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Sweet Baby Ray’s classic barbecue sauce is quite the crowd pleaser, and it did well in our barbecue sauce ranking, snagging the No. 2 spot. The sauce doesn’t try to change anything to set itself apart, instead focusing on nailing classic barbecue flavors. However, one of the little-known facts about Sweet Baby Ray’s is that it makes almost 30 different sauces. While most of them are classic flavors like honey and sweet mustard, the company took its mandate of combining crowd-pleasing flavors to the extreme when it came out with the Buffalo Barbecue Sauce. Lovingly called Buff-a-Cue sauce, this condiment takes the sweet, smoky flavors of barbecue sauce and laces them with the spicy, creamy heat of Buffalo sauce. The result is as delicious as it sounds.
In addition to adding heat to barbecue sauce, which the company refers to as “Barbecue with a Buffalo kick,” Sweet Baby Ray’s Buffalo Barbecue Sauce also works as a more versatile buffalo sauce. It benefits from the thicker consistency and spice-countering flavor of barbecue sauce, making it easier to use as a condiment, marinade, or glaze. Interestingly, the sauce company had introduced the idea of mixing the two sauces before bringing out the condiment that actually does the job for you. Several recipes on Sweet Baby Ray’s website call for equal parts of their classic barbecue and buffalo sauces. Now, you can instead simply pick up a bottle of Buff-a-Cue sauce.
Mixing barbecue and buffalo sauce is a no-brainer
The folks at Sweet Baby Ray’s are not the first to come up with this winning combination. It’s been around for a while, often under other monikers like barbalo or hot barbecue sauce. The idea is always the same — combining the two sauces to create one condiment to rule them all. The reason they mix together so well is not just because of their complementary flavor, but also because both sauces have overlapping flavors. Barbecue sauce is sweet, savory, and smoky, with a hint of spice and tanginess. The last two notes are generally more predominant in buffalo sauce due to the cayenne pepper and vinegar it contains.
Interestingly, Sweet Baby Ray’s barbecue sauce contains Tabasco — a hot sauce that seems more suited to buffalo sauce. However, the spicy vinegar notes make a convenient bridge, allowing the flavors of the barbecue and buffalo sauces to meld together effortlessly. The result is a sauce that’s spicy, but not fiery enough to warrant the essential celery sticks and creamy ranch or cheese sauce sides that usually accompany buffalo sauce.
