia Sweet BBQ

    Image source: Stevia Sweet BBQ

    A delicious low-carb BBQ sauce made with stevia! There’s only 1 gram of carbs per serving so don’t be afraid to use this sauce a bit liberally. It’s very tasty and pairs well with a variety of grilled foods such as chicken, steaks, and burgers.

    TesseMae’s BBQ Sauce

    Image source: TesseMae’s

    TesseMae’s BBQ Sauce is a bottle of organic, keto-approved, Whole 30 approved, dairy-free, gluten-free, no-sugar, vegan goodness! Seriously, this sauce hits all the major ancestral template players. The ingredients list contains nothing that you can’t pronounce and 1 Tbs. will set you back just 3 grams of carbs.

    Personally, I like to use this BBQ sauce for dipping. It pairs well with keto chicken strips, jicama fries, and even various cauliflower concoctions. Of course, you can use it in the traditional sense, too. Great on smoked fish!

    Simple Girl Carolina Kick

    Image source: Simple Girl

    This is a great clean BBQ sauce that’s bursting with flavor. It’s certified organic, kosher certified, gluten-free, oil-free, vegan, non-MSG, and sugar-free! The only sweetener in this product is stevia.

    And get this…only 5 calories and 1 carb per serving! There are no chemical ingredients in this sauce, just a pure and simple recipe to keep things basic and delicious.

    Also, for an organic product, this BBQ sauce is fairly affordable. This brand also comes in Southern Blend and Country Sweet flavors. Plenty of options.

    Guy Gone Keto BBQ Sauce

    Image source: Guy Gone Keto

    As usual, I saved the best for last. Folks, you can’t get any more keto than the Guy Gone Keto condiment line. This BBQ sauce isn’t just sugar-free but rather it is geared towards a healthy ketogenic lifestyle. It’s legit made with MCT oil. Can you hear the angels singing? Seriously, this stuff is an LCHF dream!

    This yummy BBQ sauce is sweetened with Ketosweet+, which is a blend of allulose (rare natural sugar sub), stevia, and monk fruit. The bottle does list “spices” but it’s less than 2%. I can deal with that.

    Dirty Keto & Low-Carb BBQ Sauce Options

    These BBQ sauces contain questionable ingredients and while I am reviewing them for your information, I do not recommend these keto & low-carb BBQ sauces.

    Consume these at your own risk, there are many chemical ingredients and some of these I wouldn't even consider food.

    G Hughs

    Image source: G Hughs

    If you’re looking for variety and you're not concerned with ingredient quality, G Hughs just might be the answer. Just be aware that this brand of BBQ sauce is made with sucralose, a zero-calorie artificial sweetener.

    Some people claim this sauce leaves a bad aftertaste. I agree 100%, this stuff tastes like artificial sweetener. It's gross. One serving is 2 net carbs.

    Walden Farms

    Image source: Walden Farms

    Honestly, this is the worst BBQ sauce I’ve ever eaten in my life. It doesn’t taste like BBQ sauce at all. That’s probably because it isn’t real food in any sense of the term. Walden Farms BBQ sauces are calorie-free. You may be wondering how this is possible. Chemicals. Chemicals are how this is possible. Contains 0 net carbs per serving.

    Guy’s Award-Winning Sugar-Free BBQ Sauce

    Image source: Guy’s BBQ

    This BBQ sauce tastes really good, ain’t gonna lie! However, it does contain some questionable ingredients. For example, the ingredient list states that cornstarch, caramel coloring, smoke flavoring, and sucralose are in the mix. If you don't care about artificial flavorings and corn products in your food, you'll enjoy this one at 2 net carbs per 2 tablespoons.

    Lynchburg Tennessee Whiskey Sweet & Mild

    Image source: The One Grill

    This BBQ sauce packs in some bold and spicy flavor. It’s perfect for using on thick cuts of meat like steaks and chops. Plus, it’s made with high-quality ingredients that won’t have you leaping out of ketosis. There’s only 1 net carb per serving. Now that’s what I like to hear.

    Ready for the bad news? It’s made with Splenda aka sucralose. Protect your microbiome and be careful with how much you use and how often if you choose to try this one.

    Trinity Hill Farms BBQ Sauce

    Image source: Trinity Hill Farms

    This is a fun BBQ sauce that just screams summer picnic time. You’ll enjoy this handcrafted, zesty sauce all over your favorite grillin’ foods and not feel one stitch of guilt. It’s sugar-free and sweetened with stevia and erythritol. The only issue I have with this sauce is that “spices” and “cultured dextrose” are listed in the ingredients.

    I’ll let you draw your own conclusions about the quality of the ingredients. The carb count on this one is a bit high at 5 carbs in 2 tablespoons so make sure and watch your serving size if you decide to try this one.

    BBQ Sauce Doesn’t Have To Be Loaded With Sugar!

    As you can see by this list, not all sugar-free BBQ sauces are created equal. You need to read labels, people! Don’t go picking out your BBQ sauce all willy nilly.

    You can still enjoy those summer BBQs without kicking yourself out of ketosis or suffering aracing heart from all the sugar. Shop around and find the sauce that is a perfect match for your health goals. Don’t forget to comment on this list and tell me about your favorite sugar-free, keto & low-carb BBQ sauces.

    Happy saucing!

    Recipes

    • Keto Pumpkin Spice Muffins
    • Gluten-Free Sourdough Chocolate Chunk Cookies
    • 20 Holiday Keto Cookie Recipes
    • Turkey Stew (GFDF, Keto, Paleo, AIP, Whole30, Low Iron)
    87 shares
    • 86

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Tell Me What You Think

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Ben @ TheOnlineGrill.com says

      September 16, 2019 at 12:50 am

      Thanks for the image link Heather!

      Can't wait to try some of the other sauces on this list 😀

    2. Heather Cooan says

      September 16, 2019 at 8:55 am

      No problem, I hope you find some great sauces!

    3. Varun Sharma says

      April 24, 2020 at 11:43 pm

      These looks so delicious, perfect for our party!

    4. Heather Cooan says

      April 27, 2020 at 8:05 am

      So glad you can use them!

    5. Alex Jordan says

      January 18, 2021 at 1:57 am

      Taught my g-daughter this recipe to teach her how to read a recipe and cook it. Came out delicious.

    6. Heather Cooan says

      January 18, 2021 at 9:04 am

      Which recipe did you use Alex?

    Primary Sidebar

    Heather Cooan - Nutrition Consulting, Counseling, and Education

    Hi, I'm Heather! I’m a Functional Nutritionist and Educator helping women suffering from autoimmunity and cancer take control of their health and care through education, data-driven nutritional therapy, and strategic lifestyle design.

    More about me →

    VALENTINE'S DAY RECIPES

    • Keto Valentine's Day Dessert Recipe Roundup
    • Keto Chocolate Covered Strawberries (Whole30, Paleo, GFDF)
    • Ultimate Fudge Keto Brownies (Paleo, GFDF, Vegetarian)
    • Cheesecake with Raspberry Sauce (Keto, GF, Vegetarian, Low-Iron)

    POPULAR RECIPES

    • Pickle Wheels (Keto, GF, Low Iron)
    • Vanilla Frosted Buttercream Cupcakes (GFDF, Keto, Low-Iron)
    • Roast Duck (Keto, Paleo, GFDF, AIP, Whole30)
    • Garlic Mashed Cauliflower (GFDF, Keto, Paleo, AIP, Whole30)
    • Vanilla Ice Cream (Keto, Paleo, GFDF)
    • The Best Keto Low-Carb Brownie Recipes

    LATEST POSTS

    • Food Sensitivity, Intolerance, or Allergy?
    • Histamine Intolerance an Overview
    • The Six Stages of Ketosis
    • Low-Dose Naltrexone for Cancer and Autoimmune Disease

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms of Use
    • Affiliate Disclosure
    • Accessibility Policy

    Let's Connect!

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Subscribe for Recipes and Updates

    My Amazon Favorites

    Work With Me

    • Functional Nutrition Services
    • Contact Us
    • Media and Press

    Disclaimer All information on this website and in HDC Media products, services, meal plans, and content is general information. Nothing on the website or any HDC Media content is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

    Affiliate Disclosure Many outgoing links on HeatherCooan.com are affiliate links. If you purchase a product after clicking an affiliate link, I receive a small percentage of the sale for referring you, at no extra cost to you. HDC Media is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

    Copyright © 2022 Functional Nutrition Consultant - Heather Cooan

    We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

    You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings.

    Heather Cooan
    Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

    Strictly Necessary Cookies

    Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

    If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.