1-Minute Low Salt BBQ Sauce (Kidney-Friendly)

Unfortunately, for those needing to follow a low sodium or kidney-friendly diet, most BBQ sauce can be hard to “fit in” due to its high sodium content.  Store-bought BBQ sauce often contains around 350 mg of sodium or more in just a 2 tablespoon serving!  I’m so excited to share our 1-minute Low Salt BBQ sauce recipe that contains much less sodium at 106 mg/serving!

Jump to:

• Best Qualities of our 1-Minute Low Salt BBQ Sauce
• Ingredients in our 1-Minute Low Salt BBQ Sauce
• Serving suggestions for 1-Minute Low Salt BBQ Sauce
• Variations to our 1-Minute Low Salt BBQ Sauce
• Storing 1-Minute Low Salt BBQ Sauce
• Final Thoughts
• 1-Minute Low Salt BBQ Sauce
•   

Best Qualities of our 1-Minute Low Salt BBQ Sauce

Apart from being smoky, sweet, and delicious, there are so many things that make our 1-Minute Low Salt BBQ Sauce awesome!  Let’s talk about them!

It uses only 3 common ingredients!

Our Low Salt BBQ Sauce uses only three (yes, three!) common ingredients!  Honestly, I experimented with recipes using more ingredients, but my taste-testers (a.k.a, my family) and I just didn’t like them as well.  More complicated doesn’t always mean better! We’ll talk about the specific ingredients a little later.

It’s super-easy to make!

The fact that the name of our Low Salt BBQ Sauce includes the words “1-Minute” should be a big clue that this recipe is super-easy to make.  I mean, how much prep can you actually do in 1 minute? This recipe literally involves measuring your 3 ingredients, mixing them up, and then….it’s ready to use! 

That’s it!  No special equipment involved, no chopping vegetables and no boiling it on the stovetop for an hour like many homemade BBQ sauce recipes instruct.

It’s low sodium

As we mentioned above, our 1-Minute Low Salt BBQ sauce contains less than one-third of the sodium in most store-bought BBQ sauces at 106 mg/2 tablespoon serving.  I am serious when I say that you won’t even miss the salt!  The specific combination of ingredients creates a sauce that is so rich with sweet and smoky goodness that no extra salt is needed!

It’s kidney-friendly

In addition to sodium, many people with kidney disease need to be mindful of their potassium and phosphorus intake.  Our 1-Minute Low Salt BBQ sauce contains just 75 mg of potassium and 6 mg of phosphorus in 2 Tbsp.   These amounts can easily fit into a potassium- and phosphorus-controlled diet.

For other low sodium, kidney-friendly recipes, try these other recipes from The Everyday Kidney Cook:

• Low Sodium Macaroni & Cheese (Dump & Bake)
• Easy Low Sodium Sausage
• 5-Minute Healthy Fried Rice
• Simple Salmon Stew Recipe
• Easy Low Sodium Cornbread (Kidney-Friendly)
• Easy Low Sodium Sloppy Joes (Kidney-Friendly)-- This recipe uses our 1-Minute Low Salt BBQ Sauce as a main ingredient!

Ingredients in our 1-Minute Low Salt BBQ Sauce

Now, let's talk about the three ingredients that blend together in an amazing way to create our Low Salt BBQ sauce.

1.      50% Less Sodium & Sugar Ketchup

50% Less Sodium & Sugar Ketchup is made by many manufacturers. Wal-Mart carries their Great Value brand, and Target carries their Market Pantry brand.  Many smaller or more local chains carry similar versions, as well.  Interestingly, as of the time of publishing this article, Heinz does not carry a version that is readily available in the United States.

Heinz and other brands do carry a no salt added ketchup that only contains ~ 5 mg sodium/tablespoon (which would bring the sodium in this BBQ sauce recipe down to about 7 mg/2 tablespoon serving).  However, the problem with the no salt added ketchup is that it usually contains potassium chloride, which can be a problem for many with kidney disease. 

The potassium content would skyrocket to ~270 mg in a 2 tablespoon serving if no salt added ketchup is used in this recipe, instead of the 50% Less Sodium & Sugar ketchup. This amount of potassium in a mere sauce could be too high for someone with kidney-disease, depending on their blood test results and how much potassium they consumed in other foods that day.

However, if potassium is not a problem for you and you’d like an even lower sodium BBQ sauce, feel free to use a no salt added ketchup in place of the one called for in this recipe.  (Please consult your doctor or renal dietitian for potassium recommendations specific for your needs).

2. Brown Sugar

Our 1- Minute Low Salt BBQ Sauce can use either light or dark brown sugar. I prefer the dark brown sugar because it gives it just a little richer flavor.  You could also use the same amount of honey or even pure maple syrup as a substitute for the brown sugar. The consistency would just be thinner if either of these were used.

Brown sugar is the highest contributor of total carbohydrates and added sugars in this recipe, with ~11g of the 15g of total carbohydrates in one serving coming from the brown sugar.

The 15g total carbohydrate in one serving is the equivalent of ~ 1 carbohydrate exchange if you track carbohydrates due to diabetes.  Or perhaps you have another reason that you have been advised or choose to be mindful of your carbohydrate intake. Either way, one serving can definitely fit into a carb-controlled diet! 

Brown Sugar Substitutes

However, if desired, one way to cut back on the carbohydrates, sugar, and/or calories in this recipe is to use a brown sugar substitute. Consider one of the following options:

• Truvia Sweet Complete®️ Brown with a Hint of Molasses.  Use this product in a 1:1 ratio to replace the brown sugar in the recipe. It is a combination of stevia leaf extract, and a sugar alcohol called erythritol.

This Truvia product contains 8 g of carbohydrate in a 2-teaspoon serving.  However, because 4 of these grams is from erythritol, only 4 grams is "usable" by the body. (The body cannot utilize the carbohydrates or sugars in sugar alcohols). This is in comparison to 9g of total carbohydrate in a ~packed 2-teaspoon serving of the brown sugar.

It is also worth noting that Truvia Sweet Complete®️ Brown is calorie-free. In contrast, the brown sugar in one serving of our Low Salt BBQ sauce contains 39 calories.

Splenda®️ Brown Sugar Blend—Use half the amount of this product to replace the amount of brown sugar in a recipe.  In other words, since our recipe calls for ⅓ c (~ 5 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon) of brown sugar, use ~ 2 tablespoon + 2 teaspoon of the Splenda®️ brown sugar blend.

1 teaspoon of Splenda®️ Brown Sugar blend contains 4 g carbohydrate, 4 g added sugar, and 15 calories.  In contrast, 2 teaspoons of regular brown sugar (which provides the equivalent sweetness of 1 teaspoon of the Splenda product), contains a little over twice as much of all three at 9 g carbohydrate, 9 g added sugar and 35 calories.

Only you can decide if the difference in calories, carbs and/or sugar between regular brown sugar and a brown sugar substitute is worth it.  In my opinion, if you are only eating one serving of our Low Salt BBQ Sauce, the overall difference isn't significant.

3. Liquid Smoke

The liquid smoke in our 1-Minute Low Salt BBQ Sauce gives it a great smoky flavor without adding significant sodium.  (The brand we used contains 10 mg sodium/teaspoon). We used this in place of the Worcestershire sauce that is in many BBQ sauce recipes, which contains more sodium at ~73 mg/teaspoon.

Serving suggestions for 1-Minute Low Salt BBQ Sauce

The sky’s the limit on the ways you can use our Low Salt BBQ sauce. In fact, you may want to have a batch made up at all times and ready to use, just like you do with your other favorite condiments or sauces. Below are some ideas on how to use it:

As a sauce on any protein

• Chicken
• Pork
• Salmon
• Shrimp
• Scallops
• Burgers (beef, turkey, veggie)
• Other beef, such as beef brisket
• Scrambled eggs

As an ingredient in other dishes

Examples include:

• Try our Super-Easy Low Sodium Baked Beans (Kidney-Friendly)
• Meatloaf—You can use it in the meatloaf itself, and/or as a glaze on top of the meatloaf.
• As a sauce in sandwiches such as BBQ beef or pulled pork. Or try our recipe for Easy Low Sodium Sloppy Joes (Kidney-Friendly) which uses this BBQ sauce as a main ingredient!
• Instead of pizza sauce for specialty pizzas, such as BBQ chicken pizza
• BBQ chicken quesadilla
• In casseroles

As a condiment

Our 1-Minute Low Salt BBQ Sauce works great as a condiment for:

• Sandwiches
• Breaded veggies or meats such as chicken nuggets (made low sodium, of course!)
• Drizzled on pizza

As a Marinade

You may use our 1-Minute Low Salt BBQ Sauce as a marinade in foods such as:

• Meats/poultry
• Veggies such as zucchini, broccoli or cauliflower
• Fruit such as fresh peaches or pineapple

To use as a marinade, first dilute your 1-Minute Low Salt BBQ Sauce with a little water or unsalted broth.  Next, let the ingredients marinate for 4-24 hours.  Then, prepare as desired!

Variations to our 1-Minute Low Salt BBQ Sauce

Of course, you can easily add other ingredients to our 1-Minute Low Salt BBQ sauce to fit your taste preferences without adding any (or significant) unwanted salt. 

Added spices/flavorings

I would suggest trying our Low Salt BBQ Sauce "as is" before adding other spices/flavorings.  You may agree that no other seasonings are needed!  However, if you do desire some extra flavor, try any of the following (start off with small amounts and increase to taste, if desired):

• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Paprika—smoked or sweet
• Mustard powder
• Chili powder
• Allspice
• Cumin
• Worcestershire sauce (1 tablespoon has ~ 180 mg/sodium)
• Black pepper
• Cayenne powder

1-Minute Low Salt BBQ Sauce with a kick!

For some extra heat without contributing significant sodium, consider adding any of the following to taste:

• Crushed red pepper
• Cayenne pepper
• Chili powder
• Hot smoked paprika
• No or low sodium hot sauce
• Mustard powder
• Spicy Brown mustard—1 tablespoon used in this recipe would contribute ~19mg/serving.

Tangy 1-Minute Low Salt BBQ Sauce

For a little "tang", add any of the following:

• A tablespoon or so of vinegar.  Good choices include: apple cider vinegar, red-wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar and white vinegar
• Lemon juice—start with small amounts
• Ground mustard
• Prepared yellow mustard—1 Tablespoon added to the recipe will contribute ~ 28 mg sodium/serving.

Sweeter 1-Minute Low Salt BBQ Sauce

Although our Low Salt BBQ Sauce is on the sweeter side, if you want it even sweeter, try any of the following:

• Increase the brown sugar in the recipe to ½ cup
• Add 1 Tablespoon honey
• Add 1-2 teaspoon of molasses
• Add fruit juice, juice concentrate or fruit puree
• If you also want to add vinegar to give it some tang, consider balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze, which will add sweetness along with that tang!

For additional ideas on how to add flavor to a low sodium recipes, check out our article: 10 Tips for a Tasty 2-Gram Sodium Diet (From a Dietitian)

Storing 1-Minute Low Salt BBQ Sauce

Store our 1-Minute Low Salt BBQ Sauce in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for about 2 weeks. If frozen in a freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag, it will last at least 3 months.

Final Thoughts

Our 1-Minute Low Salt BBQ Sauce only uses 3 ingredients and is unbelievably easy to make! You can use it in many ways including as a BBQ sauce on grilled meats and poultry, as a key ingredient in our EasyLow Sodium Sloppy Joes (Kidney-Friendly) or homemade baked beans, as a condiment on your favorite sandwich and many more ways!

It's smoky, sweet and delicious as is. However, you may also add additional ingredients, if desired, for more flavor complexity, additional heat or extra sweetness.

Finally, our 1-Minute Low Salt BBQ Sauce is low sodium and made with kidney-friendly ingredients. Its low phosphorus and potassium content are appropriate for those with kidney disease who need to limit these nutrients in their diet.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we have!