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While some American barbecue regions (ahem, Central Texas) frown upon the idea of using any sort of sauce on smoked and grilled proteins, others (think Kansas City) use barbecue sauce as the foundation of great barbecue, ranging from sweet to savory to spicy to tangy (or any combination of the three).
Barbecue sauce can certainly be made from scratch (and many pit chefs recommend this approach), but if you’re tight on time or if you’d just rather go with a bottled sauce, we’re glad to report that you can find plenty of quality options at your local grocery store or on Amazon. Many of the most popular brands tend to be loaded with high-fructose corn syrup, but those aren’t the only options out there.
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Chris Arellanes, corporate executive chef at KYU in New York City and Miami, assured us that store-bought barbecue sauces can provide “regional flavor profiles [that] align with the meat you’re planning to cook.” In terms of specifics, Arellanes said to look for these hints on store-bought sauce labels: “Kansas City-style sauces tend to be sweet and thick, while Carolina-style sauces are tangier and vinegar-based.” He recommends Carolina-style sauces for pulled pork, whereas the sweeter Kansas City sauce “would better complement baby back ribs.”
When you’re putting together your next shopping list for a summer cookout, consider these six bottled sauces, all personally approved by pro barbecue chefs.
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Amazon
Sweet Baby Ray’s Original Barbecue Sauce
What it is: “If you need a barbecue sauce immediately from a supermarket, Sweet Baby Ray’s would be my go-to choice,” said Grant Kneble, owner of Freddy J’s Bar & Kitchen in Mays Landing, New Jersey. According to Kneble, this very widely available sauce is “a reliable and balanced option that works well across various types of meat, [from] chicken to ribs to brisket.”
Sweet Baby Ray’s Original has the sweetness that makes Kansas City barbecue sauce famous, but its undercurrents of spice, tomatoey brightness and umami give it a welcome complexity that boosts grilled meat both as a basting sauce and as a dipping condiment. “When it’s time to put some chicken on the grill or ribs, I always grab Sweet Baby Ray’s,” added William Moore, BBQ chef and director of operations of Money Muscle BBQ in Silver Spring, Maryland. “Their sauces are great if you’re making ribs, pulled pork, wings, chicken on the grill, or even making a marinade. The Original is as good as it gets.”
Moore also referenced a quality of Sweet Baby Ray’s Original that’s hard to beat: It’s been around so long and is so easy to find in grocery stores nationwide that it packs an enormous amount of nostalgia value. “It really reminds me of my family cookouts growing up,” he said.
Where to find it: Sweet Baby Ray’s Original Barbecue Sauce can be found at grocery and big-box stores all across the country and on Amazon.
Sweet Baby Ray’s Original has the sweetness that makes Kansas City barbecue sauce famous, but its undercurrents of spice, tomatoey brightness and umami give it a welcome complexity that boosts grilled meat both as a basting sauce and as a dipping condiment. “When it’s time to put some chicken on the grill or ribs, I always grab Sweet Baby Ray’s,” added William Moore, BBQ chef and director of operations of Money Muscle BBQ in Silver Spring, Maryland. “Their sauces are great if you’re making ribs, pulled pork, wings, chicken on the grill, or even making a marinade. The Original is as good as it gets.”
Moore also referenced a quality of Sweet Baby Ray’s Original that’s hard to beat: It’s been around so long and is so easy to find in grocery stores nationwide that it packs an enormous amount of nostalgia value. “It really reminds me of my family cookouts growing up,” he said.
Where to find it: Sweet Baby Ray’s Original Barbecue Sauce can be found at grocery and big-box stores all across the country and on Amazon.
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Lillie's
Lillie’s Q Carolina Barbecue Sauce
What it is: Bottled barbecue sauces can be a tough sell to professional chefs, who would generally rather make their own version. That said, Kirby Farmer, chef/owner of The Gem in Bolton Landing, New York, and Wm. Farmer & Sons in Hudson, New York, had no problem admitting that “as a go-to time saver in the process of preparing and serving barbeue at home, I’m always happy to recommend the wonderful lineup of Lillie’s Q Sauces.”
Lillie’s Q Sauces was founded by Charlie McKenna, a Culinary Institute of America-trained chef who used his experiences running his own collection of Lillie’s Q restaurants to develop his signature sauces. This chef-driven pedigree means that, according to Farmer, “their lineup of regionally focused and wonderfully balanced sauces hits on all levels.” He gives a special shoutout to Lillie’s Q Carolina Barbecue Sauce, which delivers a blend of tomato and vinegar that’s vibrant, zingy, and an ideal match for pulled pork.
Where to find it: Lillie’s Q Carolina Barbecue Sauce can be found at Whole Foods, specialty grocers, some independent supermarkets, select Walmarts across the U.S., and on Amazon.
Lillie’s Q Sauces was founded by Charlie McKenna, a Culinary Institute of America-trained chef who used his experiences running his own collection of Lillie’s Q restaurants to develop his signature sauces. This chef-driven pedigree means that, according to Farmer, “their lineup of regionally focused and wonderfully balanced sauces hits on all levels.” He gives a special shoutout to Lillie’s Q Carolina Barbecue Sauce, which delivers a blend of tomato and vinegar that’s vibrant, zingy, and an ideal match for pulled pork.
Where to find it: Lillie’s Q Carolina Barbecue Sauce can be found at Whole Foods, specialty grocers, some independent supermarkets, select Walmarts across the U.S., and on Amazon.
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Bachan
Bachan’s Japanese Barbecue Sauce
What It Is: For those who crave bold herbaceous flavors in their barbecue sauce, Bachan’s Japanese Barbecue Sauce, long a cult favorite among chefs and gourmands, will more than deliver. “I love Bachan’s Japanese Barbecue sauce. They’ve recently become really popular, but I have been a fan for a few years. Today, you can find it in a few major chains all across the country,” said Luis Mata, the founder of meat purveyor Meat N’ Bone.
The ingredient list of Bachan’s original sauce includes ginger, soy sauce, mirin, green onion, garlic and sesame oil, all of which result in a nuanced flavor profile that, in Mata’s words, “goes well with anything...chicken, beef, pork, even rice, since it has a lot of characteristics similar to teriyaki sauce. But the essence of it remains barbecue.”
Where to find it Bachan’s Japanese Barbecue Sauce can be found at Whole Foods, Kroger, Target, Walmart and Amazon.
The ingredient list of Bachan’s original sauce includes ginger, soy sauce, mirin, green onion, garlic and sesame oil, all of which result in a nuanced flavor profile that, in Mata’s words, “goes well with anything...chicken, beef, pork, even rice, since it has a lot of characteristics similar to teriyaki sauce. But the essence of it remains barbecue.”
Where to find it Bachan’s Japanese Barbecue Sauce can be found at Whole Foods, Kroger, Target, Walmart and Amazon.
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4
Target
Capital City Mambo Sauce
What it is: Created in Washington, D.C., Capital City Mambo Sauce calls itself a “wing sauce,” which speaks to its overall boldness. Clear tomato notes and a gentle sweetness balanced with tang and heat makes it an ideal all-purpose barbecue sauce, which is why DuVal Warner, chef at Ranch 45 Restaurant & Butchery in Solana Beach, California, views it so positively. “The sweet and spicy flavor combination reminds me of home and is a sauce he would eat on everything every day. Whether when I purchase or prepare sauce, my favorite flavor profile is spicy and sweet, which pairs well with the smokiness of grilled meat,” Warner told us.
Where to find it: Capital City Mambo Sauce can be found at Stop & Shop, Wegmans, Food Lion, Safeway, Walmart, Target and Amazon.
Where to find it: Capital City Mambo Sauce can be found at Stop & Shop, Wegmans, Food Lion, Safeway, Walmart, Target and Amazon.
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Amazon
Meat Mitch Competition Whomp Sauce
What it is: The celebrated barbecue scene of Austin, Texas, is based on a no-sauce ethos, so when an Austin pit pro recommends a barbecue sauce, we have to take that endorsement very seriously. Jess Pryles, an Austin-based pit chef, cookbook author and the founder of Hardcore Carnivore, told us that Meat Mitch Competition Whomp Sauce is a worthwhile buy because “it’s a classic Kansas City sauce with a perfect balance of smokiness and sweet. I like it for glazing ribs!”
Pryles also mentioned that “color definitely comes into play for me when I select a sauce. I’m usually using it to finish a dish off, whether that be glazing ribs or giving a thick coating to pulled pork — I always think meats with a reddish tone look WAY better than a dirty brown appearance, so I always look for color along with taste.” Meat Mitch Whomp Sauce offers both big flavor and vibrant color, which is why Pryles is a fan.
Where to find it: Meat Mitch Whomp Sauce can be found at specialty markets, Academy Sports + Outdoors stores, Wegmans and Amazon.
Pryles also mentioned that “color definitely comes into play for me when I select a sauce. I’m usually using it to finish a dish off, whether that be glazing ribs or giving a thick coating to pulled pork — I always think meats with a reddish tone look WAY better than a dirty brown appearance, so I always look for color along with taste.” Meat Mitch Whomp Sauce offers both big flavor and vibrant color, which is why Pryles is a fan.
Where to find it: Meat Mitch Whomp Sauce can be found at specialty markets, Academy Sports + Outdoors stores, Wegmans and Amazon.
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Amazon
Grill Your Ass Off Bunker Bacon Bourbon BBQ Sauce
What it is: For another rare Central Texas sauce recommendation, try this favorite of Chris Olds, the head cook for Tipsy Brisket (a competition barbecue team based in Central Texas): Grill Your Ass Off Bunker Bacon Bourbon BBQ Sauce.
Olds started off by telling us that “Barbecue should be the star of the show and the sauce should complement it in a subtle yet addicting way without drowning out the flavor of the meat.” He feels that Bunker Bacon Bourbon BBQ Sauce accomplishes this task because “it’s a sweet sauce with hints of bourbon and smoky bacon with a slight heat that isn’t too spicy for the average crowd. Not only do we use this sauce in competitions (and win with it), but we also offer it in 1-ounce condiment cups to our customers and add it to pulled pork and chopped brisket. It’s the type of sauce that gets people back for seconds.”
Where to find it: Grill Your Ass Off Bunker Bacon Bourbon BBQ Sauce can be found at small independent boutiques and souvenir shops and on Amazon.
Olds started off by telling us that “Barbecue should be the star of the show and the sauce should complement it in a subtle yet addicting way without drowning out the flavor of the meat.” He feels that Bunker Bacon Bourbon BBQ Sauce accomplishes this task because “it’s a sweet sauce with hints of bourbon and smoky bacon with a slight heat that isn’t too spicy for the average crowd. Not only do we use this sauce in competitions (and win with it), but we also offer it in 1-ounce condiment cups to our customers and add it to pulled pork and chopped brisket. It’s the type of sauce that gets people back for seconds.”
Where to find it: Grill Your Ass Off Bunker Bacon Bourbon BBQ Sauce can be found at small independent boutiques and souvenir shops and on Amazon.
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