Barbecue has always embraced a blend of tradition and novelty, allowing manufacturers and B2B food companies to innovate without alienating. With summer fast approaching, it’s time to think about how to capture consumer attention in the BBQ marketplace. 

What flavor cues, ingredient pairings, and summertime BBQ spreads are set to dominate 2025? Here are a few fresh indulgences to inform limited-time offerings (LTOs) in the BBQ market.

Smoky Profiles

This season, skip the charcuterie in favor of brisket boards, complete with thick slices of smoked meats featuring hickory, mesquite, applewood, and other flavors, along with a slew of sides and sauces. 

On the snack front, take a page from long-popular kettle-style chip brands, mimicking the umami sweetness and smokiness of Kettle Brand’s Backyard BBQ or Cape Cod’s Sweet Mesquite Barbeque.

Grilled Elements

Grilled fruit is where it’s at for 2025, with peach, pineapple, and watermelon chunks adding sweet-smoky flavors to meat mains, cocktails, and sauces. 

For a different take on summer potato salad, roast potatoes to pair with grilled summer fruit, then toss in an oil-based sauce like pesto or a yogurt-based green goddess dressing. Add jalapeños for a spicy kick, or swirl a hot honey drizzle over the dish for swicy appeal. Top it off with creamy burrata or feta cheese and fresh basil leaves.

 Regional BBQ Sauces

Different regions, states, and even cities serve up singular variations on seasoned and sauced meats. The regional flavors hitting big this year hail from:

• Kansas City

• South Carolina

• Texas

• Alabama

Kansas City sauce offers the sweet, smoky tang of molasses, while Carolina Gold is known for mustard-forward spice. 

Texas rubs deliver a bold, peppery appeal, and mayo-based Alabama white sauce is something completely different, with creamy mayo, the bite of vinegar, and a hint of pepper to finish.

Related: Innovations in Sandwiches & Burgers: The Role of Sauces

Savory Staples

It’s never wrong to serve BBQ classics like ribs, brisket, burgers, and sausages. How do you elevate them with an LTO-friendly twist for 2025? Why not add more meat with a hickory smoked bacon wrap?

Consider international flavor inspo with sauces or rubs featuring curry, miso, or chimichurri. A signature spice blend can set your brand apart, and if consumers like the LTO, consider adding it to your permanent lineup.

Classic Sides and Fixings

Creamy comfort foods hit the spot when paired with mouthwatering BBQ. You must tread carefully with innovation in this arena, however, to keep diners immersed without turning off barbecue traditionalists.

For a crispy twist on traditional mac and cheese, take a note from popular parmesan crisps and toast up tiny squares of prepared pasta in the oven or air fryer. Want to add creamy appeal to a simple side of crusty sourdough bread? Try a deviled egg spread, sans whites.

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Fresh Balancers

Savory meats are made more complex with sweet and spicy additions, but you can take it to a whole other level with crisp, refreshing cucumbers, tomatoes, and watermelon. 

Pair heirloom tomato slices with buffalo mozzarella, roasted corn, and a vinaigrette featuring chopped thyme and basil for a fresh, filling side. Throw together a watermelon, cucumber, and feta salad, complete with invigorating mint and a simple dressing of lemon juice and olive oil.

Condiments and Seasonings

Consumers demand sauce variety for fare like burgers, wings, and BBQ. Heinz is meeting expectations with several recent product launches, including pickle-flavored ketchup and a slew of flavored mayos (Smokey Bacon, Garlic Bread Aioli, and Margherita Pizza) in Australia. 

Whether you start with a ketchup, mustard, ranch, or BBQ base, you can go nuts with LTO sauce and rub variations to see what tickles consumer fancy.

LTO Testing Informs Long-Term Strategies

As BBQ dominates the summer months, the right balance of flavors, ingredients, and innovation can capture consumer interest. In spaces ranging from fast casual to prepared meal solutions, barbecue LTOs are a great way to test new ideas and see what diners go for. 

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