Healthy Barbecue Sauce Recipes

Find healthy, delicious barbecue sauce recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Staff Picks

Barbecue Chicken Pizza

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We gave classic barbecue chicken pizza a healthy twist with hidden shredded zucchini in the sauce. It's a great way to sneak extra veggies into both you and your children's diet!
By Carolyn Casner

Barbecue Pork Chops

The quick, super-easy barbecue sauce in this recipe would be great on roasted chicken as well. Serve with your favorite slaw and a cold lager.
By Carolyn Casner

Grilled Tofu with Korean BBQ Glaze & Stir-Fried Napa Cabbage

In this vegetarian grilling recipe, the hot grill gives tofu smokiness and some crispy edges. A BBQ sauce made with gochujang, the hot Korean chile paste, doubles as both a glaze and some sauce to slather on the tofu at the table. Serve with brown rice or farro.
By Bruce Aidells

Filet Mignon with Blueberry-Bourbon Barbecue Sauce

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Blueberries, loaded with antioxidants, have a balance of sweet and sour, which makes them an excellent base for a rich, tangy barbecue sauce. Fresh thyme rubbed on the steak dovetails wonderfully with the blueberries. Serve with fresh tomato wedges.
By Carolyn Malcoun

Vidalia Onion BBQ Sauce

Use this sweet and tangy healthy BBQ sauce recipe to make pulled pork or slather it on chicken or even on a burger instead of plain old ketchup.
By Virginia Willis

Barbecue Glazed Turkey

Grilling tonight? Don't limit yourself to burgers and dogs--try this easy and quick barbecue turkey tenderloin recipe. Serve it with steamed green beans or broccoli spears. Any turkey leftovers are great for sandwiches, so consider doubling this recipe for a tasty lunch!
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Pork Chops with Peach Barbecue Sauce

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The tangy peach barbecue sauce that glazes these pork chops is incredible on grilled chicken or salmon as well. Bone-in pork chops (as opposed to boneless) are less likely to dry out. Just make sure to trim away as much fat as possible for healthier results.
By Virginia Willis

Bourbon Chicken Skewers

The deliciously thick, barbeque-based sauce on these chicken and zucchini skewers is flavored with bourbon and soy. Ready in just 35 minutes, this southern-inspired recipe is perfect served with brown rice and a side salad.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Grilled Chicken with Cherry-Chipotle Barbecue Sauce

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Chopped cherries combine with cherry preserves and smoky, hot chipotle peppers for an unusual marinade and sauce for grilled chicken. Recipe by Nancy Baggett for EatingWell.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Ancho Pepper-Cherry Sauce

This tangy, sweet-and-spicy take on barbecue sauce has a nice balance of vinegar, sweetness from the cherries and spice from the chili powder. Try it with pork tenderloin or steak.
By Pam Lolley

All-American BBQ Sauce

In this easy, homemade barbecue sauce, beer balances the sweetness of molasses while hot sauce provides heat. Brush on grilled chicken, tofu or shrimp during the last 5 to 10 minutes on the grill or use as a dipping sauce.
By David Bonom

Meatballs with Honey-Mango Barbecue Sauce

This honey-mango barbecue sauce is a perfect sweet topping for meatballs. The touch of cinnamon and dash of cayenne pepper add just the right amount of spice.
By Diabetic Living Magazine
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Inspiration and Ideas

A Dozen Ways to Use a Bottle Of BBQ Sauce
BBQ sauce is great for grilling, but there is more than one way to use this sweet and tangy condiment. From barbecue chicken to quesadillas, BBQ sauce is the quickest way to perk up your meal. Try it in these delicious BBQ sauce recipes.
Barbecue Chicken & Chard Quesadillas
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Dark leafy greens give this healthy chicken quesadilla recipe a vitamin K boost. We also boosted the flavor in regular barbecue sauce. Serve with guacamole, sour cream, shredded lettuce and/or salsa, if desired.
Open-Face Barbecue Tilapia Sandwiches
Carolina Barbecued Pork

Basic Barbecue Sauce

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Bottled barbecue sauces are often loaded with sodium and high-fructose corn syrup. In ours, strong coffee balances the sweetness of molasses and orange juice while the chiles and hot sauce provide subtle heat.

All Healthy Barbecue Sauce Recipes

Roberta Solomon's Barbecue Sauce

I found this recipe while going through my late mother Johnetta Miller's metal recipe file box. It's attributed to her mother, Roberta Solomon. Grandmother Solomon—I called her Granny— grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The combination of brown sugar, mustard and vinegar gives this sauce a tangy and slightly sweet flavor. This was my family's go-to sauce to add to barbecued chicken and pork spareribs which were served "dry." For us, barbecue season was essentially the summer holidays: Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and Labor Day. This sauce pairs well with any baked or grilled chicken and pork dishes. To enhance the sauce's tanginess, a halved lemon would be added as the sauce cooked. I have fond memories of seeing that floating lemon and finding a stray lemon seed as I slathered the sauce on my barbecue. Read more: BBQ on the Move: How African American migrants popularized Southern barbecue.
By Adrian Miller

BBQ Chicken and Roasted Corn Salad

This main dish salad recipe combines chicken, corn, black beans, and tomatoes. Topped with queso fresco cheese and flavored with barbeque sauce, it's a great choice for a quick dinner.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Maple Barbecue Sauce

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A splash of Southern Comfort gives a kick to this easy sauce. Chef Doug Mack's recipe is also great with chicken or pork.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Grilled Steak with Whiskey Dijon BBQ Sauce

Cooking whiskey removes the boozy taste, but leaves the sweet oaky flavor behind, which lends itself beautifully to tender grilled skirt steak, as we do here, or to grilled pork or chicken. Serve with baked beans and corn on the cob.
By Hilary Meyer

Spicy Hot Red Barbecue Sauce

This homemade barbecue sauce is made with chile peppers for a spicy kick.
By Diabetic Living Magazine
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