Is the barbecue sauce vegan?

Barbecue sauce is a staple in many homes, and some meals just aren’t complete without it! Whether enjoying barbecue sauce with some chips, or marinating a delicious protein, it’s something almost every family uses.

However, if you’re on a vegan diet, barbecue sauce may not be the best condiment to have at home.

Is the barbecue sauce vegan? Honey, a common ingredient in barbecue sauce, is of animal origin and is not considered suitable for vegans. However, there is no straight answer as to whether or not BBQ sauce is vegan, as it largely depends on the specific ingredients each brand uses.

Different brands of barbecue sauce contain different ingredients, and you can even make your own barbecue sauce at home, but knowing what ingredients to look for and avoid will help you choose a barbecue sauce that’s right for you.

We’ve rounded up all the ingredients to look for when choosing a barbecue sauce that might not be suitable for a vegan diet, and some specific brands that are vegan-friendly and some that aren’t.

Why BBQ Sauce Isn’t Always Vegan

There are some ingredients that barbecue sauce may contain that could mean that the sauce is not vegan. Although barbecue sauce is made up of mostly vegan ingredients, an additional animal product or two can change that.

One of the most common non-vegan ingredients found in BBQ sauce is honey . Honey is a problematic ingredient in a vegan diet, since it comes from bees.

However, not all name-brand barbecue sauces contain honey , and many of your favorites may actually be vegan.

Therefore, it is very important to check the packaging of each barbecue sauce to better understand the ingredients that the seasoning contains , and decide from there.

Some are not directly suitable for vegans, while others can be a bit more complicated.

The inclusion of honey and anchovies in a barbecue sauce will obviously make it non-vegan , but there are other ingredients, such as natural flavorings and processed sugars, that are more gray areas.

Not all processed sugars are vegan, and not all natural flavors are vegan either, but they can be.

You most likely won’t be able to tell from the label itself, so you’ll have to trust that they’re vegan, or find out more from the company itself.

All of that said, it’s definitely safer to choose a barbecue sauce that’s certified vegan, so there are no hidden animal by-products anywhere in the sauce!

Ingredients to keep in mind

Knowing the ingredients to look for in barbecue sauce that might not make it vegan is the best way to determine if it’s a good fit for you and your needs.

There are four ingredients that barbecue may contain to look out for, some clearly more non-vegan than others. They are honey, anchovies, processed sugars and natural aromas.

Some of them are easy to identify, like honey and anchovies, while processed sugars and natural flavors can be a bit trickier.

Below we explain a little about each of them, and how you can determine whether or not they are suitable for vegans.

Honey

Honey can be controversial when it comes to its vegan fitness. Many believe that since honey comes from bees, it is an animal product and therefore should not be included in a vegan diet, just like milk and eggs.

However, there are others who believe that since bees are not harmed in the production of honey, and that they do it naturally and of their own free will, there is no problem in consuming honey on a vegan diet.

This is a completely personal choice and one that you must make for yourself.

If you consider honey to be non-vegan, then it’s an ingredient to look for in barbecue sauce . Bees make honey for their own use, and not for human consumption, so it’s easy to understand why it’s considered non-vegan.

There are also reports of quite a few bees being killed in the process of collecting the honey, and this is very much in line with animal cruelty.

Whether you believe this or not is up to you, and if you decide to avoid honey in your barbecue sauce, your options aren’t too limited.

anchovies

It is quite easy to understand why anchovies are not considered vegan.  Anchovies are a small type of fish, and to the surprise of many people, they are an important part of the flavor of barbecue sauce.

There are some great barbecue brands that still use anchovies in their sauce, and it’s something you should definitely be aware of.

There’s no way you can enjoy anchovy-flavored barbecue sauce while still being vegan.

There are also plenty of barbecue sauces that don’t include anchovies, although it’s a pretty classic ingredient for making barbecue sauce, and there’s no reason you can’t find a decent barbecue sauce without anchovies.

It is a clear ingredient in the ingredients list and should be easy to distinguish.

natural flavors

Natural flavors sound great on paper, but the truth is that quite a few natural flavors cannot be considered vegan. Although most natural flavors are plant-based, some come from animal sources.

When one thinks of natural flavors, the first things that come to mind are fruits, fruit juices, vegetables and vegetable juices. Vegan-friendly natural flavors are also obtained from spices, bark, root leaves, and other plant materials.

However, there are also non-vegan natural flavors that come from meat, poultry, shellfish, dairy, and eggs.

You might get lucky and find the ingredients or the source of the natural flavor in the ingredients list, but if you’re unsure, it’s worth contacting the company to try and find out more about where the natural flavors come from.

Most of the time, these natural flavorings come from plants, but there is also the possibility that the flavorings have been made from animal products.

Some vegans think that eating products that contain animal-derived natural flavorings is fine, as it is less harmful than eating meat, but again this is completely up to you and where you draw the line.

processed sugar

On the surface, processed sugar looks straight up vegan. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple at all.

Processed white sugar is often considered non-vegan, as bone charcoal is used to whiten and filter the sugar . This bone charcoal is made from cattle bones, which are heated to high temperatures and become charcoal.

It’s easy to see why this might be considered non-vegan, but it’s also important to remember that not all processed sugar is filtered and bleached with bone charcoal, and not all sugar comes from sugar cane.

There are sugar companies that use vegan-friendly alternatives to process their sugar, and some even source their sugar from other materials, such as beets.

It can be really hard to track down the type of sugar used in barbecue sauce, or anything for that matter, as it’s often not specified.

To be on the safe side, you can choose to only consume products made with organic sugar, since organic sugar is not usually made with bone charcoal.

barbecue sauce brands

There are some barbecue sauces that are not vegan, but luckily there are some that are, so you don’t have to miss out on the sweet and smoky flavors that barbecue sauce offers!

We’ve taken a look at some of the most popular BBQ sauces right now and listed whether or not they’re vegan, or which of their products are and aren’t.

Heinz BBQ Sauce

Heinz BBQ Sauce is one of the most popular on the market, and you’ll be happy to know that Original Heinz BBQ Sauce, as well as many of the other flavors, are classified as vegan.

It’s made with processed sugar, so you’ll have to decide for yourself on that aspect.

Non Vegan Heinz BBQ Sauces

These Heinz BBQ sauces contain anchovies, and are therefore not vegan:

• Memphis Style BBQ Sauce
• Kansas City Style BBQ Sauce
• Texas Style BBQ Sauce

Vegan Heinz BBQ Sauces

The following Heinz BBQ sauces are considered vegan, but do contain processed sugar:

• Carolina Mustard Style BBQ Sauce
• Sweet and thick original barbecue sauce
• Carolina Vinegar Style Sweet and Spicy BBQ Sauce
• Rich and flavorful Kentucky Bourbon-style BBQ sauce
• Sweet and Fruity Hawaiian Style BBQ Sauce

Kraft BBQ Sauce

Kraft BBQ sauces have been a staple in many households for a long time, and you can be sure that most Kraft BBQ sauces are, in fact, vegan, with all but a few exceptions.

The reason some of the sauces are not considered vegan is because they contain honey, but not all of them are.

Non-Vegan Kraft BBQ Sauces

The following contain honey and are therefore not vegan:

• BBQ sauce with honey
• Spicy Honey BBQ Sauce
• BBQ sauce with mesquite smoke
• Sweet Honey BBQ Sauce

Vegan Kraft BBQ Sauces

The following are all vegan and safe to include in your diet:

• Original Barbecue Sauce
• Thick and Spicy Barbecue Sauce
• Hot and Spicy BBQ Sauce
• Sweet Barbecue Sauce with Brown Sugar

Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce

Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue Sauce is a favorite with many for its sweet, authentic, smoky flavor, and for how well it pairs with many different foods and ingredients.

The only problem with Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce is that the natural flavors are unknown, and while there is a possibility that they may have come from animals, they are likely plant-based.

Apart from this, most BBQ sauces are suitable for vegans.

Non-Vegan Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauces:

These BBQ sauces contain honey, which means they are not vegan:

• Maple BBQ Sauce
• Honey Chipotle BBQ Sauce
• honey barbecue sauce

Vegan Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauces:

Aside from the unknown natural flavors, these sauces can be considered vegan:

• Original Barbecue Sauce
• Hawaiian Barbecue Sauce
• Sweet and Spicy Barbecue Sauce
• Sweet Golden Mustard Barbecue Sauce
• Sweet Vidalia Onion Barbecue Sauce
• buffalo wing sauce
• Steak Marinade
• Sweet Teriyaki Marinade
• Kickin’ Bourbon Wing BBQ Sauce

Bull’s Eye BBQ Sauce

Most Bull’s Eye BBQ sauces are vegan , but some contain bacon or honey, so they are not vegan.

Non-Vegan Bull’s Eye BBQ Sauces

Only two of the Bull’s Eye BBQ sauces are not vegan, as they contain bacon or honey flavoring:

• BBQ Sauce with Smoked Bacon
• Tennessee-Style Sweet Whiskey Glaze

Vegan Bull’s Eye BBQ Sauces

Most Bull’s Eye BBQ sauces are vegan, so you have a wide variety of options:

• Original BBQ Sauce
• Dark Beer BBQ Sauce
• Hickory Brown Sugar BBQ Sauce
• Red Hot Chilli Hot Sauce
• New York Steakhouse BBQ Sauce
• Sweet and Hot Memphis Style Hot Sauce
• Roasted Onion BBQ Sauce
• Smoky Chipotle Hot Sauce

How to make sure BBQ sauce is vegan

The best way to ensure that the BBQ sauce you are going to enjoy is vegan is to make it yourself.

This way, you have full control of the ingredients used , you can make and enjoy the sauce on the spot, and you can modify it to suit exactly your tastes!

Here are some vegan ingredients that you can use to make the barbecue sauce at home, and you can also choose vegan-friendly options for each one, just to be safe!

• Ketchup
• Apple cider vinegar
• Lemon juice
• organic brown sugar
• Worcestershire sauce (vegan)
• Mustard 
• Spices (such as pepper, smoked paprika, onion powder, chili powder, and garlic powder)

They are all vegan or have vegan alternatives, and you can make a big batch of barbecue sauce at home that you can save to enjoy with different foods, without having to worry about any hidden ingredients.

So is barbecue sauce vegan?

Some barbecue sauces are vegan, and some are not. Whether it’s the inclusion of honey, anchovies, natural flavors or processed sugars, the vegan suitability of BBQ sauce varies.

Using the above list of vegan-friendly barbecue sauces, or making your own, you won’t have to do without the delicious flavors that a good barbecue sauce offers.

Just be sure to carefully read ingredient lists and do your research to find the barbecue sauce that works best for you.

Related questions

Oh! We hope we have answered your questions about all things barbecue sauce and whether or not it is vegan. We thought you might still have some additional questions, so keep reading below for more answers!

Is the barbecue sauce vegetarian?

Most barbecue sauces, while not always vegan, are vegetarian. You just have to be careful with barbecue sauces that contain anchovies, or even bacon, as this would make the sauce non-vegetarian.

They are usually clearly stated on the ingredients list, so they should be easy to find. Anglers can enjoy barbecue sauce made with anchovies, as long as it does not contain bacon.

Is the barbecue sauce gluten free?

Some barbecue sauces may be gluten-free, while others may not. There are some BBQ sauces that are made with thickeners or colorings that may contain gluten.

You’ll need to read the ingredient list carefully , or choose a barbecue sauce that is sold as gluten-free, and certified as such.

The alternative is to make your own barbecue sauce at home, as this is the best way to know exactly what ingredients are used in your food.

Is barbecue sauce kosher?

You should look for barbecue sauces that are certified kosher, as not all barbecue sauces are. This information can also be found on the BBQ sauce brand’s website, or you can contact customer service with the question.