5 Sauces Reddit Says Make Any Meal Taste Way Better

Variety is the sauce of life. Okay, that’s not the real saying (it’s supposed to be “spice” for anyone who isn’t familiar), but we think it still fits.

Sauces are kitchen essentials that can immediately take any meal from bland to booming with flavor. Does your steak need a little life? Sounds like a job for chimichurri, bernaise, or even steak sauce. A pasta is only as good as its pesto, alfredo, or tomato-based sauce. And we can’t forget about classic condiments like barbeque, ketchup, mustard, and hot sauce that grace all foods with their versatility.

These are the picks that can almost always be found in our fridges and pantries. But, at the same time, we’re always on the lookout for new flavors that ignite our taste buds and elevate every kind of grub they are slathered onto. Today, we’re highlighting five dressings and dips that do just that, and which consumers on Reddit are currently buzzing about. Let’s get saucy.

Blues Hog Smokey Mountain Barbecue Sauce

Shoppers are going hog wild for this specific variety of barbecue sauce. Blues Hog is a brand of sauces and seasonings created by legendary pitmaster Bill Arnold. The tongs have since been passed to decorated barbecuer Tim Scheer, and what started as a handful of signature recipes sold in mason jars has blossomed into an entire ensemble of products and flavors. The sauces have picked up plenty of accolades on the way, including the title of “Best sauce on the planet”. So it comes as no surprise that it’s turning heads in the grocery store aisles.

On Reddit, one user shared that they had picked up a miniature sample of the brand’s Smokey Mountain flavor from Walmart and noted, “I could drink it right out of the bottle”. Others chimed in to say that everything from Blues is “top-notch” and gave great ideas for smothering the sauce on steak, pork chops, chicken thighs, ribs…any kind of meat really. But probably the best news that came from the chat was that the Blues Hog original and Champions blends were just as good, if not better. Sounds like it’s time to go hog hunting to track these bottles down before the season of summer barbeques.

Kinders Buttery Buffalo

Kinders’ original Buffalo Wing Sauce was recently discontinued, replaced with a new Buttery Buffalo version. But, judging by a Reddit post calling the Buttery newcomer “pretty damn tasty”, it seems that consumers don’t mind the swap one bit. The sauce is born from a combo of vinegar, Anaheim chilis, red jalapeño, garlic, and, of course, butter, for a classic yet spicy kick that foodies can’t seem to get enough of.

“This is a big crowd pleaser,” one user comments in the Reddit thread. “It’s on the mild end but it still has good Buffalo flavor.” Another describes the flavor as “really creamy” with a “pleasant amount of warmth, not hot”. Finally, another fan simply states, “Kinders never fails. Seasoning or sauce.” The general consensus was that the Buttery Buffalo is perfect for chicken wings. But its versatility extends beyond its intended use to foods like fries or pork chops.

Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce

When it comes to this sauce type, there are two things most shoppers can agree on. One: It’s nearly impossible to spell or pronounce. And two: It’s a toothsome kitchen must-have. “It’s way more versatile than it gets credit for,” one Redditor says of the Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce. “I’m never without a bottle of it. Great on meats, also great as a secret ingredient in tomato sauce.”6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

As a tried and true concoction of molasses, tamarind extract, white vinegar, chili pepper extract, sugar, and anchovies, the sauce dates back nearly two centuries to 1837. But it doesn’t appear to have lost any of its potency or appeal over the years. In a post discussing what to pair the timeless condiment with, the answer was essentially any item you can find in your kitchen.

One user got straight to the point with a comment that read “EVERYTHING! (Except sweets and desserts, haha)”. Another was a bit more specific. “Anything you want a savory, umami kick to,” they said. “Lots of people use it interchangeably with fish sauce. I put it in meatballs, turkey burgers, cocktail sauce, bloody Mary’s, stuffed mushrooms, etc.” Beyond endless usage recommendations, the thread also yielded some great advice to refer to Worcestershire sauce as “English soy sauce” to avoid any mispronunciations. We only wish we had thought of that.

Trader Joe’s Korean Style Yangnyeom

“Your new favorite sauce (new to me) Korean YANGNYEOM sauce,” reads a Trader Joe’s Reddit post from three months ago. “It taste like sweet chili&teriyaki had a baby. So glad I picked it up.”

The sauce really was just released at Trader Joe’s, and so far, shoppers are eating it up. Yangnyeom sauce is a sweet and spicy variety, and the market’s version consists of a careful blend of soy sauce, miso paste, blackstrap molasses, ginger, mirin, garlic, gochugaru, and a few other spices. The story goes that it was invented by a Korean restaurant owner to soften his fried chicken after customers complained it was “too crunchy”. But it has since become a saucy sensation.

As the “perfect blend of “spicy, tang, and sweet”, as one customer put it, it’s being touted as a great complement not only for chicken but also salmon, tofu, veggies, beef, dumplings, bao buns…you name it.

Bachan’s The Original Japanese Dipping Sauce

You’re likely already familiar with the Original Japanese Barbecue Sauce from Bachan’s. It’s the brand’s true money sauce and the bold family recipe that launched it to national fame. But now people are also branching out to one of its sweet and savory spinoffs, The Original Japanese Dipping Sauce. The sauce is similar to its predecessor in terms of flavor, but carries a thicker texture thanks to a base of sesame paste and crushed sesame seeds.

A Reddit thread inevitably broke out to discuss the fresh find, and one user gave the perfect in-depth description of the sauce’s palate. “Overall, I think it’s very good,” they wrote. “Similar flavor profile of the OG sauce but nuttier and has a slight texture to it along with being much thicker. I’m actually pretty happy it isn’t just a thicker version, I love the flavor of sesame and I can see putting this on as a topper with so many things I make regularly. But really I’ll probably just dip those Kirkland nuggets in it.” Enough said.