Smoky Hot BBQ Sauce – Paleo and Whole30 Compliant
I’ve never been a big fan of ketchup. Not even as a kid.
In fact, one might even say that I have a true aversion for ketchup.
If you are ever invited to my dinner table, know that nothing insults me quite as deeply as having someone ask me if they could “please have some ketchup with that”.
And that holds especially true if said person happens to be eating something that I put a lot of effort into creating!
If I spent a great deal of time perfecting the flavor of say, Shepherd’s Pie or Tourtière and you go and ask me for ketchup, I feel like you’re basically telling me that the flavor really isn’t up to par and that you need to mask it somehow.
Because to me, that’s what ketchup does. Cover up the nasty flavors of not so palatable food.
I suppose that’s because, when I was a kid, ketchup used to ALWAYS be served with overcooked, dry and grainy liver, in an effort to make it taste better, you know. That, or hot-dogs, which I really, but really could not stand. They literally made me gag.
I think that, somehow, my brain got stuck on a concept that goes something like this: “ketchup = awfully pungent condiment frequently used to cover up the not so agreeable flavor and/or texture of certain prepared foods and dishes.”
And don’t even try and use the French Fries argument on me. You will not convince me that no French Fry is ever truly complete without ketchup. Sorry, I’m a member of the MAYO camp. Mayo mildly complements the delicate and sweet flavor of the fries, whereas ketchup completely overpowers it. Renders it null and void.
BBQ sauce, on the other hand, now that’s a completely different story!
BBQ sauce actually tastes super good. It is a complex amalgam of many different aromas which actually serve to enhance the flavor of whatever it gets smothered on, especially meat.
I remember a time when I was younger, MUCH younger: I would put BBQ sauce on everything. I think my mostest favoritest way of enjoying it was as a dipping sauce for my pizza crust. BAD, I know! Good thing people change, isn’t it?
One thing that hasn’t changed, though, is that I still have a thing for BBQ sauce. A big thing. Especially in the summertime, when I get to grill tons of meat and stuff. And since I choose not to eat any of that sugar laden (and god only knows what other chemicals) store-bought stuff anymore, I decided it was about time I reacquainted with this old friend of mine and tried my hand at making my very own at home.
And so I did. I managed to create a succulent BBQ sauce that not only is far superior to any of the commercial stuff I’ve ever had, it’s also Paleo friendly AND Whole30® compliant.
This sauce turned out absolutely delicious. To me, it had the perfect balance of everything I like to taste in a good BBQ sauce: a little hint of sweetness, a faint point of sourness, an explosion of spiciness, a great deal of heat and a little bit of a smoky finish. I’m telling you, the addition of liquid smoke really took it to the next level.
A word of warning, though. I like my BBQ sauce fairly hot and spicy, and this one truly delivered in that area. If you prefer yours to be on the milder side, use a little bit less chipotle peppers (or use a milder pepper). And if a real fireball is what you’re after, no one’s keeping you from using a few more!
Hey, even my son approved of this one and asked if he could use some to grill his pork chops.
He, who pretty much rebels against everything and anything that would be worthy of receiving a “healthy” seal of approval.
Now THAT is what I call a serious win! 🙂
Smoky Hot BBQ Sauce – Paleo and Whole30 Compliant
Ingredients
- 1 onion, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 6oz can tomato paste
- 1 14oz can crushed tomatoes
- ¼ cup date paste
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- 3 tbsp organic Dijon mustard
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 2-3 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 3-4 dried chipotle peppers, chopped
- 1 cup water
- ¼ tsp all natural liquid smoke
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to your blender or food processor and process until completely reduced to a fine, liquid puree.
- Transfer that puree to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, partly cover and simmer for 45 to 60 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the sauce is nice and thick and darker in color.
- Kill the heat and let the sauce come down to room temperature.
- If you want a really smooth BBQ sauce, pass it through a fine mesh sieve (you will have to help it through by swirling it around with a ladle), otherwise, just transfer it straight to an airtight container and refrigerate.
- This BBQ sauce gets better after sitting in the fridge for a few days and it will keep for 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
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60 Comments on “Smoky Hot BBQ Sauce – Paleo and Whole30 Compliant”
Hello, I’m Elaine. I love food blogs. My favorite is yours and “Cooking With Mr. C.” on Facebook. (also a blog) Between the two of you, I get the best recipes. Keep them coming. Elaine.
Sweet! Glad to be one of your favorite food blogs, Elaine. Thank you so much for letting me know. That is music to my ears. And do not fear, I still have thousands of recipe ideas twirling inside my mind. 😀
If you want to get started with Paleo check out http://www.munchpaleo.com/
This sounds so delicious! Do you know how long it lasts for in the fridge once you make it?
As mentioned in the recipe, this sauce will keep for 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator.
While I do love BBQ sauce as my go to dipping sauce, I have to disagree with you on the ketchup thing with fries.. mayo just does not cut it for me, I need, and love that slightly acidic tomato taste.
But with fish, I am a mayo girl every time… (so fish and chips means that I have both mayo AND tomato ketchup on my plate. But I don’t let them mix….
Oh yeah! Fish and mayo, mayo and fish! On that one, we definitely agree. They do go hand in hand (Ever tried avocado mayo and fish? OH MY!)
And your not letting mayo and ketchup mix reminds me of yet another abomination from my childhood: mayo and ketchup combined and served as a dipping sauce, or even worse, served over fresh avocado halves. Don’t ever try that. I think I’m still having nightmares about it! 😉
I also like mayo with my fries but I usually add a bit of chopped fresh basil to the mayo. Delish!
What are coconut aminos and where do I find that? Thanks! Looks delicious!
Coconut Aminos is a liquid that has a soy sauce like flavor. But is from coconut (obviously) and not soy.
I’ve found it at Whole Foods.
Exactly! If like me you don’t have Whole Foods nearby, you can also find it online, there are many sources for it, especially if you are in the US. Here in Canada, it’s sort of hard to get, but very well worth the effort.
Let me know if you need help finding it! 🙂
I just used coconut aminos for the first time and a funny note on using caution–I noticed there was a slight sediment on the bottom so I gently rocked it up and down to mix before I opened the bottle. When I did open it–(don’t think I don’t see you laughing there)–it looked just like a volcano science project! As I waited for the “lava” flow to finish, I started mopping up the flow with a paper towel and squeezing the liquid into my measuring cup-hey, I would be cooking at 350 so I wasn’t worried about germs from the counter! Ha! So you have been cautioned–don’t shake, no matter how gently–the contents before uncapping!
Oh my, really? That’s good to know. I’ll make sure to keep that in mind next time I open a brand new bottle. And at first, I thought that you had wiped the precious liquid from the floor to put it back in the measuring cup. I was a tad scandalized, to say the least! 😉 Thanks for the chuckle, and for the warning as well! 🙂
i came cross this recipe while on the whole30 and am making it today! so psyched. i am soooo with you about ketchup. the smell alone makes me want to vomit, even as a kid. i still get the french fries argument: but its homemade, how do you eat a burger? blah blah. and when i see it on eggs or mixed into an over easy yolk…YAK!
my husband is so amazing that after many years he still will move a bottle of ketchup away from me at a restaurant. i did have to suck it up though since my son loves the stuff.
LOL! I never thought that anyone out there could hate ketchup as much, or even more, than I do! Who would want to put ketchup in a hamburger? Mayo and Dijon, that’s the way to go. Or BBQ sauce. But not ketchup, and especially not that bright fluorescent yellow stuff they call mustard.
I hope that my BBQ sauce recipe gives you satisfaction! 🙂
oh, My!!! I just made this and made lots of changes as I didn’t have all the ingredients at home. And it turned out fantastic!!
Thanks for the inspiration!
Awesome! Glad you found a way to make this work for you. And thanks for taking the time to leave this great feedback! 🙂
I don’t have several of the ingredients either. Would you mind sending me your changes? I would love to try! Thanks
My nutritionist put me on a diet that does not allow any processed foods or Gluten. My family is really missing BBQ sauce. Is it going to taste awful if I leave out the fish sauce that is super hard to find not processes or with gluten?
http://www.thaifoodandtravel.com/features/fishsauce1.html
Or recommend where I can find a brand you know for sure is not processed that would be awesome!
Red Boat is a really awesome fish sauce, Brook. If you can get your hands on it, I say definitely use that one! It’s available on Amazon, if you want to check it out.
Making this for the first time (very excited!)- one question- do you rehydrate the chipotle peppers before you add them or chop the dried peppers and add to the mix?
I just chopped the dried peppers, Erin. No need to re-hydrate, really…
this is more of an asian style BBQ sauce… this is good, but I need Texas style
Hi Sonia,
I love this BBQ sauce recipe – good call on the date paste! 🙂 I included it in my Labor Day recipe lineup this weekend http://mangiapaleo.com/2014/08/29/15-paleo-labor-day-menu-recipes/
Thanks!
Thanks for that, Laura! I greatly appreciate it! 😀
I am on a round of Whole 30. I made this sauce tonight. It was really good! I didn’t have time to let it simmer…it would probably be even better if I did.
Thanks!
Glad you like, CB! And yes, simmering does make a world of difference. Hopefully, next time you’ll have time for that… Oh, and congrats on taking the Whole30 challenge! How’s it going so far?
I noticed the date paste recipe has vanilla. That is not Whole 30 compliant is it? I’m going to try and make it without the vanilla do you think that will be a big deal??
Thanks!
You can simply omit the vanilla in the date paste, Renee, or use vanilla powder instead of vanilla extract. It’s not gonna change much of anything at all…
I cant wait to make this to try with the Nom Nom Kalua Pig recipe. I have so much of it left over that I have to freeze it in small portions. This bbq sauce will be a welcome variety to the left overs!
I’ve yet to try Michelle’s Kalua Pig recipe. I keep reading about it and it seems like everyone has nothing but great things to say about it. I think it’s about time I rectified the situation and gave the dish a go. And as luck would have it, I happen to have some of that BBQ sauce in the freezer, so I can even give that combo a try. Thanks for the inspiration, Jenny!
I don’t have liquid smoke and feeling a tad too lazy to head out to the store; especially for one item. Do I really need it?
You can totally leave it out, Stacey. It’ll only affect the flavor (your sauce won’t have any smokey flavor to it whatsoever, but it’ll still be delicious!)
I had to comment. I just had to.
I love ketchup.
I don’t agree with any of your points about it masking anything. It adds so much depth to so many delicious things. A burger without ketchup is a fallacy. I just had to come to its defense, because I couldn’t believe how much someone could hate it. I don’t put it on everything, but assuming people only use it to “mask” instead of “enhance” was almost offensive to me! I love ketchup!
That being said, thanks for the recipe. Will try it out soon!
Well, Clayton, you’ve just inspired me to try my hand at making homemade ketchup. Who knows, maybe it’ll win me over! 😉
This looks amazing! I’m going to try this recipe next weekend when we have company coming over. But where does one get “liquid smoke”? I’ve never seen it before.
You should be able to find it at your local grocery store, Cheryll.
Hey Sonia,
First off, I LOVE all the recipes you have shared! keep up the great work.
Just a quick question, where I live, I cannot get whole dried chipotle peppers, could I use chipotle powder?
Thank you
Stacie
Absolutely, Stacie! That would not be a problem at all. Just add as much, or as little as you want so your sauce reaches the level of spiciness you’re after. Keep in mind that the sauce will get hoter after it’s cooked, so don’t go overboard! 😉
And thanks a bunch for your kind words, I greatly appreciate them! 😀
Love this sauce! Ever try freezing it? I just made a huge batch, but don’t think I’ll get through it all. Thanks for the recipe!
It freezes beautifully well indeed, Courtney!
I am halfway through my first Whole30! I searched what seemed like every bbq sauce bottle in Whole Foods and couldn’t find one that was compliant! So, Google to the rescue, which led me here. I originally shied away from the long list of ingredients, but truthfully I had most of them already. It’s currently simmering on the stove and smells amazing. Two confessions: 1) I omitted fish sauce. Gack. 2) I missed the link for date paste when I was making my grocery list and was so frustrated I couldn’t find it in the store! Haha! Luckily, I bought the dates and figured it out later! Thank goodness for creative people like you…it’s making this month easier and fun!
Happy to hear Google led you here! Hopefully you’ll find many more recipes to help you through your Whole30 challenge.
Hope the sauce is to your liking. Honestly, I don’t ever buy the ready-made stuff anymore. I find this one taste so much better. And for the record, you really can’t taste the fish sauce at all. It just enhances the flavor a lot! Next time, you may want to throw it in. Take my word for it, your sauce won’t taste fishy at all. 🙂
We have cooked this recipe a couple times now and LOVE it! Thank you!
Awesome! Thanks much for taking the time to let me know, I greatly appreciate that! 😀
Very late to the party, but I wanted to thank you for this delicious BBQ sauce! I adore the heat and the smoke. I skipped the fish sauce, ginger, and cloves, and used chipotles in adobo rather than dried peppers, but it still came out delicious. I used it on/in meatloaf, and froze the rest in an ice cube tray for easy future portioning. Thanks again!
You are very welcome, Suzy, and it’s never too late to join the party! 🙂 Thank YOU very much for taking the time to leave such great feedback on the recipe. I’m real glad to hear that it was to your liking!
Thanks for this recipe! I didn’t have everything, so I just fudged and used onion, garlic, the aminos, balsamic vinegar, mustard, and the big changes were 1/4c pineapple juice, 1/4c pineapple, and 3 tsp hot sauce.
I got the tangy, sweet, spicy combo. Next time I will make the full recipe! 🙂
I love the idea of adding pineapple! I might have to try that myself!
Thanks for the recipe!
Quick question, could I substitute honey and worcestershire sauce for the date paste and coconut aminos, respectively? I’m not strictly paleo or Whole30 but I like my food to have minimally processed ingredients.
I really wouldn’t see why not, Maher, only I’d probably start with just 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce and maybe add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce… Let me know how it turns out if you end up trying it!
This is the first time I’ve ever commented on any recipe, but I have to in this case. I’m a week into the Whole30 plan and I decided to make pulled pork and found your recipe for this absolutely delicious BBQ sauce. I don’t imagine I will ever buy bottled sauce again. Im going to try your recipe for cole slaw to accompany the pork. Can’t wait!
Why thank you so much Danni that is incredibly nice of you to say! I’m real happy to hear that you liked my BBQ sauce that much! Hope you like the cole slaw just as much. And good luck with the remainder of your Whole30! 🙂
Hey. Recipe looks great and I’ll give it a try. Doing a keto diet. You NF label states 214 gram size (7+oz) but you reference 1/4 cup. Can you clarify? Thanks!
Serving size is approximately 1/4 cup.
It took me a few days to gather all of the ingredients to make this sauce. Finally did it today and followed all instructions. Unfortunately I was not a fan. The cloves, cinnamon, aminos, and fish sauce really come through and it’s such a confusing mix of flavors. I can’t tell if this is a sweet tomato sauce, an Asian sauce, or a fall sauce with cinnamon and clove. It just didn’t work IMHO.
Real sorry to hear, Jess.
Word of caution…. liquid smoke contains molasses and molasses is NOT whole30 compliant.
Perhaps yours does, but mine doesn’t…
Was very good, Thank You for the receipe.