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    Home » Recipes » Vegetarian

    Healthy Barbecue Sauce

    Published: Jun 28, 2013 · Modified: Feb 16, 2022 by Lauren Kelly · This post may contain affiliate links.

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    Homemade Barbecue Sauce with all wholesome ingredients and none of the junk. This healthy homemade barbecue sauce will be ready in minutes!

    Homemade Barbecue Sauce in a clear jar with a brush coming out.

    Why You Should Make This Homemade Barbecue Sauce

    Have you ever read the ingredients in a bottle of barbecue sauce?  Typically they are loaded with extra sugars, high fructose corn syrup, and other additives that aren't good for you.  This barbecue sauce you can enjoy guilt-free!

    I kept searching all of the nutritional labels at the grocery store hoping to find a sauce with just real ingredients and no junk.  Why is it so hard?

    Since we love barbecue chicken, I came up with this healthier version.  My kids love drumsticks too, but you can use these for chicken breasts, ribs, pork or whatever you'd like.  

    I just made wings for my little guys and brushed this sauce on top.  They LOVED them! And no added preservatives or unnecessary additives.  

    Real ingredients, real food.  And it's pretty amazing!

    Overhead picture of Healthy Homemade Barbecue in a clear jar with a brush on top.

    Recipe Tips

    I use this homemade barbecue sauce as a dressing, not a marinade.  You place the chicken on the grill or in the oven and baste it while it cooks.

     I like to add dried parsley for color too.  Hope you like this as much as I do! It's simple to make and delicious.  Trust me, you will never go back to store-bought sauce again.

    This will last for up to7 days in your refrigerator (although I can say that I've never had it last that long!) Whenever I make this, my kids also use this as a condiment for burgers, french fries and even quesadillas.

     They use this stuff on everything!

    Related Recipes to use with this Homemade Barbecue Sauce

    Slow Cooker Puller Pork from Lauren Kelly Nutrition

    Shredded Chicken from Feasting at Home

    Easy Fall Off The Bone Oven Baked Ribs from Inspired Taste

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    Healthy Barbecue Sauce

    ll wholesome ingredients and none of the junk. This healthy homemade barbecue sauce will be ready in under 30 minutes!
    5 from 11 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: chicken, vegetarian
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes
    Servings: 16 servings
    Calories: 54kcal
    Author: Lauren Kelly

    Ingredients

    • 1 15 ounce can organic tomato sauce
    • 1 12 ounce can organic tomato paste
    • ¼ cup honey
    • 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
    • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ½ teaspoon onion powder
    • ¼ cup molasses
    • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
    • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper you can adjust this according to your taste

    Instructions

    • Place all the ingredients in a medium saucepan and mix well.
    • Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
    • Continue to stir occasionally.
    • Let cool and serve immediately or place in airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

    Notes

    To store: Place in an airtight jar or container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
    You can use this homemade barbecue sauce on chicken, pork, ribs...whatever you'd like!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 54kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 365mg | Potassium: 433mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 489IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @lkellynutrition or tag #lkellynutrition!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Natasha

      April 25, 2022 at 7:34 am

      5 stars
      Super easy to make barbecue sauce! This is going to be our new go-to recipe for chicken, beef or pork, so versatile!

      Reply
    2. Valentina

      April 22, 2022 at 4:12 pm

      5 stars
      I never knew how delicious homemade barbecue could be! This healthy bbq sauce is amazing!

      Reply
    3. Pheobe

      April 22, 2022 at 2:34 pm

      5 stars
      this is such an amazing bbq recipe without loads of sugar in it! thank you for sharing!

      Reply
      • Lauren Kelly

        April 22, 2022 at 2:45 pm

        Homemade is always the best! Thanks so much!

        Reply
    4. Kara

      February 16, 2022 at 10:28 am

      5 stars
      Easy and delicious. We added some to our homemade fry sauce, and that was extra tasty!

      Reply
      • Lauren Kelly

        February 18, 2022 at 9:18 am

        So happy you liked it Kara!

        Reply
    5. Toni

      February 16, 2022 at 9:29 am

      5 stars
      I love this sauce!!Quickly became a staple at my house!!

      Reply
      • Lauren Kelly

        February 18, 2022 at 9:19 am

        Thanks Toni!

        Reply
    6. Taylor

      February 16, 2022 at 9:13 am

      5 stars
      This barbecue sauce was so delicious! Tangy, sweet and the perfect level of spice. We love using it on chicken, meatballs, pulled pork, you name it. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Lauren Kelly

        February 18, 2022 at 9:19 am

        Awesome, thanks so much Taylor!

        Reply
    7. Jennifer

      August 02, 2021 at 1:58 pm

      5 stars
      We loved this barbecue sauce! Honestly wasn't expecting it to be so tasty but it came out so good!

      Reply
    8. Allyssa

      August 02, 2021 at 7:58 am

      5 stars
      Thanks a lot for this very helpful recipe! Will surely make this again! Highly recommended!

      Reply
    9. Anna

      August 01, 2021 at 11:02 pm

      5 stars
      I have some serious BBQ fans in my family and they all loved this sauce! I need to make it again soon!

      Reply
    10. Maria

      July 21, 2016 at 7:32 pm

      I love how sweet and thick this BBQ sauce is! You don't even miss the original stuff 🙂

      Reply
    11. Marye

      July 21, 2016 at 2:48 pm

      This sounds perfect! I love barbecue sauce, but some of them are just too darn sweet!

      Reply
    12. Cindy

      May 28, 2014 at 2:30 pm

      I just found your website and I love your recipies! We have just begun the journey to eat healthier. I'm wondering if there is a particular brand of Worcestershire sauce that is good to use?

      Reply
      • lauren.kelly

        May 28, 2014 at 4:26 pm

        Welcome Cindy! I am so happy you stopped by. I use a worcestershire sauce from Trader Joe's, nothing fancy 🙂 Have a great day!

        Reply

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