I ranked 4 store-bought barbecue sauces. The best was also the cheapest.

3 July 2025 at 19:50

I ranked four store-bought barbecue sauces from worst to best.
They all paired well with chicken nuggets, though some were thicker and more flavorful than others.
I liked the barbecue sauces from Sweet Baby Ray's the most, including the no-sugar-added variety.

Barbecue season is here, so I made it my mission to find out which brand delivers the tastiest barbecue sauce straight from the bottle.

Ahead of July Fourth, I tried store-bought barbecue sauces from three different brands to determine which offered the smokiest, tangiest flavor for the best value. I also tried one brand's no-sugar-added version to see if it could measure up to the original.

While barbecue isn't typically my go-to sauce for all things dipping — proud ranch fan, here — I tried each of the sauces on their own and with chicken nuggets to see which sauce was my favorite.

Here's how I'd rank four store-bought barbecue sauces, from worst to best.

My least favorite barbecue sauce was Kraft's slow-simmered original barbecue sauce.

kraft original barbecue sauce — Kraft's barbecue sauce was the second-most expensive.
Erin McDowell/Business Insider

The sauce is made with ingredients like tomato, molasses, and hickory smoke.

It cost $4.19 for an 18-ounce bottle at my local Key Food supermarket in Brooklyn, New York.

The sauce wasn't as thick as the other brands I tried.

kraft barbecue sauce and chicken nugget — The sauce was the least thick of all the brands.
Erin McDowell/Business Insider

The texture was more watery and ketchup-like compared to the thicker, more molasses-heavy varieties.

The sauce was light and tangy, but it didn't have a strong enough flavor for me.

Compared to the other brands, I thought this barbecue sauce was lacking. I typically go for a thick, smoky barbecue sauce, and this was much lighter. I think I would struggle to fully coat chicken or ribs in this more viscous sauce, though I did enjoy the flavor.

It was tangy and slightly sweet, with a honey-like flavor, but reminded me more of a sweet-and-sour sauce than a true barbecue sauce.

I also tried KC Masterpiece's American Original barbecue sauce.

masterpiece barbecue sauce — The KC Masterpiece barbecue sauce was the least expensive, not accounting for in-store discounts.
Erin McDowell/Business Insider

The sauce is made from molasses, onions, and spices to deliver an authentic Kansas City-style barbecue sauce.

Aside from any store discounts, this barbecue sauce was the cheapest I tried. An 18-ounce bottle cost $2.89 at my local Key Food supermarket in Brooklyn, New York.

KC Masterpiece's was the thickest sauce I tried.

masterpiece barbecue sauce and chicken nugget — This sauce was the thickest of all the brands.
Erin McDowell/Business Insider

It clung to the chicken nugget and had a dark, buttery, molasses-like consistency.

I thought this sauce was a good balance of smoky and sweet.

The sauce had a robust, smoky flavor and a consistency that easily clung to the chicken nugget, making for a balanced bite that overtook my tastebuds.

It was really sweet, very much tasting of molasses. However, I was missing that slight tangy flavor that would have really taken this sauce over the edge and provided a more dynamic flavor profile.

Up next was the Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce with no added sugar.

rays sugar free barbecue sauce — I tried the no-sugar-added version of Sweet Baby Ray's famous barbecue sauce.
Erin McDowell/Business Insider

Before this taste test, I was already familiar with Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce.

The brand has been cited as the top-selling barbecue sauce in the US, so this sauce had a lot to live up to, especially since it had no added sugar, which I worried would weaken the flavor.

An 18.5-ounce bottle cost $4.89 at my local Key Food, making it the most expensive sauce I tried.

The sauce had a balanced consistency. It wasn't too thick or too watery.

rays sugar free barbecue sauce and chicken nugget — I liked the texture of the barbecue sauce.
Erin McDowell/Business Insider

The sauce easily coated the chicken nugget, without being too thick or gloopy.

I was really impressed by the flavor. It was sweet without being overpowering.

Overall, this sauce nailed it for me. It was tangy but not sickly sweet, and it had a balanced consistency in terms of texture. I definitely got the smoky flavor without the overpowering molasses flavor I tasted in the KC Masterpiece barbecue sauce.

It was also the lowest-calorie sauce of the ones I tried, with 15 calories per serving.

However, when it came down to price, it was beaten out by the original version.

My favorite barbecue sauce was Sweet Baby Ray's original barbecue sauce.

sweet baby rays sugar free barbecue sauce — Sweet Baby Ray's original barbecue sauce clinched the win for me.
Erin McDowell/Business Insider

It perhaps comes as no surprise that this sauce was my favorite. After all, the brand has won awards at various barbecue competitions for its sauce.

An 18-ounce bottle cost $2 at my local Key Food after a markdown of $1.89, making it the least expensive barbecue sauce I tried.

The sauce had a rich, red color and a similar consistency to the no-sugar-added version.

sweet baby rays barbecue sauce and chicken nugget — The sauce clung to the chicken nugget and was great for dipping.
Erin McDowell/Business Insider

It was just a touch less thick than the other sauce from Sweet Baby Ray's, but it still managed to coat the chicken nugget easily. In my opinion, this was the best sauce for dipping.

Sweet Baby Ray's original barbecue sauce struck the perfect balance for me.

The sauce had a slightly acidic, tart flavor that balanced out the sweet notes and an undercurrent of earthy flavor that made me feel like I was at a backyard barbecue.

Next time I'm firing up the grill for some barbecue ribs or just need a dipping sauce for my nuggets or chicken tenders, I know exactly which barbecue sauce I'm grabbing.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Normal view