My diet:

Barbecue sauce

No E-numberSauces & dressingsOrigin: Plant
Get a personal answer

Pick your family’s diets in the bar above.

Every diet

VeganDepends

Most are plant-based, but some brands use honey or butter.

Gluten-freeYes
HalalYes
KosherYes
KetoNo

A tablespoon has about 9 grams of sugar.

Low-FODMAPDepends

Molasses, onion and garlic make most recipes high FODMAP.

The short answer
Barbecue sauce is a sweet, salty tomato sauce with molasses in it. It is safe, but a tablespoon carries 4 to 9 grams of sugar and 105 to 260 milligrams of sodium, which makes it one to skip on a low-sugar or low-salt list.
Use in moderation

Safe in small amounts; may bother some people or raise blood sugar.

E-numberNone
Comes fromPlant
What it doesSauces & dressings
Glycemic index—
Daily limitNot set
Also calledBarbecue sauce, BBQ sauce

Rules by country

🇺🇸 US FDANot evaluated as an additive
🇪🇺 European UnionNot evaluated as an additive
🇨🇦 Health CanadaNot evaluated as an additive
CaliforniaNo extra rules

Barbecue sauce is a food rather than an additive, so it carries no E-number and none of the three regulators has evaluated it as one. Because it is a made-up product, every component in it has to be permitted on its own, and the jar is sold under the general rules for sauces. Sugar and molasses are food ingredients, not additives.

Daily limit: Experts haven’t set a number because normal food amounts are far below any level of concern.

What is it?

The recipe depends on the region. A Carolina-style sauce is thin, sharp and mostly vinegar, while a Kansas City or a shop jar is heavy on molasses and corn syrup, which is what makes it thick and sweet. USDA's generic entry lists 172 calories, 33 grams of sugar and 1,030 milligrams of sodium per 100 grams, and the bottled sauces in the same records run from 23 to 38 grams of sugar, so a tablespoon of the sweetest jar carries around 9 grams.

Where it comes from: Barbecue sauce is a sweet sauce of tomato puree, molasses or corn syrup, vinegar and spices. It grew out of the vinegar basting liquids of the American South and Caribbean, and Kentucky's addition of molasses gave the sauce enough sugar to keep in a bottle.

Why it’s in food

  • Basting meat during a smoke
  • Glazing ribs and chicken
  • Dipping for bread and rolls
  • Dressing burgers and hot dogs
  • Marinating meat and vegetables

Often found in

Pork ribsPulled porkChicken wingsBeef brisketHamburgersHot dogsGrilled corn

Also listed as: Barbecue sauce, BBQ sauce, Barbeque sauce, Smoked barbecue sauce

Health & gut impact

Sugar in a savoury sauceConcern

The traditional recipe starts from molasses or corn syrup, so a savoury food picks up a dessert's worth of sugar. A tablespoon of a classic jar carries about 5 to 9 grams of it, and WHO recommends that free sugars stay below 10% of the energy in the diet.

WHO, sugars intake for adults and children

SodiumConcern

USDA's bottled barbecue sauces run from 613 to 1,520 milligrams of sodium per 100 grams, so a 17-gram tablespoon lands between about 105 and 260 milligrams. A quarter-cup of the saltiest jar carries about 900 milligrams of sodium, roughly 2.3 grams of salt, which is close to a third of the 6 grams a day the NHS advises.

NHS, salt in your diet

Where the calories come fromUnder study

A jar of barbecue sauce is mostly sweetener, so the calories arrive before the barbecue does. USDA's generic entry has 172 calories per 100 grams, and 33 grams of that is sugar, which is more than 120 of the calories on its own.

USDA FoodData Central, barbecue sauce

What can I use instead?

Ketchup

Ratio: Use about twice the volume and add a teaspoon of molasses or cider vinegar

Best for: A quick glaze when the jar is empty

Tomato paste

Ratio: Use half the amount, loosened with water or stock, and season it yourself

Best for: A glaze without the sugar load

Cider vinegar and molasses

Ratio: Mix a tablespoon of each with half a cup of tomato puree and simmer it down

Best for: A homemade version with no corn syrup

Related

More sauces & dressings:

Apple cider vinegarApple cider vinegar is a fermented apple product with no E-number, and one of the safest things on a label, so it fits every diet. It seasons and preserves rather than nourishes, so reach for it when you want acid without more salt or sugar.Generally safeBalsamic vinegarBalsamic vinegar is an aged grape vinegar with no E-number, and it is safe and fits every diet except low-FODMAP in larger amounts. It is one of the few vinegars carrying real sugar, so measure a tablespoon rather than pouring.Generally safeHoisin sauceHoisin is a thick, sweet Chinese barbecue sauce, safe to eat but heavy on sugar and salt, and unsuitable for keto and for strict gluten-free or low-FODMAP diets. For the flavor without the jar, mix soy sauce with a little honey and star anise.Use in moderationKetchupKetchup is tomato, vinegar, sugar and salt, and it is safe, vegan and gluten-free. The catch is that a tablespoon carries about 4 grams of sugar and roughly 160 milligrams of sodium, so a bottle that gets used daily is worth measuring.Use in moderation

Common questions

Is barbecue sauce unhealthy?

There is nothing dangerous in it, but it is a sweet sauce rather than a savoury one. A tablespoon of a classic jar carries 5 to 9 grams of sugar and up to about 260 milligrams of sodium, and both are easy to overlook because the serving looks small.

Is barbecue sauce vegan?

Most of it is, because the base is tomato, sugar and vinegar. Some brands add honey, butter or lard for richness, and those have to be declared on the label, so check the list if you are avoiding animal products.

Why is my barbecue sauce thin?

Some styles are meant to be thin, especially the Carolina vinegar ones. If your jar is thinner than you expected, the sweetener was probably not cooked down long enough, and a few minutes over a low heat will thicken it.

Can I use barbecue sauce as a marinade?

Yes, and most people mix it with something sharper, because a jar on its own is very sweet. Add vinegar, Worcestershire sauce or mustard to taste, and put it on the meat earlier than you would the sauce, since the sugar in it burns before the meat is done.

Is Barbecue sauce safe?

Use in moderation (72/100). Barbecue sauce is a food rather than an additive, so it carries no E-number and none of the three regulators has evaluated it as one. Because it is a made-up product, every component in it has to be permitted on its own, and the jar is sold under the general rules for sauces. Sugar and molasses are food ingredients, not additives.

Is Barbecue sauce vegan?

Depends. Most are plant-based, but some brands use honey or butter.

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Scientific sources & regulatory citations
  • WHO, sugars intake for adults and children
  • NHS, salt in your diet
  • USDA FoodData Central, barbecue sauce