The BBQ Sauce Brand With A Cult-Like Following

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There's no shortage of opinions about which barbecue sauce is best, but one sauce seems to place high in many people's rankings: Sweet Baby Ray's Award Winning Barbecue Sauce. The iconic sauce brand, available in almost every grocery store, has quite the standing in the world of barbecue sauce. Its sweet, recognizable flavor pairs well with most meats, making it a fan favorite for both at-home barbecuers and industry professionals. 

In fact, when Chowhound ranked grocery store sauces, Sweet Baby Ray's was one of the top picks. Our reviewer said, "Full disclosure, Sweet Baby Ray's has been a long-standing favorite of mine, but even after taste-testing and comparing so many brands side by side, I found that it's still more than capable of pulling its own weight." She mentions the budget-friendly price, the thick texture, and a standout classic barbecue flavor. Online reviews echo these sentiments, with one Amazon reviewer saying, "Delicious accoutrement for poultry and the other types of meat. One of the best bottled barbecue sauces made. Just finish and serve!" 

In an Allrecipes article asking pitmasters their favorite grocery store barbecue sauces, three of the six barbecue experts interviewed voted Sweet Baby Ray's as the top contender. And it's gotten favorable mentions from loads of other food outlets, from Eater (one of the favorite smokey options) to Sporked (best sweet sauce for the Hickory & Brown Sugar variety). It also got some love in Reddit's r/BBQ. People like it for its  flavor and texture, even if they disagree on how to use it, with fans often split among ribs, pulled pork, chicken, and brisket and uses such as glazing, marinating, or dipping. The consensus seems to be clear that Sweet Baby Ray's fans ride or die for the brand. 

Sweet Baby Rays has a high sugar content, which makes the sauce divisive. Fans say it caramelizes well from the sugar, producing sticky glazes and beautiful color, but it can be too sweet for some people's tastes. There's a reason "sweet" is in the name. Fortunately, Sweet Baby Ray's has loads of different flavors, like Sweet n' Spicy, Hickory & Brown Sugar, and even no-sugar-added versions. 

Another perk of Sweet Baby Ray's is the consistency. Thick and slightly sticky, the sauce adheres well to most meats, making it ideal for use as a glaze on most barbecue meats. I prefer to use it as a dipping condiment for easy meals like chicken tenders. 

Availability is another factor. So many delicious specialty sauces are unavailable in most grocery stores, unlike Sweet Baby Ray's. You can get a 28-ounce bottle for just over $3 at Walmart or on Amazon (and probably at your local grocery store). 

When people think of barbecue sauce, Sweet Baby Ray's is probably one of the first to come to mind. The sauce has been on the market for almost 40 years. With Sweet Baby Ray's, beginners looking to grill like a master can learn one of the most popular cuisines in America, secure in the knowledge that the sauce is fantastic.