15 Store-Bought Barbecue Sauces, Ranked Worst To Best

Depending on where you call home, you may be more familiar with a specific style of American BBQ over another. From Texas to Kansas City, St. Louis, and beyond, different parts of the country love this time honored favorite fare in a variety of ways. But while there's tons of barbecue styles and flavors all over the United States, there are even more regional American barbecue sauces available on grocery store shelves.

If your grocery store is anything like mine, the condiment aisle is chock-full of barbecue sauces. Some brands lean more sweet, others are more acidic — and some sit toward the middle. In terms of cost, most barbecue sauces are affordable, but some require a deeper pocket. Making your choice might revolve around brand or price, but I set out to determine the best store bought sauce I could find.

I purchased sauces from Target and Publix and sampled a couple drops of each in a blind taste test, making lots of notes along the way. Only after ranking all sauces did I discover which ones they were. Of course, along with yummy flavor, I also considered whether or not ingredients stood out in any negative way. While I tasted (and determined) some new favorites, other barbecue sauces surprised me ... and not in a good way. 

I didn't anticipate tasting sucralose in barbecue sauce, but in the case of G Hughes Smokehouse Original Barbecue Sauce offering, that was certainly the case. Looking at the ingredients, sucralose doesn't show up until the very end of the list, but it my tasting, I just couldn't get past it. Barbecue sauces aren't the only sugar free items G Hughes produces, and its chicken marinade is one of those unhealthy chicken marinades you should leave at the store.

Poured from the bottle, G Hughes' sauce looked like a typical barbecue sauce, but the primary flavor had an artificial taste. This is a flavor I'm accustomed to from drinks — and fyi, it rarely works well there either. In the case of a sauce, it was especially obvious, making the experience far from enjoyable. A few of the other flavors offered by G Hughes may have hidden this sucralose better, but all of them had fake sweetener in the ingredients list. The premise of offering a sugar free option for those that require it was an intriguing and noble one, but there just has to be a way to do it without impeding flavor so much.

In no uncertain terms, this was my last favorite sauce mainly because I didn't like the taste. If you don't mind the flavor of sucralose — or don't notice it — your mileage may vary. For me, the sauce just didn't get it done.

Jim 'N Nick's Community Bar-B-Q hails from the south, with 52 locations in the Carolinas, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. In my tasting, I noticed that many of my assembled sauces were attempting a Kansas City style of sweet barbecue or a Carolina side of tang, but Jim 'N Nicks' original barbecue sauce felt different. This was an interesting flavor profile considering where these restaurants are located, and I appreciated the attempt for something different — but this wasn't it.

The sauce felt like it was trying to be a barbecue sauce made by someone who has never tasted a barbecue sauce, but only seen its color and consistency. It's not sweet at all, and felt something like mustard, but not nearly as enjoyable. The flavor was such that I wondered if it had gone bad; it tasted that oddly sour.

I really didn't like the flavor here, and in an original sauce, felt it should be something closer to what I would expect from a typical barbecue sauce. I appreciate creativity, but when it's at a loss of enjoyable flavor, it's a no for me.

The original barbecue sauce from Primal Kitchen tasted like a health food because that was exactly what it was trying to be. The brand makes plenty of sauces, like an authentic version of store-bought Caesar dressing. I found the flavor heavily acidic, with a slight sweetness from the bite of the vinegar. In fact, this was the sauce's only sweetness. Between all of the vinegar listed on the ingredients, this didn't come as too big of a surprise, but it didn't lead to a substantially different flavor than I expected.

I also noticed an odd texture with Primal Kitchen's sauce. The sauce looked like it had a gritty texture that wasn't super smooth — and the texture did nothing for the sauce other than make it stand out. Since this company is focused on being a health brand food, it wasn't surprising it missed any kind of sweetness or distinguishing flavor, but its absence was noteworthy and what kept this sauce low on my list.

When people think of barbecue flavors, more often than not, smokiness is in the conversation. It's not surprising these sauces contain a smokey element, but when it's the primary flavor — rather than one aspect of the flavor as a whole — it tastes artificial. And that's the case with Sonny's. Since I tasted the overwhelming smoky flavor, I wasn't surprised "natural smoke flavor" appeared among the ingredients.

The smokiness was so strong, it tasted a little bitter, almost like acrid barbecue. This faux smoke flavor could do nothing to kindle my "good" feelings on the sauce. Not to mention, there was nearly no tomato flavor or even seasonings to help support that smoke.

I've never had quite the experience with a sauce as I had with Gourmet Warehouse's bourbon barrel BBQ sauce. First taste, and I felt like I had just taken a shot of a spirit. Since this was a blind taste test, I wasn't immediately sure why the sauce would taste this way, and it was only when each of the sauces were revealed that I learned why it tasted like taking a shot: Of course, this was the bourbon barrel sauce.

While I often enjoy bourbon, tasting it so prominently in a sauce was a new experience. Unless you really want that flavor in your barbecue, this probably won't be for you. On the flip side, if bourbon is the exact flavor you're going for, then it might be the ideal sauce. For me, this just wasn't an enjoyable flavor, so it ranks quite low. I appreciated the unique nature, but would have liked to have seen it executed a little better.

When I do taste tests, I often find that items are quite a bit different from what I originally expected. However, this wasn't necessarily the case with barbecue sauces. In fact, in the middle of my ranking, I found that a whole bunch of the sauces tasted pretty similar from option to option. It's the classic barbecue sauce flavor I remember going up with. The barbecue sauce I remember from our condiment shelf growing up had a little sweetness but also a little tartness. My dad frequently used barbecue sauce on French fries, for example, and Good & Gather's organic original barbecue sauce tasted exactly like I remember barbecue sauce tasting. I've been frequently impressed with Target's in-store grocery brands, and this instance is no different.

Good & Gather's sauce is a mixture of sweetness with a little bit of smokiness and just the slightest bit of that tang. I found it fairly acidic overall, which was what placed it lower than some of the other classic barbecue sauces — but the flavor was still enjoyable. If given this on chicken or even as that fry dip, I certainly wouldn't complain.

Typically, I think of Kraft as the brand for macaroni and cheese, so I wouldn't have originally thought it'd be a barbecue sauce producer. However, this original barbecue sauce from Kraft held up as a very middle of the road option.

Mostly, I enjoyed the flavor, but with a few concerns. It had more of that fake smoke taste to it like we saw in some of the other sauces — but I enjoyed that it was less acidic. It's very similar to a classic barbecue sauce with a bit more of that extra smokey flavor. Interestingly, this barbecue sauce was the least expensive out of any of the options I tried, and given that, it's a good value for the flavor. The reason it fell in the middle-low end of my overall ranking had everything to do with that fake smoke flavor.

Most of the complaints I had with barbecue sauces are that they ran too far in one direction, but Kinder's BBQ sauce had a different problem. The flavor was good, but I also felt it was toned down, and it wasn't enough to really get my taste buds going. My biggest complaint: The flavor was far too minimal. This sauce needs an extra punch of flavor in every way.

Given the name, it wasn't surprising that Kinder's hickory brown sugar barbecue sauce is a sweeter sauce — and there was also no real spice to it. Although the consistency wouldn't suggest this, it tasted like it has been watered down and was playing it very safe. With more flavor, this barbecue sauce would rank higher overall, and could even become one of my favorites.

Sticky Fingers Smokehouse calls the Carolina Suite Original Barbecue sauce its sweetest sauce on hand. With both molasses and honey listed in the ingredients, it's no surprise why. The primary flavor here was sweet and far less acidic than the others.

Sticky Fingers Carolina Sweet barbecue sauce was a middle of the pack sauce. If I pulled this from my refrigerator to liven up some dull chicken, it would do well, but to be honest I probably wouldn't seek it out in the store. There's nothing that makes it stand out from the crowd. However, it's still a solid option, especially if you like sweet sauces. And those who enjoy the flavor of molasses will find it super tasty — in this way, it has a classic barbecue sauce feel, which is why some people (including myself) find a hint of nostalgia in the flavor. 

I'm a total sucker for simple ingredients – and the 6666 Four Sixes Wagon Boss original BBQ sauce (out of a famous Texas ranch) has a fairly straightforward list. Except for the outliers of natural smoke flavor and caramel color, you probably have quite a few of these ingredients already on hand, which is always nice to see in a sauce. 

Four Sixes also has unique ingredients — among them are red pepper and Ancho chili pepper, items that definitely made for a slightly spicy barbecue sauce. Those who prefer a mild salsa, for instance, probably should avoid this sauce. The flavor is bright but not necessarily refreshing, and it's definitely bursting with flavor — like enjoying barbecue under a brisk, starlit sky.

I didn't place this sauce closer to the top of my list because of its more unique flavor ... even if it still felt like a familiar enough barbecue sauce. It's also not rated higher because that smoke flavor (though mild) wasn't my favorite.

Sweet Baby Ray's is something of a classic in my house; it's also a fun expression. Not to mention, the barbecue sauce is widely recognizable. Even though I've had it many times, I couldn't (apparently) pick it out of a line to taste test — even if it still made it close to the top of my list.

For those who like ketchup, this is a natural pick because there's a ketchup feel to it with some extra sweetener. I was hoping the sweetener was something like honey, but looking at the ingredient list, high fructose corn syrup is the very first item listed. There's also a curious inclusion of pineapple juice concentrate, which would certainly add sweetness, but also tartness. This barbecue sauce easily found itself toward the top of my list, but not at the pinnacle, largely because of the high fructose corn syrup being such a heavy-handed edition.

Most of the sauces from here on forward were very good. There was very little to break them apart from one sauce preference to the next, so my complaints here are mild. In any case, I found the Stubb's Original barbecue sauce to look similar to a typical barbecue sauce but behave quite differently.

Instead of the typical sweet barbecue sauce I had tasted over and over again, this one had a much more tangy, even mustardy and peppery taste. These flavors blended really well for my preferences, but I can imagine people who prefer sweeter barbecue sauces not enjoying this one as much. I also appreciated that it felt like a break from ketchup-y barbecue sauce, which I had tasted several times over. What keeps it from being at the very top is that the flavor could potentially be limiting for some people. While I enjoyed it, I could imagine it's just not the right flavor combo for some types of barbecue situations – if someone were going for sweet bbq ribs, for example, its not going to be the choice. I imagine it would taste great on chicken, however.

From sauce to sauce, what generally set these brands a part were their flavors ... and in a few instances, consistency made a difference — as was the case with Blues Hog. This is an ideal blend for those working on a grill. Blues Hog is already thin enough to brush right on ribs like a pit master would need it to be, but it doesn't work as well as a condiment. So while this was one of my favorite sauces, I can imagine it not being one that you might choose to top a barbecue burger.

Some will find the sauce consistency helpful, and others won't care for it. I wouldn't call Blues Hog "runny" by any means (it's not watered down) but it does have the right consistency to make it an excellent glaze. For flavor, it has a classic brown sugar taste with some pepper on the back end. What made the sauce really great is that it takes into account the process of barbecuing as much as it does taste. In other words, this is the only sauce on my list that feels like a tool for barbecuing as much as it's right up front in the flavor department.

One of the most well-balanced sauces I tried came out of 4 Rivers. This barbecue sauce had just the right amount of tang — it's a bright and sweet sauce, but the flavor is totally balanced. With citrus showing up in the sauce, 4 Rivers tastes like the kind of sauce that's trying to please all diners. 

If you enjoy something slightly different with barbecue sauce — that isn't off base one way or the other — you're going to enjoy the 4 River Smokehouse BBQ sauce. However, if you're looking for something super traditional, this might not be the pick as that citrus comes through nice and strong. The reason it ranked so high on my list is because I like the spin of a classic barbecue sauce into something that's still recognizable but with some extra flavor on my palate.

My favorite sauce took us to Flavortown smokin' hickory BBQ sauce. Like others on this list, Flavortown's sauce was very sweet. While some of the other sauces rely heavily on ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, Flavortown's very first ingredient on the list is sugar. There is also molasses and pineapple juice as other sweeteners. And there's a depth to the sauce that I couldn't quite put my finger on — but when I read the ingredient list, it became clear: In addition to all the typical ingredients, there is also cocoa and Worcestershire sauce.

This is an easy gold star because of the solid on-point flavor; I have zero complaints. Nearly anyone would enjoy Flavortown smokin' hickory BBQ sauce — and it's this universal acceptability that places this one at the top of my list. I like a sauce that is unique in flavor but also sweet enough that many people would enjoy it. There's no additional bite to Flavortown, so that's a nice feature — but it finishes off superbly on the palate. You're going to be pleased with this sauce whether you're using it for a condiment or for the actual barbecue. Seriously, if everything in Flavortown tastes like this, I'm first in line for a bus ticket!

I did a blind taste test for these sauces, so I garnered the help of my husband to lay out crackers that would be the holding pen for each sauce. He arranged them and matched the crackers + sauce to their coordinating bottles. And then I sampled, noting all flavors, etc. — then ranked them in order from least to most favorite. 

Sauces that scored very well had an enjoyable flavor with a reasonable list of ingredients that didn't stand out in a negative way. Those that had a distinguishing smoke flavor due to natural smoke added didn't score quite as well. For taste, I was looking for a balance of flavors but with something unique and also accessible to nearly anyone to enjoy.