Finding a bottle of barbecue sauce without sugar added to it is like finding a needle in a haystack! It’s one of the main ingredients in BBQ sauce which is what made making this recipe tricky. I’ve tried, and tried, and tried again and this… this is the one I have finally said YES to. It’s perfectly vinegar-y, a little spicy, and a little sweet.
The best thing about this recipe is that it requires no CRAZY ingredients, and all you need to do is toss a few things in a saucepan and simmer for about 10-15 minutes! wam bam!
Use this for pretty much any recipe that calls for bbq sauce! Plus, now that I’ve finally nailed down a recipe for bbq sauce– I’ve got some fun new recipes coming your way. The possibilities are endless, folks!


- 16oz. can tomato sauce
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp. crystal's hot sauce
- 1 tbsp. yellow mustard
- 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- kosher salt
- black pepper
- Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat. Let simmer until sauce thickens up a bit and flavors combine, about 10 minutes.
- Let cool and store in a mason jar in the fridge for up to 7 days, or you can freeze.
Instant Pot Whole30 BBQ Pulled Pork – The Defined Dish
July 31, 2017 at 6:03 pm[…] lives. So what better first instant pot recipe than make a classic pulled pork and smother it in Whole30 BBQ sauce? I think it’s one for the books […]
Sandra
August 1, 2017 at 8:07 pmWhat is crystals hot sauce?
Alex
August 1, 2017 at 9:03 pmhttps://www.walmart.com/ip/Crystal-Louisiana-s-Pure-Hot-Sauce-12-fl-oz/10535235?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&adid=22222222227009539574&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=40890015872&wl4=pla-78819544952&wl5=9026928&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=10535235&wl13=&veh=sem
Amanda
August 2, 2017 at 10:24 pmDo you have any suggestions that crystal’s hot sauce can be substituted with? Is franks hot sauce a similar flavor?
Alex
August 3, 2017 at 11:18 amI’d say Tabasco is the second best bet. Frank’s is okay, too, but it’s a little more “buffalo” flavored if that makes sense?
Whole30 BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders – The Defined Dish
August 4, 2017 at 12:00 pm[…] my new homemade all-purpose whole30 barbecue sauce has taken over my kitchen lately and I am NOT mad about it. After I finally got this recipe down I […]