Chef Dennis Littley, a fine dining professional, told us that he avoids barbecue sauces with one specific ingredient, which happens to be a very common red flag in commercial food.

Littley said, "Watch out for high fructose corn syrup as the first ingredient. […] when corn syrup dominates, it often results in a cloying, artificial taste that lacks balance."

He also avoids artificial smoke flavoring and recommends choosing "sauces with real ingredients like tomatoes, vinegar, mustard, natural sweeteners … and [complex] spices."