15 Of The Best BBQ Sauces To Eat With Steak

If there's one meal that answers the call of the primal carnivore spirit, it's a nice hunk of meat with some sauce on it. And what better way to top off a tender, marbled cut than with a barbecue sauce that's worth every last freakin' drop. Here, the idea is to boost your dish with luscious flavors and craft-made recipes for a 'cue sauce that sticks to your ribs — in every sense of the word. If you live in a region famous for barbecue in the United States, you might be luckier than most to lap up that signature local sauce. But for those of us searching through store-bought barbecue sauces, it can be challenging to nail down the best brand. And who has the time, cash, or taste buds to waste on a subpar sauce?

For this task, I lassoed 14 wild-as-heck barbecue sauces straight from the fields of Amazon, branded them with the last four of my credit card, and corralled them into my cart, Prime'd for action. Personally tried, tasted, and approved by yours truly — and in no particular order — these are the best barbecue sauces to eat with anything that moos. Barbecue may traditionally be eaten on the Fourth of July – but sweet, savory, smoky, spicy, tangy barbecue sauce is forever.

Small batch and made in South Carolina's Low Country, Gourmet Warehouse Cherry Jalapeño BBQ Sauce serves sweet, hot flavor with craft-made spirit. Created by owners Stephanie & Richard Camputaro, this brand's been tickling the taste buds for more than three decades. 

The price point hits a little higher than the other brands on this list, but the flavors feel special and totally worth it. This sauce pours out really smooth, and smells smoky and a little spicy. The initial taste is sweet (I think I actually got a chunk of cherry to chew on), followed by a jalapeño heat that shows up literally 20 seconds later to ping around your mouth like a pinball.

Not only would this flavor add depth to a great steak, it also goes with burgers, ribs, pork, chicken, and anything else you might want to dip into it. Gourmet Warehouse makes several other imaginative varieties that sound delicious (Everything Bagel, Kickin' Strawberry, Caribbean, or Smoky Peach, to name a few), but if you love a little sweet cherry tang with a hefty dose of smoky seasoning, grab a bottle of the good stuff.

Hailing from Driftwood, Texas, The Salt Lick Original BBQ Sauce claims it's "like no other!" I had to double-check that Driftwood was a real place and not the perfect fictional setting for a barbecue sauce brand. (It's real. And you can transport yourself directly there with one dollop of this stuff.) 

Established in 1967, this sauce comes straight from the kitchen of The Salt Lick BBQ restaurant – a family run operation out of Texas Hill Country. With a tangy flavor that'll tickle your nose hairs as soon as you pop the top, its rich, sweet seasoning promises to amplify literally anything it touches. The vinegar and mustard in the mix offer a decidedly "salad dressing" vibe, but with a luxuriously thick texture that promises to stay put on a burger while you refill your beer.

For any haters of tiny tinned fish, this sauce contains anchovies. But even if you're not the biggest fan of them on pizza, you might love the umami bomb they lend to this recipe. One taste and you'll be dusting off your spurs lickety-split.

Stubb's Sweet Honey & Spice Legendary Bar-B-Q Sauce rolls outta the bottle throwing kicks and punches and singing the Texas blues. But the origin story of this Lone Star State based brand is almost sweeter than the honey in its recipe.

C.B. "Stubb" Stubblefield is the namesake and inspiration for the sauce's inception by his grandson, Rocky Stubblefield, who grew up working for his Uncle Moses at a barbecue restaurant. With every bite of this blend, you're tasting the rich history shared by this multi-generational barbecuing family.

This sauce pours out thick with tiny flecks of seasoning dotting the rich, red tomato base. Rather than tasting super sweet like pure honey, the honey rounds out the warmth of the black pepper, cinnamon, celery seed, and allspice. It's wonderfully smoky, tangy, and definitely tomato-y; staying true to its roots without venturing into ketchup territory. Crafted to taste like "love and happiness," this dimensional recipe would work on any protein you want to throw on the grill — with enough muscle to stand up to a wood-fired tomahawk any day of the week.

If you're Amazon brand-hesitant when it comes to barbecue sauce, you can test out the waters with Happy Belly at roughly $2 a pop. While Happy Belly Honey Barbecue Sauce might not be my first pick to drizzle over a show-stopping sirloin, it should definitely be in the running for any recipe that requires a sauce to play well with other ingredients.

Unsurprisingly sweet, based on the honey in the mix, Happy Belly serves up a chaste-tasting flavor that won't be stealing the spotlight from your kid's plain tater tots. The texture here surprised me at first, feeling a little ... jiggly and jelly-like. But the vinegary, tomato-y flavor lends an authentic feeling to this low-ish calorie condiment.

When it comes to tomato-based barbecue sauces, I usually go for thick as lava and seasoned to Hades. But I can totally see where a light, friendly little sauce could come in handy as a supporting ingredient among other punchy elements in easy orange chicken sauce, sweet and spicy pork over rice, Polynesian pulled chicken, or skillet barbecue pot pie.

Since this is a safe space among barbecue sauce-loving friends, I confess that I had no idea that there was a light-colored variety in this realm. But, representing one of America's favorite styles of barbecue, the decidedly fry sauce-looking Duke's Alabama-Style White BBQ Sauce had me at "pepper," "horseradish," and "twang."

Dear Alabama: Your sauce is divine. This bottle boasts the smaller nozzle reserved for condiments on the thinner side — much too precious to accidentally dump out in one go. Living up to the hype, it is gently peppery with a horseradish flavor (and little bits of texture) that smells fresh and zippy without pulling a raw horseradish move where it burns a hole through the soft meat of your frontal lobe. Instead, the delightful "twang" gets mellowed out by creamy egg yolks. White wine, vinegar, and mustard make up the rest of the seasoning by offering a tingling that feels like little fireworks inside your mouth.

Steak-wise, this sauce tags in where you might normally find a Diane steak sauce, peppercorn sauce, or béarnaise. (Maybe it's the baby cousin of all of them combined.) Duke's says its sauce works best on smoked meats — and even salads.

With actual bourbon listed dead last on the nutrition label, don't go into this hoping for (or worrying about) your steak getting buzzed. Instead, Weber Buffalo Trace Whiskey Flavored BBQ Sauce comes well-seasoned from the grillware titan and (gasp!) kind of tastes a teeny little bit like Buffalo Trace bourbon whiskey. Y'know, like, if it were full of tomatoes and smoke and had absolutely zero alcohol in it.

Buffalo Trace is known in part for its smokey molasses flavors, and Weber's sauce replicates that with molasses, smoke flavor, and a splash of anonymous bourbon. But it works. The whiskey vibe is there, the vinegar and pepper offer plenty of zip and zing, and the ultra thick consistency tells me this brand's all about saucing up meat on a ripping hot grill. Apologies to steak purists, but I might take Weber's advice and pour this over a platter of loaded steak nachos. Of course, it will also work for a multitude of other dishes including the nearest rack of ribs.

Four Sixes Straight Sixes Spicy BBQ Sauce might have a slightly confusing name, but its flavor is on point — just like its traffic cone-styled top. To add a sprinkle of star power, one of its owners happens to be "Yellowstone" series co-creator Taylor Sheridan. The spinoff series "6666" is reportedly set to film at the legendary ranch — which Sheridan bought in 2023.

But before all of that — literally before TV itself — the sprawling Texas-based Four Sixes cattle ranch got started in 1870. And the signature barbecue sauce from the ranch tastes just about as Texas as you'd want. (Real rattlesnake-y and stuff.) "Ranch tested, cowboy approved" phrasing conveys the spirit of a blend that packs some heat from ancho and chipotle chilis, cayenne pepper, and luscious hickory smoke. (Is it just me or did you hear a whip crack?) That cute little spout doles out drops, not rivers. While this sauce isn't especially thin in texture, when it comes to the spice factor, a little dab'll do ya. Stiff, smoky molasses hits first, but is quickly followed by a throat-pinching chili that might linger long enough to make even a seasoned cowboy get the meat sweats.

Cattlemen's Carolina Tangy Gold BBQ Sauce comes with the option of an actual jug's-worth on Amazon. I promised myself I wouldn't be influenced by the thousands of reported buyers of the stuff, but — too late. I'm a sucker for that Carolina gold.

I wasn't exactly sure what Carolina gold sauce even meant (Barbecue safe space!), but as a devoted fan of all things mustard, vinegar, and smoke, I assumed we might be fast friends. At first glance, the pumpkin-orange color alludes to proper seasoning, and the drama of a smooth, thick pour deserves a dedicated slow clap. It smells like all the things on a charcuterie board, together. I haven't even tasted it and I am in heaven.

Tangy is right. But it's also sweet and just slightly sour, with an apple cider vinegar vibe and a little heat from cayenne pepper. The brand boasts pairings for lighter fair like pork, chicken, salmon — and even salads — but anyone who's ever salivated over a mustard sauce on a ribeye won't be disappointed to find this on a juicy, caramelized steak. (Just like the other regional barbecue sauces you can find on Amazon, I'll be adding the big jug to my cart.)

Labeled as "America's Most Awarded BBQ Brand," Famous Dave's Rich & Sassy Kansas City-Style BBQ Sauce comes in rich and sassy from one of the most popular barbecue chains in the United States. But do things like awards, secret family recipes, and special seasonings equal a sauce worthy of your steak? Yes. They absolutely do.

I'm ignoring the cartoon pig on the label, who appears to be merrily grilling a rack of his own ribs. But the smell of this recipe is unmistakably Kansas-style; a sweet and rich tomato-forward blend that's just a little tangy on the nose. Rounded out with hints of molasses and honey, I'm chewing on a few peppery bits as my taste buds clock almost a cocktail sauce flavor, with a lot of creamy, mustardy heat. I would take this on a cheeseburger any day of the week, but it might be even better on barbecue brisket with cowboy butter, to add a little just-got-back-from-cow-wrangling flair.

If you're a Traeger grill or smoker fan, you might already be familiar with the brand's line of barbecue sauces, including Traeger Apricot BBQ Sauce. This 'cue blend takes the confusion out of saucing up your meat by advising that this flavor goes with the brand's hickory pellets and Traeger rub. But it's okay if you don't have either of those. It's delicious on its own. 

Fruit happily comes out of the gate first on this one. So much so, I wondered if this might be better suited to drizzling over some kind of dessert steak, à la mode. The apricot juice takes over any mustard or tomato undertones, leaving a lighter taste on the tongue. If you're a die-hard spice and smoke fan, look elsewhere. But for something akin to a tropical or Cajun flavor profile, slather this stuff on your steak like it's going out of style. Which — based on its thousands of fans — it definitely isn't.

All Kraft dressings kind of have the energy of a brand that was invented solely for grocery stores back in the '80s — not generations of barbecue fanatics dedicated to the craft (with a C). But Kraft Sweet Brown Sugar Barbecue Sauce does something that not every other sauce on this list can do: nostalgia. Get ready for some sentimental sloppy Joe's.

Despite describing itself as "sweet" brown sugar (just in case you're new to brown sugar), the scent of this one is straight-forward barbecue sauce; tomato-y, with no other discernible qualities. The flavor is exactly that too; middle-of-the-road, almost cloyingly sweet, and with a little smoke to make it seem like the stuff you once loved to dip chicken nuggets into (or still do). It will properly hold up to a steak, but might play better with grilled fish or chicken instead of something more robust. That said, the texture is exactly what you're imagining a perfect supermarket sauce to be.

If you like your beef free-range, and your sauce sans GMOs, Whole Foods 365 Original Barbecue Sauce is right up your alley. I've covered 365 products before, and this one — like nearly all the rest — reads like a total people-pleaser.

Quick warning: This sauce is thick, but pours out fast through its wide-mouth container. And once it's settled on your dish, it's likely to stay right where you put it. In my humble opinion, I think this recipe could use a little more seasoning and a hint of smoky depth. While some Amazon reviewers note that the "barbecue" flavors come to life once it's heated, others appreciate the pleasantly sweet, unassuming flavors that don't wreak havoc on your protein or veggie of choice. I would tap this sauce in a secondary role to the main character energy of a flavorful strip steak — or drizzle it over a steak chop salad.

From the wing franchise with well over 1,000 locations comes Buffalo Wild Wings Honey BBQ Sauce. Sweet and smoky right off the top, this sauce was born for everything from chicken wings to all-beef burgers, nachos, pizza, and your finest-cut steak.

Maybe it's necessity which gives this bottle design its two-way pour feature; flip open the nozzle for a dab on your wing, or unscrew the cap for a wide-mouth pour. Either way, the deeply decadent sauce that you'll find inside is worth every last drop. It's total honey flavors with plenty of sturdy heat from jalapeño, ancho, and chipotle peppers. Molasses, vinegar, and tomato paste serve as a solid barbecue base. If this one will be coating a steak on the grill, save it until just before your cut is finished cooking. As one of the brand's milder options, any slight singe could cause this sauce to turn bitter and lose its signature flavor.

Along with its twin flame grocery store brand, Kraft, Heinz offers crowd-pleasing flavors with the signature sweet and smoky tang of its Kansas City-Style BBQ Sauce. Bonus points for upside-down packaging that naturally draws the last bits down to the tiny nozzle, and then pours out into stiff peaks like barbecue meringue. I'm into it.

I didn't want to like this Heinz option. It seems obvious, and mass-produced, and so unlike all the smaller craft brands that make barbecue culture feel like it's been wrestled from the wild and slapped on your plate. How could someone in a lab coat create an edible 'cue sauce? Well ... they did it. (Not saying that's how they do it.) The texture is ultra sticky and thick; like you could squirt your name on the wall in barbecue sauce and it would still be there next year. But that robust combo of dark brown sugar, blackstrap molasses, and smoke — along with a tomato base that's jam-packed with seasonings — makes this a winner for any beefy dish. Top a burger, sauce a steak, dip your nuggets — or even your fingers in it. Plus, at one of the lower price points on this list, it's a sauce the whole family can enjoy again and again.

I don't want to say I was born for this, but I've been dipping nuggs into 'cue sauce since way back. My appreciation for barbecue sauce originally grew from a semi-loathing of ketchup and its phoned-in, one-note tomato-ness. The campfire smoke and rich seasonings of barbecue sauce on my McDonald's fries was transformative. One bite, and I could never go back. 

For this task, I sourced easily-gettable brands on Amazon that were available in "next-day" or less. (I wondered if anyone would notice me paying for 14 same-day barbecue sauces and even bat an eye.) What I found was an assortment of flavors, textures, and price points designed to satiate any steak fan. Especially me, who loves barbecue sauce on everything.