You’re standing in the condiment aisle, or maybe scrolling through a foodservice catalog, and you see it. The name is aggressive. Ken's Cannonball BBQ sauce. It sounds like something that should be served out of a rustic bucket at a high-school football game. But here’s the thing: most people assume it’s just another generic, high-fructose corn syrup bomb like the dozen other bottles sitting next to it.
Honestly? They’re wrong.
If you’ve ever wondered why that specific BBQ sauce at your favorite local wing joint tastes "different" but you can’t quite place why, there’s a high probability you’ve already met the Cannonball. It’s a bit of a cult classic in the industry. It’s the sauce that doesn’t try to be "artisanal" with fancy glass packaging, yet it manages to outpace the big-name grocery brands in pure, smoky utility.
Why Ken's Cannonball BBQ sauce is the Industry’s Worst-Kept Secret
Ken’s Foods didn’t start as a sauce conglomerate. It started in a basement. Specifically, the basement of Ken’s Steak House in Framingham, Massachusetts, back in the 40s. While everyone remembers the Italian dressing that made them famous, their foray into the BBQ world with the Cannonball line was a calculated move to capture a very specific flavor profile: the "Heavy Bodied" smoke.
What really sets Ken's Cannonball BBQ sauce apart from the "Blue Ribbon" or "Hickory" variants in their own lineup is the texture. It’s thick. I mean really thick. If you paint this on a rack of ribs, it doesn't just slide off into the bottom of the grill; it clings.
The Ingredient Reality Check
Most commercial sauces are basically flavored corn syrup. While the Cannonball isn't health food—let's be real, it's BBQ sauce—it makes a notable pivot. It uses real sugar and molasses as the primary sweeteners. No high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) here. That’s a massive distinction for a sauce that is predominantly sold in gallon jugs and 5-gallon pails for restaurants.
The flavor isn't just "sweet," though. It’s got this back-end kick of white pepper and mustard flour. It creates a profile that is:
- Visually Dark: A brownish-red that looks "expensive" on meat.
- Smoky but not Acrid: Uses natural smoke flavor rather than that chemical liquid smoke aftertaste that ruins cheaper brands.
- Sticky: Because of the modified potato starch and molasses, it caramelizes beautifully under high heat without burning as fast as HFCS-based sauces.
The Versatility Trap: It’s Not Just for Ribs
If you think you’ve only seen this at a rib shack, you’re missing half the story. Because it’s a "medium-bodied" sauce with a "punchy" flavor (hence the Cannonball name), chefs use it as a base.
I’ve seen kitchens mix this with 25% hot sauce—usually Frank’s or a cayenne-based mash—to create a "Buffa-cue" wing sauce. It holds up. It doesn't break. You can even find it in those little 1.25-ounce dipping cups at pizza places. Why? Because it’s stable. It doesn't separate in the heat of a delivery bag.
Real-World Use Cases
- The "Boom Boom" Burger Base: Some restaurants actually use Cannonball as the smoky anchor for their custom burger spreads.
- Pizza Sauce Alternative: It’s thick enough to be used as a base for a BBQ Chicken Pizza without making the dough soggy.
- The Pulled Pork "Cling": If you’re doing high-volume pulled pork for a graduation party or a food truck, this is the sauce that keeps the meat moist without turning it into a soup.
Does it actually "Rank" against the big guys?
Look, if you’re a BBQ purist from Central Texas, you might scoff at anything that comes in a 5-gallon pail. That’s fair. But for the average person looking for that "restaurant taste" at home, Ken’s is the benchmark.
It sits in a weird spot. It’s more sophisticated than the bottom-shelf supermarket brands but more accessible than the $12 "small-batch" bottles that are mostly vinegar.
The salt content is something to watch, though. It’s got about 2% salt by volume, plus the autolyzed yeast extract which adds a massive umami hit. It's savory. It makes you want to drink more water, or more beer. That's by design.
Finding the Cannonball in the Wild
Actually buying Ken's Cannonball BBQ sauce for your kitchen can be a bit of a scavenger hunt. While Ken's Steak House dressings are in every grocery store from Maine to California, the Cannonball BBQ is often tucked away in the "Foodservice" or "Bulk" aisles. You'll find it at places like:
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- Webstaurant Store (The go-to for the 1-gallon jugs)
- Walmart (Usually through third-party sellers or in the bulk section)
- Restaurant Supply Stores (Where it’s often a top-three seller)
It's sort of funny. We spend so much time looking for the "perfect" hidden gem BBQ sauce, and half the time, it's been sitting in a giant plastic jug at the back of the local diner all along.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Cookout
If you’re going to use Ken’s Cannonball, don't just pour it cold over meat. That’s amateur hour.
Instead, try the "Double Glaze" method. Brush a thin layer on your chicken or ribs about 15 minutes before they're done. Let it tack up. Then, right before you pull them off the heat, hit them with one more light coat. Because this sauce uses real sugar and molasses, it will create a professional, shiny veneer that looks like a photo from a cookbook.
Also, if it's too thick for your liking? Don't use water to thin it. Use a splash of apple cider vinegar or even a bit of pineapple juice. The acidity cuts through the heavy molasses and makes the smoke flavor pop even more.
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Basically, stop treating it like a cheap condiment and start treating it like a culinary component. It’s built to be messed with.