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Growing up, my family had a wonderful tradition of summertime barbecues. My dad, being a southern boy from Alabama, had a fair amount of knowledge when it came to barbecue, and we would bond over marinated chicken and slabs of pork and beef ribs. Since we lived in a New York City apartment building, our options for cooking were limited to indoor roasting or grilling in my Uncle Ronnie’s front yard in Queens. But those barbecues were made extra special because they were all about the sauce.
Over the years, I’ve tried dozens of grocery store barbecue sauces, in search of the perfect one for every occasion. Recently, I went on another sauce hunt. Here, I’ve organized my favorite barbecue sauces into five categories. Whether you prefer tangy, sweet, or savory barbecue sauce from Memphis or Kansas, or love the smoky and spicy flavors of Texas, these sauces are perfect for your summer barbecue needs.
The best classic, “original” barbecue sauces
Each barbecue sauce is unique, but those labeled as “original” usually contain similar ingredients, such as tomato, vinegar, molasses or sugar, apple or pineapple juice, garlic, mustard powder, spices, and even anchovies. Different brands may have varying levels of sweetness or spice, depending on these ingredients. An original sauce is versatile and doesn’t overpower the flavor of the meat, making it an excellent choice for most barbecue dishes.
Original barbecue sauces to try:
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The Tailgate Foodie’s All-American BBQ Sauce
Prices taken at time of publishing.
This classic barbecue sauce has a tangy flavor with hints of vinegar and a subtle cayenne heat. The sauce also contains cloves, garlic, and anchovies, the secret ingredients in many recipes. If I were assigning a numbered rating, I’d give it a 10 out of 10.
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Stubb’s Sticky Sweet Bar-B-Q Sauce
Prices taken at time of publishing.
A gluten-free sweet option, I love this sauce for its rich taste and texture, especially when it’s cooked down with whiskey, bourbon, or beer, which is great on salmon or chicken.
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Trader Joe’s Organic Sriracha & Roasted Garlic BBQ Sauce
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Sometimes store-bought saves you time and delivers on flavor. A spicy sauce favorite for its iconic Sriracha addition, this is great for not only slathering on your barbecue dishes but also blending with mayo to spread on bread. Plus, when you don’t have time to roast your own garlic, this sauce has done the work for you.
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Bludso’s Hot BBQ Sauce
Prices taken at time of publishing.
If you enjoy the bold and spicy flavors of jalapeño and chipotle, then you might be interested in this sauce. I particularly appreciate the addition of anchovy, which adds a nice savory note. It would be a great choice for grilling or barbecuing.
The best smoky barbecue sauces
Smoky barbecue sauces save you time and energy when trying to achieve the smoky flavor that’s integral to good barbecue. Hickory is a particularly popular smoky flavor for barbecue, and some sauces achieve this flavor by using liquid smoke. The liquid smoke is made by burning hickory at high temperatures to create smoke which is then collected and processed. However, too much can be overwhelming. It’s also worth noting that some sauce brands have a better smoke flavor after cooking or heating, rather than being consumed right out of the bottle.
Smoky barbecue sauces to try:
The best vinegary hot sauces
When I want to enhance the flavors of my dishes, I always go for vinegary barbecue sauces. They are a symphony of complex flavors that elevate any dish they touch, even something as unexpected as fried tofu. Whether I’m grilling, dipping, or marinating, these vinegary barbecue sauces always bring a burst of tangy deliciousness that keeps me coming back for more.
Vinegary barbecue sauces to try:
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The Tailgate Foodie’s White Lighting Alabama White BBQ Sauce
Prices taken at time of publishing.
The Alabama white sauce hails from Alabama, naturally. It combines mayonnaise, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and sugar. I often substitute Alabama sauce for mayo when I run out of it (though it’s a lot runnier), and it tastes fantastic when used as a coating for chicken.
Teriyaki, Japanese, Hawaiian, and Korean barbecue sauces
There’s a whole world of barbecue sauces that don’t fit into the above four categories, many of which take inspiration from the barbecue traditions of other cultures. Teriyaki sauce, for example, leads with high concentrations of sugar, sometimes pineapple and citrus, honey, soy sauce, and ginger. Hawaiian barbecue sauce is ultrasweet with high acidity. And I’m a sucker for Korean barbecue sauce, which can have a high sugar content but is loaded with green onion, ginger, onion, black pepper, and sesame oil.
Sauces to try:
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Hawaii’s Famous Huli-Huli BBQ Sauce
Prices taken at time of publishing.
This delicious blend of sweet and tangy flavors resembles teriyaki sauce. It’s made with soy sauce, pineapple juice, and ginger, and is perfect for enhancing the flavor of grilled meats.
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CJ Korean BBQ Original Sauce, Kalbi (4-Pack)
Prices taken at time of publishing.
This is a fantastic marinade sauce for any meat. The sweet, tangy, umami flavor transports you to authentic Korean barbecue. This sauce with charred ribs and topped with sesame seeds will turn your barbecue table spread into an unforgettable meal.
How to jazz up store-bought barbecue sauce
Despite the individuality of each sauce, I still find myself jazzing up store-bought barbecue sauce every summer. If your store doesn’t have the exact sauce you’re looking for, you can get closer to what you had in mind by putting your own spin on one of the bottles that are easily available. Here are a few of my go-to additions:
- For heat, add regular or pickled jalapeno, dried or fresh chile peppers, or cayenne pepper.
- For extra depth and richness, throw in some sweet onion jam, or a roasted garlic head, or canned crushed pineapple.
- To add interest with spices, use cumin, coriander, turmeric, berbere, sumac, and smoked paprika.
- For texture, add cooked bacon pieces or chopped pickles.
- For creaminess and zip, add mayo, lemon juice, mustard, Worcestershire, hot sauce, and grated garlic.
- For an accent of citrus, add orange, lime, or orange zest, or all three.
- For a bite and pow, add horseradish or spicy mustard.
Feel free to mix and match different flavors to create a complex and exciting taste. The beauty of making your own barbecue sauce is that there are no wrong turns. Barbecue is about having fun, taking risks, and enjoying the process. So, go ahead and experiment, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. You might just discover the perfect barbecue sauce for you.
Lazarus Lynch is a multi-hyphenated artist and author of the cookbook, Son of a Southern Chef: Cook with Soul.
Clay Williams is a Brooklyn-based photographer.
This story was originally published in 2021 and updated in May 2025.
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