The Store-Bought BBQ Sauce That Bobby Flay Cooks With At Home

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Bobby Flay is known for his versatility in the kitchen, and while this comes from his ability to make recipes from scratch, he's never shied away from store-bought items when they're useful. This much is even the case for barbecue sauce; while Flay uses Pepsi to make barbecue sauce from scratch he is also known to keep a container of Bone Suckin' Sauce on hand for whenever he needs it.

Flay revealed his love for the unique barbecue sauce in an Instagram collaboration with Misfits Market where he revealed what was in his home pantry. After Flay noted anchovies as his go-to secret ingredient, the celebrity chef claimed that Bone Suckin' Sauce is perfect for amplifying the taste of several of his dishes, and can also be upgraded quite easily. Flay upgrades barbecue sauce by adding Worcestershire sauce, puréed chipotle peppers in adobo, and lime juice, but there are several ways to make the pantry staple even better. Personally, I enjoy adding some hot sauce or gochujang paste for a little extra heat.

Flay's appreciation for Bone Suckin' Sauce shouldn't be overly surprising, as the North Carolina-founded sauce brand is widely considered to be incredibly high-quality and fresh-tasting — something that can be difficult to come by with store-bought sauces. The recipe was first invented by Phil Ford in 1987, with the goal being to replicate his mother's take on classic Western North Carolina barbecue sauce, which is thicker than Eastern North Carolina sauce. What resulted was an award-winning blend that's perfect for ribs, pork chops, or even cheeseburgers.

While the standard Bone Suckin' Sauce Sweet Southern flavor reflects its Western North Carolina origins, the brand still manages to stand out, even compared to the best store-bought Carolina barbecue sauces on the market. However, if you're a fan of the thinner, Eastern North Carolina sauce style, you're still in luck. Nearly 40 years after the sauce was first crafted, Bone Suckin' Sauce is offering its signature take on North Carolina's Eastern Vinegar barbecue sauce for summer 2025.