Skinny BBQ Sauce – Easy + HEALTHY Homemade Barbecue Sauce

Fire up the grill, this skinny BBQ sauce is a healthy low-sugar alternative to store bought barbecue sauce. It’s only a few ingredients and FULL of flavor!

The weather is finally warming up and it always has me thinking about summer cookouts.

One of our favorite things to do is host barbecues for our friends and family in the summer months. We love lounging by the pool, having great conversations and summer cocktails, and just spending and spend time with loved ones eating amazing food.

And to be totally honest I am not the grill-master in our relationship — that honor goes to my husband, Nik.

He takes grilling and smoking meat very seriously!

BUT I will say…

I make a KILLER homemade BBQ sauce.

I have been making all of the BBQ sauce around here for the last 6 years or so. And as the weather starts warming up nothing gets me more excited to host our cookouts than whipping up some of my skinny BBQ sauce!

It is SO easy and full of flavor.

And ever since I’ve started making it, we have completely given up those crazy sugar-laden sauces at the store.

So I’m excited to share with you my almost-famous skinny BBQ sauce today — hey, a girl can dream, right?!

I’m sure the taste alone will convert you from store bought to homemade…

But knowing that this skinny BBQ sauce is lower in sugar, and is full of healthy and simple ingredients will definitely solidify your love of this simple homemade condiment.

And after making your own you’ll NEVER want to buy store-bought again.

Why is this BBQ Sauce Healthy?

You’d be surprised that traditional BBQ sauce you find at the grocery store can have more than 20 grams of sugar in only 2 tablespoons!!

This homemade sauce is less than 8 grams of natural sugar per serving AND is less than half the calories of store-bought sauce with ZERO fat!

To make this the healthiest it can be choose an organic, all-natural ketchup. 

Make sure you check the ingredients to make sure it only contains a few ingredients like tomato puree, sugar (no high fructose corn syrup!), vinegar and spices. 

I used Whole Foods Organic Ketchup in this recipe, but you could always make your own too!

This healthy BBQ sauce does not contain any added sugar in the form of cane sugar. It only contains natural sweeteners like honey and molasses.

Plus, because you are making this yourself YOU control the amount of salt and spices you can add in, which means this sauce in lower in sodium than most store bough versions as well. 

And the spices like the black pepper, mustard, and garlic powder have some pretty amazing benefits as well.

Lastly this skinny barbecue contains one of my favorite fat-blasting ingredients – Apple Cider Vinegar!

Reasons to Love Apple Cider Vinegar

Fights Belly Fat

Studies show that Apple Cider Vinegar has an anti-glycemic effect which helps regulate your blood sugar levels. This is important because if you have frequent spikes in your blood sugar levels it will cause your body to store fat – especially in the belly area! ACV helps block some the digestion of starch, which raises your blood sugar.

Rich in Nutrients

Filled with minerals like potassium and magnesium, ACV can help maintain water balance and aid in digestion. Antioxidants, like beta-carotene, are also found in ACV and help counteract damage from free-radicals

Helps your Body Naturally Detox

Your body is constantly trying to stay balanced in an alkaline pH level. The acetic acid in ACV helps balance your body’s pH. What does that mean for you? More energy, a better immune system, and it may even stimulate circulation that helps detoxify your liver.

How to Make Skinny Barbecue Sauce, Step-by-Step

You only need a few simple ingredients for this recipe — most of which you probably already have in your home. The prep time is under 5 minutes and there is very minimal hands-on cooking, just a bit of stirring. You will LOVE how easy this delicious healthy BBQ sauce is!

Ingredients

• 2 cups organic all-natural, organic ketchup
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup blackstrap unsulphured molasses
• 1/4 cup raw honey
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Equipment

• A good quality thick bottomed large saucepan
• Spoon
• mason jars – for storage

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low heat to simmer.
2. Cook, uncovered, for an hour and 15 minutes. Stir frequently and make sure you scrape down the sides and bottom.
3. Once the sauce has thickened up allow to cool before transferring to an airtight mason jar for storage

How to Store Skinny BBQ Sauce

Storing in the Refrigerator

You can keep this homemade healthy BBQ sauce in the fridge for 1 to 2 weeks. Be sure to store it in an airtight container.

Storing in the Freezer

We actually keep a lot of this homemade BBQ sauce in the freezer. We use smaller 8-ounce mason jars and fill them with our sauce, and pull them out a day or two before we have a party. You can store barbecue sauce in the freezer for up to 3 months.

How to Use this Homemade Healthy BBQ Sauce

You can use this sauce on sooooo many things.

Our favorite way to use it is on lean protein like these skinny chicken “wings” for parties. But of course we use it on other meats as well. 

Because we are about balance and love eating delicious food without deprivation we do use it on the occasional pork ribs or on beef brisket– Nik is a fan of making St. Louis ribs in our smoker.

But we also use it to make chicken thighs or even baked chicken wings.

Of course you can use this healthy barbecue sauce however you normally would — wether thats dunking or basting.

You will LOVE adding this flavorful sauce into you meals.

Print