Keto Barbecue: What to Grill and What to Skip

A barbecue is one of the easiest meals to keep keto. Grilled meat, fish, halloumi and vegetables are naturally low in carbs, and so are most salads without croutons or sweet dressings. The carbs hide in the extras: buns, sweet barbecue sauce, ketchup, marinades, potato and pasta salads, corn on the cob and drinks. Two tablespoons of barbecue sauce, for example, can contain around 14 g of carbs. To keep it healthy as well as keto, choose fish and chicken often, keep processed meats such as sausages and hot dogs to a minimum, and avoid charring meat heavily.

What to grill on keto

Our grilled shrimp skewers and homemade burgers are easy keto choices; serve the burgers in lettuce wraps.

What to skip or limit

• Buns, rolls and flatbreads. A burger bun adds about 20 to 30 g of carbs. Use lettuce leaves or a knife and fork.
• Barbecue sauce and ketchup. USDA values show regular barbecue sauce is about one-third sugar by weight, and a tablespoon of ketchup has about 4 g of sugar. Use mustard, mayonnaise, salsa or a sugar-free sauce instead.
• Sweet marinades and glazes made with honey, sugar, cola or fruit juice.
• Potato salad, pasta salad and coleslaw with sugary dressing.
• Corn on the cob. One medium cob contains about 20 g of carbs.
• Beer, cider, alcopops and cocktails. Our guide to keto and alcohol lists lower-carb choices.
• Desserts and ice cream. Bring berries with cream or a keto dessert.

Easy keto sides and sauces

• Green salad with olive oil and lemon, or one of our keto salad dressings.
• Grilled vegetable platter with zucchini, peppers and asparagus, drizzled with olive oil.
• Cucumber, tomato and red onion salad. Our cucumber tomato salad has about 8 g of carbs per serving.
• Cauliflower “potato” salad: boiled cauliflower florets with mayonnaise, mustard, celery and chives.
• Guacamole with cucumber and pepper sticks for dipping.
• Roasted tomato salsa. Our roasted tomato salsa has about 4 g of net carbs per serving.
• Herb sauces: chimichurri, pesto, salsa verde and garlic yogurt are all low in sugar.

Keto marinades and rubs

Marinades add flavor and help keep lean meat and fish moist on the grill. Low-carb options include:

• Lemon and herb: olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano and black pepper. Great for chicken and fish.
• Garlic and soy: reduced-salt soy sauce or tamari, garlic, ginger and a little sesame oil.
• Yogurt and spice: plain Greek yogurt with cumin, paprika, garlic and lemon. Good for chicken and lamb.
• Dry rub: smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Check ready-made rubs, as many contain sugar.

Grill smarter: charring and cancer risk

Grilling meat at high temperatures creates chemicals called heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The US National Cancer Institute explains that HCAs form when muscle meat, including beef, pork, fish and poultry, is cooked at high temperatures, and that PAHs form when fat and juices drip onto flames and create smoke that coats the meat. These chemicals have caused DNA changes in laboratory experiments. To reduce them:

• Avoid charring. Cut off any blackened parts before eating.
• Turn meat often instead of leaving it on one side.
• Trim fat to reduce flare-ups and smoke.
• Cook smaller pieces, such as skewers, which cook faster.
• Pre-cook larger cuts in the oven, then finish them on the grill.
• Grill more vegetables. They don’t form HCAs.

Processed meats are a separate issue. The World Health Organization classifies processed meat, which includes sausages, hot dogs, bacon and ham, as carcinogenic to humans, because eating it causes bowel cancer. The NHS advises cutting down to 70 g a day on average if you eat more than 90 g of red and processed meat. A barbecue is a good excuse to choose fresh chicken, fish or halloumi instead.

Barbecue food safety

Barbecues are a common cause of food poisoning, usually from undercooked meat or food left out in the sun.

• Cook meat through. Use a thermometer: chicken should reach 74°C (165°F), burgers and sausages 71°C (160°F), and fish 63°C (145°F), according to the USDA’s chart. Charred on the outside doesn’t mean cooked inside.
• Keep raw and cooked food apart. Use separate plates, tongs and boards for raw meat.
• Don’t reuse marinade from raw meat as a sauce unless you boil it first.
• Keep cold food cold. Don’t leave food out for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour when it’s above 32°C (90°F), as the USDA advises.
• Wash your hands after handling raw meat.

A sample keto barbecue menu

Common questions

Are hot dogs and sausages keto?

They’re low in carbs, but some contain fillers and sugar, so check the label. More importantly, they’re processed meats, so it’s best to eat them only occasionally.

Can I drink beer at a keto barbecue?

Regular beer is high in carbs. Light beers have fewer, but they still add up. Dry wine, spirits with a sugar-free mixer, or sparkling water are lower-carb options.

What can vegetarians eat at a keto barbecue?

Halloumi, paneer or tofu skewers, portobello mushrooms, grilled vegetables with pesto, and salads with cheese, eggs, nuts and seeds.

Safety note: Keto isn’t suitable for everyone. If you have diabetes, kidney or liver disease, take regular medication, or are pregnant or breastfeeding, talk to your doctor before cutting carbs this far (why it matters).

This article is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian before making big changes to how you eat, especially if you have a health condition, take regular medication, or are pregnant or breastfeeding.