6 Barbecue Sauces That BBQ Pros Swear By

What it is: “If you need a barbecue sauce immediately from a supermarket, Sweet Baby Ray’s would be my go-to choice,” said Grant Kneble, owner of Freddy J’s Bar & Kitchen in Mays Landing, New Jersey. According to Kneble, this very widely available sauce is “a reliable and balanced option that works well across various types of meat, [from] chicken to ribs to brisket.”

Sweet Baby Ray’s Original has the sweetness that makes Kansas City barbecue sauce famous, but its undercurrents of spice, tomatoey brightness and umami give it a welcome complexity that boosts grilled meat both as a basting sauce and as a dipping condiment. “When it’s time to put some chicken on the grill or ribs, I always grab Sweet Baby Ray’s,” added William Moore, BBQ chef and director of operations of Money Muscle BBQ in Silver Spring, Maryland. “Their sauces are great if you’re making ribs, pulled pork, wings, chicken on the grill, or even making a marinade. The Original is as good as it gets.”

Moore also referenced a quality of Sweet Baby Ray’s Original that’s hard to beat: It’s been around so long and is so easy to find in grocery stores nationwide that it packs an enormous amount of nostalgia value. “It really reminds me of my family cookouts growing up,” he said.

Where to find it: Sweet Baby Ray’s Original Barbecue Sauce can be found at grocery and big-box stores all across the country and on Amazon.