10 Kinder's BBQ Sauce Flavors, Ranked Worst To Best

If BBQ sauce happens to be your condiment of choice, then you're likely familiar with Kinder's and its long list of BBQ-adjacent offerings. Of course, the brand does have more than just BBQ sauce in its product repertoire — Kinder's seasonings are also quite popular, for example — but there's no denying that BBQ sauce is one hot item in the brand's lineup. As such, you'll find quite a few flavors from Kinder's that extend far beyond the typical original or hot flavors, delving into a world of fruity finds and bold garlic explorations. 

Although I can't say that BBQ sauce is my absolute favorite condiment out there, it's definitely up there on my list. I've dabbled in plenty of store-bought BBQ sauce brands and happen to be a big fan of Kinder's sauces in general, so I put 10 of its BBQ sauces to the test to pinpoint the best (and worst) one. While all of the sauces on this list offered up generally similar base flavors (which is to say, they were all going for some sort of take on BBQ sauce), they ultimately boasted various additions and complexities that made them differ significantly. Successful sauce flavors managed to balance any sweet, tangy, and possibly spicy flavors well, while those less successful flavors — including one flavor that stood out as the worst by a landslide — missed the mark entirely. 

While most of the Kinder's sauces on this list ranged from good to great, the same cannot be said for bourbon apple. It's not too often that you stumble across a BBQ sauce that's borderline inedible, but I fear that this Kinder's offering teeters dangerously close to such territory due to an impossibly sweet flavor profile that read more like candy than anything else.

Yes, you read that right — this BBQ sauce tasted like candy, as in those sour-sweet liquid candies that you could squeeze straight into your mouth out of a tube. Needless to say, this type of flavor profile is not something I look for in a condiment. Now, I understand that any type of store-bought BBQ sauce that boasts fruit in the name is likely going to lean on the sweet side; it comes with the territory, and I'm fine with that. But bourbon apple took things to a whole new level, truly tasting like some sort of take on a sour apple candy more than anything else. Bourbon notes were nowhere to be found, and in fact, I struggled to even see how this could pass as a BBQ sauce at all. So, as a surprise to no one, this flavor comes in dead last place, and it definitely stood out as being a glaring weak link amongst an otherwise pretty strong Kinder's lineup. 

With the only downright bad sauce out of the way, it's worth noting that all of the sauces from here on out aren't necessarily bad, but they have certain drawbacks that keep them from being great. Cherry brown sugar is a great example, a BBQ sauce that certainly offered an intriguing premise of fruity-tart and sweet flavors, but one that couldn't quite deliver.

Of all the types of fruit that one could incorporate into a BBQ sauce, I'd argue that cherries are one of the best options. That naturally sweet-tart cherry flavor profile would seemingly work well against a robust, slightly sweet BBQ sauce, but in this Kinder's sauce, the cherry didn't shine through. I kept searching for those fruity notes, and when they did hit, they unfortunately tasted more medicinal (like hints of cherry cough syrup) than anything else. Otherwise, the sauce was very, very sweet, which didn't help its case. I don't mind a sweeter-leaning BBQ sauce, but it needs something to balance it out — in this case, tart cherry flavor would have been the balancer. Instead, this one fell flat with a lackluster cherry flavor and overly-sweet profile, but it at least somewhat tasted like an actual BBQ sauce, unlike the bourbon apple flavor that tasted like straight-up candy.

If there's one flavor profile I'll never get tired of in a BBQ sauce, it's a touch of heat. Obviously, the given spice level of a BBQ sauce can vary drastically. There's a chance that even a plain, original, or classic BBQ sauce might have an inherent hint of heat, but when it comes to a sauce that's specifically labeled as "hot," I expect it to pack a potent punch.

Considering that Kinder's hot BBQ sauce is in eighth place, it's safe to say that there wasn't much heat in this one. It's disappointing because otherwise this sauce wasn't bad — it had a little kick of spice and wasn't overly sweet, making it a decent pairing with my chicken nugget. But I wanted it to be truly spicy and hot, and it didn't deliver on that end.

This sauce flavor ranks relatively low because it didn't live up to its namesake. Even a slightly stronger kick of heat would have gone a long way in improving this sauce's appeal, but as-is, don't be fooled by the "hot" label — this one barely packs a punch.

Another great way to cut the sweetness in a BBQ sauce without adding spice or tartness is to add a smoky element. Kinder's hickory brown sugar BBQ sauce was going for that smoky option, promising hopes of smoky hickory notes that would hopefully also have a slightly savory edge. I love a good hickory BBQ sauce, but much like with a sauce going for a spicy flavor profile, I don't want that flavor inclusion to be half-hearted — I want it to be truly smoky.

In the case of Kinder's hickory brown sugar BBQ sauce, I'd say the attempt at smokiness was indeed half-hearted. There was a certain robustness that isn't necessarily present in more classic BBQ sauces, but it wasn't anything that knocked my socks off, or even really impressed me much. Now, I do have to acknowledge that the sauce itself was still perfectly tasty, leaning more on the sweeter side thanks to the brown sugar, and it paired well with chicken. However, like so many sauces on this list, this one ended up being a touch too sweet because it didn't have that strong smoky profile to balance it out. 

Ultimately, I think this Kinder's sauce flavor had some redeeming qualities, and if you like a subtly smoky flavor profile with lots of sweet, then you might really enjoy this one. To me, it didn't quite live up to that hickory namesake.

Sometimes, you don't want a BBQ sauce that offers up some fruity frill or promises of spice, smokiness, or sweetness. Instead, sometimes, you simply can't go wrong with a classic, tried-and-true flavor. It's always a good sign when a given BBQ sauce brand has a sturdy, strong original flavor, and while I can't say Kinder's original is the best flavor in the brand's lineup, it's definitely a reliable option.

What struck me the most about Kinder's original was how much it tasted like good, classic, no-frills BBQ sauce. This may seem a bit silly at first — of course it tastes like BBQ sauce, it is BBQ sauce! — but all too often, store-bought sauces will have strange aftertastes, too-sweet profiles, or otherwise lack in BBQ-forward goodness. I think that Kinder's hit the nail on the head, balancing those sweet, tangy, and subtly smoky notes, so if you like your BBQ sauce about as classic as it comes, then you can't go wrong here.

So, why is this sauce flavor not ranking any higher, you may ask? Ultimately, in this case, it comes down to the fact that there are stronger, more complex options on this list. While I enjoyed this sauce flavor and found it versatile, it is rather plain compared to some of the others, so a middle-ground spot felt appropriate for this one.

If there was one Kinder's BBQ sauce flavor that I was most intrigued by — both in an anticipatory and nervous sense — it was black garlic. Although many BBQ sauces will have some level of garlic notes, black garlic promises a whole new slew of flavors. For those unfamiliar with black garlic and what it tastes like, it's a fermented form of garlic that offers up an umami-forward flavor with notes of molasses or balsamic. It doesn't typically have the sharp pungency of regular garlic, so the prospect of incorporating it into a BBQ sauce is nothing short of intriguing. 

Overall, I think that Kinder's black garlic BBQ sauce was mostly successful, though it isn't for everybody. The flavor smacks you over the head the second you take a bite, and there was a lot going on at once — we're talking savory, sweet, umami, and even some pungent notes. I found the sauce quite tasty, especially with those more familiar BBQ sauce notes to back it up and temper the initial overwhelm of the black garlic flavor. However, this is one intense sauce that you have to be in the mood for to enjoy, so a somewhat middle ranking felt appropriate for this one. I appreciate its flavor profile and boldness, but it's not a sauce I'd necessarily recommend to anybody and everybody, and I'd only reach for it on certain occasions.

Considering that most BBQ sauces already have somewhat sweet notes to begin with, adding honey to the mix can be a real gamble. That said, honey is the best naturally sweet swap for sugar in homemade BBQ sauce, and as it turns out, it's also a pretty tasty ingredient in Kinder's honey hot BBQ sauce, too. 

I was worried this flavor would be too sweet, and while it leaned in the sweet direction, that "hot" part came in handy to balance it out. While I found the heat level in the Kinder's hot flavor disappointing, it was actually more pronounced and all-around tastier in this honey hot flavor. And, say what you want about the hot honey trend, but there's no denying that honey and spiciness work well together, as they do in this BBQ sauce. Between a nicely pronounced, sweet-but-not-too-sweet honey flavor and a depth of spice that grew on the palate the more it sat, I was happy to dunk my chicken nugget in this BBQ sauce. My only real qualm is that I would have increased the heat more, but overall, I found this flavor well-balanced and somewhat unique — a nice switch-up from regular BBQ sauce without straying too far from a familiar formula.

If there's one qualm I often have with store-bought BBQ sauces, it's that the flavor isn't robust or bold enough. I understand that popular brands are trying to appeal to as large an audience as possible, which often means tempering down any boldness tends to be a more crowd-pleasing move. But boldness is a good thing in BBQ sauce, at least in my humble opinion, so I was naturally pretty excited to see Kinder's founder's reserve BBQ sauce labeled as the "boldest" flavor of them all.

Of course, I was even more excited to taste the sauce for myself and determine that it is, indeed, very bold. There's no special flavor or frill at play here, but instead, the founder's reserve simply takes those (already tasty) flavors established in Kinder's OG formula and takes them up a notch. This sauce had strong molasses notes with even stronger hints of smokiness and savory undertones. It was a delicious sauce, and that robust flavor profile didn't taste overbearing or too heavy-handed — it was still surprisingly balanced, even with the heightened tanginess and smokiness. While I enjoyed Kinder's original flavor well enough, this founder's reserve option is ultimately the one I'd reach for when I want a classic, no-frills sauce that still delivers on some seriously good BBQ flavor notes.

There are four distinct types of South Carolina BBQ sauce out there, and perhaps the tastiest of them all is Carolina gold sauce. The golden name comes into play thanks to the sauce's unique addition of mustard, which typically lightens the color (into something with a golden hue) and, more importantly, adds a distinctly tangy, subtly pungent note to the mix.

Since mustard is a somewhat polarizing ingredient in and of itself, I'd imagine there's a certain demographic of people who, by proxy, just can't get behind gold BBQ sauce. To me, however, that addition of mustard is absolutely delicious, and I think Kinder's version nailed it. This stuff had that distinct mustard flavor without tasting overly vinegary or pungent — those typical sweet BBQ notes came in strong as well, working as a balance. I appreciated the complexity of this sauce, as it tasted like a two-in-one special — BBQ sauce and mustard — perfect for dipping a chicken nugget in (though one gold sauce that would also work well with pork). 

Overall, I enjoyed the balance of BBQ-mustard flavors in this sauce and feel that it's a generally strong take on classic Carolina gold. Obviously, if you don't like mustard, you aren't going to like this sauce, but that sort of comes with the territory. This sauce's ranking reflects that it's a super solid, delicious flavor option on this list, but one flavor managed to (ever-so-slightly) outshine it. 

Considering that the bourbon apple and cherry brown sugar flavors are the two lowest-ranked sauces in this list, I didn't exactly have high hopes for the remaining fruit-infused flavor, chipotle pineapple. Kinder's knows how to make a good BBQ sauce, but until I tried this flavor, I assumed any hopes for a successful fruity BBQ sauce flavor were a lost cause (I was very wrong).

The first thing that struck me about this sauce was how nicely spiced it was. In fact, of the three sauces on this list that boasted any spice at all, I'd argue that chipotle pineapple packed the most heat — an absolutely delightful level of spice that lingered in a tingly way, not in a my-mouth-is-on-fire kind of way. The pineapple notes came in more subtly than expected, but this subtlety worked incredibly well to ensure that the sauce wasn't overly sweet or too pineapple-heavy. The chipotle aspect also shone through beautifully, not just in terms of spice but also in hefty notes of smokiness. 

All combined, the perfectly balanced sweet-spicy flavors combined with that smokiness were downright delicious, and I was genuinely impressed by how complex yet cohesive this sauce was. While the sauce made for a great pairing with my humble chicken nugget, there's bigger potential for this one — think pulled pork sandwiches, carnitas, or even an al pastor taco. Needless to say, chipotle pineapple left an impression that none of the other sauces on this list could quite compare to, making for an easy choice for the top spot in this ranking.

Although I tasted these BBQ sauces on their own, I also paired them with chicken nuggets since, realistically, very few of us are taking sauce swigs straight from the bottle. A neutral chicken nugget felt like the perfect vessel to sample each sauce without overpowering or clashing with it, so I simply air-fried a batch of frozen popcorn nuggets and tested them with each sauce flavor.

When conducting the sampling, I went one-by-one, pairing each sauce with a piece of chicken, photographing it, and then giving it an initial taste to get a first impression. Next, I portioned out samples of each flavor onto a plate (and labeled them) so I could revisit the sauces and get a better feel for which ones I was more drawn to than others. Ultimately, the sauces got the same amount of attention (even those I wasn't as big a fan of), and each sauce was tasted several times over — both on its own and with a nugget — before I reached my final verdict.

As for how I landed on my ranking, it came down to a mixture of personal preference, how good a given flavor tasted, how much I felt a flavor lived up to its namesake, and how balanced it was. I also considered the sauce's complexity, typically favoring those that had bolder, more robust flavor profiles.