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I’m guilty of judging books by their covers and selecting wines based on their bespoke labels. I’ll even buy a barbecue sauce if it has a cute bottle. I’m not proud of it, and it definitely backfires. But if there’s a way to make bad wine taste better, you better believe there are ways to improve bad barbecue sauce. (Sorry, I can’t help you fix a bad book.) Try these tips to make a bad store-bought BBQ sauce taste less “bottled.”
How to make bottled barbecue sauce taste better
For the most part, buying bottled barbecue sauce really does simplify things. Experimenting with a new recipe from scratch is time consuming, and even after preparing all the ingredients and doing all the work you might still find that you don’t like it. The problem with the bottled stuff isn’t so much that it’s “fake” but that it’s made to appeal to a large regional, or even national, audience.
The biggest complaints I hear about barbecue sauce is that it’s too sweet, too ketchup-y, or just too bland all around. I primarily call upon ingredients with contrasting flavors to help balance out recipes. To try any of these suggestions, you can either dump the sauce out into a bowl and stir in the additions, or if you have room in the bottle, just add it in the new ingredient and shake it up.
Your toolkit to fix a barbecue sauce fiasco:
Barbecue sauce that’s too sweet
I enjoy barbecue sauce with a sweet element, but we’ve all had the sauce that just takes it too far. It’s the kind you taste and think, “Ah, yes. Corn syrup.” To curb the overwhelming sweetness, call on the help of acidic ingredients, like a heavy squeeze of lemon or lime juice. If citrus isn’t strong enough, use a splash of straight-up white vinegar. If you don’t want to lose the mixture’s thickness, you could add a small amount of powdered citric acid, about a quarter to a half teaspoon.
Barbecue sauce that’s too ketchup-y
Tomatoes are a key element in many barbecue sauces—they add body, acidity, and flavor. In some recipes the tomato element can start to dominate the entire flavor profile and get that ketchup flavor. Luckily, you don’t have to hide it (the tomato flavor is supposed to be there) you just have to bring the other BBQ elements forward. You have a few options to strike a balance. Try sweetening the mixture with molasses, brown sugar, or honey. I like to bump-up the umami with a splash of Worcestershire sauce or a sprinkle of MSG. Push the sauce toward a Carolina-style with a heavy dose of apple cider vinegar.
Barbecue sauce that’s too bland
It’s frustrating when you try a new barbecue sauce only to find out it tastes like thick, viscous nothing. But, as an eternal food optimist, I’d like to help you focus on the bright side: almost anything will make it better. Of course, you don’t want to reinvent the BBQ wheel so stick to some flavor powerhitters.
Hot sauce is a sure way to add interest to a boring sauce. Add vinegar or citrus to brighten it up. Make it funky and savory by adding a few dashes of fish sauce along with some soy sauce. Bring out your lineup of earthy sweeteners: molasses, brown sugar, or honey.
If you have the time, I highly suggest adding small doses of strong aromatics. Mix in two cloves of finely minced raw garlic, a tablespoon of grated red onion, or an inch of grated ginger root. Feel free to break out the dry seasonings, like powdered garlic, ground cinnamon, cumin, or ground ginger, if needed.
Don’t be dismayed when you crack open that next bottle of boring BBQ sauce. Adding some umami or a bit of a kick might just lead you to a new secret family recipe.
