What’s the best steak sauce? Carnivorous purists would maintain that the best sauce for steak is its own juices—maybe mingled with a little (or a lot of) butter. Some on the other end of the spectrum of steak snobs insist that ketchup is the only way to go. But if you find yourself somewhere in the middle of the spectrum, you might want an actual steak sauce every now and then—something tangy and savory and rich and a little bit peppery that complements the flavor of the meat without totally covering it up.
Worried about the stigma of using steak sauce? Don’t be. Chef Christopher Dennis at Pine’s Steakhouse in San Bernardino, California, shed some light on the issue. His thought process was this: If the steak is super rich and flavorful, the tanginess of a steak sauce actually helps to cut that richness. So, if you’re a steak sauce fan, be proud. You have a chef backing you up. But you should still be using only the best steak sauces.
Steak sauce can be sweet, savory, tangy, citrusty, and peppery all at once, but we looked for tang, bite, and zing. We wanted strong savory flavors, as well. Steak sauce should feel like you can put it on anything, not just steak. There should be complexity and versatility. And finally, there is arguably nothing more savory than steak, so the sauce should be bold.
A quick note: After two separate taste tests, the original A.1. sauce didn’t make this list. Simply put, A.1. has been around since the 1820s and better recipes have developed since then—including better versions of A.1. So, to all you readers who absolutely lost it when you saw we didn’t include your precious A.1., rejoice. There’s a better A.1. out there and it’s high up on this list. And one more note while we have you. We really enjoyed Melinda’s Ghost Pepper Steak Sauce, but it was much more of a hot sauce than a steak sauce. But if you’re looking for a (very) spicy sauce for steak, give it a try.
So, gather around, dads of all shapes and sizes, and check out the best sauces for steak that you can buy.
- O Organics Steak Sauce
This steak sauce is nice and peppery, and it’s heavy on the Worcestershire flavor if you like that sort of thing. It stings your taste buds with flavor, so much so that it kind of needs steak to balance out the boldness. It’s more sour than sweet, but most steak sauces are. The price of Organics is a little higher than most, but hey, you’re paying for that organic-ness, right? And you can rest assured you’re buying the best organic steak sauce we tried. — Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- G. Hughes Sugar Free Steak Sauce
This steak sauce has a nice, hickory smoke to it without dipping too far into barbecue territory. If you think steak sauce is too tangy, then this is the best sauce for steaks at your place. It’s on the sweeter side of things, and that’s without any actual added sugar. Though it’s sweet, it’s also somehow one of the more savory steak sauces, which I’m guessing is from the plum puree and tamari listed in the ingredients. This one surprised us, and it’s got the most unique flavor on this list. — Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Signature Select Bold Steak Sauce
This steak sauce says “bold” on the label, and boy is it. Signature Select bold steak sauce has all the dark, umami-packed tang of a regular steak sauce but with additional spicy notes. It’s not spicy by any means (although the ingredients do list hot sauce). It’s simply a well spiced steak sauce. Plus, it’s mouth watering as all get out. This sauce could save even the driest meats, making it the best steak sauce brand for folks who are likely to royally screw up a steak or overcook a chicken breast.
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Heinz 57 Sauce
This is an outlier in the steak sauce world. It’s the best steak sauce for people who want their steak sauce to do triple duty. The color of Heinz 57 is bright red, almost like a Buffalo sauce. But it’s still zesty, mouth-watering, and peppery. There’s a sort of malty flavor to it, and it’s got a nice kick from onion powder and garlic powder, too. According to the Heinz 57 tagline, you should use it to, “add zest to chicken, steak, or pork!” Truly, this sauce will work with any protein (including steak), but its best partner is probably grilled chicken. The peppery tang will add a wanted kick to the lean flavor of chicken breast and chicken thighs.
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- St Elmo Steak House Creamy Horseradish
The best steak sauce can mean something different to everyone. And for some people, the best steak sauce isn’t dark and tangy, it’s white and creamy and clears your nasal passages. For those people, there’s this horseradish steak sauce from St Elmo. It’s extremely creamy with a serious prepared horseradish punch that hits you right away. Eat this steak sauce with a fat slice of prime rib or spread it onto a leftover steak sandwich. Or push the meaning of “steak” sauce and eat it with a medium rare ahi tuna steak. — Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Peter Luger Steak House Old Fashioned Sauce
One of New York’s oldest steakhouses, Peter Luger is known for its massive (cash-only) steaks, its thicc bacon, and its signature steak sauce. And you can get two out of the three of those things no matter where you are in the country—the bacon and the steak sauce (sorry, you’ll have to source and cook your own steak). Having been to Peter Luger a couple of times, I can confirm that this bottled, store-bought steak sauce is, in fact, the exact same sauce you’ll get at the restaurant. It’s sweet and tangy and it has lots of little bits of onion in it. It’s not too thick and easily pours out of the bottle, so don’t go full vertical with it. There’s definitely some ketchup undertones and a lot of horseradish, too. You could certainly use this in place of cocktail sauce with big, juicy shrimp. Personally, I love it on a baked potato or a marbled ribeye. If you’re looking for that New York City steakhouse experience when you’re nowhere near the Concrete Jungle, this is the best steak sauce brand available. — Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- A.1. Smoky Black Pepper Sauce
As we alluded to in the intro, we finally tried an A.1. steak sauce that we really, genuinely liked. A.1. Smoky Black Pepper steak sauce is thick and extremely peppery to the point of being spicy. It essentially tastes like very thick, spicy Worcestershire. Honestly? That’s what I’m looking for in the best steak sauce. I love Worcestershire and grew up dousing steaks with it, so this sauce is totally satisfying and nostalgic for me. I do want to stress, though, this is not for you if you can’t handle spice. The black pepper is potent. But if you can manage some heat and you’re an A.1. stan, try this sauce. Definitely do yourself a favor and use it to glaze a steakhouse-style burger. — Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Braswell’s Vidalia Onion Steak Sauce
This steak sauce combines the sweet, aromatic flavor of a vidalia onion with the savory tanginess of a classic steak sauce. If it weren’t for its distinct piquancy, this sauce would be downright sugary. There’s a nice roasted flavor to the onions as well. Braswell’s is the thickest sauce on this list, to the point that it’s almost too thick, but the good far outweighs the bad here. The sweet, roasted tang of Braswell’s vidalia onion steak sauce pairs well with the richness of beef, but you could also throw this on a burger with some more caramelized onions and some goat cheese, or dollop it on a nice ribeye to maximize flavor. Whatever you decide to pair this sauce with, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. It’s the best sauce for steaks if you’re looking to drop a little dough. — Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Bone Suckin’ Steak Sauce Chophouse Style
If this steak sauce was more widely available, it might have made number one on this list of the best steak sauces. Alas, you most likely have to head to the internet to purchase it. But, oh boy, is it worth a trip to the world wide web. Like Braswell’s, it has a great caramelized onion flavor. It’s tangy. It’s smoky. It demands big, bold, juicy, meaty flavors. It’d be great on a massive, charred T-bone. Or you could just drink it. It’s that good. — Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Great Value Savory Steak Sauce
All things considered, Great Value brings a really great steak sauce to the table. “It has a tang that makes underneath your tongue water,” Sporked senior staff writer Jordan Myrick said. The flavors are in line with most store-bought steak sauce, with notes like tomato puree, vinegar, spices, raisin puree, and orange puree, but it’s just so damn savory it took our number one spot. This sauce could be used for a billion things besides steak: baked potatoes, french fries, tater tots, popcorn, roast beef, and chicken would all be great applications. Combine it with butter or sour cream to make a flavorful dairy accoutrement. Now, I wouldn’t go putting this on a porterhouse or a dry-aged ribeye, but you’ll get a ton of uses out of it. Plus, it costs less than three bucks. Considering the price for the flavor, Great Value takes the crown. — Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
Best Organic
Best Sugar Free
Best Bold Flavor
Best Multitasker
Best Creamy Horseradish
Best Restaurant Quality
Best A.1.
Best Splurge
Best Steakhouse Style
Best of the Best
Other steak sauces we tried: A.1. Bold & Spicy Sauce, A.1. Thick & Hearty Sauce. The Original HP Sauce, Arby’s Horsey Sauce, Melinda’s Ghost Pepper Steak Sauce, A.1. Steak Sauce, First Street Steak Sauce, Primal Kitchen Steak Sauce, Burman’s Steak Sauce, 365 Steak Sauce, Steve’s Paleogoods Steak Sauce, Signature Select Steak Sauce, Happy Belly Steak Sauce
I love mixing Heinz 57 sauce with Duke’s mayo and dipping my fries in it.
Where’s A1 sauce?
I only will use A1 sauce but since I rarely use much of it a bottle will last in my fridge for years and it still tastes great! It is so strong though I have always mixed it half and half with Heinz Ketchup…Yum!
A1, and Country Bobs isn’t on the list. 😮
GV has a version of Heinz 57 that’s super cheap just like the generic A1 that made the list 🙂
You don’t make a best steak sauce list you can buy without putting A1 at the number 1 spot. And you throw major shade at it for being the oldest and best? All these below wish they could be A1. The Walmart one is literally the closest clone. Like if A1 is sold out I’ll go with that because it’s the closest to A1. It’s the best for everything. Chicken, beef, pork. Whatever. A1 slaps every single other product on this list.
yes, we can. it was mentioned in the notes. A1 has been around the longest, for sure, but it’s not the best tasting or even the best bang-for-your-buck. As you mentioned, Walmart is at the top.
In my experience, just because something has been around forever doesn’t mean it’s the best. We covered that.
The Japanese and Koreans serve some of the best steak on the planet and they usually serve it all with a variety of sauces and salts. It always tastes good when I eat it at Japanese and Korean restaurants so I have to think they know what they’re doing. I may not always use sauce on my steaks but I always have steak sauces available and pretty much enjoy it when I do use it.
You guys missed A1!!? By far the best steak sauce.
That diss towards A1 sauce on hahahaha. Regardless though, I balk at the idea of putting on steak sauce on an actual good steak. I grew up eating tough steaks with steak sauce as a kid, and until I was in college, never really experience anything else outside of that. Having had my fill of steak sauce, I just think there is so much better things that can be used instead. IMO, sure it could cut through the richness and fattiness, but I’d much rather utilize either delicious side dishes to balance that out, or a nice chimichurri. Steak sauce just seems like the lazy man’s method when they couldn’t be bothered to make something else, but my question is … if you already went as far as buying high quality meat, and cooked it to perfection … why not go the extra mile to make sure it tastes the best it can?
I’m mostly with you here. But when you look at the ingredients on some of these things – Worcestershire, anchovy, Vidalia onions, those are all things I enjoy.
Do I use steak sauce on my steak? I do not. But, there is a place for it I believe, whether it’s on chicken, potatoes, or a tougher cut of meat. I’ve also had fancy, homemade steak sauce on a dry aged ribeye and it was incredible. There’s a spectrum here.
It’s pricey, but that Braswell’s was pretty legit.
Chimichurri all day tho
A1 not being on here is a gosh darn travesty. Its the G.O.A.T.
I was thinking the same thing! A1 has been stuntin’ on my taste buds since my early infancy.
They put the Great value version of A1 at #1, but they put Heinz 57 on the list (and not the great value brand version of it.) So I found it weird A1 wasn’t on the list.
9and not the great