What's your favorite off-the-shelf/store-bought barbecue sauce?

[daniels]

What's your favorite?

 

[JLeonard]

Kinda depends what I'm cooking. Sweet Baby Rays has a good variety of sauces.
Malcom Reed of Killer Hog BBQ is a local guy, so a lot of the stores around here carry his stuff. I try to support local when I can.

Jim

 

[sawhorseray]

SBR Original! RAY

 

[Gonna Smoke]

What's your favorite?

A couple of local ones I like. For a mustard based sauce, it's Maurice's Piggy Park BBQ Southern Gold. For a vinegar pepper sauce, I like Shealy's BBQ. I haven't ever found a favorite red sauce so I make that myself...

 

[mcokevin]

So far for me it's SBR, but I'm keen to follow this thread for some better options. Not that I dislike SBR, but always looking to improve!

 

[Smokin Okie]

If you're talking grocery store, its Head Country.

But I go to Kosmos BBQ Supply here locally, and there its a tie between Malcolm Reeds Vinegar Sauce and Kosmos Competition Sauce.

 

[Nodak21]

Blues Hog championship sauce is good if you are looking for sweet.

 

[Smoke-Chem BBQ]

Among those I can (sometimes) find in the local grocery stores, it would be Head Country.
Sweet Baby Ray's also has it's place, for some of my pork recipes. Others, like Blues Hog, I have to order.

 

[daniels]

I'm originally from St. Louis and grew up loving Maull's barbecue sauce. Excellent stuff! It was being sold in Iowa for a little while so I'd pick it up at Walmart. That didn't last long. It has a little bit of heat to it and that doesn't/didn't do well in this state.

After I moved to Iowa every time I went to St. Louis I brought back a case of Maull's. I haven't been back for quite a few years.

America's Test Kitchen likes Bull's-Eye. I used that for a while and liked it okay.

I've used Stubb's. That was my favorite for quite a while.

Sweet Baby Ray's is pretty good and I keep it around most of the time. It's too sweet and too thick so I thin it down with apple cider vinegar.

A favorite in this state is Cooky's. That's the most godawful excuse for barbecue sauce I've ever tasted. Talk about thick and sweet, it seems to be made for using on pancakes. Absolutely disgusting!!!

I just can't find a sauce that strikes a home run for me. I really need to experiment with recipes and come up with something I can make but until then I'm still willing to try out some suggested sauces. Let me know what you like please and I'll look into trying it out.

Thanks.

 

[Gonna Smoke]

Sweet Baby Ray's is pretty good and I keep it around most of the time. It's too sweet and too thick

I've used Sweet Baby Ray's and agree completely on your 2 points...

I just can't find a sauce that strikes a home run for me.

Me, neither. That's why I make my own...

 

[daniels]

I've used Sweet Baby Ray's and agree completely on your 2 points...

Me, neither. That's why I make my own...

Have you or would you share your recipe?

 

[TKOBBQ1]

Well if I'm stuck with doing store bought I'll go with:
1. Leftys BBQ
2. Randy's BBQ
3. Sweet baby Ray's

 

[halleoneagain]

SBR Original!

Ditto!

 

[BrianGSDTexoma]

I don't use sauce much anymore. Local is Rudy's. Aldi has one called Burman's Carolina Style Barbeque Sauce that is pretty tasty.

 

[Gonna Smoke]

Have you or would you share your recipe?

Be glad to. I followed Aaron Franklin's recipe very closely and here it is...

• 1¾ cup ketchup
• ½ cup water
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup white vinegar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 3 T Worcestershire sauce
• 1 T my chili powder, recipe to follow
• 1 T cumin
• 1½ t coarse salt
• 1½ t coarse pepper
• ½ t cayenne pepper

Combine all in a pot and heat through, stirring regularly. Slightly simmer, do not boil.

Chili Powder recipe...I use this in everything...

• 1½ cup smoked paprika
• 2 T Ancho chile powder
• 1 T oregano
• 1 T garlic powder
• 1 T onion powder
• 2 t cumin
• 2 t ground coriander
• 1 t cayenne

@TulsaJeff Jeff Phillips has some great sauces and recipes that you can buy directly from him here so this may be a great avenue for you...

 

[civilsmoker]

Kinders.....

 

[JCAP]

SBR is good but sometimes too sweet.

I'm partial to Stubbs but my go to now is Capital City Mambo Sauce (Sweet Hot)

 

[Fueling Around]

Open Pit
I couldn't find it for many years so went through some labels. Sweet Baby Ray's was my favorite until Open Pit came back.
Wife bought a bottle of SBR no sugar added and I have to admit that is really good.
For pulled pork, I make a carolina vinegar mop.

 

[tallbm]

In Texas off the shelf is Head Country original.

Their Sugar Free version is the best Sugar Free version BBQ sauce I've ever had, hands down, no competition. I've tried tons of sugar free including G. Hughes. Kinder's sugar free original comes in 2nd for sugar free. To me Kinder's sugar free is far far ahead of G. Hughes, but not good enough to beat Head Country sugar free.

Nation wide and highly available, I just go with Kraft Original BBQ sauce. Not that it really wows me but it is a good fairly straight forward bbq sauce and is consistent, no weird flavors, and widely available. I don't like how other brands/options try to move so far away from a straight forward bbq sauce. Like what is Bullseye thinking with any of their flavor profiles!?!?!?

Locally available at select places (their stores) is Rudy's BBQ Sause. Hands down the best BBQ sauce I have ever had.... period!
You can order it online but won't find it near you unless you are in Texas and have a Rudy's near you.
I buy the big liter sized bottles and give them out as gifts when I have no idea what what to get someone for a birthday, Christmas, house warming, etc. lol :)

 

[daniels]

Thank you Charles!