Looking For A Store-Bought BBQ Sauce? Avoid This Red Flag Ingredient

There are plenty of mistakes people make when using BBQ sauce, such as brushing it onto ribs too early (causing the sugars to burn) or simply using too much, which can overpower the delicate flavor of white meats like chicken and turkey. Selecting the right store-bought sauce is also important, as you could end up with a low-quality product that's lacking in character and depth. One red flag ingredient you should avoid when choosing a barbecue sauce is high fructose corn syrup. Cheaper than standard sugar, many processed food manufacturers add it to their products to save money.

A classic barbecue sauce is usually made with a base of ketchup or tomato paste that's combined with a sour ingredient, like vinegar, and a sweetener, such as sugar or molasses, to give it that tangy but sweet flavor profile (warming spices and liquid smoke are also added in to give the sauce an umami character and distinctive aroma). Aside from the low-cost of high fructose corn syrup, manufacturers use it because it doesn't crystallize when left on the shelf and tastes much sweeter than sugar, which means they can use less, again saving them money. The problem? Consuming too much of this fructose-rich ingredient can contribute to an increase in liver fat, lead to insulin resistance, and cause weight gain, because of the way the body has to break it down to digest it.

Unfortunately, there are many store-bought barbecue sauce brands that contain high-fructose corn syrup, such as Sweet Baby Ray's or Kraft. Grocery store brands are also guilty of making barbecue sauce with this cheap sweetener. For instance, Walmart's Great Value original barbecue sauce contains the stuff, as does Kroger's offering. That said, there are some options available that don't use it at all, like Kinder's or Jack Daniel's. In our ranking of the 15 best store-bought barbecue sauces, it was Stubb's BBQ sauce that placed at number one. Free from high fructose corn syrup, its smoky sweetness comes from sugar, molasses, and a combination of spices, so we'd recommend it if you're being mindful with your diet. Meanwhile, Dickey's Original barbecue sauce came in at the very bottom of the list and contains high fructose corn syrup as the first ingredient.

Of course, the other option is to prepare your own barbecue sauce so you know exactly what's in it. You can use molasses, brown sugar, or even honey as your sweetener of choice and blend it with tomato paste, vinegar, smoked paprika, and garlic to create a homespun condiment in minutes. The benefit of making it yourself is that you can control how sweet it is and even add extra warmth with a kick of chili or hot sauce if desired.