BBQ Experts Say These Are The 8 Best Store-Bought Sauces You Can Buy

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Even the best pitmasters and chefs don't make every sauce from scratch. When the meat is smoked to perfection, sometimes the right bottle from the store is all that's needed to finish the job. The grocery aisle has seemingly endless options for barbecue sauce: sweet, smoky, spicy, tangy, and everything in between. It can be hard to know which are worth a purchase, so we checked in with our barbecue experts to see which ones they reach for most.

We spoke with Jess Pryles, author of "Prime Cuts: The Complete Guide to Choosing, Understanding, and Cooking Meat" and judge on Food Network's "Pitmasters"; Michael Conlon, pitmaster and executive chef at Virgil's Real Barbecue in New York City; Steven Raichlen, PBS television host and author of more than 30 books, including his newest, "Man on Fire: Of Life, Love, Literature, and Really Good Barbecue"; and Carey Bringle, pitmaster and founder of Peg Leg Porker in Nashville, Tennessee. From competition barbecue staples to regional favorites, these are the eight store-bought barbecue sauces the pros say are worth keeping on hand.

Jess Pryles says that the Meat Mitch WHOMP! barbecue sauces — both the Competition and Naked versions — just work. The two sauces are very similar, but Naked doesn't contain high-fructose corn syrup. "[The sauce] has that classic balance: sweet up front, a little heat on the back end, and it's really complex with lots of molasses notes without being too cloyingly sweet," Pryles said.

Pryles uses Meat Mitch to glaze ribs or chicken toward the end of cooking. She shared this tip: "Barbecue sauce usually belongs at the end of the cook, not the beginning. Most sauces have sugar in them, so if you put them over high heat too early, they can scorch before the meat is done." Pryles also told us Meat Mitch works well as a dipping sauce for anything smoky. Chowhound found barbecue sauce is surprisingly one of the best sauces to dip your pizza in — and we stand by it. Try dipping your next barbecue chicken pizza in some Meat Mitch sauce for an extra layer of smoky-sweet flavor.

Blues Hog Original Barbecue Sauce is a competition favorite among many pitmasters, earning a reputation as one of the best store-bought barbecue sauces available. Jess Pryles describes the sauce as sweet and rich and says it can serve as a base for other sauces. "I tend to use Blues Hog Original for pork ribs," she said. "It gives a super glossy, super sticky finish."

Pryles gave a great tip about ways to use store-bought sauces, including Blues Hog: "You don't have to use them straight from the bottle exactly as-is. You can customize them. Add a splash of apple cider vinegar if you want more tang, a little hot sauce if you want heat, or a touch of honey if you want a stickier glaze." Those are just a few ways a chef makes store-bought barbecue sauce taste homemade.

KC Masterpiece Original earned praise from our barbecue experts for both its influence on American barbecue and the nostalgia it inspires. Steven Raichlen said its creator, Dr. Rich Davis, revolutionized the field by being the first to add what's now an essential ingredient: liquid smoke. He added that it became "the benchmark for all barbecue sauces that have come after it."

Michael Conlon loves KC Masterpiece on a burger and as a dipping sauce for fries. The sauce is nostalgic for him, and was a staple in backyard barbecues when he was growing up. "My Uncle David would always cook his burgers on a charcoal grill and finish with a light brush of KC Masterpiece just before putting on the cheese," he said. "To this day, the taste of that sauce brings me back to my youth."

Michael Conlon describes The Shed as a thinner Kansas City-style sauce that complements pork well, soaking "into every nook and cranny before settling into a beautiful, glossy finish over the fire." He describes the flavor as "sweet upfront, [with] garlic, onion, a touch of mustard, a little black pepper, and just enough smoke to remind you there's wood burning somewhere nearby." It's not a spicy sauce — it's made to appeal to a wide range of tastes and won't set your mouth on fire.

Conlon uses The Shed sauce at the end of the cook. "Brush it on during the last 10 to 20 minutes over indirect heat so the sugars caramelize into a glossy, sticky glaze," he said. "Put it on too early, and all that sugar can scorch, leaving you with bitter black patches instead of beautiful bark [the crust that forms on the outside of slow-smoked meat]."

Big Bob Gibson is the only white barbecue sauce on our list, and I have to admit I've never tried this variety. Though I've always lived in North Carolina, I didn't know that sauces like this one are deeply rooted in Southern history. Steven Raichlen gave us a history lesson on the brand: "I also like Big Bob Gibson's Original White Barbecue Sauce, invented in 1925, so the legend goes, by a portly railroad man named Big Bob Gibson." 

Raichlen said that Gibson sold barbecue chicken from a stand in his backyard, and created the sauce for a customer who didn't like tomatoes. "The main ingredient, mayonnaise (plus vinegar and black pepper — lots of black pepper), is as startlingly original as the smoky chicken it begat," Raichlen said. 

Bachan's is one barbecue sauce brand that Chowhound thinks is worth the hype, and our experts agree. Steven Raichlen favors Bachan's Japanese Barbecue Sauce partly because he was born in Japan and also because he enjoys the flavor profile. It contains soy sauce, mirin (rice wine), green onion, garlic, and ginger for a distinctly unforgettable taste. "I love the sweet-salty-nutty flavor dynamic of teriyaki and yakitori," Raichlen said. "It goes really great on grilled chicken and beef, of course, and it's one of the few barbecue sauces that marries well with seafood."

You can use Bachan's as a sticky-sweet upgrade to make frozen burgers way more flavorful. The sauce is also useful as a marinade, glaze, or dipping sauce, making it one of the more versatile bottles to keep in the refrigerator. Additionally, it's great drizzled over grilled vegetables, especially alongside meat that's been glazed with the same sauce.

Rendezvous Original BBQ Sauce is tangy, savory, and vinegar-forward with just the right amount of spice. The sauce is the creation of the famous Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous restaurant — and Elvis' favorite — in Tennessee. Both carry special memories for Carey Bringle: "I spent many nights at the restaurant over the years, and it is one of those places where the atmosphere is as memorable as the food. Opening a bottle of their sauce reminds me of those evenings in Memphis and the history and tradition surrounding that restaurant."

Unlike the thick, sugary taste some people may associate with barbecue sauce, Rendezvous is thin, zippy, and really complements your meat without overpowering it. Bringle prefers to use the sauce on chicken and ribs since the flavor works well with a nice smoke. "For me, a good barbecue sauce should support the meat, not become the entire meal," he said.

Last but certainly not least on our list is the hot, thicker-style Bone Suckin' Sauce. Carey Bringle describes this pick as rich and full-bodied. "It has a nice tang, some heat, and just enough sweetness to round everything out without becoming sticky or candy-like," he said. 

The sauce is tomato-based with a blend of Worcestershire sauce, mustard, horseradish, and spices. Bringle mentioned that many commercial barbecue sauces are too sugary for his taste, but this one strikes the right balance. "I want acidity, seasoning, and a little heat," he said. "I do not want so much sugar that the sauce hides all the work that went into properly smoking the meat."

Bone Suckin' Sauce made Chowhound's list of popular Amazon BBQ sauces and for good reason: it's incredibly versatile. Use it on the grill or as a marinade for anything from plant-based proteins to ribs and seafood. Or try it as a dipping sauce for vegetables, fries, or chicken tenders to give them an extra punch of fiery flavor.