There are, however, some ingredients in some BBQ sauces that might not be vegan, which can be a problem for people who are very strict about their diet.
Please read on to learn more about the things you should look for in a vegan BBQ sauce.
Does BBQ Sauce Contain Pork? The Complete Breakdown
Many people love barbecue sauce, which can turn grilled meats into a delicious treat. But there are so many kinds on the market, how can you tell if your favorite sauce has pork in it? As a BBQ fanatic, I went on the hunt to find the answer.
In this comprehensive article. we’ll explore everything you need to know about bbq sauce and pork including
- What is bbq sauce made of?
- Do any bbq sauces contain pork?
- How to tell if a sauce has pork
- Pork-free bbq sauce options
- Making your own pork-free bbq sauce
Arm yourself with the facts before your next cookout so you can enjoy sweet, tangy bbq flavor minus the pork!
What Goes into BBQ Sauce’s Base: Most barbecue sauces begin with some kind of tomato base, like ketchup, tomato paste, or tomato puree. From there, additional ingredients are added to develop flavor. Common ingredients include:
- Vinegar: Adds tanginess and assists with preservation
- Sweeteners: Molasses, brown sugar, honey, etc for sweetness
- Spices: Paprika, garlic, cayenne, mustard, etc for smoky flavors
- Extras: Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, liquid smoke, etc for depth
As you can see, classic bbq sauce contains no pork in its basic form. But some specific brands do add pork components.
BBQ Sauces That Contain Pork
While pork is not an inherent part of bbq sauce, some brands do incorporate pork products for extra flavor. For example:
- Bull’s-Eye Smokey Bacon BBQ Sauce contains pork stock concentrate
- Head Country Championship Gold Sauce includes bacon fat
- Guy Fieri Kansas City-Style BBQ Sauce has bacon pieces
- Cattlemen’s Carolina Sweet BBQ Sauce uses bacon grease
So you can see that certain bbq sauce varieties purposefully add pork elements to achieve a meaty, smoky character. This is especially common with bacon flavors.
How to Tell If BBQ Sauce Has Pork: To find out if a barbecue sauce has pork in it, look at the list of ingredients and look for:
- Bacon, pork, ham, etc
- Animal fat, lard, tallow, or grease
- Pork stock or broth
- Meat flavors or natural flavors (could be pork-derived)
You’ll also want to watch out for worcestershire sauce, as traditional recipes use anchovies. If you don’t see an obvious pork product named, contact the manufacturer to find out more about mysterious ingredients like “natural flavors.”
Delicious Pork-Free BBQ Sauce Options
Don’t worry, there are still plenty of mouthwatering bbq sauces out there with no pork at all. Here are some of my favorites:
- Sweet Baby Ray’s Original Barbecue Sauce – Classic flavor
- Annie’s Organic BBQ Sauce – Sweetened with applesauce
- Bone Suckin’ Sauce – Savory, vinegar-based NC style
- OrganicVille Sky Valley BBQ Sauce – Smoky and spicy
- Kansas City BBQ Sauce by Organicville – Sweet tomato flavor
- Cattlemen’s Carolina Sweet BBQ Sauce – Molasses and mustard
You’ll also find great pork-free options from Primal Kitchen, Tessemae’s, and more. Just double check that worcestershire sauce isn’t snuck into the ingredients.
Craft Your Own Porkless BBQ Sauce
For the ultimate control over ingredients, whip up a homemade pork-free bbq sauce! My go-to recipe includes:
- Tomato paste
- Apple cider vinegar
- Maple syrup or molasses
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Chili powder
- Smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper
Prepare the tomato paste base, then mix in your favorite spices and sweeteners. Adjust flavors as needed and voila, you’ve got a custom pork-free bbq sauce ready for grilling!
The Takeaway on Pork and BBQ Sauce
While many delicious bbq sauces are already pork-free, some varieties do contain bacon, pork fat, or other meat products. To enjoy bbq flavor without the pork, read labels carefully, look for certified pork-free brands, or whip up your own sauce at home.
With so many options, there’s no need to miss out on great bbq flavor because you’re avoiding pork. A savory pork-free sauce can still provide sweet and smoky satisfaction on chicken, beef, veggies, and more. So grill and slather on that tangy sauce to your heart’s content. Just double check the bottle before you drizzle to ensure your diet needs are met!
Non-vegan ingredients in BBQ sauce
BBQ sauce is usually made with vinegar, a sweetener like cane sugar, spices, and seasonings. It is a tomato-based sauce. Of course ingredients vary between products, and some non-vegan ingredients may be included.
Below are some non-vegan and potentially non-vegan ingredients that you may find in some BBQ sauce.
Honey – Some barbecue sauce is sweetened with honey, which is not vegan. A lot of brands make different kinds of barbecue sauce, and at least one of them is likely to be made with honey.
Anchovies – Some barbecue sauce is made with anchovies, which are fish. Also, remember that Worcestershire sauce has anchovies in it, so stay away from that too if you see it in barbecue sauce.
Sugar, such as brown sugar—Sugar itself doesn’t have any animal products in it, but bone char is sometimes used to filter cane sugar. This doesn’t bother some vegans, but if it does, you can only use barbecue sauces that are vegan-approved or that use a different kind of sugar.
Keep in mind that brown sugar may also be filtered through bone char. Beet sugar and coconut sugar are never filtered through bone char, and organic sugar usually isn’t either.
Wine vinegar – Vinegar is usually vegan, but it can sometimes be filtered through non-vegan ingredients. This is more common with wine vinegars. This doesn’t bother some vegans, but if it does, just stay away from barbecue sauces that have wine vinegar in them.
Natural flavor – Many packaged products contain natural flavor as an ingredient. This can be sourced from plants or animals, and it is usually not disclosed on packaging.
Some companies won’t reveal whether their natural flavor is plant-based, so it is sometimes impossible to know. There are vegans who don’t care about this, but if you want to know where the natural flavors in barbecue sauce come from, you can only buy sauces that the company says are vegan.
Artificial colors—Most artificial colors don’t have any ingredients that come from animals, but they are sometimes tested on animals. As I said before, not all vegans care about this, so it’s up to you if you choose to avoid them.
The following barbecue sauces are either certified vegan or confirmed to be vegan by the brand. In other words, the sugar in these foods isn’t filtered through bone char, and the natural flavors come from plants.
- Organic Original BBQ Sauce
- Organic Smoky Maple BBQ Sauce
- Organic Sweet & Spicy BBQ Sauce
- Original BBQ Sauce (certified vegan by Vegan Action)
- Chipotle BBQ Sauce Unsweetened (certified vegan by Vegan Action)
- Maple BBQ Sauce (certified vegan by Vegan Action)
- Korean BBQ Sauce & Marinade (certified vegan by Vegan Action)
BBQ sauce for non-strict vegans
The following brands make barbecue sauce that some vegans will be comfortable consuming. It’s up to you to decide if the sauces below are okay with not being vegan because they might have some ingredients that aren’t.
In the sauces below, you should be aware that the sugar may have been processed with bone char, the natural flavor may not come from a vegan source, and the vinegar may have been filtered with non-vegan ingredients.
You can buy a barbecue sauce that is certified vegan instead if any of these ingredients bother you.
- Original Sweet & Thick BBQ Sauce
- Kansas City Style Sweet & Smoky BBQ Sauce
- Texas Style Bold & Spicy BBQ Sauce
- Carolina Mustard Style Sweet Mustard BBQ Sauce
- Carolina Vinegar Style Sweet & Tangy BBQ Sauce
- Slow-Simmered Sweet & Spicy Barbecue Sauce
- Slow-Simmered Hot & Spicy Barbecue Sauce
- Slow-Simmered Original Barbecue Sauce
- Slow-Simmered Thick & Spicy Barbecue Sauce
- Slow-Simmered Sweet Brown Sugar Barbecue Sauce
- Slow-Simmered Hickory Smoke Barbecue Sauce
- Dr Pepper BBQ Sauce
- Hickory Bourbon BBQ Sauce
- Original BBQ Sauce
- Simply Sweet Reduced Sugar BBQ Sauce
- Smokey Brown Sugar BBQ Sauce
- Spicy BBQ Sauce
- Sticky Sweet BBQ Sauce
- Sweet Heat BBQ Sauce
Canning Pulled Pork in BBQ Sauce
FAQ
Does the barbecue have pork?
Does barbecue sauce contain meat?
What was BBQ sauce made of?
Does barbecue sauce have animal products?
How do you make BBQ sauce with pulled pork?
It’s a BBQ sauce recipe specially made with pulled pork in mind! Simply place ketchup, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, honey, molasses, worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, dijon mustard, garlic powder, chili powder, and onion powder in a pot, stir everything together, then bring to a boil.
Can You Make your own BBQ sauce?
It couldn’t be easier to make your own homemade BBQ sauce—all you need to do is throw the ingredients together into a pot and let it simmer. Cook it over low heat to let the mixture thicken slightly for an irresistibly sauce-y consistency. Then, it’s ready to serve! What is barbecue sauce made from?
What do you put BBQ sauce on?
My kids put this sweet, tangy, smoky homemade BBQ sauce on just about everything. It’s a classic Kansas City-style BBQ sauce made from ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, cider vinegar, and spices, and it’s delicious slathered on BBQ chicken, pulled pork, or baby back ribs.
What makes a good barbecue sauce?
Honey and brown sugar. A blend of the two gives the best flavor. The brown sugar adds just the right notes of molasses, and honey adds a sweet depth of flavor. Apple cider vinegar. This provides a tangy flavor and is one of the essential ingredients in barbecue sauce. White wine vinegar could also work, but apple cider is my preference.