Who doesn’t love a generous serving of barbeque sauce? This sweet, smokey, and tangy condiment is universally loved in Australia and a frequent guest at every backyard barbeque. However, your average BBQ sauce will usually contain a decent amount of carbohydrates thanks to its high sugar content.
Unfortunately, this makes the popular condiment a bit of a temptation for keto dieters. When a low carb diet can often involve a lot of meat-based dishes, it can be challenging not to be able to add your favourite BBQ sauce.
But fear not, there’s no need to miss out on barbecue sauce when you switch to a keto diet. There are many BBQ sauces which cut down on the sugar and carbs, making them more suitable for low carb lifestyles. Sugar free sauce varieties are available across multiple stores in Australia, including supermarkets, health food stores and online.
For each brand, I’ve listed some information about what they contain, how much they cost, and where you can find them below. And if they’re not the right fit for you, I’ve included a few DIY recipes to help you create your own keto friendly BBQ sauce.
So which BBQ sauces can you still enjoy on a keto diet? Read on to find out!
Note that not all the products listed below are strictly ‘keto-friendly’ – and some I personally wouldn’t recommend. However, this will allow you to compare the different sugar free or reduced sugar brands available and choose the right option for your needs. As always, the right solution will depend on your individual macro goals and daily diet.
Based on Australian labelling standards, the values given are for net carbs.
Looking for the perfect accompaniment to your low carb barbeque sauce? Find out where to buy cheap bulk meat in Perth with our list of quality bargain butchers.
Keto Friendly BBQ sauce at Woolworths
Mingle have a fabulous range of seasonings and they've recently added sauces to their offerings. Mingle's sauces and seasonings are vegan friendly, have no sugar alcohols, are lower in sodium that mass market offerings and don't contain unnecessary fillers. The Mingle Better Tangy BBQ Sauce is tangy, savoury BBQ sauce with natural maple flavours. It contains 10 grams of carbs and just 4.1g of sugars per 100 grams.
Price: $4.95
Pros:
– No added sugar, artificial colours or flavours
– Very low carbs per serve
– Sweetened with monkfruit
Cons:
– Some may find it too tangy
– Contains tapioca flour to thicken so not strict keto friendly
This barbeque sauce by familiar brand Fountain contains 15.6 grams of carbs and 9.8 grams of sugar per 100 grams. If this sounds like a lot, it’s pretty low compared to your average barbeque sauce, which has around 40 grams of carbs and 30 grams of sugar.
Price: $2.70
Pros:
– No added sugar, artificial colours or flavours
– Gluten free and BPA free
– Sweetened with stevia and erythritol
Cons:
– Contains some processed ingredients
– Not the lowest carb option out there
Although it contains around 25% less sugar and sodium compared to the average Masterfoods Barbeque Sauce, this variant tastes exactly the same. Not surprising, as it’s still relatively high in sugar, along with the standard tomatoes, onions and spices. However, a 25% reduction in sugar is nowhere near enough to make this a genuinely keto-friendly product.
Price: $3.20
Pros:
– Closest in taste to the full-sugar varieties
– Vegan friendly
Cons:
– Contains added sugar and glucose syrup
– Still very high in carbohydrates (5.9g per serving)
– Contains gluten
I have to admit, this keto BBQ sauce is my favourite of the lot! It’s naturally sweetened by balsamic vinegar and monk fruit, generally accepted to be one of the better keto friendly sweeteners. So, it tastes great even without the evils of added sugars. It contains a mere 9.4g of carbs and 8.4g of sugar per 100g.
Price: $9.00
Pros:
– No added sugar or artificial sweeteners
– Gluten free
– Uses organic tomatoes
– Wholesome natural ingredients
Cons:
– Slightly higher in carbs and sugars than alternatives
This low sugar alternative sauce from Lilli’s Q is a great flavoured, healthier sauce option. This sauce has a great tangy taste and is balanced with hints of apple. With practically zero sugar in this sauce, it is a good keto-friendly option. It also has less than 2g of carbs per 100g serving.
Price: $14.00
Pros
- Vegan and gluten-free
- No preservatives, artificial colours or flavours - No high fructose corn syrup
Cons
- Can be overly sweet for some people - Not a cheap alternative
Keto Friendly BBQ sauce at Coles
This Coles home brand BBQ source is a great cheap alternative if you are looking for a tasty sauce with less sugar. Although it contains 30% less sugar, you can not taste the difference in this sauce. With 5.86 grams of carbohydrates and only 0.02 grams of fat, this is considerably lower than your standard BBQ sauces.
Price: $1.50
Pros - Uses natural flavours
- No artificial colours
- Uses Australian tomatoes
Cons - Still high in carbohydrates (5.86g per serving)
This Masterfoods Barbeque Sauce Reduced Salt and Sugar is also available at Coles. Scroll back up for the pros and cons of this variety!
Keto Friendly BBQ sauce at Aldi
Unfortunately for loyal Aldi shoppers, everyone’s favourite discount supermarket doesn’t currently offer any low-carb or low-sugar BBQ sauces.
If you’re a regular Aldi shopper on a keto diet, you’re probably familiar with the lack of low carb products at Aldi – very frustrating for those who shop there in order to maximise the family grocery budget.
However, if you’re an Aldi shopper, you’re not totally out of options. Most of the ingredients for a DIY keto friendly BBQ sauce are available at Aldi in Australia. I’ve included a few DIY recipes you can try below!
Keto Friendly BBQ Sauce at Australian Health Food Stores & Online Stores
These low carb BBQ sauce varieties are all available to order online, but may also be stocked at a health food store or specialist food store in your area.
This BBQ sauce made by Richards Country Kitchen boasts an extremely low carb content: just 5.4g per 100mL. If you’re on a particularly strict low-carb eating plan, this one may be for you. Xylitol is actually the main ingredient, so while it helps achieve the super low carbohydrate count, this may not bode well for people who have gastrointestinal reactions to it.
Price: $7.00
Pros:
– Extremely low carb content
– Homegrown natural ingredients
– No chemicals
– Packaged in glass
Cons:
– Very high in xylitol (which can cause stomach upset in some people)
This BBQ sauce by CALLOWFIT has a particularly rich and smokey flavor to it, so if you prefer an American-style barbecue sauce, this might be your perfect macth. It has a lower carb content too, at 6.6g per 100g, and virtually no sugar at 0.9g.
Price: $9.50
Pros:
– Practically no sugar whatsoever
– Very low carbs
– Vegan friendly
– Gluten free
Cons:
– Contains only 3% tomatoes
– Contains many processed ingredients
– Uses sucralose (an artificial sweetener that should not be heated)
Bone Broth Sauce BBQ is made using real beef bone broth, a great ingredient to include in a ketogenic diet. It also contains pomegranate and chicory root, giving this sauce antioxidant and prebiotic properties. It’s good for your gut health and still has a fairly low carb count, at 11.1g per 100g.
Price: $18.00
Pros:
– Fantastic gut health benefits
– Antioxidant rich
– Uses natural ingredients
Cons:
– An expensive option
– Not vegetarian or vegan friendly
For something a little different, this is a Carolina style BBQ sauce packing a rich mustard and spice flavour. Touted as Whole30, paleo and keto certified, this 100% organically made sauce only contains around 6g of carbs per 100g. This also contains literally 0g of fat, so while the carbohydrate content is keto friendly, it won’t help to add fat to your diet either.
Price: $9.95
Pros:
– Certified keto, paleo and Whole30
– Gluten free
– Extremely low carb content
– Full of flavour
Cons:
– Flavour is a little different to typical Aussie BBQ sauce
– Unsweetened (but this can also be a positive if you don’t mind a tangy flavour)
– Imported from the USA
This well-known Walden Farms low carb barbeque sauce predictably has a low carb content (it’s all in the name), but is also low in fats: only 5.7g of carbs and less than 1g of fat and sugar per 100g. As one of the more ‘artificial’ options, it nevertheless delivers a classic sweet BBQ flavour without added sugars.
Price: $8.95
Pros:
– Very low carbs and sugar
– Familiar sweet flavour
Cons:
– Has artificial sweeteners (sucralose)
– Contains more processed ingredients and colours
– Imported and frequently sold out in Australian stores
This all-natural BBQ Sauce is available at Coles has the lowest carb and sugar content of all the supermarket brands. It only contains 11.6g of carbs and 6g of sugar per 100mL, and has a fairly similar flavour to a full-sugar barbecue sauce, making it a good family-friendly alternative.
Price: $6.50
Pros:
- Extremely low carbs
- No added sugar
- Gluten free
- Vegan friendly
Cons:
- More expensive than other supermarket varieties
- Not available in all stores, so you do have to hunt for it
This naturally 95% sugar-free sauce from Nuvia contains less than 1 gram of sugar per serving. Impressively, this is done without the use of genetically modified ingredients or artificial sweeteners. It is still very flavoursome and has a natural smoky-sweet BBQ taste.
Price: $11.99
Pros:
- Plant-based and gluten free - GM free
- Very low carbs and sugar
Cons
- More expensive alternatives
DIY Keto BBQ sauce
It’s actually not that hard to make your own BBQ sauce at home, even one that has low carb content. So, if you’re looking to save some cash or choose exactly what goes into your keto-friendly sauce, trying a few low carb barbecue sauce recipes could be an interesting experiment.
Alternatively, if you’re a die-hard Aldi shopper, you can whip up your own sauce recipes rather than being restricted to the full-sugar versions.
The best part? You can customize the taste however you like, so feel free to balance the flavours according to your preferences.
This recipe uses tomato paste, vinegar, liquid smoke and Worchestershire sauce, plus spices and low carb brown sugar for sweetness. The addition of butter also helps give this keto friendly barbeque sauce a boost of healthy fats.
Starting with a base of low carb tomato sauce, this recipe adds smokey and sweet flavours to achieve a classic barbecue sauce (minus the sugar). While the instructions list stevia as the sweetener of choice, you can really use any keto-friendly sweetener and even adjust the quantity to find what you enjoy most.
Keto BBQ Sauce Alternatives in Australian Stores
Looking for other options? If you can’t find a low carb BBQ sauce in Australia, there are a few strategies you can use to achieve a similar flavour.
For those who already enjoy the Vitawerx Keto Mayo, there’s now a BBQ flavoured variety on the market. It includes the same combination of MCT oil and L-Glutamine that makes the original so popular, particularly for those who struggle to add enough extra fats to their meals. Thanks to its high oil content, 100g of this keto-friendly BBQ condiment packs 60.2g of fat and only 1g of carbs.
Price: $10.50
Pros:
– Made from keto friendly oils
– Digestive system benefits
– Made in Australia
– Vegan friendly
Cons:
– Definitely a flavoured mayo rather than a true BBQ sauce
– The higher fat content may not suit the whole family’s diets
Coconut aminos have become a common, healthier substitute for regular table sauces, and are now available in a range of flavours. This BBQ sauce substitute is made from barrel-fermented coconut blossom. While it is all natural, it’s still heavy on the carbs at 37g per 100g. However, if you don’t mind consuming it in extreme moderation, it’s not impossible to fit this into a keto diet.
Price: $11.95
Pros:
– All natural and organic
– Rich flavor
– GMO and gluten free
– Low GI
Cons:
– Higher carbohydrate and sugar content
– Less rich and flavourful than typical BBQ sauces
Worcestershire Sauce
Worcestershire sauce can give your meals a similar savoury and tangy taste to BBQ sauce. It may not taste exactly the same, but it can get the job done depending on your tastes. Worcestershire sauce is frequently recommended as an alternative to BBQ sauce.
So, is it keto-friendly?
One tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce between 3g and 6g of carbohydrates, depending on brand – similar to a full-sugar barbeque sauce. Unfortunately, it’s definitely not a low carb condiment, though you could make it work if you stick to very small amounts.
Some keto-friendly BBQ sauce recipes do use Worcestershire sauce as an ingredient. A small amount for flavouring may well be acceptable even for a low carb diet, but it’s all about keeping those quantities minimal.
This spice blend contains all the typical flavours you’d expect from a BBQ sauce, minus the carb and sugar content. Mingle Sass Smokey Spice Mix can be sprinkled on meat and veggies alike, and can be used in marinades or added at the table. If you’re craving that saucey experience, you can use BBQ spice mix in homemade low carb BBQ sauce or add to low carb tomato sauce for a quick fix.
Price: $4.95
Pros:
– Negligible carb and sugar content
– Vegan friendly
– Preservative free
Cons:
– Not as convenient as pre-made sauces
– Pricey if used for the whole family
Related Questions
What sauces are okay on keto?
While any sauce can technically be worked into a keto diet in moderation, you probably want to know which sauces are low in carbs and will easily fit into your daily macros. Some naturally keto-friendly sauces include:
1. Mayonnaise: Mayo is almost ideal on keto due to its high fat content, helping you reach that target fat intake.
2. Low-sugar tomato sauce: With many different options on the market, low carb tomato sauce can still still taste just as great as the regular variety, and can be used as a base to make variations such as BBQ sauce.
3. Mustard: A very versatile low carb condiment, mustard can be used to make various keto-friendly sauces and dressings. Just avoid honey mustard as that will be sweetened and higher in carbs.
4. Hot sauce: Typically low in carbs (but choose a hot sauce like sriracha over sweet chilli, which is high in sugar). You don’t need much to add a punchy flavour to your meals.
For a tasty keto-friendly pizza idea, try these low-carb sauces as an alternative to traditional pizza sauce.
Can you buy liquid smoke in Australia?
Yes, you can! Many stores offer liquid smoke in Australia. You can find Colgin Liquid Smoke at most Barbeques Galore stores. As it’s quite concentrated, the level of carbohydrates in one serving of liquid smoke is very minimal or even negligible, making it a good addition to keto-friendly BBQ sauce recipes.
Complete your low-carb BBQ or sausage sizzle with your favourite keto-friendly bread, with many available from Coles and Woolworths.
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Disclaimer: This article is published in good faith and for general informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for medical or nutritional advice and does not take into consideration your individual health needs. Ketolicious Kreations does not make any warranties about the ongoing completeness and reliability of this information. Always check the product label regarding allergens and other health needs. Any action you take upon the information you find on this website is strictly at your own risk. For any medical advice regarding diet and nutrition, or before changing your diet drastically, always consult a doctor or nutritionist.