The best sauces and broths are true kitchen superstars. Recipe didn’t turn out as planned? These pre-seasoned staples can revive boring veggies or fix a bland soup in no time flat. All the hard work—balancing flavors, reducing stock down all day long—is already done. Just choose a sauce and get drizzling.
As part of this year’s SELF Pantry Awards, we made it our mission to test hundreds of sauces, broths, and other shelf-stable eats to find the real standouts. You’ll find our favorites (the ones that we couldn’t get enough of) below. Whether you’re a budding chef or a culinary whiz, there’s sure to be a savory topper here that’ll save you some major time (and headache) over the stove.
Pantry Awards 2025: Best Sauces and Broths
Shop your favorite category below or keep scrolling for the year’s very best sauces and broths.
Best Red Sauces
Best Marinara Sauce: Sauz Summer Lemon Marinara
Why we love it: Pizza and pasta can both benefit from a dollop of Sauz Summer Lemon. Light and citrusy, it’s a great alternative to spicy sauces (“which I love, but can’t serve to my toddler,” one tester pointed out).
One tester said: “This is such a nice twist on regular marinara. The lemon flavor adds such a fresh, bright taste that changes things up and works for my entire family.”
Best Vodka Sauce: Carmine’s Vodka Sauce
Best Vodka Sauce
Carmine’s Vodka Sauce
Why we love it: Our tester raved about Carmine’s smooth, creamy, and well-seasoned vodka sauce. A pasta connoisseur, she didn’t have to tweak it at all before slathering her noodles in it. We highly recommend that fans of Gigi Hadid’s viral vodka sauce recipe give this quick-and-easy alternative a try.
One tester said: “It tastes exactly like something I’d order at an upscale restaurant—it’s amazing. I didn’t have to use any seasoning because it’s super rich and flavorful.”
Best Pizza Sauce: Rao’s Homemade Roasted Garlic Pizza Sauce
Best Pizza Sauce
Rao’s Homemade Roasted Garlic Pizza Sauce
Why we love it: A good pizza sauce should rival your go-to pizzeria’s—and, once you try this one, you’ll never go back to regular ol’ marinara again. Our tester says it levels up your at-home pies with classic tomato flavor and a smidge of garlic.
One tester said: “It has a classic marinara flavor, with extra hints of garlic, which I love—the limit of garlic simply doesn’t exist on my meals.”
Best Cooking Sauces
Best BBQ Sauce: Yo Mama’s Foods No Sugar Hickory BBQ
Best BBQ Sauce
Yo Mama’s Foods No Sugar Hickory BBQ
Why we love it: Cutting back on sugar shouldn’t mean cutting things you love (like good barbeque) out of your diet. This no-sugar-added slathering sauce impressed our testers with its smoky flavor and monkfruit-sweetened recipe. Douse your chicken, pork, or beef in it—and don’t hold back.
One tester said: “It’s just as yummy as a sauce with added sugar, so I love that I can make a healthier choice without sacrificing flavor.”
Best Korean BBQ Sauce: Momofuku Sweet & Savory Korean BBQ Sauce
Best Korean BBQ Sauce
Momofuku Sweet & Savory Korean BBQ Sauce
Why we love it: Ginger, black pepper, and soy combine to create a sauce that’s great for dipping and marinating. As the name implies, it’s a little sweet, a little savory, and all delicious.
