Tasting Table Asks: Which Is The Best Bottled Steak Sauce?

Whether you're dining in or out, there's no better way to treat yourself than with a prime cut of beef. While different cuts of steak require various preparation techniques, one thing most cuts have in common is the condiments with which you can top them. Bleu cheese crumbles, fried onions, sautéed mushrooms, and even this unexpected condiment can all elevate the flavors of your steak and really make your dish sing.

Then there's steak sauce. While some foodies turn up their noses at steak sauce, believing that a perfectly seasoned and expertly cooked piece of meat shouldn't need it, others love enhancing the flavor of their steak with a hearty pour of the stuff. If you're a steak sauce lover and you're dining out, consider asking for a homemade sauce that will pair well with the dish, as recommended by Taste of Home. Asking for a bottled sauce can be an etiquette faux pas.

Controversy aside, we were curious about which steak sauce our readers here at Tasting Table favor, so we asked 588 of our readers living in the U.S. which bottled steak sauce is their go-to. The favorite was no contest!

Perhaps unsurprisingly, more than half of our readers – 59.01% — report that the classic tart and peppery A.1. Sauce is their favorite bottled steak topping. While the majority of our readers favor A.1. sauce, next up was Heinz 57 sauce with 15.48% of respondents saying it was their most-beloved brand. Coming in third place was Lea & Perrins steak sauce with nearly 12% of the vote. HP sauce and Lawry's steak sauce followed in fourth and fifth place, with just 5.61% and 5.10% of the vote, respectively. Rounding out the vote, Delmonico's steak sauce came in last with a mere 3.23% of readers saying it's their favorite bottled sauce.

It's clear that our readers love steak sauce, but if you're out of your most-cherished bottled sauce and don't want to run to the store, consider making a pan sauce from steak drippings, as recommended by The Kitchn, for a quick and tasty alternative. All you need is a few herbs, some butter, Dijon mustard, and liquid like wine or broth. And no matter what you choose to top your steak with when you're preparing a steak in your own kitchen, there are a few common mistakes you're making that can be avoided for a juicy and tender piece of meat.