Clean Eating Barbecue Sauce Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is a healthy substitute for barbecue sauce? ›

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.

Organic Tomato Sauce: Tomato sauce is the base of the healthy BBQ sauce. Pure Maple Syrup: Pure Maple Syrup gives the sauce sweetness without refined sugar. Apple Cider Vinegar: Apple Cider Vinegar is the tanginess of the sauce. Molasses: Molasses is a natural substitute for brown sugar, which is highly processed.

The needed acidity for balance is there but without all the sharp edges of white vinegar. Whether you're using your barbecue sauce on pulled pork, ribs, chicken, or meatballs, a little apple cider vinegar can really improve the flavor.

The perfect caramelization is a balance between timing and temperature. Sugar burns between 260ºF to 275ºF, and leaves behind a bitter, sharp taste. If you're using a fruit BBQ sauce, those natural sugars will burn at an even lower temperature.

Embracing Lean and Nutritious BBQ Meats

Opting for lean cuts of poultry, such as skinless chicken breast or turkey, can significantly reduce saturated fat intake. Fish, like salmon or tuna, are excellent options as they are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, promoting heart health.

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.

Bottled barbecue sauce is far from healthy, but that doesn't mean you have to banish it from your picnic menu. Look for brands with the lowest amount of added sugars, and resist the temptation to overpour.

Apple cider vinegar is most common in barbecue sauce, but rice vinegar can do the job nicely without being so heavily tart. You can also look to citrus fruit for acidity as well.

What does soaking meat in apple cider vinegar do? ›

As a powerful bactericide, it helps eliminate any impurities in the meat. Throw in some sage, rosemary and chopped garlic and you'll have an excellent light marinade that won't mask the flavors of the meat, but will instead bring out the best in it to dramatic effect.

My favourite choice for spritzing meat is a mix of apple cider vinegar and water as it helps balance fatty cuts of meat, add moisture, and inject flavour.

Add a few glugs of Frank's RedHot or Louisiana-style Crystal. Or any other spicy condiment, really: swirl in some sambal oelek, gochujang, or harissa. Play with the smoky notes found in a can of adobo sauce, or the citrus flavors in Cuban mojo. Another source of smoky flavor: smoked paprika.

You don't have to cook this barbecue sauce. However, if the uncooked sauce is runnier than you'd like, recipe creator JRNEUMILLER suggests bringing it to a boil and cooking for about a minute. This will thicken the sauce and create a more intense flavor.

No good. Basted: This usually conjures up images of a piece of meat swimming in a mopping sauce, made with high fructose corn syrup and molasses. BBQ: Barbecue sauce is super high in sugar and usually piled on in hefty helpings.

Bottled barbecue sauce is far from healthy, but that doesn't mean you have to banish it from your picnic menu. Look for brands with the lowest amount of added sugars, and resist the temptation to overpour.

Tomatoes are a great source of vitamins and antioxidants, and they can provide a range of health benefits. However, some BBQ sauces can contain high levels of added sugar, sodium, and other unhealthy ingredients.