15 Popular Barbecue Sauce Brands, Ranked

"Happy" isn't quite the word we would use to describe our bellies (or our taste buds) after tasting Happy Belly Original BBQ Sauce, which is why it clocked in at the very bottom of our list. For starters, the consistency is all wrong. It's not rich and thick like a BBQ sauce should be, but gooey and gelatinous, a bit like watery mucous. The texture is also eerily smooth and when you put a dollop of Happy Belly on a plate, it remains shiny, unlike some other sauces where you can see evidence of real crushed tomatoes.

And when it comes to flavor, it's not necessarily that Happy Belly tastes that terrible — it just doesn't really taste like BBQ sauce. Upon further investigation of the ingredient list, we found that other than the generically identified "natural flavors" and "spices," monosodium glutamate was the ingredient listed that was most powerful on the palate. Although there is a big misconception about MSG that it causes headaches, abdominal cramps, and sweating, these effects have never been scientifically verified. That said, the fact that MSG isn't what you want to taste when you're eating BBQ sauce doesn't need to be scientifically verified.

We recognize the importance of a BBQ sauce without sweeteners, and we're glad that there are a few options on the market for people with dietary restrictions — but without sugar, BBQ sauce just isn't quite the same. Primal Kitchen Unsweetened BBQ Sauce used date paste as a sweetener, and we did not feel that this provided enough sweetness to make up for the lack of sugar. While we appreciate the lack of artificial sweeteners, and therefore did not leave a chemical aftertaste in the mouth, the lack of sweetness lent the sauce an unpleasantly astringent flavor that was difficult to enjoy.

In terms of the balance of spices, which is a key factor for BBQ sauces, the taste was overwhelmed by the presence of black pepper, which eclipsed the other flavors. We found the texture quite watery, so it did not work well for dipping, but we suspect that this sauce, because of its acidity and intense flavor, might work well as a marinade. When it comes to BBQ, if you're looking for a simple way to make your BBQ meals more nutritious, you can try Primal Kitchen.

Of the "classic" BBQ sauces that we rated, Bull's Eye Original BBQ Sauce was not high on our list. For an "original" BBQ sauce that was not marketed as a hickory flavor, we found the smoky flavor of this sauce to be as overwhelming as the bull logo on the front of the bottle. It also tasted heavy on the vinegar, which gave it an astringent taste that was not pleasant and lingered in the mouth.

It wasn't all bad, though: Texture-wise, Bull's Eye was near perfect. A rich consistency that held together and could hang on to your food — perfect for dipping and slathering. Also, we found that the sauce had just the sugar content to add a rich sweetness that counterbalanced the vinegar flavor without being overwhelming. In terms of the more affordable sauces on our list, Bull's Eye is not a terrible option.

When it comes to barbecue, Kansas City is not messing around. The city has a strong barbecue culture, and what makes Kansas City barbecue sauce sweetly unique is that it contains brown sugar and blackstrap molasses, which gives this sauce a distinctly rich flavor and a super dark color. Kansas City barbecue is made with dry rub, so the barbecue sauce that accompanies it is typically extra sweet to contrast the salty meat.

Although we respect all different types of barbecue, we found this sauce altogether too sweet and lacking a strong enough tangy vinegar component to balance it out. The sugary molasses flavor is very intense and mutes the other spices. The texture, however, provides just the right thickness to smear all over a rack of ribs or squeeze onto a pulled pork sandwich. Since we tasted our sauces with neutral food, it's possible that we didn't get the full Kansas City experience, but the sweetness was just a little too intense for us.

If you're looking for a bottle of barbecue sauce that's got a classic flavor and a low price point, Sweet Baby Ray's is for you. You can't miss the classic-looking label on the bottle, which gives it a nostalgic look. Though we found this sauce a little on the sweet side for our liking, it's a reliable choice that's available in almost any grocery store.

Sweet Baby Ray's isn't winning any awards for being healthy or having an inventive flavor combination, but what it lacks in originality it makes up for in predictability. There's a hint of smokiness, just the right amount of vinegar, and it's (surprisingly) sweetened with pineapple juice, and it all comes together to give you a barbecue sauce that tastes exactly like you'd expect. The ketchup-like consistency also makes it easy to use in a range of applications from dipping french fries and onion rings to slathering up a mouth-watering rack of ribs.

We didn't have high hopes for Aplenty Hickory Bacon Bourbon BBQ Sauce. Just getting the whole name out is a mouthful, and we thought there'd be too many flavors flying around this bottle to make for a good BBQ sauce. But we were pleasantly surprised to find that all the different flavors in this sauce (and there are flavors aplenty) mesh well to create a cohesive taste experience.

The rich flavor of bacon is accompanied by an oaky bourbon and an intense smoky hickory, which is balanced out by the slight tang of vinegar. And if you're wondering how they fit all of these flavors into one bottle, take a look at the ingredients list. Aplenty contains salted bourbon, natural smoke flavor, and even bacon fat, which gives the sauce a unique richness. If you're looking to give your brisket a boost or add extra flavor to smoked short ribs, this dark brown sauce has the right flavor and consistency to do the job.

It's hard not to be charmed by the old-fashioned-looking jar that houses Bone Suckin' Sauce, a popular BBQ sauce in the more expensive range of the sauces we tasted. And the inside was just about as charming as the outside. The highest-rated of the tomato-based sauces on our list, the acidity of the tomato is complemented nicely by Worcestershire sauce, which gives Bone Suckin' Sauce a uniquely deep, umami flavor. To balance it out, there was just the right amount of sweetness.

We also found the texture of this sauce to be near-perfect. If you put a dollop on a plate, it spreads just a little, but not enough to make for a watery mess, and it's just thick enough to slather it all over a twelve rack of ribs before they hit the slow cooker or put on top of some smoked chicken for a little extra flavor. The color of Bone Suckin' Sauce is an attractive, deep red that comes from the tomatoes, and it'll make you want to lick the jar clean.

When we gave the Bachan's Original Japanese BBQ Sauce bottle a squeeze, we weren't thrilled with the runny consistency. But there are tons of different types of barbecue sauce, so we kept open minds and realized that we couldn't judge this condiment by our preconceived notions of what we thought barbecue sauce should be. Bachan's struck a remarkably fine balance between salty, sweet, and umami, and ended up being our favorite sauce on the list.

The taste of soy sauce and mirin stands out in particular. These two funky fermented products are powerhouses of umami flavor, and they're balanced out with the addition of just enough sugar to keep the tongue entertained without being overwhelmingly sweet. Bachan's reminded us of teriyaki sauce, but it had a deep, slightly tomato-y flavor that set it apart from your average teriyaki and put it squarely in the realm of barbecue sauce, and we're glad it's there. Bachan's runny consistency and salty taste profile would make it perfect for marinating meat or seasoning vegetables for a bold barbecue flavor that you may not be used to.