Sauce, barbecue, OPEN PIT, original
Whole food · Soups, Sauces, and Gravies
Photo: Wikipedia
Open Pit Original is a classic, thick, and glossy American barbecue sauce with a sweet, tangy, and mildly smoky flavor profile. Its smooth, pourable consistency clings perfectly to grilled meats, offering a familiar, comforting taste that's less vinegary and more tomato-and-molasses forward. Nutritionally, it's a high-carb condiment, with nearly 30 grams of carbohydrates and over 23 grams of sugar per 100 grams.
Calorie split: 1% protein · 89% carbs · 10% fat
↓ Full nutrition💚 Why it's loved
People love it for its nostalgic, straightforward barbecue flavor that instantly evokes summer cookouts and family gatherings. Its versatility makes it a go-to for dipping, glazing, or marinating, delivering a consistent, sweet-smoky punch that's hard to replicate.
⚠️ Watch-outs & how to enjoy it better
The high sugar content can cause rapid blood-sugar spikes, making it a concern for those managing diabetes or seeking low-sugar diets. To counteract this, use it sparingly as a glaze in the last minutes of cooking rather than a marinade, and pair it with protein-rich foods like grilled chicken or fiber-rich sides like coleslaw to slow sugar absorption.
Key benefits
- Adds significant flavor to lean proteins like chicken or pork.
- Provides quick energy from its carbohydrate content.
- A staple for easy, crowd-pleasing backyard grilling.
- Its thick texture prevents it from burning quickly on the grill.
🍽️ Popular dishes
🌍 Where it's eaten
💡 Did you know?
The 'Open Pit' brand was one of the first nationally distributed barbecue sauces in the U.S., introduced in 1954 by the J.H. Filbert Company, and its original recipe is still based on a 1930s family formula.
Full nutrition (USDA data · scales with serving)
| Water | 65.0 g |
| Energy | 132 kcal |
| Energy | 553 kj |
| Protein | 0.44 g |
| Total lipid (fat) | 1.4 g |
| Ash | 3.7 g |
| Carbohydrate, by difference | 29.4 g |
| Fiber, total dietary | 0.50 g |
| Total Sugars | 23.5 g |
| Sucrose | 0.00 g |
| Glucose | 12.6 g |
| Fructose | 10.8 g |
| Lactose | 0.00 g |
| Maltose | 0.00 g |
| Galactose | 0.00 g |
| Calcium, Ca | 20.0 mg |
| Iron, Fe | 0.15 mg |
| Magnesium, Mg | 5.0 mg |
| Phosphorus, P | 17.0 mg |
| Potassium, K | 56.0 mg |
| Sodium, Na | 1517 mg |
| Zinc, Zn | 0.12 mg |
| Copper, Cu | 0.01 mg |
| Manganese, Mn | 0.07 mg |
| Thiamin | 0.01 mg |
| Riboflavin | 0.02 mg |
| Niacin | 0.16 mg |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.05 mg |
| Vitamin B-6 | 0.01 mg |
| Vitamin A, RAE | 1.0 ug |
| Carotene, beta | 17.0 ug |
| Carotene, alpha | 0.00 ug |
| Cryptoxanthin, beta | 0.00 ug |
| Vitamin A, IU | 28.0 iu |
| Lycopene | 460 ug |
| Lutein + zeaxanthin | 19.0 ug |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.21 mg |
| Tocopherol, beta | 0.02 mg |
| Tocopherol, gamma | 0.82 mg |
| Tocopherol, delta | 0.22 mg |
| Tocotrienol, alpha | 1.3 mg |
| Tocotrienol, beta | 0.00 mg |
| Tocotrienol, gamma | 0.00 mg |
| Tocotrienol, delta | 0.00 mg |
Fat & fatty acid profile (per 100g)
Estimated from Sauce, homemade, white, medium — USDA does not publish this profile for Sauce.
| Fatty acids, total saturated | 2.9 g |
| SFA 4:0 | 0.06 g |
| SFA 6:0 | 0.04 g |
| SFA 8:0 | 0.02 g |
| SFA 10:0 | 0.05 g |
| SFA 12:0 | 0.05 g |
| SFA 14:0 | 0.21 g |
| SFA 16:0 | 1.6 g |
| SFA 18:0 | 0.87 g |
| Fatty acids, total monounsaturated | 4.4 g |
| MUFA 16:1 | 0.04 g |
| MUFA 18:1 | 4.4 g |
| MUFA 20:1 | 0.00 g |
| MUFA 22:1 | 0.00 g |
| Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated | 2.9 g |
| PUFA 18:2 | 2.7 g |
| PUFA 18:3 | 0.15 g |
| PUFA 18:4 | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 20:4 | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 20:5 n-3 (EPA) | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 22:5 n-3 (DPA) | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 22:6 n-3 (DHA) | 0.00 g |
| Cholesterol | 7.0 mg |
| Phytosterols | 29.0 mg |
Amino acid profile (per 100g)
Estimated from Sauce, homemade, white, medium — USDA does not publish this profile for Sauce.
| Tryptophan | 0.04 g |
| Threonine | 0.14 g |
| Isoleucine | 0.19 g |
| Leucine | 0.30 g |
| Lysine | 0.24 g |
| Methionine | 0.08 g |
| Cystine | 0.03 g |
| Phenylalanine | 0.15 g |
| Tyrosine | 0.15 g |
| Valine | 0.20 g |
| Arginine | 0.11 g |
| Histidine | 0.08 g |
| Alanine | 0.10 g |
| Aspartic acid | 0.23 g |
| Glutamic acid | 0.64 g |
| Glycine | 0.07 g |
| Proline | 0.30 g |
| Serine | 0.17 g |
FAQ
Is Open Pit barbecue sauce gluten-free?
The original recipe is typically gluten-free, but always check the label for specific allergen statements or potential cross-contamination warnings.
Can I use it as a marinade?
Yes, but due to its high sugar content, it can burn if grilled for too long. Best used as a marinade for short periods (30-60 minutes) or applied as a glaze during the final 10-15 minutes of cooking.
How does it differ from Kansas City-style sauce?
Open Pit is very similar to the thick, sweet, tomato-based Kansas City style, though it may be slightly less complex in its spice blend, focusing more on a straightforward sweet-and-tangy profile.
Nutrient density (calculated · NRF9.3)
Nutrient Rich Foods index: beneficial nutrients (protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals) minus saturated fat, added sugar & sodium, per 100 kcal.
NRF9.3 index — Fulgoni, Keast & Drewnowski, 2009. Computed from USDA nutrients.
Weight-loss friendliness (composite index)
Energy density 1.32 kcal/g · 1% calories from protein · 0.5 g fiber · 23.5 g sugar per 100 g.
Composite of energy density (Rolls et al., 1999), protein & fiber satiety, minus sugar. A calculated heuristic — ranks satiety-per-calorie, not a clinical measure.
Dietary load (calculated from USDA values)
Potential renal acid load. Positive = acid-forming, negative = alkaline-forming.
Sodium-to-potassium ratio: 27.09 (lower is better — aim for ≤ 1)
Sodium:potassium per WHO potassium guidance. Computed from USDA nutrients.