The main focus of any summer barbecue is the food, but this can be tricky when you’re gluten-intolerant. Gluten, hidden in the form of wheat, barley, or rye, is often used as a thickening agent in most sauce, dressings, and condiments, but is impossible to spot unless you read the ingredient list. Luckily, there are many gluten-free bbq sauce options to choose from that taste just as good, if not better, than the regular stuff. These sauces are packed with flavor and can be used on everything from veggie kabobs to burgers to fish. But the best part is that they’re available at most grocery stores so you don’t have to go out of your way to purchase them.
1. Lillie’s Q Hot Smoky BBQ
Lillie’s Q Hot Smoky BBQ Sauce is my all-time favorite BBQ sauce. This Memphis-style sauce is sweet at first but has a nice kick at the end, making it the perfect bbq sauce. I am all about spicy as long as it doesn’t overpower all the other flavors, and Lillie’s Q Hot Smoky BBQ Sauce nailed it. My favorite way to eat this sauce is drenching a salmon fillet with the spicy bbq and baking it in the oven. It is honestly the best sauce out there, hands down.
2. Annie’s Organic Smoky Maple BBQ Sauce
Annie’s mainly is recognized for its vegan mac and cheese and cheese crackers, but did you know they also sell gluten-free, vegan bbq sauces? Annie’s Organic Smoky Maple BBQ Sauce has a strong smoky flavor and uses maple syrup to give it a distinct sweetness. It might sound a bit weird to put maple syrup on BBQ meat, but, hey, people put it on breakfast sausages. Can it really be that different?
3. Stubb’s Legendary Hickory Bourbon Bar-B-Q
Made with bourbon and natural hickory smoke, Stubb’s Legendary Hickory Bourbon BBQ sauce will most certainly get the party started. This sauce is tangy with a touch of sweetness from the addition of molasses, which also gives the sauce a nice dark red color.
4. Organicville Original BBQ Sauce
Organicville ensures that their bbq sauces are organic, vegan, gluten-free, and non-GMO. In addition, they are affordable, costing around five dollars for a 13.5 oz bottle. Oragnicville uses agave nectar instead of honey to sweeten up their sauce to keep it vegan. If you’re looking for a simple, everyday gluten-free bbq sauce, this might be a good option for you.
5. Sky Valley Organic Korean BBQ
If you can’t choose between sweet, tangy, and spicy, Sky Valley Organic BBQ Sauce is the answer. This sauce is flavored with molasses, vinegar, garlic, ginger, cayenne, and jalapeño, bringing the heat to any dish. This sauce would pair nicely with steak and even grilled tofu.
7. Lillie’s Q Gold BBQ
Can’t afford real gold? Well, me neither. Guess we’ll have to settle for Lillie’s Q Gold BBQ Sauce, or liquid gold. This BBQ sauce gets its golden color from a mustard base that also gives it a very distinct flavor from the bbq sauces mentioned before. Lillie’s Q recommends using this sauce on pork and chicken, but if you want to dip your veggies into it, no one will judge you.
8. Jack Daniel’s Smooth Original Barbecue Sauce
Jack Daniel’s Smooth Original BBQ Sauce has a caramel flavor to it, which is a bit different than other bbq sauces. They also add a bit of Jack Daniels Whiskey (1%) to spruce up their sauce and make it unique. In the end, what is a bbq without Jack Daniel’s? And if you can’t drink it, you might as well enjoy some on pork chops.
#SpoonTip: Jack Daniel’s website states that Jack Daniel’s Smooth Original BBQ Sauce is suitable for coeliacs.
9. Bone Suckin’ Hot BBQ Sauce
Bone Suckin’ Hot BBQ Sauce is a tomato-based bbq sauce with North Carolina influence. An array of different spices — paprika, turmeric, garlic, red pepper, mustard seed — and horseradish are added to the sauce to give it a spicy flavor, while the honey and molasses cut through the heat, making it possible to finish your meal. Bone Suckin’ Hot BBQ Sauce pairs well with chicken wings and a whole lot more.
Now go grill up your favorite meats or veggies and douse them in one of these gluten-free bbq sauces. There are a million different recipes to try out, such as pork tacos, sweet baby back ribs, bbq seared chicken salad, and so many more. Even if it’s too hot to go outside, that shouldn’t hold you back from delicious bbq.