Sauces

Smoky Lower-Sugar BBQ Sauce

Tomato paste, smoked paprika and cider vinegar with only a little maple — far less sugar than bottled BBQ sauce.

SaucesMeat SauceAmericanHeat: Mild

How to Use This Sauce

Primary use: Grilled and pulled meats
Best with: Grilled chicken, Pulled pork tenderloin, Turkey burgers
Other ways to use it: Meatloaf glaze, Roasted-vegetable glaze, Bean bake
Suggested amount: 2 tablespoons per serving of grilled meat
Flavor: Smoky · Sweet-and-Tangy · Tomato-Based
Texture: Thick, glossy
Batch yield: About 510 g prepared (12 servings of 2 tablespoons (about 32 g))
Serving size: 2 tablespoons (about 32 g) · 12 servings per batch

Allergens: Fish (anchovies in Worcestershire sauce), Mustard. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

Use This Sauce With

30 min Serves 2 Meat Sauce · American

SaucessaucecomponentEveryday FavoritesMeat SauceAmericanSmokySweet-and-TangyTomato-BasedChickenPorkTurkeyLean BeefVegetablesLower sodium Freezer-Friendly

Full recipe: About 510 g prepared (12 servings of 2 tablespoons (about 32 g))
Serving size: 2 tablespoons (about 32 g)
Servings per batch: 12

Servings to prepare changes how much you cook; it never changes the size of one serving. My portion (in My Week) changes your planned nutrition.

Contains: Fish (anchovies in Worcestershire sauce), Mustard

Ingredients

Prepare 2

Preparing: 2 servings

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Sweetness choices — tap to lower sugar

Use the listed ingredients and amounts. Nutrition, saved shopping and meal planning remain based on this version.

Preparation guidance only. When a supported swap is chosen, Nutrition per serving below shows the adjusted values; filters, sugar screening, exports, Shopping and My Week stay based on the written recipe. A different sweetener does not establish diabetes suitability; total carbs, portion and verified sugars still matter.

Sugar alcohols may cause digestive symptoms; keep xylitol away from dogs. Aspartame must be avoided with PKU. No substitute is universally the healthiest choice.

Product conversion chart FDA sweetener guidance

Instructions

Nutrition per serving

Estimated nutrition per serving — 2 tablespoons (about 32 g)

Calories	22
Total fat	0.3 g
Saturated fat	0 gKeep low
Sodium	25 mgLow
Total carbohydrate	4.7 g
Fiber	1.1 g
Total sugars	3 g
Added sugars	Not available
Protein	0.8 g

Estimates based on the listed ingredients; actual values vary by brand. Nutrition is per one stated serving and does not change when you make more or fewer batches or servings.

Nutrition incomplete

Why this result?

Added sugar not verified; source and serving review required
Added sugar not verified
Set your carbohydrate targets to check meal-plan fit

This portion only — the rest of the meal and day are not checked.

Diabetes Meal Planning

Use selected screens

Calculation basis & sources

Per-serving estimates from every weighed ingredient divided by 12 servings of 2 tablespoons (about 32 g). Tomato products, canned, paste, without salt added (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program): 120 g; https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/170459/nutrients; Tomatoes, red, ripe, canned, packed in tomato juice, no salt added: 200 g; https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/170138/nutrients; Vinegar, cider: 45 g; https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/173469/nutrients; Syrups, maple: 20 g; https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/169661/nutrients; Onions, raw: 40 g; https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/170000/nutrients; Garlic, raw: 6 g; https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/169230/nutrients; Spices, paprika: 6 g; https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/171329/nutrients; Spices, chili powder: 3 g; https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/171319/nutrients; Spices, mustard seed, ground: 2 g; https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/170929/nutrients; Sauce, worcestershire: 8 g; https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/171610/nutrients; Beverages, water, tap, drinking: 60 g; https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/173647/nutrients. Cholesterol, potassium and added sugars are not calculated. Not laboratory verified; no diabetes, heart-health or weight-loss claim is made.

USDA SR Legacy weighed ingredient estimates

Source data checked 2026-10-29; no professional review documented.

Lower sodium: 300 mg sodium or less per stated serving. This is a site guideline, not the FDA "low sodium" label claim.

Heart-healthy tips

Use about 2 tablespoons per serving of grilled meat. Nutrition below is for 2 tablespoons (about 32 g), not the whole batch.
Contains a measured amount of honey or maple syrup — added sugar is present, so this is not a no-added-sugar sauce.

Storage & Meal Prep Tips

Applies to: Cooked sauce, after cooking. Times assume safe preparation, prompt cooling when needed, a refrigerator at 40°F / 4°C or below, and a freezer at 0°F / -18°C or below.

Refrigerator: After cooking: refrigerate and use within 3–4 days. Cool promptly in small, shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F / 32°C).

Freezer: Freezer-Friendly. Best quality within 2–3 months.

To thaw: Thaw in the refrigerator — never on the counter.

To reheat or serve: Bring sauces to a rolling boil, stirring, before serving warm. Stir or re-blend if it separates.

After thawing: After thawing in the refrigerator: use within 3–4 days.

Meal prep tip: Freeze in ice-cube trays or small containers with headspace, then bag the cubes. Label packages with the recipe name, portion, and date frozen.

Raw dough / unbaked option: Coconut or yogurt-finished sauces may separate after thawing; whisk or re-blend.

Storage guidance sources

Category guidance matched to this recipe's preparation state; sources checked 2026-10-24. This is not a laboratory shelf-life test of the exact recipe.