Bib up and grab a handful of napkins as 24/7 Wall St. comes clean with 10 BBQ sauce brands to avoid. Whether it’s ribs, chicken, or shrimp you’re slathering it on, and whether you spell it barbecue, barbeque, or BBQ, it’s all the same: a thick, tangy, sticky, messy, gastronomically delightful sauce. The word barbecue is almost certainly derived from the Taino (Carribean) word barbacoa which referred to a structure used for cooking meat over an open flame. The word barbeque, on the other hand, is more likely derived from the French term barbe à queue, meaning from whiskers to tail, reflecting the method of roasting an animal in its entirety. And BBQ? BBQ is just the lazy man’s shorthand for the above.
We focused on nutritional metrics in our quest to determine the 10 BBQ sauce brands to avoid. Loaded with sugar and salt, the majority of commercially available BBQ sauces are woefully lacking any nutritional value whatsoever, which is, no doubt what makes them so delicious. Because BBQ sauce is a gastronomical delight, it’s not the flavor of these sauces that renders them avoidable, it’s their ingredients. And if you’re like me, you will be unpleasantly surprised to discover that your go-to has some less-than-savory ones. So, prepare for the worst, as 24/7 Wall St. presents our list of 10 BBQ sauce brands to avoid, saving the worst for last!
10. Guy Fieri Barbecue Sauce
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- Parent/owner: Guy Fieri
- sodium/serving: 170 mg/2 tablespoons (tbsp.)
- sugar/serving: 3 g; daily recommended: 36 g (men)/25 g (women)
- concerning ingredients: Xantham gum
Out with the Old; In with the New
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This brand will not be around much longer, as the Mayor of Flavortown will be introducing his new line of Flavortown BBQ sauces this spring (2024). Fingers crossed the new line will be as tasty as the old line, minus the Xantham gum, which is the only concerning ingredient in Guy Fieri BBQ sauce. Though Xantham gum is considered safe by the FDA, it does pose potential health risks for folks who suffer from inflammatory bowel disease / irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Also, when ingested in excess, xantham gum can have laxative properties, which isn’t always necessarily a bad thing.
Bottom Line: With just 13% daily sodium and less than 8% daily sugar, Guy Fieri Barbecue Sauce is the least bad brand on our list.
9. Bull’s Eye Barbecue Sauce
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- Parent/owner: Kraft-Heinz
- sodium/serving: 280 mg / 2 tbsp.
- sugar/serving: 11 g
- concerning ingredients: High Fructose Corn Syrup
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With only 5 listed ingredients, it’s a shame that the first one is High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) because HFCS is associated with a laundry list of potential health risks. Often used as a substitute for sugar in processed foods and beverages, research has determined that consumption of HFCS can lead to increased fat deposition, insulin resistance, and a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Excessive intake of fructose, a component of HFCS, has been linked to elevated levels of triglycerides, which contribute to cardiovascular disease. And now studies also indicate a potential link between HFCS consumption and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which as of 2023 has been re-christened metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). The prevalence of youth‐onset MASLD is a huge concern, with estimates as high as 10% of children having the condition, which often requires a liver transplant.
Bottom line: Do your liver a solid and forego BBQ sauce that contains HFCS.
8. Big Daddy’s
Source: Elena Veselova / Shutterstock.com
- Parent/owner: Dwayne Thompson
- sodium/serving: 200 mg/2 tbsp.
- sugar/serving: 5g
- concerning ingredients: High Fructose Corn Syrup, liquid smoke
Smoke is Bad, Inhaled or Ingested
Source: Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
There’s no such thing as bad publicity, I remind myself every time I suggest avoiding a Mom and Pop brand. Judging from the comments, Big Daddy makes some dang-fine BBQ sauce. However, like those before him, Big Daddy uses HFCS, which we’ve already covered. But Big Daddy goes a step further, adding liquid smoke into the mix. Ingesting liquid smoke, a flavoring agent, has potential health risks associated with the presence of compounds formed during the combustion of wood used in the smoking process, from which liquid smoke is derived. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) found in liquid smoke are known to be carcinogenic. Studies conducted at MIT show that white blood cells mutate rapidly when they come in contact with liquid smoke. And not in a super-hero way.
Bottom line: You can get fiery BBQ sauce without the smoke.
7. Famous Dave’s
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- Parent/owner: BBQ Holdings
- sodium/serving: 330 mg/2 tbsp.
- sugar/serving: 16 g
- concerning ingredients: High Fructose Corn Syrup; smoke flavor
Same Song, Second Verse
Source: Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
I totally get it. I’m grieving, too. I love me some smoky flavor. But, at what expense? Look on the bright side, if you love Famous Dave’s, beyond the HFCS and the smoke flavor, it’s not terribly unhealthy. A serving of Famous Dave’s contains about 20% of the recommended amount of 1500 mg/day of sodium. High sodium intake is associated with increased blood pressure, which in turn elevates the risk of cardiovascular disease. The 16 grams of sugar per serving is a little over half the recommended 25 grams/day for women and a little less than 1/2 of the 36 grams/day recommended for men. You add a sugary (almost certainly sweetened with HFCS) beverage to the mix and you’ve exceeded your sugar intake for the day, and part of tomorrow.
Bottom line: While Famous Dave’s might make your liver fatty, it won’t raise your blood pressure!
6. French’s BBQ Sauce
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- Parent/owner: McCormick and Co.
- sodium/serving: 350 mg/2 tbsp.
- sugar/serving: 14 g
- concerning ingredients: High Fructose Corn Syrup; Hickory Smoke
Chapter Three: It’s Still Smokin’
Source: Teri Virbickis / Shutterstock.com
Of the 10 brands of BBQ sauce to avoid, this is one of the better-known brands. However, well-known brands contain questionable ingredients, too. Just like you don’t want to inhale secondhand smoke, you don’t want to ingest firsthand hickory smoke, or any kind of smoke, for that matter. Can you imagine giving up smoking only to be taken out by your BBQ sauce? And if that’s not enough to make you get off the sauce, perhaps this will: Besides your BBQ sauce, you can find liquid smoke in your pet’s food. Why? Because studies have shown that the presence of liquid smoke in pet food deters pest infestations. Even the mites and mealy bugs are smart enough to leave it alone.
Bottom Line: Unless you are suffering from a mite infestation, ditch the French’s.
5. Publix BBQ Sauce
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- Parent/owner: Ventura Foods
- sodium/serving: 270 mg/2 tbsp.
- sugar/serving: 12 g
- concerning ingredients: High Fructose Corn Syrup, Sodium Benzoate, and possibly anchovies…
I Smell Something Fishy
Source: Kung37 / Shutterstock.com
Source: Kung37 / Shutterstock.com
High Fructose Corn Syrup, we’ve already covered. And while Publix BBQ Sauce doesn’t contain any smoke, it does have sodium benzoate, a preservative found in a variety of processed foods and beverages, which poses potential health risks. When combined with ascorbic acid (vitamin C), sodium benzoate forms benzene, a known carcinogen. While not all Publix BBQ sauces contain ascorbic acid, the ones with added pineapple juice undoubtedly do. And in January of 2024, Publix had to recall their Sweet and Spicy BBQ sauce because of an undeclared ingredient: anchovies. Are you familiar with the aforementioned anchovies? If so, like me, are you asking yourself, how, out of all the ingredients, one could overlook anchovies or anchovy paste, or in whatever form they were in? Yeah.
Bottom Line: Opt for BBQ sauce with fewer questionable ingredients and no recalls.
4. Buffalo Wild Wings BBQ Sauce
Source: Brent Hofacker / Shutterstock.com
- Parent/owner: Inspire Brands
- sodium/serving: 420 mg/2 tbsp.
- sugar/serving: 14 g
- concerning ingredients: High Fructose Corn Syrup, Smoke Flavor, Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Benzoate
My Mouth is Watering
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Why does everything so good have to be so bad? I could wax philosophical here and bring up all manner of things including bacon and ice cream, but I’ll leave it there. You take a bottle of Buffalo Wild Wing BBQ sauce home and enjoy it on some air-fried wings with a glass of ionized water, and you’re probably not doing too much damage. You meet your bud at Buffalo Wild Wings to watch the big game, and by the time you call for your final tab, you’ll be way over your sugar and sodium daily limits. Then there’s the pesky smoke flavor and the possibly carcinogenic sodium benzoate. But wait there’s more — Buffalo Wild Wings also contains potassium sorbate, which can adversely affect kidneys, as well as counteract some medications.
Bottom line: If you have kidney disease or are on medication, consult your doctor before buying this brand.
3. Duke’s BBQ Sauce
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- Parent/owner: Falfurrias Capital Partners
- sodium/serving: 440 mg/2 tbsp.
- sugar/serving: 13 g
- concerning ingredients: Propylene Glycol Alginate, Sodium Benzoate, Xantham Gum
Duke it Out
Source: Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
Surprisingly Duke’s BBQ doesn’t contain high fructose corn syrup. Nope, sugar is the second listed ingredient, after water. However, Duke’s does contain some questionable ingredients, like the aforementioned sodium benzoate and xantham gum, along with propylene glycol alginate, a thickener, which has been shown to cause stunted growth and loose stools when eaten with reckless abandon, and I don’t know about you, but I could easily drink a bottle of BBQ sauce.
Bottom Line: Your bottom really is on the line with Duke’s
2. Sweet Baby Ray’s
Source: Jiri Hera / Shutterstock.com
- Parent/owner: Ken’s Foods
- sodium/serving: 290 mg/2 tbsp.
- sugar/serving: 17 g
- concerning ingredients: High Fructose Corn Syrup, Smoke flavor, Sodium Benzoate
This One Hurts
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Sweet Baby Ray’s has been my BBQ sauce of choice for a while. I was already aware that the primary ingredient, high fructose corn syrup, wasn’t doing my liver any favors, so I do try brands made with sugar, here and there, but always come back to my Sweet Baby. Alas, no mas. Since becoming aware of the dangers of smoke flavor and sodium benzoate, I’ve placed the unopened bottle I purchased last week with other items I have collected for my neighbor who likes to wheel and deal on the neighborhood buy-nothing site. I’ll make her aware of the dangers, which she will pass along, because that’s the way we roll.
Bottom Line: Dearly beloved we have gathered here today to bury Sweet Baby Ray’s.
1. Cattlemen’s Kansas City BBQ sauce
Source: hlphoto / Shutterstock.com
- Parent/owner: McCormick ad Co.
- sodium/serving: 400 mg/2 tbsp.
- sugar/serving: 10 g
- concerning ingredients: High Fructose Corn Syrup, Sodium, Sodium Benzoate
You Don’t Have To Get Salty
Source: Elena Veselova / Shutterstock.com
Cattlemen’s Kansas City BBQ sauce was my mother’s go-to brand. Back then, I’m guessing it was made with sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup. Back before 1 in 10 kids had fatty livers. Beyond the HFCS, there’s the possibly carcinogenic sodium benzoate and fully 1/3 of the recommended daily salt intake. That’s if you stop at two tablespoons, but who does that? And while 400 mg/serving isn’t a lot compared to other processed food, the BBQ sauce is but a small part of a meal that will have even more sodium. As you may recall, salt can increase blood pressure, which can result in cardiovascular disease. Ain’t nobody got time for that.
Bottom line: While Cattlemen’s may taste like home, the trip down memory lane could be lethal.
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