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    You are here: Home » Food » Barbecue Sauce Recipes

    Spicy Mango BBQ Sauce – No Sugar Added

    January 5, 2018 By Mary 16 Comments

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    Mango BBQ Sauce Pin Image
    No Sugar Added Spicy Jalapeno Mango BBQ Sauce

    This Mango BBQ Sauce gets a spicy kick from jalapeño and is naturally sweetened with mango and caramelized onions. There are no added sugars in this recipe, making it a great one for anyone on a low sugar, keto, or paleo diet!

    Mango Jalapeno BBQ Sauce drizzled over slices of grilled chicken

    Every January my family does a 10-day sugar detox. I know I know, these darn fad diets and challenges! But for us it’s a great way for us to start the year feeling fresh and the commitment is doable. But we also don’t want to have a flavorless food experience. So we made this mango BBQ sauce with natural sweetness and free of added sugars. You can also visit our full list of our favorite styles of BBQ sauce.

    Jump to:
    • Our Definition of No Sugar Added
    • Adding Natural Sweetness to BBQ Sauce
    • How to Make No Sugar Added BBQ Sauce
    • Variations on Mango BBQ Sauce
    • Recipes for your Mango BBQ Sauce
    • Spicy Mango BBQ Sauce With Jalapeño

    Ingredients

    We combine savory, heat, sweet, and seasoning to balance the flavors. You can modify however you want, for example to avoid heat.

    • Unsalted Butter and Olive Oil for sautéing.
    • Savory Flavors: Caramelized yellow onion, garlic, tomato sauce, tomato paste
    • Heat: Jalapeño (stems and seeds removed), cayenne pepper
    • Acid: Apple cider vinegar, lime juice
    • Sweet: Frozen mango cubes (or you can cut up a fresh mango)
    • Seasoning: smoked paprika, dry mustard, kosher salt, black pepper

    We are using frozen mangos because they are available all year. You can also use fresh mango if they are ripe.

    Optional: If you want to add some sugar to it then consider using honey, molasses, or even maple syrup.

    Mango Jalapeño BBQ Sauce in a mason jar

    Our Definition of No Sugar Added

    Many who participate in detoxes or various diets have different definitions of sugars. To some, any sweetener is a no-no (even natural sweeteners like honey). To others, things like honey and maple syrup are okay, but they say no to refined sugar, like granulated sugar or molasses, or other things like that.

    We’re in the former group. For us, natural sweetness found in real food, dried fruit, honey, maple syrup, are all okay. But processed or refined sugars (like brown sugar, cane syrup, white sugar, etc.) are all no-no.

    Please consider your own restrictions when using this recipe.

    • This recipe contains no “added sugar”. Meaning every ingredient in it has no sugar added to it that is not natural (like fruit).
    • The sweetness in this comes naturally from: a) the caramelized onions, which add great natural sweetness, and b) the mango.

    Adding Natural Sweetness to BBQ Sauce

    For most people, BBQ sauces are best when they are balanced. To add some natural sweet flavors and avoid the sauce from tasting flat we are using both caramelized onions as well as ripe mangos.

    Caramelized onions in a large pot
    When you cook diced onions for longer than 20 minutes on low (or med-low) it will bring out great natural sweetness that adds incredible flavor to this sauce. 

    How to Make No Sugar Added BBQ Sauce

    1. Caramelize onions: In a large pot set to medium heat cook onions until soft, starting to caramelize, and sweet to the taste.
    2. Add garlic and jalapeño and stir together for 2 minutes.
    3. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the mango cubes have softened.
    4. Blend: Using a hand immersion blender, or countertop blender, blend your sauce until smooth and there are no chunks.
    5. Taste and adjust seasonings to your preference. If too thick add water or more apple cider vinegar.

    See recipe for details.

    Variations on Mango BBQ Sauce

    If you’re flexible with this Mango BBQ Sauce, and able to add some additional sweeteners, we recommend 2-3 tablespoons of either honey, maple syrup, or molasses. Whatever you feel comfortable with.

    You can also add Worcestershire sauce for some kick (which we do), but note that most Worcestershire sauces may contain sugar as an ingredient. It’s super minimal in the grand scheme of the recipe, but feel free to leave it out if you’re going hard core!!!

    Either way, whatever you may or may not add, I applaud you for trying something new and taking care of your body!

    *Please not that I am nooooooo nutritionist! So take my advice and recipes with a grain of salt. If you are on a specific diet please use your own discretion or consult your own nutritionist. 

    Recipes for your Mango BBQ Sauce

    • Smoked Ribs with Spicy Mango BBQ Sauce
    • Grilled Chicken Breasts
    • Smoked Pork Butt (Pulled Pork Sandwiches)

    Mary (a certified sommelier and recipe developer) and Sean (backyard pitmaster) are co-authors of the critically acclaimed cookbook, Fire + Wine, and have been creating content for the IACP nominated website Vindulge since 2009. They live in Oregon on a farm just outside Portland.

    Fire and Wine Cookbook

    This post may contain affiliate links. This means if you click on the link, we may receive a small commission if you purchase through the link. We partner with brands we know and love and use and it helps keep the blog going!

    If you like this recipe we’d truly appreciate it if you would give this recipe a star review! And if you share any of your pics on Instagram use the hashtag #vindulge. We LOVE to see it when you cook our recipes.

    Mango Jalapeno BBQ Sauce

    Spicy Mango BBQ Sauce With Jalapeño

    A Spicy Mango BBQ Sauce that is naturally sweetened with a kick of heat from the jalapeño. This is a no-sugar-added bbq sauce.
    4.38 from 8 votes
    Print Rate Save Saved!
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes minutes
    Servings: 2 cups sauce
    Calories: 294kcal
    Author: Mary Cressler | Vindulge

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon butter
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 small to medium yellow onion, chopped
    • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
    • 1  jalapeño, stems and seeds removed, diced
    • 1 cup apple cider vinegar
    • 1 15 oz can tomato sauce (*with no added sugar, see notes)
    • 3 oz tomato paste
    • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
    • ½ tablespoon smoked paprika
    • ½ tablespoon dry mustard
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
    • ½ teaspoon fresh lime juice
    • 1 cup mango cubes (I use frozen)

    Optional additions (if not too strict about added sweeteners)

    • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (adds great kick)
    • 2 tablespoons honey, Maple Syrup, or Molasses (or a combination of 2-3 of these)
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Caramelize Onions: In a large pot set to medium heat melt 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil and add the onions. Stir occasionally until the onions are soft (golden/starting to caramelize), and sweet to the taste (at least 20 minutes). *you may need to adjust the heat and turn it down if they are browning too fast.
    • Sauté: Next add the garlic and jalapeño and stir together for 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the mango cubes have softened.
    • Blend: Using a hand immersion blender, or countertop blender, blend your sauce until smooth and there are no chunks.
    • Season: Taste and adjust seasonings to your preference. If too thick add water or more apple cider vinegar. If you’re flexible on sweetness, add some sweeteners (honey, maple syrup, etc. to your taste preferences).

    Video

    Notes

    Make sure to read your labels. Many tomato sauces have added sugar. Make sure to use a brand that does not add any sugar.
    Same with the Worcestershire sauce. Many of them contain added sugar.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 294kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 1051mg | Potassium: 934mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 38g | Vitamin A: 2713IU | Vitamin C: 55mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe? We would love to see!Mention @vindulge or use the hashtag #vindulge
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Janelle M Davies says

      September 23, 2021 at 1:10 pm

      Can this be canned

      Reply
      • Sean Martin says

        September 23, 2021 at 4:54 pm

        There is enough apple cider vinegar that if you can properly, it should be fine.

        Reply
    2. Kevin says

      September 06, 2019 at 8:33 am

      Trying this this weekend with a pork shoulder I’m making. I’m wondering if adding a bit of tequila would make for an interesting twist on this…

      Reply
      • Sean Martin says

        September 06, 2019 at 8:45 pm

        Oh that sounds fun, I think tequila would be a nice addition.

        Reply
    3. Mike says

      January 10, 2018 at 3:37 pm

      5 stars
      I make a similar sauce already, but wanted to try this one out as well- I made this 2 times- the first time was exactly as above, and it was OK, but i like a lot more kick to my food. The second time, i made it exactly as above, but then added 2 diced up habanero peppers to it. PHENOMENAL!

      I am making a spicy pasta salad for a company potluck/pitch-in tomorrow and will be using this sauce with the habaneros!

      Reply
    4. Lisa says

      January 09, 2018 at 8:49 pm

      I love mango with a kick sauces. I can’t wait to try it!

      Reply
    5. Erin @ Platings and Pairings says

      January 09, 2018 at 11:46 am

      5 stars
      This sounds SO yummy and the color on that BBQ sauce is fantastic! Yum!!!

      Reply
    6. Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says

      January 09, 2018 at 12:43 am

      I bet this is delicious with grilled chicken! I prefer to make out own BBQ sauce as well to limit sugar content.

      Reply
    7. Kelsey says

      January 08, 2018 at 11:55 pm

      This sounds great! I am a huge spice wimp and scared of jalapenos- do you think this would still have great flavor without jalapenos?

      Reply
      • Mary says

        January 11, 2018 at 6:36 pm

        Yes I think it will. But if you remove the ribs and most of the seeds (which come in contact with the ribs) it makes for a much less spicy and more mellow jalapeño. But if you don’t want them at all feel free to leave them out. 🙂

        Reply
    8. Amber Ogle says

      January 08, 2018 at 10:41 pm

      Made a double batch and it’s super good! We are wanting to can some. How long do you think it could last being canned?

      Reply
      • Mary says

        January 11, 2018 at 6:38 pm

        That’s awesome to hear! We’ve had them stay good in the fridge for at least 2 weeks. Did you can them and properly seal them for long-term storage? I can’t say for sure, but the amount of vinegar in them would help them last for several months if you went that route. But if you just placed them in a jar and sealed by hand, I would keep them in the fridge, then stir before use, for up to at least 2 weeks (if not more. That’s just as long as it has lasted in our house.)

        Reply
    9. Pech says

      January 08, 2018 at 6:23 pm

      I don’t use sugar in my cooking usually but don’t know if I could pull off a no sugar since who knows what is in food when I dine out. But, I appreciate that you got your kiddos to learn the importance of reading labels from it last year that’s a great life lesson to have! And yay for homemade sourdough bread!

      Reply
    10. Melissa Chee says

      January 08, 2018 at 4:00 pm

      What a unique sauce. I admit I don’t do much spicy, but the mango sounds good!

      Reply
    11. Melissa says

      January 08, 2018 at 1:43 pm

      5 stars
      What a great idea for making a BBQ sauce without sugar, I would have thought it was impossible. I have used alternative sweeteners in the past like maple syrup, honey and coconut palm sugar but sweetness from fruit sounds like the healthiest alternative.

      Reply
    12. Catherine @ Ten Thousand Hour Mama says

      January 08, 2018 at 1:28 pm

      I’m super picky about BBQ sauce—95% of the time I don’t end up liking it, usually because it’s too sweet. I bet I’d love this recipe, though – thanks for sharing!

      Reply

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    Mary-Cressler-Sept-2015-smI'm Mary, a wine/food/travel writer, Certified Sommelier, mom of twins, former vegetarian turned BBQ fanatic, runner, and founder of Vindulge and author of Fire + Wine cookbook.  Thanks for stopping by!

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