For BBQ enthusiasts following a Paleo or Whole30 lifestyle, finding a compliant BBQ sauce can be a challenge. Many store-bought options are loaded with refined sugars, artificial flavors, and preservatives. This article provides a comprehensive guide to making your own delicious and healthy Paleo BBQ sauce at home, using real food ingredients and offering variations to suit your taste preferences.
Why Make Your Own Paleo BBQ Sauce?
While some cleaner store-bought versions exist, nothing beats the flavor of homemade sauces. Making your own Paleo BBQ sauce allows you to control the ingredients, ensuring it's free from refined sugars, artificial additives, and gluten. This is especially important for those adhering to strict Paleo or Whole30 guidelines.
Core Elements of a Great BBQ Sauce
The basic anatomy of a barbecue sauce generally contains a tomato base, an acid, a smokiness, a spice, and a sweetener. This recipe balances these elements, creating a sauce that is smoky, sweet, tangy, and flavorful.
Basic Paleo BBQ Sauce Recipe
This recipe makes about 2 cups of BBQ sauce.
Ingredients:
- 8 pitted dates (Medjool recommended for sweetness and caramel-like flavor)
- Two 6 oz cans tomato paste (organic recommended)
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup coconut aminos
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ cup water (plus more for thinning if needed)
Instructions:
- Soak the dates in hot water for 15 minutes. Save the water, as you will use it to thin the BBQ sauce.
- Add soaked dates and remaining ingredients to a food processor (start with ½ cup water).
- Blend on high speed until ingredients are mixed and BBQ sauce is smooth (scrape down sides of food processor if needed).
- Add additional water if you'd like a thinner consistency.
- Transfer to a small saucepan and simmer on low for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. This helps the flavors meld together.
- Serve immediately, or allow to cool before transferring to the fridge. Enjoy!
Alternative Paleo BBQ Sauce Recipe
This quick and easy sugar-free barbecue sauce recipe is naturally sweet and tangy, and you can make it in about 15 minutes!
Read also: Paleo Granola Recipes
Ingredients:
- Peaches, peeled and sliced - fresh or thawed from frozen
- Apple cider vinegar
- Bacon fat
- Chipotle pepper flakes
Instructions:
Yes, you'll need to blend this sauce. Because it contains chunks of peaches, you'll want a smoother texture. A high-speed blender will do the trick.
Variations and Substitutions
This Paleo BBQ sauce recipe can easily be customized to suit your taste preferences and dietary needs. Here are some ideas:
- Sweetness: If you aren't needing this to be Whole 30, but do want a Paleo BBQ sauce, you can add a little honey to get more sweetness if desired. If you want it sweeter, add more maple syrup or date syrup. If you don’t have maple syrup or date syrup, you can also use the same amount of honey or coconut sugar. For a SWEET sauce, add 1/3 honey cup in addition to the molasses.
- Spice: If you want it spicier, add cayenne powder. Add 2 tsp for SPICY or 3 tsp for REALLY SPICY. If you're looking for a boost of heat or spiciness, try cayenne pepper, smoked paprika or ancho chili powder.
- Tanginess: If you want it tangier, add more apple cider vinegar.
- Thickness: If you want it thinner, add water a little at a time until it reaches your desired consistency. If you want it thicker, simmer it until it reduces to your desired consistency.
- Smokiness: Or add a touch of liquid smoke for more smoky flavor.
- Fruit: Fruit - peaches can be swapped out for another fruit.
- Garlic: Add garlic - if you like the robustness and spiciness of garlic, sauté chopped garlic along with the shallots.
- Onions: Swap out the shallots for sweet onions like Vidalia or Maui.
- Additional sweetener: Additional sweetener - if you like a sweeter sauce add a dash of molasses or maple syrup.
- Dairy-Free: For a dairy-free barbecue sauce, use palm shortening instead of ghee or grass-fed butter.
- Other Options: Try using red pepper puree instead of tomato paste if you prefer.
How to Use Paleo BBQ Sauce
This Paleo BBQ sauce is incredibly versatile and can be used in a variety of ways:
- As a marinade: Brush it on chicken, pork chops, shrimp, salmon or ribs for the last few minutes of cooking. Use it when you air fry your chicken breasts or chicken wings.
- As a topping: Spoon it over brisket, pulled pork or chicken, or smoked sausages.
- On pizza: Spread it on pizza crust and top it with chicken, diced red onion, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
- Dipping sauce: We love to make a big batch and slather this on my Barbecue Burger or as a dip for Chicken Nuggets.
- With other meats: This barbecue sauce is amazing on pulled pork (I've got a great trick for making pulled pork in the slow cooker).
- Other Options: Add to a burger patty along with some bacon for a BBQ bacon burger. Try it on top of pork tacos OR if you eat BBQ sauce with steak, try it alongside my perfectly cooked reverse sear grilled fillets.
Storage Instructions
- Refrigerator: The BBQ sauce can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container. I prefer a mason jar. Let the sauce come to room temperature before storing in the refrigerator for later use.
- Freezer: It can be frozen for up to 3 months in a freezer safe container. Thaw at room temperature, or in the fridge. Tip: Freeze in an ice cube tray so you have individual serving sizes if needed.
Important Considerations
- Date Variety: With all my recipes that call for dates, I recommend Medjool dates. They are sweeter and have a more caramel-like flavor to them. You can however use Deglet Noor if that's what you have on hand.
- Tomato Paste: Because tomatoes are on the Environmental Working Group's (EWG) dirty dozen list, I recommend organic tomato paste.
- Spice Brands: You should contact the various spice companies to see about your specific dietary needs.
Read also: Paleo Diet Delivered: What You Need to Know
Read also: Paleo Mayonnaise Recipe