It's no secret that Bobby Flay's culinary expertise spans many types of foods and cuisines. After all, he has both a French restaurant and an Italian one, and yet hebecame famous for his Southwestern style cooking. However, the celebrity chef is perhaps best known for his grilling skills, as he's showcased in his many barbecue-centric cooking shows including "Bobby Flay's Barbecue Addiction," "BBQ Brawl," "BBQ Blowout," and "Grill It With Bobby Flay." He clearly has the skills to make his own barbecue sauce, and while he often chooses to do so, he also doesn't snub the store-bought kind. Of course, he doesn't use it straight from the bottle and makes sure to jazz it up with a few extra ingredients, as he shared in a clip from "BBQ Brawl" posted onYouTube.
When Flay makes barbecue sauce entirely from scratch, he's been known to add ingredients like pinot noir and even peanut butter. But when it comes to store-bought sauce, he'll only enhance it with Worcestershire sauce, canned chipotle purée, or freshly squeezed lime juice. Though the final result doesn't quite compare to homemade barbecue sauce, the addition of these ingredients gives store-bought a more complex, elevated flavor.
Store-bought barbecue sauce is definitely convenient, but it often lacks the depth of flavor found in homemade sauce, which is typically simmered over time to allow the flavors to fully develop. Adding a splash of Worcestershire sauce, as Bobby Flay explained in "BBQ Brawl," is an easy way to boost the umami in barbecue sauce. This is due to the glutamate-rich combination of fermented ingredients,including fermented onions, fermented garlic, cured anchovies, and tamarind paste.
To mimic the flavors of traditional smoking methods, store-bought barbecue sauce tends to contain high amounts of liquid smoke, which gives it an artificial-tasting smoke flavor. This is where the addition of chipotle purée comes in. Chipotle purée is actually made with smoked jalapeños, so instead of artificially smoky, the flavor will taste "like you've smoked your barbecue sauce," Flay noted. He adds about a tablespoonful of it, though you can use more or less according to your liking.
Since store-bought barbecue sauce can be overly saccharine, adding lime juice — ideally freshly squeezed from half a lime — can cut through some of that sweetness. Barbecue sauce already has vinegar, so Flay prefers using lime instead because it offers a fresher and brighter flavor.
Bobby Flay's Tips For Jazzing Up Store-Bought Barbecue Sauce
Worcestershire sauce, chipotle purée, and lime juice can certainly make a big difference when added to store-bought barbecue sauce, but Flay advises starting with a higher quality base, such as a locally-made barbecue sauce. The one barbecue sauce he can't stop using is the Bone Suckin' brand, as he revealed while giving a tour of his pantry on Instagram.
Since not every barbecue sauce will taste the same, you can also add more than just these three ingredients. In an interview with Today, Flay said that based on your preferences you can always add a dash of hot sauce if it's not spicy enough, or some honey if it needs some sweetness. If the sauce is too thick, he also recommended adding a splash of water.
No matter what combination of ingredients you decide to add, it's best to warm the ingredients together in a pot. Flay lets them simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, as he said in the "BBQ Brawl" episode. Technically, you could mix the ingredients while they are cold, however, simmering will help the flavors blend seamlessly. By the time the barbecue sauce has warmed through, the flavors will be much more elevated.
Start with a bottle of sauce from the store or your favorite local BBQ joint, or go for the barbecue sauce Bobby Flay always keeps in his pantry. The pro chef makes the flavor more dynamic by adding pureed chipotle peppers in adobo, a dash of Worcestershire sauce, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
Founded in 1987, the sauce is from Raleigh, North Carolina, and Flay has featured the bottled spread in some of his Food Network recipes, including his signature BBQ burgers, which call for ½ cup of store-bought barbecue sauce, such as Spicy Bone-Suckin' Sauce.
Adding garlic or onion powder are standard flavors for barbecue, but get a little creative and try out different chile powders, peppers, cumin, or dried herbs to add body to the sauce.
While the perfect barbecue sauce manages to maintain a balance between these flavors, many store-bought brands contain an excessive amount of sweetener. Luckily, adding vinegar, which hits the sour notes on the tongue, works to cut through the sweetness and minimize our perception of it.
According to the information from his website, he is still the main person behind the recipes and everything on the menus. So, while you probably won't get a dish cooked by Flay himself when you dine at his restaurants, you'll definitely get a taste of his cooking style.
As you may have noticed from his cooking style, Bobby Flay loves barbecue sauce, even the store-bought kind. But it can't be just any barbecue sauce. It has to be high quality and tasty, which is why he'll always have a few bottles of Bone Suckin' Sauce in his pantry.
Red pepper flakes, dehydrated or fresh garlic, dried oregano, parsley, or basil, or an Italian seasoning blend are all good options. Dried herbs and spices should be added at the beginning of the cook time so that they have time to bloom.
To me, a good BBQ sauce has the right mix of smokiness, tanginess, sweetness, and spice. If your sauce isn't sweet enough, add some brown sugar or molasses. If the sauce isn't tangy enough, add some apple cider vinegar. If the sauce needs some heat, add your favorite hot sauce or red pepper.
If you have a half-full bottle of barbecue sauce on hand, you can add the vinegar directly to the bottle, cap it with the lid, and shake the heck out of it until it's combined. Always taste the bottled barbecue sauce before and after adding the vinegar.
Try adding some barbecue sauce mix, or any other seasonings you like. Some popular choices include mustard, garlic powder, paprika, salt, or brown sugar. Worcestershire sauce is also a popular additive to help with the flavor.
You can use either flour or cornstarch to thicken BBQ sauce. Just mix together 2 tbsp (16 g) of flour and ¼ cup (62.5 mL) of water, or combine 1 tbsp (9 g) of cornstarch with 1 tbsp (15 mL) of water. Continue mixing the thickener until there are no lumps of flour or cornstarch.
What is Bobby Flay's net worth in 2024? Bobby Flay's net worth in 2024 is estimated at $60 million. Flay's made his fortune not just through his Food Network stardom, but also through his ownership of restaurants and chains like Amalfi, Mesa Grill, Bar Americain, Bobby's Burgers and Bobby's Burger Palace.
In 2021, there were rumors that he would part ways with the network after his three-year contract expired. Flay admits that in that moment, "There were a couple of moments of shakiness, but that's business. It's just business." He ended up striking a multi-year deal after the extended negotiations.
One of Bobby Flay's favorite ingredients to spice up any dish with a little bit of fishy flavors is canned anchovies. He puts it in almost everything, especially seafood dishes.
Bob Evans began sponsoring Paul Hood's BBQ team and claimed the exclusive restaurant rights to the Wildfire sauce. Paul dialed down the heat from the original recipe and that's the sauce served in Bob Evans restaurants today.
Introduction: My name is Patricia Veum II, I am a vast, combative, smiling, famous, inexpensive, zealous, sparkling person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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