The views expressed in this Opinion article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
Fast-food chains make barbecue sauce easy by giving you a little cup of it to go along with your nuggets, but what about when you're cooking for yourself at home? You need a solid BBQ bottle that you can use on everything from chicken tenders to fries to burgers, and that can be hard to find if hot sauce isn't your thing.
I decided to try a bunch of barbecue sauce options from Canadian grocery stores to find out which one has the perfect balance between smoky and sweet, because let's face it: barbecue sauce is a commitment. You'll probably use up a good bottle in no time flat, but a bad one might end up sitting in your fridge for a year without being used.
President's Choice, Kraft, Sweet Baby Ray's, Stubb's, Diana's, and Bull's-Eye barbecue saucesMira Nabulsi | Narcity
But what makes a good barbecue sauce?
They generally all have the same basic ingredients: a tomato base with vinegar, a little sweetener and some element of heat. Ingredients are usually added to make this base level better and more flavourful, but some taste better than others.
Loblaws had a shocking range of barbecue sauces available when I visited for this test, so I decided to grab six options that looked tasty, affordable and popular.
I chose President's Choice, Kraft, Diana's, Bull's-Eye, Sweet Baby Ray's, and Stubb's barbecue sauces and ranked them from worst to best.
President's Choice Gourmet Barbecue Sauce
President's Choice Gourmet Barbecue Sauce
I'm not a huge fan of ketchup. It might be because I had too much of it growing up or because I eventually realized just how much salt and sugar is in the dip. Also I don't like tomatoes so much.
The reason I mention this is that President's Choice Gourmet Barbecue Sauce tasted like sour ketchup.
I am aware that barbecue sauce is made of tomatoes too, but there are other ingredients that give it the smoky and tangy taste I enjoy. In this case, I felt like I was just eating ketchup with a sour aftertaste.
However, this PC barbecue sauce is the best bang for your buck because you can get a litre of the sauce for less than $6. So if you like ketchup, this sauce might be something to try with your chicken.
Price: $5.99
Score: 3/10
Diana Sauce Gourmet Original
Diana Sauce Gourmet Original
I've heard a lot about Diana Sauce but I never actually tried it until this taste test. I thought it would be the best since every Canadian I know swears by it, but I must say, I was quite disappointed.
The barbecue sauce that came out of the squeeze bottle was so runny that it ended up causing a mess on my kitchen counter. The sauce was also bright red and there was ground black pepper floating in it.
When I tasted it, I detected hints of spice, which was nice, but it didn't feel anything close to the BBQ flavours in some of the other bottles. And for those reasons, I'm out.
Price: $5.49
Score: 3.5/10
Kraft BBQ Sauce
Kraft BBQ Sauce
Kraft Peanut Butter is a yes, but I'm unsure how I feel about Kraft BBQ Sauce. The marinade is quite thick, which would work well if you were hoping to marinate your meat in the sauce for a while before cooking it. The peppery taste was also prominent, which I enjoyed.
The bottle had a twist cap, rather than it being a squeeze bottle. That might be due to the thickness of the sauce, but I always prefer squeeze ones — they make less of a mess and provide more accuracy.
Overall, I felt I needed to add more ingredients to this barbecue sauce to enjoy it. Maybe adding spices like smoked paprika, chili powder, and onion powder would be a good place to start.
Price: $5.49
Score: 4/10
Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Sauce
Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Sauce
Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Sauce is a marinade I would gladly use to smother all my meat. The sauce is tangy, peppery and not too tomatoey.
It has a pleasant warmth to it and heat that I certainly enjoyed. And even though its name suggests it could be sweet, it wasn't what I expected. There was a balance between sweet and savoury, which made for a delightful experience.
The aftertaste kept me going back for more because it was oddly fruity and satisfying. The thickness was satisfactory because it wasn't too watery, but also, it didn't feel globby. The colour also leaned more toward the brown side than bright red, making for a good overall appearance.
But it's not as great as my top two choices.
Price: $4.49
Score: 7/10
Stubb's Bar-B-Q Sauce
Stubb's Bar-B-Q Sauce
Stubb's Bar-B-Q Sauce is a famous one, and it might be because of its history. According to The Meatwave, C.B. Stubblefield invented the sauce in Lubbock, Texas. He had a small restaurant called Stubb's Legendary Bar-B-Q, where people ate chicken, ribs, brisket and his homemade sauce. People like B.B. King and Johnny Cash have eaten there.
He later started selling the sauce and people loved it so much that it spread throughout North America.
The sauce is more tomato sauce forward, with a nice kick and tangy flavour that I'd happily pair with some meat. The texture was a bit saucy but on the thicker side, and the bottle is glass, which I really liked. There is a strong vinegar taste, but it doesn't overpower the other ingredients.
Overall, I like this sauce because of the spice and the less intense ketchup aromas, but it is a bit sour, which is why it's not my favourite but a great option.
Price: $4.99
Score: 8/10
Bull's-Eye Barbecue Sauce
Bull's-Eye Barbecue Sauce
When I think of what homemade barbecue sauce should taste like, Bull's-Eye Barbecue Sauce is that taste.
From the moment you open the bottle, you can instantly smell the smokiness of the marinade. The sauce is thick and brownish, which hides the spices in it. The flavour tastes like barbecue, which is exactly as it should be. This sauce is simply perfect for brisket.
Interestingly enough, Bull's-Eye is also owned by Kraft, but this sauce was superior to their main brand option. Here, they knew how to make a bold and blasting sauce compared to the other Kraft BBQ sauce that needed more flavour.
Bull's Eye BBQ sauce also has a nice hint of heat and tanginess while preserving the tomato aftertaste, which makes for a great experience.
Not only would I use this product to marinate my meats, but I'd happily use it with my McDonald's McNuggets, too.
Price: $5.49
Score: 10/10