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We Tested 16 BBQ Sauces—Here Are the 3 Our Nutritionist Would Actually Eat

We tested 16 top-selling barbecue sauces with less than 350mg sodium per serving. We found three tasty favorites.

By Kimberly Holland and Jaime Milan
Updated May 21, 2018
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Photo: Caitlin Bensel

Barbecue sauce is a staple condiment at almost every summer outing, but most store-bought versions can be loaded with sugar and salt. Some even list high fructose corn syrup as the first ingredient (read: they're sugar bombs in disguise!). 

We tried over 16 barbecue sauces and found three that are approved by our nutritionists—here are which ones made the cut.

DIY Barbecue Sauce

Homemade barbecue sauce is king, but it does require a little more time than simply picking up a bottle at the store. Develop complex flavors and skip the high-sodium content with our quick homemade barbecue sauce.

Stubb's Original Bar-B-Q Sauce

Stubb's Original Bar-B-Q Sauce, 240mg sodium, $3.79 (18-ounce bottle)
This red sauce has the smoky soul of a Texas mop sauce, with a sharp bite reminiscent of a Memphis-style version. It starts out vinegary and finishes with a peppercorn kick. It's on the thin side but clings to grilled meat, making basting much easier.

Guy Fieri Kansas City Barbeque Sauce

Guy Fieri Kansas City Barbeque Sauce, 270mg sodium, $21.99 (for three, 19-ounce bottles)
This one is a flavor roller coaster: It starts out sweet but quickly becomes tangy. It finishes with a delicate hit of peppery heat and a whiff of smoke. It may sound like palate overload, but it comes together nicely and stays true when cooked.