How To Make BBQ Sauce From Scratch (Sweet BBQ Sauce Recipe)

How To Make BBQ Sauce From Scratch (Sweet BBQ Sauce Recipe) for a thick, rich, and tangy sauce that is so good! Making your own BBQ sauce at home is easy and you'll wonder why you've never made it before!

This recipe can be made two ways: sugar-free or regular. Both are good and either way, you make it everyone will love it! If you want to make it low carb or keto BBQ sauce follow the sugar-free instructions. Enjoy!

🎥 Recipe Video

❤️ Sweet BBQ Sauce Recipe

Best BBQ Sauce Recipe!

Well, we think it's the best BBQ sauce recipe, anyway! LOL. You will love this sauce. It thick and sticky and finger-licking good. 

Make Extra And Store In Your Fridge! 

You can easily double or triple this recipe and store some in the fridge for your next grilling adventure! 🙂 It's just as easy to double or triple a recipe than it is to make one. 

Sugar-Free Sweet BBQ Sauce (Low Carb & Keto)

This BBQ has 2 versions - sugar-free and regular. You can make the sugar-free version and no one will know. The sugar-free version is my preferred way to make my sauce (for health reasons) and I serve it all the time at cookouts - and everyone goes on and on about how good it is. Let's keep that a secret! 🙂

14 g fat | 4.7 net carbs | 0.8 g protein

🥘 Ingredients and Tools

Here are the ingredients and tools you'll need to make this sweet bbq sauce recipe:

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 cup unsweetened ketchup or regular ketchup (see note on brown sugar below)
• 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar monkfruit substitute or regular brown sugar (Note: if you used regular sweetened ketchup start with 1/4 cup brown sugar and add more to taste)
• 1/2 to 1 tsp liquid smoke (Love this stuff!! I add 1 to 2 tsp to pulled pork too! Yum.)
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp celery salt
• 1/8 to 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (depending upon how spicy you like it)

Tools

• medium nonstick saucepan
• measuring cups
• measuring spoons
• chefs knife
• cutting board

Tip: if you used a sweetened ketchup, reduce the brown sugar called for in this recipe by 1/4 cup.

🍲 How To Make BBQ Sauce From Scratch

1. In a nonstick saucepan pan, saute onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until the onions are soft (#1).
2. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil (#2 and #3), reduce heat and simmer 25 to 30 minutes until the sauce is very thick (#4). Stir occasionally to keep the sauce from sticking. Makes approximately 12 oz. Note: if sweetened ketchup is used, reduce the brown sugar called for by 1/4 cup. 

❓ Common Questions

How can I increase the fat in the BBQ sauce?

You can increase the fat in this BBQ sauce by adding 2 tbsp of butter once it has thickened, but is still warm. Stir it in as it melts.

What is the difference between sugar-free ketchup and unsweetened ketchup?

So, many people don't realize that sugar-free ketchup does not necessarily mean it is unsweetened. Unsweetened ketchup has no sweetener in it at all, while sugar-free ketchup usually means that it is sweetened, but not with sugar. The most common sweetener used in sugar-free ketchup in the grocery store is Sucralose, but you may see different types. 

💭 Helpful Tips

• If sweetened ketchup is used, reduce the brown sugar called for by 1/4 cup. 
• Pay attention to ketchup ingredients. Sugar-free does not mean unsweetened. Sugar-free ketchup is often sweetened with Sucralose so it is sweetened. Reduce the browns sugar by 1/4 cup.
• If you're not following a sugar-free/keto diet, feel free to substitute regular brown sugar and ketchup to this recipe!
• Play with this recipe to your liking. Increase or decrease sugar to your liking. Substitute garlic salt for celery salt. Increase cayenne pepper for more spice. Add 1 tbsp bourbon or whiskey for added flavor!

✔️ Related Recipes

• Best Grilled Chicken Recipe (Dry Rub Grilled Chicken With White Barbecue Sauce)
• Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork (Instant Pot BBQ Pork)
• The Best Baby Back Ribs Recipe (Grilled Pork Back Ribs)
• Herbed Butter Steak (Simple Steak Recipe Grilled With Garlic Herb Butter)
• Grilled Romaine Hearts (Easy Grilling Recipe)
• Dry Rub For Chicken (Easy Grilled Chicken Dry Rub)

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A tasty tangy and sweet BBQ sauce recipe that so good you'll be eating it from the spoon! Can be made two ways: sugar-free or regular - both are GOOD (and no one can tell the difference)! This barbecue sauce is perfect on grilled chicken, pork, & beef recipes. Barbecue cookout? This stuff will go quick! A low carb, sugar-free, & keto bbq sauce will help you stay on track.  #bbq #bbqsauce #grilling #cookout #sugarfree #keto #lowcarb #chicken #pork #beef #westerncarolinabbq #barbecue #sauce