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3-Ingredient BBQ Sauce

5 from 3 votes
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This 3-Ingredient BBQ Sauce is an easy small batch of homemade BBQ sauce with a healthy twist and sugar-free keto option.

Plus, it’s ready in 15 minutes and perfect for a dipping sauce on any meat, burger, or fries.

Homemade BBQ Sauce 3 ingredients

What’s A BBQ Sauce?

A BBQ sauce is a thick, sweet, and smoky tomato sauce made from a ketchup base, vinegar, sweetener, and many other spices that can add all the difference to the sauce.

Some barbecue sauces are extremely smoky with the use of liquid smoke, smoked paprika, or extra sweet as they use more sugar than others.

Why You’ll Love This Sauce

This barbecue sauce recipe tastes delicious and is also:

  • Dairy-Free
  • Egg-Free
  • Gluten-Free
  • Grain-Free
  • Low-Carb
  • Vegan
  • Only 3 Ingredients
  • Ready In 10 Minutes
  • The Best Keto BBQ Sauce

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How To Make 3-Ingredient BBQ Sauce

It’s very easy to whip a small batch of BBQ sauce to dip any meat or vegetables or create the most flavorsome burger or sandwich.

Ingredients

All you need are:

  • Ketchup – You can either use store-bought ketchup if it’s low enough in carbs or use my ketchup recipe for a healthy BBQ sauce.
  • Apple Cider Vinegar – you can of course use other vinegar like white vinegar, but apple cider vinegar is a healthier choice loaded with good bacteria and a lovely apple flavor that marry well with BBQ sauce.
  • Brown Sugar – or sugar-free brown erythritol for a sugar-free BBQ sauce. Other healthy options are honey or maple syrup.

Preparation

Simply add all the ingredients to a non-stick saucepan, stir and bring to low-medium heat.

Simmer uncovered for about 10-15 minutes, occasionally stirring with a wooden spoon, until the sauce thickens.

Remove the saucepan from heat and cool down before using the sauce or storing it.

Making 3 ingredient BBQ Sauce

Best BBQ sauce flavors

Of course, to add a boost of flavor to this homemade BBQ sauce, feel free to add some of the flavorings below:

Storage Instructions

This homemade barbecue sauce can be stored very well in a glass mason jar in the fridge for up to 1 week.

You can freeze BBQ sauce as well, in ice cube trays, zip-lock bags, or airtight containers for up to 3 months.

Use the frozen sauce directly in any hot dishes or thaw it in the fridge the day before using.

3 ingredient BBQ Sauce

Keto BBQ Sauce Options

A keto BBQ sauce is a sugar-free BBQ sauce made with no artificial sweetener, only sugar-free natural sweetener.

To make this recipe keto-friendly, use:

  • Homemade ketchup recipe or unsweetened ketchup.
  • Sugar-free keto brown sweetener like brown erythritol or brown allulose.
Homemade BBQ Sauce 3 ingredients

Serving BBQ Sauce

This easy BBQ sauce recipe is delicious as a dipping sauce for meat, fries or to spread on burger buns or sandwiches.

It’s perfect with chicken, pork, and beef steaks and ribs, but it also works on jackfruit and banana blossoms!

Learn how to cook your steak to the perfect level!

Some of the most popular recipes to dip into this tasty BBQ sauce are:

Frequently Asked Questions

Below I listed some of your most frequent questions about this easy barbecue sauce recipe:

Is BBQ Sauce Gluten-Free?

Not all store-bought BBQ sauces are gluten-free, and it is worth checking the ingredients listed in the product.
Some BBQ sauce contains gluten as a thickener or in the food coloring used in some brands.

Is BBQ Sauce Vegan?

Yes, most of the time yes, BBQ sauces are vegan, but some brands can use some animal food coloring, so it is worth checking.

Does BBQ Sauce Go Bad?

Yes, and that’s why you should store the sauce in the fridge in an airtight container.
Homemade BBQ sauce lasts about 1 week in the fridge. For store-bought sauce, look at the packaging recommendation date after opening the bottle.

Does BBQ Sauce Need To Be Refrigerated?

Yes, this homemade BBQ sauce recipe contains sugar and tomatoes that can develop bacteria if not refrigerated after opening.
For food safety, always store the sauce in the fridge in a sealed sterilized jar or store-bought jar.

Homemade BBQ Sauce 3 ingredients

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Homemade BBQ Sauce 3 ingredients

3-Ingredient BBQ Sauce

This 3 ingredient BBQ sauce is an easy small batch of homemade BBQ sauce with healthy twist and sugar-free keto option.
Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 10 minutes
Yield: 16 servings (2 tbsp)
Serving Size: 1 serving (2 tablespoons)
5 from 3 votes

Ingredients

Optional flavors

Instructions

  • In a non-stick saucepan, add all the 3 ingredients and any optional ingredients from the flavor idea list if desired.
  • Stir to combine and bring to simmer for 10-15 minutes over low-medium heat. Cook uncovered until the sauce thickens, stir occasionally.
  • Taste the sauce and adjust the flavors by adding salt, pepper, more sweetener, or optional flavoring. Always stir after any addition.
  • Cool down at room temperature, in the saucepan, before refrigerating.

Storage

  • Store up to 1 week in the fridge in a sealed glass mason jar.

Notes

Note 1: Use my homemade ketchup for a healthy option.
Note 2: You can use sugar-free brown erythritol as a keto option.

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Nutrition1 serving (2 tablespoons)
Yield: 16 servings (2 tbsp)

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving (2 tablespoons)Calories: 31.7 kcal (2%)Carbohydrates: 4.9 g (2%)Net Carbs: 4.9 gProtein: 0.1 gSodium: 376.2 mg (16%)Potassium: 9.4 mgSugar: 4.8 g (5%)Calcium: 3 mgIron: 0.1 mg (1%)Magnesium: 0.6 mgZinc: 0.1 mg (1%)
Carine Claudepierre

About The Author

Carine Claudepierre

Hi, I'm Carine, the food blogger, author, recipe developer, published author of a cookbook, and founder of Sweet As Honey.

I have an Accredited Certificate in Nutrition and Wellness obtained in 2014 from Well College Global (formerly Cadence Health). I'm passionate about sharing all my easy and tasty recipes that are both delicious and healthy. My expertise in the field comes from my background in chemistry and years of following a keto low-carb diet. But I'm also well versed in vegetarian and vegan cooking since my husband is vegan.

I now eat a more balanced diet where I alternate between keto and a Mediterranean Diet

Cooking and Baking is my true passion. In fact, I only share a small portion of my recipes on Sweet As Honey. Most of them are eaten by my husband and my two kids before I have time to take any pictures!

All my recipes are at least triple tested to make sure they work and I take pride in keeping them as accurate as possible.

Browse all my recipes with my Recipe Index.

I hope that you too find the recipes you love on Sweet As Honey!

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