Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Sauces, Ranked

“Flavortown” is a word coined by Chef Guy Fieri. It describes a culinary concept, a state of mind. And like a lot of great creative culinary ideas, they eventually get massively monetized and sold on the grocery store shelves of edible pop culture and intellectual properties.

Flavortown has taken its place there with a variety of commercial sauces to accompany barbeques, finger foods, and entrees. I am also a believer that just because the bottle says “barbecue,” it doesn’t mean it’s limited to the grill. Any of these sauces could be added to a salad or a sandwich. They could also be used as a dipping sauce for finger foods, or mixed into other things such as ketchup or ranch to make your own creations. The great thing about food is that you’re only limited by your imagination, and Fieri has given you some tools to help inspire you. 

In this article, we will rank each one from worst to best. They were sent to me by the company, and I’m here to tell you which of Fieri’s sauces I think should get thrown into your shopping cart and which ones should stay on the shelf.

Usually, bacon is one of those decadent proteins almost everyone craves. It’s salty, it’s smoky, and it gets some people up early for breakfast if it’s sizzling in the kitchen. Flavortown’s Bacon Ranch is not getting anyone to rise and shine unless they are craving an uncanny valley version of both bacon and ranch. I am a big fan of both ingredients, and combining the two should be a match made in heaven.

Fieri’s recipe isn’t low-cal, but it definitely tasted like it was. It’s got a hint of sweetness coupled with a dose of bacon flavoring and ranch, which feels more like a clone than a condiment. This wasn’t good, and I can’t recommend putting this on anything. That might seem harsh, but with Chef Fieri’s name on the label, you have to imagine that he tasted everything before it was produced. How he approved this rudimentary, but simple recipe is a mystery.

This sauce goes to the bottom of the list for laziness; put this on the table for guests who don’t mind a synthetic version of two classic flavors.

Guy Fieri must put a lot of effort into his signature brand of Flavortown sauces. He’s got clout in the food industry, especially when it comes to fast casual dining. The chef is famous for visiting out-of-the-way, independently owned eateries that invent menu items and dipping sauces. So you would expect that his award-winning Secret Sauce would be something special. Sadly — and it pains me to say this — his secret sauce isn’t a secret because you can figure out what’s in it on the first bite. 

Absolutely overpowered by chili powder, this condiment has no personality, unlike its celebrity creator. This might be a great drizzle over a southwestern chicken salad or a jalapeño burger with roasted mild green chilies. Anything that needs a zing of chili powder to balance out something with a lack of layers. I love that it’s creamy and might subdue some heat on a spicy dish, but overall, the secret’s out; this is nothing special.

There’s a famous saying by Gertrude Stein that goes, “There’s no there there.” That’s the same feeling I get when I taste this sauce. I love a good honey mustard sauce, especially on finger foods. The combo of sweet and savory, combined with a light protein, is a classic marriage that feels more indulgent than practical. So it was a disappointment tasting Favortown’s recipe, which you would think would be bursting with intense flavors. But in the end, it’s a bit bland with only a hint of what the concept embodies.

On the top end is the honey and vinegar. The yellow mustard comes in later but lacks that little bit of spiciness associated with the condiment; therefore, the sweetness is pronounced without the distinctive punch. I imagine this with onion rings or potato wedges. This sauce is perfect for the person who doesn’t want their food overpowered by sweet mustard, but then again, it’s so underwhelming you might as well just leave it off. As a lover of honey mustard, I’m sad to report this isn’t a great version for dipping into.

The best word I can use to describe this offering is “basic.” If you’re fine with a generic flavored sauce that’s described as Hickory BBQ, then you’ll be glad you picked this one up. But if you’re like me and not satisfied with minimum effort, this product is a pass.

I wouldn’t even recommend using this on a cookout. Some pitmasters use a little sauce on their meats during the last few minutes of grilling so the sugar doesn’t burn and adds a layer of flavor to the food. Flavortown’s Hickory BBQ will definitely give a grilled protein an extra pop, but it’s not going to be a balanced one, especially if you want an essence of hickory infused into your meal.

While this isn’t the worst of the sauces, it gets a low mark, not because it tastes bad, but I didn’t feel the effort was there. It’s just another celebrity foodstuff that you think would give a little extra since it’s from a world-famous chef, but it ends up being just an ordinary product that feels created in a test kitchen rather than one run by a chef.

Using the word bourbon in this sauce might be a mistake since that flavor barely exists; nothing says barrel-aged in this sauce. Perhaps there’s a hint of it on the back end, but nothing nuanced. That being said, this is a tasty and sticky-sweet sauce that would pair well with a bacon cheeseburger or plain chicken wing. Due to its lack of complexity, it does nothing to enhance its protein so it’s best to think of it as a sweet additive to whatever dish you’re eating. The brown sugar and molasses are front and center and will overpower anything savory. Think of it like chocolate sauce on vanilla ice cream. As long as you use it sparingly, it could add a sticky and candied touch to an earthy entree.

It doesn’t have enough flavor contrast to use in dishes like pulled pork or shrimp. But a nice plate of salty french fries might make a good pairing. Although I didn’t think this was the worst in the Flavortown lineup, it does get credit for trying to be more than just an ordinary table condiment.

I recently discovered Hidden Valley Ranch’s Garlic Ranch, and it changed my world. So I went into tasting Flavortown Garlicky Parm sauce hoping to have the same epiphany. After all, this is Chef Guy Fieri, not a cook from a test kitchen, and it was a miss for me. Whereas Hidden Valley has the advantage of the herbs that go into the ranch to complement the added garlic, it doesn’t exactly work the same with Parmesan, at least not in Fieri’s line.

But that’s not to say it isn’t tasty. This might be one of his best white sauces in the Flavortown lineup. The garlic comes through, but as far as balancing it with the sharpness of Parmesan, it gets low marks; the punctuation of cheese just isn’t there. A little fine-tuning and this could go to the top of the list. As it is now, it might be good on a food item that needs a little more garlic, which, for me, is a meatball sandwich or a garden salad.  

There might be nothing that gives a good Mexican dish its distinct flavor more than chipotle. It’s basically a jalapeño pepper roasted to a certain degree to change its flavor profile. It’s that distinct flavor that is so prevalent in Flavortown’s Chipotle Sauce. In fact, using this on anything will transform an ordinary dish to south-of-the-border.

I liked this one. As a fan of Mexican flavors and especially chili peppers, this hit the spot. As stated before, the Chipotle flavor is strong. It’s smoky without being too pungent but invigorates the palate, bringing out the flavors of the other ingredients that otherwise might be flavorless, such as lettuce.

That means this sauce is perfect for salads or burgers. It might be a great partner with ranch, which will even out the punctuation of the pepper and vinegar, providing a smooth mouth experience, allowing other flavors the spotlight on your tongue as you chew. Flavortown’s Chipotle sauce is also great for dipping. A chicken wing, or even a celery stick are going to feel all dressed up and slightly spiced with this as a blanket.

Chef Fieri got this one right. It’s the Flavortown Nashville Hot sauce, which adds a little spiciness to any dish you’re serving up. The heat eases its way in, unlike some others that feel like you’ve just licked the top of a battery. This sauce epitomizes what I think Fieri wanted to do with his lineup, and that’s to have chef-quality condiments while making it fun and accessible to everyone.

It’s flavor-heavy with Cayenne pepper, and even though that might sound hot, it’s not, despite the name. That being said, I’m a high heat kinda guy, and spice might affect others differently. It’s the jalapeño that brings on the heat, which I thought was still pretty mild. The Cayenne serves as a flavor enhancer for whatever else is in the dish, especially vegetables.This might be perfect for salads or tofu based meals since tofu can be pretty boring. I found that this was great as a dipping sauce for plain, white meat chicken nuggets. Use it for an added kick to any meal lacking depth.

With Guy Fieri’s Flavortown line, you’re going to get a lot of honey-based sauces, at least with the brown ones. So it makes sense that the chef would combine heat to sweetness to come up with an interesting crossover. And to some degree, this one works. The first thing I noticed, obviously, was the honey. It doesn’t have that distinctive honey taste, but it’s sweet enough to overtake the initial experience before the heat comes in. It’s not an aggressive spiciness, and the sugar isn’t too much to “candy” any entree, but it might pair well with charred ribs as a condiment. 

I didn’t try it on anything barbecued, so that might make a difference, but on its own, it’s a balanced blend of sweet and smoky. That being said, it’s also nothing special. Guy Fieri is known for bringing excitement to meals and appreciating flavorful entrees that build upon traditional foods. That excitement is missing from this sauce, reducing it to an average offering that only slightly represents his culinary personality. Granted, it’s labeled “hot honey,” and maybe that’s as literal as it gets, but dare I say this one might be a cash-grab, which isn’t wrong, but it gets even better. 

Unlike its brother, Flavortown’s Bourbon Brown Sugar sauce, this Honey BBQ actually sticks the landing. Flavorful and sweet, there’s nothing in here you’re expecting but didn’t get. I am a fan of sweet entrees with savory proteins. I’m the person who dips his breakfast sausage into his syrup. So Flavortown’s Honey BBQ is right up my alley.

They also use a little brown sugar in the recipe, which gives it a smidgen of molasses flavor, and it’s just enough to offset the earthiness of the honey. This would be a great sauce for making pulled pork or an additive to baked beans. It’s got a richness to it that makes it the main character in any dish, and it’s not too smoky as to overpower the flavor focus.

Sometimes condiments can be bromide, which sounds bad, but it’s not. Ketchup goes with fries, ranch goes with chicken strips, and Flavortown’s Sizzlin’ Asian sauce goes with any meal in which you want to give a sesame twist. This is actually one of my favorite sauces from Guy Fieri’s Flavortown line. It’s pretty cliche, but I enjoyed what it was going for, and it hits the bullseye when it comes to balance.

But keep in mind, at least for me, it has limited employment. With its heavy nutty flavor coming from sesame oil and the sweetness of the soy sauce, it may not work for cross-cultural dishes. For instance, on tacos or pizza. However, putting this on veggies or ramen might infuse some Eastern flair into them. Even a plain burger could be elevated with a squirt, especially with a slice of pineapple in the middle.

While it may have limited usage, and you might not use the entire bottle before its expiration date, Flavortown’s Sizzlin’ Asian sauce is a deliciously sweet additive that’s more pop culture than actual culture.

Fieri loves his BBQ sauces, and it seems he wants to feature each regional recipe in his Flavortown line. Next up, and perhaps his best, is the Carolina BBQ sauce. I wasn’t familiar with this recipe so I was pleasantly surprised by how bold and versatile this sauce is. The second ingredient is yellow mustard in this sauce, and obviously that comes through very strongly, but amazingly, it’s balanced with the distilled vinegar. Add a little garlic, honey and molasses to that, and you’ve got a great sauce that seems perfect for pork.

I used it on a plain Tyson chicken nugget, and it added a savory level I found exciting. Perhaps meant more for non-fowl dishes, Flavortown’s Carolina BBQ sauce is an interesting choice for a condiment, but if you’re willing to take a chance, it might be worth it. Whereas a lot of BBQ sauces are sweet, this one changes the game, and it might even be a great additive to potato or macaroni salad. This might also be good on potato wedges and, believe it or not, hot dogs.

Guy Fieri’s Flavortown line wouldn’t be complete without a buffalo sauce, and this one certainly fulfills the brief, it’s just nothing special. That being said, it doesn’t have to be special as long as it adds some flavor to an otherwise bland meal, or complements something.. The main ingredients are pepper sauce and vinegar. It’s a basic combination that’s not unlike other brands of its ilk. The flavor is good and the heat isn’t intense. The top note is definitely vinegar but if you’re familiar with this kind of sauce, you know that’s expected.

This says it’s a wing sauce, but it also might be a great addition to your tacos or burritos, although your favorite glass-bottle hot sauce could be a little better. Fieri’s Buffalo Sauce on plain chicken wings as intended, might be good, or you could be adventurous and splash some in a creamy soup for a pinch of spice.

For what it is, Fieri’s Buffalo sauce is, it’s pretty good. It doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel, so in essence, you get a hot sauce on your shelf with Fieri’s face on it.

This is Chef Fieri’s signature restaurant aioli, and now you can have it in your fridge next to the ketchup, too. For all intents and purposes, it belongs there. It’s something to reach for when mayonnaise is too bland. Garlic and Yellow mustard are the key ingredients here, with some Worcestershire sauce to bring out some fishiness.

This famous sauce was born on a cruise ship where Fieri used to work in his younger days. He claimed that passengers who didn’t use it on their hamburgers were “jackasses.” Confused, a co-worker asked what that meant, to which Feiri replied it was another word for donkey. “Oh, so it’s donkey sauce!” the other chef exclaimed. And voila, the name stuck, and now you can buy it at your local grocery store.

With its celebrity culinary roots, the Donkey Sauce is one of Fieri’s masterpieces. It’s a very tasty and versatile recipe that could go with raw ingredients or even be added to a mayonnaise-based cold salad. As an aioli, it’s mild, with a touch of garlic that’s not going to, as Emeril Lagasse used to say, “Kick it up a notch.” But I like that it’s more comfort than culinary, and it’s a nice alternative to using just plain old mayo.

I love dipping sauces. I would actually eat a diet consisting of nothing but finger foods if my doctor weren’t such a fuddy-duddy. So when I got a chance to review 14 of them, I was excited.

As stated before, anything creamy or sticky can be used as a dipping sauce, even if the label says “barbecue.” What I did was taste the sauce on its own first, giving my brain time to discern flavors, both top and bottom. And then I used plain Tyson brand chicken nuggets from the air fryer as a protein, helping with texture and temperature.

I factored in originality by using Guy Fieri’s personality as a chef, using it as a touchstone to see how much of that he put into the product.  These are available at your grocery store, and each bottle has a suggested retail price of $4.99, but the cost can vary depending on where you shop.

During the taste test, I found that some sauces had his creative touch while others fell flat, perhaps a novelty with his face on it. Overall, the experience wasn’t disappointing, but I was hoping to get more of that Fieri flair, especially since his signature is on every label.