Clean Eating Barbecue Sauce Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is a healthy barbecue sauce? ›

Healthy Store-Bought BBQ Sauce

Look for brands that don't have high fructose corn syrup or some form of sugar listed as the first ingredient. It's also ideal to have less than 10 grams of sugar and 300mg of sodium per serving. There are a few brands that make healthier BBQ sauce with natural/organic ingredients.

Fruit-based sauces are a great option for people looking to cut down the acid content in tomato base sauces like the BBQ. These sauces use fruits like pineapples, mangos, apricots, apples, and even peaches to enhance the taste while doing away with the need to add granulated sugar.

Citrus works well in barbecue sauce; orange is common, but apple and pineapple are also popular. Make sure to also add either some hot or sweet flavor to it or else you'll end up with a gross mess. Possiblities include hot sauce, honey, ginger, brown sugar, sriracha, etc.

You can use either flour or cornstarch to thicken BBQ sauce. Just mix together 2 tbsp (16 g) of flour and ¼ cup (62.5 mL) of water, or combine 1 tbsp (9 g) of cornstarch with 1 tbsp (15 mL) of water. Continue mixing the thickener until there are no lumps of flour or cornstarch.

Opt For Leaner Meats

Or substitute lower-fat ground turkey for beef. You can also opt for leaner cuts of meat, using a marinade for a couple of hours to boost its flavor. Additionally, consider things like grilling chicken breast and salmon, both staples for a healthy backyard barbecue.

Make your own barbecue sauce by combining ¾ cup ketchup, 2 tablespoons mustard, and 2 tablespoons brown sugar.

Combine brown sugar, ketchup, vinegar, water, and Worcestershire sauce in a blender. Season with mustard, paprika, salt, pepper, and hot pepper sauce. Blend until smooth. Enjoy!

Method 2: Use a Cornstarch Slurry

With this simple method, you simply mix cornstarch and water to make what's referred to as a 'slurry. ' Start by mixing together 1 tablespoon of cold water and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch for every 1 cup of BBQ sauce.

Is it worth making your own barbecue sauce? ›

Making BBQ sauce is a lot easier than many people think. It requires only a few ingredients most people have already in their homes and minimal cooking! I prefer to make most of my condiments homemade. That way you can control the taste and quality, and it's cheaper than buying store-bought versions.

Spices For Barbecue Sauce

Popular spices and herbs to use for barbecue are; allspice, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, clove, coriander, cumin, granulated garlic, granulated onion, Mexican oregano, mustard powder, nutmeg, paprika, sage, and thyme leaves.

Create depth by adding dark chocolate and coffee to your barbecue sauce. These two, feature a bitter-sweet combo that can truly enhance the blend of spices and flavors present in your bottled barbecue sauce. Enhance your Barbecue Sauce using almost anything, including your favorite beer.

Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes or up to one hour, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and allow to cool. The sauce will thicken slightly as it cools.

Using leaner cuts of meat can greatly reduce your saturated fat intake. Buying loin of pork instead of ribs, or lean steak rather than a fattier cut, are healthier choices. And don't forget to remove skin from chicken. It might be more expensive to buy leaner meat, so you need to think differently about how you use it.

However, many store-bought BBQ sauces contain high levels of added sugars, sodium, and preservatives – not the best for our health. But don't worry, this doesn't mean you have to give up BBQ sauce altogether.

Sweet Baby Ray's also uses sodium benzoate as a preservative, which can convert to the carcinogen benzene (via Healthline). Overall, you should consider having Sweet Baby Ray's as an occasional treat, rather than as a dietary fixture.