The Store-Bought Burger Sauce You Can Skip

To purists, the thought of saucing up a burger may seem a bit controversial. However, closely-guarded secret sauce recipes are a staple of many fast food joints like In-N-Out, and there are lots of store-bought versions to help you recreate the experience at home. As a public service to our burger-obsessed readers, Mashed conducted a ranking of 11 store-bought burger sauces, and one selection was an overwhelming disappointment.

We found that G. Hughes Sugar-Free Secret Burger Sauce features "an unappealing twist that takes burger sauce entirely out of its element." Of course, that twist is the lack of sugar, a common component in many other condiments and sauces. Instead, this sauce uses an artificial sweetener called sucralose, which allows people with certain dietary restrictions to dress their burgers as they see fit. While that's a decidedly noble goal, the execution of the sauce sadly leaves much to be desired in the flavor department.

Balanced flavors are crucial in any recipe, as too much of one element will overpower the palate. According to our reviewer, that's precisely the problem with G. Hughes Sugar-Free Secret Burger Sauce. Despite the lack of sugar, the use of sucralose as a sweetener "overwhelms the other flavors" and causes additional ingredients like garlic and onion powder to "go entirely undetected." As a result, this product "is far too sweet to enjoy."

So, what exactly is sucralose? Most people know sucralose as Splenda, a sugar substitute that can be used on its own or incorporated into other products. While sucralose is derived from sugar, the artificial sweetener undergoes a process that eliminates the calories and amplifies the sweetness. Keep in mind that sucralose is 600 times sweeter than sugar, which explains the off-putting sweetness of G. Hughes' sauce.

For comparison, our top sauce selection is Kraft smoky hickory bacon-flavored aioli, which offers an outstanding balance of sweet, smoky, and garlic flavors. While having more food options for people with dietary restrictions is important, the intensely sweet flavor of G. Hughes Sugar-Free Secret Burger Sauce can't be overlooked.