This Paleo Whole30 barbecue sauce is perfect for summer grill-outs or dipping your favorite food into. A little spicy, a little sweet, and a little smokey.
Although our Whole30 is technically over, we're still eating under those guidelines. I wanted to create a healthier, tasty barbecue sauce and that's exactly what happened. If you're used to the overly sweet store bought sauce then this will be a little bit of a change. It's more on the savory, smokey side. It does have sweetness from the dates, but it's not overpowering.
It comes together really fast and uses simple ingredients. I know the ingredient list looks a little long, but they're seasonings that everyone has. I used bacon fat to give it a little smokiness and richness. If you don't have any or don't want to use that, feel free to use coconut oil or ghee. This is made very similar to my ketchup, but has a totally different flavor.
My husband loves this on chicken. I made both bone-in chicken thighs and pulled chicken with it and they came out great. I'm planning on trying it with pulled pork- I just know it will be delicious.
This Paleo Whole30 Barbecue Sauce is perfect to make ahead and keep in the fridge. That way you'll have it on hand when you get that bbq craving. This is seriously the perfect sauce for all your grilling needs. It's thick enough that it won't drip off and it's finger-lickin' good!
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Paleo Whole30 Barbecue Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 6 oz can tomato paste
- 1 14.5 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- ½ cup coconut vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup pitted dates about 8 Medjool dates
- ½ cup bone broth or water
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon hot sauce optional
- 3 tablespoons bacon fat or coconut oil
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a large saucepan and cook on medium for 10 minutes. You want to use a large pan since it will splatter if you use a smaller one.
- Turn off the heat and blend using an immersion blender. Alternatively, pour into a blender and process until smooth.
- Continue cooking for another 10 minutes or until desired thickness. If it's too thick, add a little broth or water. If it's too thin, keep cooking.
Nutrition Information
Deb H says
I generally don’t like BBQ sauces because they are so sweet. This one has just the right balance of tangy and sweet. It’s the only one I use now.
Lauren says
Can you make this without dates? Is there a low-carb sub that you can use?
Jessica DeMay says
Hi Lauren- you can definitely leave the dates out, it just won't be sweet. If you're not doing a Whole30 then you can use a low carb sweetener like Swerve if you want some sweetness.
Jennifer Brunson says
What would be the conversion for date paste that i made to the 8 dates this recipe calls for ? Want to make the BBQ sauce for some pork roast. Thank you
Jessica DeMay says
Hi Jennifer- probably about 1/3 cup of date paste. Hope that helps.
Chris Cooley says
YESSSSS. This.
I'm a pulled pork snob ? and very few sauces meet my love of smoky, sweet, and a hint of kick---this recipe has it ALL! It used ingredients that I had in my cupboard (I used reg diced tomatoes) and was super easy! We ate our pulled pork with this sauce and still had almost 2 pints for future dinners! I usually cook recipes the first time as is--this one is perfect as is. I may use orange juice instead of broth for a slight change. Thanks so much as this is going to help my family not only through #Whole30 but beyond!
Jessica DeMay says
Thank you so much for the kind comment, Chris! I'm so glad you and your family enjoy this sauce! The orange juice sounds like a great idea. Thanks for trying my recipe and for the great feedback!
Mark says
Hi Jay,
Dumb question for you. I've made this and really enjoyed it in your Barbecue Chicken Casserole, but I'm realizing that I don't remember if I used actual yellow mustard or dry mustard powder the first time. Does the recipe call for a spice or a condiment? Please advise...and thanks for your wonderful recipes!
Mark says
Also...I'm planning on making your meatloaf and chicken casserole back-to-back...can the BBQ recipe be doubled easily, or should I make two separate batches? Thanks!
Jessica DeMay says
No, it's easily doubled. Don't make two separate batches. Just make sure you use a big enough pan to hold it all!
Jessica DeMay says
Hi Mark- not dumb at all! Thank you for trying it and I'm so glad you enjoyed it 🙂 I use actual mustard because I never have the powder on hand. I'm sure either would work, but yes, the actual mustard. You're welcome for the recipes!
Mark says
Thank you!
Jessica DeMay says
You're welcome!
michelle harper says
I'm on day 8 of my first whole 30 and your sloppy Joes are do good we've made them twice already! I told my husband I will never make sloppy joes with a seasoning packet again. I wanted to try to make pulled bbq chicken so I was so glad to see you have a bbq sauce recipe too! I'll be giving it a go tomorrow. Thanks!! 🙂
Jessica DeMay says
Michelle- thank you so much for all the kind words!! I'm so glad you guys like the sloppy joes and I hope you like the barbecue sauce just as much! I hope it came out good and good luck on your Whole30. 🙂
Amy says
I was so happy to stumble upon this recipe this weekend! I used it as the framework for the sauce I made - spices were adjusted based on what I had. A pint of it is in the fridge now to jazz up meals in the coming week. The rest was used to sauce up some remaining pulled pork I had on hand. Supper tonight was a tasty plate of the sauced pork on a bed of sweet potato spirals. This is a great addition to my current Whole30. Thanks!
Jessica DeMay says
Thank you so much Amy! I'm so glad you tried it and adjusted it to what you had- better than not trying it at all! Oh, that pulled pork on sweet potato noodles sounds awesome!! You're welcome! Thanks for making it and for the feedback!
Bethany says
Hi!
Thanks for the recipe! My kids will eat anything with BBQ sauce on it, so hopefully this will help them handle the Whole 30. How long do you think this would keep in the refrigerator?
Jessica DeMay says
Hi Bethany! You're welcome-I think your kids will love this! I've kept it in the fridge for up to two weeks, but it usually doesn't last that long. I hope you like it. Let me know if you try it. 🙂
Mary Ann | the beach house kitchen says
Jessica this sounds so good and so different from the usual barbeque sauces I make, so I have to try it!! Love your photos!
Jessica DeMay says
Thanks Mary Ann! Oh, that makes me curious to what sauce you usually make. I'm sure it's delicious!! Thanks for the kind words.