We Tried Every Bachan’s Original Barbecue Sauce and Dipping Sauce Flavor—Here Are Our Thoughts
Ever since a big bottle of Bachan's Original Barbecue Sauce came home with my family after a shopping trip to Costco, I've been obsessed with the sweet and savory sauce.
It's since become a staple in my household, elevating meat and veggie dishes and even plain white rice to the greatest heights, and we go through the stuff fast. So, when the team behind Bachan's reached out to me to see if I'd be interested in sampling all of their classic Barbecue Sauce and Dipping Sauce flavors to taste test, I just had to say yes. Keep reading for everything you should know about all of them.
The Brand
"Bachan" means "granny" in Japanese, and Bachan's Original Barbecue Sauces were all inspired by the founders' Japanese-American grandmother, Judy, meaning there's love and authenticity in every cold-filled batch.
The preservative-free sauces are made with authentic ingredients, including real mirin, Japan-brewed soy sauce and organic ginger, garlic and green onion. The sauces are never heated to high temperatures so the pure and genuine flavor of each ingredient shines through, and they're excellent as sauces on your favorite proteins and veggies, over rice or anything else you can think of.
The sauces are currently available various flavors in 17 oz. bottles. On their website, they currently retail for $12.99 each, or you can buy two bottles for $11.99 each, three bottles for $10.99 each or six bottles for $9.99 each.
(via Bachan's)
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The Flavors
The Original
Bachan's Original Barbecue Sauce truly is the one that got everything started, and it's the perfect place to start if you've never tasted the brand before. It's the ultimate hybrid between a teriyaki sauce and a barbecue sauce, with a not-too-thick consistency and just the right amount of sweetness, balanced by savory and umami flavors from the soy and aromatics, making it the ideal accompaniment to more dishes than we can even dream up.
(via Bachan's)
Gluten-Free
I went into trying the Gluten-Free version of Bachan's sauce expecting the flavor to be a palatable but a bit off, and was shocked to find out that I didn't even notice a difference. In a side-by-side taste test, the difference is negligible, with the only difference to the recipe being that the Gluten-Free version is made with a tamari soy sauce, without any wheat. It's an amazing option if you're intolerant to gluten, especially because the price is also identical.
(via Bachan's)
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Hot and Spicy
When Bachan's says that this flavor is hot and spicy, they're not joking. It has all of the sweetness and well-rounded flavors of the classic sauce but also includes red jalapeño puree for a bright burst of heat, reminiscent of a great sriracha sauce. If you like a bit of fire to your dishes, prepare to become obsessed.
(via Bachan's)
Yuzu
As a huge fan of the Japanese citrus yuzu, this was my most highly anticipated flavor, and it wound up being my favorite, too. It contains both yuzu juice and real yuzu extract to add a fragrant, zesty tang to the original, making for sweet-and-sour perfection in every drizzle.
(via Bachan's)
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Miso
And last, but certainly not least, was Miso, the newest addition to the Bachan's lineup. Of all of the flavors, it's the most complex, blending in both red miso and white miso for a toasty umami richness that's unusual for a barbecue sauce, and that really brings out the natural meatiness both chicken and steak to keep me coming back for more.
(via Bachan's)
Hella Hot
Lovers of spice are going to go wild for this fiery addition to the Bachan's lineup, Hella Hot. Available exclusively at Target, this sauce is even more fiery than the classic Hot & Spicy flavor thanks to the heat of both red jalapeño and red habanero peppers. With each bite, you'll find the heat build further and further on your tongue, backed by the traditional sweet and umami flavors of soy, ginger and green onion.
(via Bachan's)
Sweet Honey
The seventh variety to join the Bachan's family, Sweet Honey, has become an instant favorite. This time around, the recipe adds organic honey to the mix for an even sweeter, more teriyaki-like approach to the sweet and savory sauce, rounded out with aromatics including ginger, garlic and green onion to make it the perfect dip, marinade or finishing sauce for your favorite Asian dishes.
(via Bachan's)
The Original Japanese Dipping Sauce
If you're thinking that Bachan's Japanese Dipping Sauces are just going to be thicker, saucier versions of their barbecue sauces, think again. While they do have a more substantial texture, The Original sauce offers a much more complex flavor profile, with the earthiness of grand sesame and the umami boldness of miso, adding savory notes to the sweet, fragrant sauces we already know and love.
(via Bachan's)
Sweet & Spicy Japanese Dipping Sauce
And the Sweet & Spicy version of the Dipping Sauce brings even more flavor, adding to the sesame and miso richness with the slow-building heat of red habanero peppers, kicking up the warmth without going overboard to make this sauce perfect for dipping all of your favorite foods, from veggies, meats and spring rolls to fries, onion rings and fried chicken.
(via Bachan's)
Curious about some of our other foodie favorites? Click HERE to discover all of the best foods and drinks we discovered in July 2023.