Best bottled BBQ sauce? (without Liquid Smoke - ick)

[AnneInMpls]

I want to make some easy BBQ chicken with a bottled sauce, but I'm leary of buying anything because I hate the taste of Liquid Smoke.

Can you help me find a good bottled BBQ sauce without the smoke taste in it? (I can burn it on my own to get the real flavor. :-) Actually, I'm going to make the crockpot BBQ chicken that Monica7 posted in a recent slow-cooker thread:
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/...

By the way, I'm in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St.Paul, MN), if there are any good local options.

Many thanks,
Anne

[Bada Bing]

Look for Bone Suckin' Sauce available at Cracker Barrels and here and there, but rarely at an average supermarket.

http://bonesuckin.com/

[Westy]

Depends on where . In NC, it is available everywhee (and much cheaper than Cracker Barrel).

[Bada Bing]

I had a hard time finding it here in Indiana. Interestingly, I also saw it recently at some Amish supermarkets.

[TexasToast]

Here's a thread you might find useful:

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/302137

Or, as I suggested therein, you could try Eddie Deen's Crawford BBQ Sauce. It was in the goody-bags at the presidential inauguration. If you didn't get one, you can order it here: http://www.eddiedeen.com/about_us.htm

TT

[bbqboy]

Gates Extra Hot.
AB's Original.
Rosedale.

[Westy]

A couple:
1. Sweet Baby Ray's
2. Carolina Treet. You baste then cook (no dipping). Not exactly a traditional sauce, but fantastic. http://www.carolinatreet.com
3. Stubb's is fine as well

Matt

[Brian S]

In Oklahoma, where stores where you'll be lucky to get iceberg lettuce carry a hundred brands of BBQ sauce, just about everyone uses Head Country. It's made in Ponca City and it's better than the homemade sauce you'll find in most BBQ joints. And I've seen it used in crockpot recipes and it's delicious.

http://www.headcountry.com

[laurac281]

No doubt, STUBBS is the ABSOLUTE BEST over the counter BBQ sauce. Others don't even come close... even Sweet Baby Rays... sorry, but they're all too sweet. Stubbs has the best flavor of them all, and without a lot of sugar.

[Davwud]

Well I guess that all depends on whether or not you like a sweet bbq sauce now doesn't it??

I love it sweet.

DT

[Covert Ops]

Maybe I'm just white trash, but I like Kraft. Regular ol' Kraft. Nothing in it. It's not spicy, but I don't like my BBQ spicy (just other things). It's sweet and flavorful, and everyone at our BBQs loves it.

[Griller]

Great post, Covert. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

[hon]

Andy Nelsons!

http://www.andynelsonsbbq.com/swinest...

[jfood]

Hoboken Eddies has great bottled sauces, come in several varieties.

[AnneInMpls]

Thanks for all the recommendations! I'll look for Cattleman's, Stubbs (if it's not too smoky), Original Juan's, Sweet Baby Ray's, or Dinosaur. My local stores surely MUST have at least one of these brands.

Thanks,
Anne

[cooknKate]

You will surely find Cattlemans and Baby Rays in Mpls/St. Paul grocers, I buy Baby Rays all the time at Cub and have seen Cattlemans.

[chowrottie]

Ok. So just make sure you come back and give us your vote on which you think is best!

[Griller]

Another vote for Cattleman's, any version.

[chowrottie]

Dinosaur Original BBQ Sauce!

[Jambalaya]

I second this one. Their Sensuous Slathering Sauce has just the right amount of sweet and hot for my taste.

[amysuehere]

here's a third for Stubbs. Comes in three flavors (maybe more):

Original
Mesquite
Maple

I totally dig the original.

[Darren72]

I believe Stubbs does have liquid smoke. Their labels say "Natural smoke flavor," which generally means liquid smoke. I'm pretty sure that Sweet Baby Ray's also has smoke added.

It is pretty easy to whip up a good BBQ sauce (I know this isn't the Home Cooking Board, so I won't go into recipes here.) But there are several good ones that don't include smoke. Search on recipes.egullet.com, epicurious.com, etc. I also like the one inclded in the new book called "Charcuterie". If you want to continue the recipe discussion, let's move it to the home cooking board before the mods step in. :)

[pamd]

I often make my own marinade BBQ sauce, however, if I do buy it I prefer Sweet Baby Ray's- sold in many regular grocery stores.

[Funwithfood]

I make a killer BBQ sauce too--lots of Bourbon.

But, Sweet Baby Ray's is great.
(The Hickory & Brown Sugar version is my favorite. It does not taste contrived albeit containing your dreaded ingredient...others may want to try it :)

[Davwud]

I agree with SBR's. It's easily the best mass produced sauce. I love the hickory brown sugar one but you'll skip that. For others though, it's the one.
I live in Canada and travel to the states quite a bit. I always bring home a trunk full of that stuff to satisfy the demand from my friends and family.

DT

[mattrapp]

I'll second Stubb's! Not a bad flavor, and it works well to enhance if you feel inspired.

[Darren72]

I like a lot of the sauces made by Original Juans (www.originaljuans.com). I haven't checked which have liquid smoke. My favorite lines are the Bilardo Brothers and Pain is Good lines, but they have others.

By the way, just for the record, char (i.e. burned) and smoke are very different things. :_)

[cheryl_h]

No idea if it's sold in MN, but Stubb's is the only OTC bbq sauce I can tolerate. It's spicy, not much sugar, just in case this is important to you.

[Crockett67]

+1, I'm a Stubb's gal too.

[wendy8869]

I don't know if you have Cattlemen's Honey Barbecue Sauce where you live, but it has no smokey taste. It's really good, I'm usually not a great bottled bbq sauce fan and I love it. I find it at my local chain grocery stores (in So. California :-)

[PhilUSAFRet]

Sorry, but Cattlemen's has "natural smoke flavoring" in it.