Low Carb BBQ Sauce

I love thick, rich, sweet & spicy barbecue sauces.

Definitely a sauce and dressing kind of girl- while I slather on the condiments my husband just shakes his head and mumbles under his breath.

Sadly, low carb BBQ sauces never really pass muster.  They tend to be on the thin side and lacking the qualities that I love in BBQ sauce.

Sure, I've found some great alternatives- namely Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce.  As much as I love that sauce, it just doesn't cut it when I'm craving that thick and rich flavor of Kansas City-style BBQ sauce, you know?

Well, I woke up a few days ago with a killer craving for pulled pork and slaw- which left me with a couple of problems that I knew had to be solved by dinner.

1. Bread being out, I needed a vehicle to get that BBQ goodness to my mouth- other than a fork.  

2. I needed a sauce that could pass for the real stuff that's generally loaded with carbs.

Thankfully I solved both issues in deliciously awesome ways!

...check out my next post for the solution to problem #1 ;-)

I used the power of reduction to thicken the sauce rather than loading up on molasses and ketchup like most other recipes seem to.  I absolutely love how it turned out!

The result was a thick, sweet, mildly spicy sauce that is great on absolutely everything.  I tossed it with pulled pork I cooked in the slow cooker and it was exactly what I'd been craving!

Thick and Spicy Low Carb BBQ Sauce

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, minced

1 qt tomato sauce

1/2 C red wine vinegar

1/2 C Heinz Reduced Sugar Ketchup

1/2 C granulated Splenda

1 Tbsp liquid smoke

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp celery seed

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp chili powder

2 Tbsp molasses (optional)

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat; add onion and sauce until onion is soft and translucent.  Add all remaining ingredients and stir to combine.

2. Bring sauce to a low boil and allow to continue boiling for 30 minutes.  Reduce heat and allow sauce to simmer uncovered for at least 1 hour.  The longer the sauce simmers the thicker it will get.