9 Better Than Bouillon Flavors To Buy (And 4 To Skip)

Better Than Bouillon products are the epitome of convenience. Contained in a small, sleek jar, these flavored concentrates are awesome for adding quick flavor to entrees and broths. What's better is their shelf life — according to the Better Than Bouillon website, refrigerated products last for two years after their manufacturing date.

I've always loved the idea of Better Than Bouillon, and though I haven't used the product in some time, I was happy to return to see which flavors are truly worth the buy. And though the company churns out a plethora of flavors, I was able to get my hands on 13 popular varieties for an unbiased review.

In the upcoming post, I'm giving my honest take on some of Better Than Bouillon's most popular varieties. From basic chicken to Mexican-inspired heat, I'm offering up the details you need to get your hands on the best concentrates the Better Than Bouillon brand has to offer. Stay tuned — the nine Better Than Bouillon flavors you should buy and four to skip are coming up next.

Out of the gate, we're going to start with one of the more impressive Better Than Bouillon options, and that's the chicken bone broth variety. I went into this one a little skeptical — I know from experience that most bone broths tend to carry a higher price tag, but this pick seemed particularly expensive, especially when compared against the other, cheaper varieties from Better Than Bouillon. For a 16-ounce jar, Better Than Bone Broth Chicken was priced at $14.99, while other jars cost between $5 and $7 (albeit for smaller sizes, usually at 8 ounces).

I cracked open the Better Than Bouillon Bone Broth base and was immediately hit with a very strong smell. Oddly, it smelled like beef gravy, and its color was a deep chestnut brown. Once dissolved at 1 tablespoon per cup as instructed, it turned a cloudy brown. Its taste was pungent, but in a good way; the flavor was similar to what you'd get if you mixed chicken gravy with a bit of water. It was heads and tails above any other bone broth I've tried, as it was smoother tasting and didn't have the jarring taste that some bone broths have.

Overall, I definitely think Better Than Bouillon Bone Broth is worth the buy. Yes, it's a bit pricey, but to me, it's a worthy investment to stock up on this smooth-tasting bone broth concentrate rather than spend hard-earned dollars on the boxed stuff.

I'm recommending you skip the Better Than Bouillon Roasted Garlic Base, and yes, I'm just as shocked as you are. It has a deep, dark caramel hue and a smooth and creamy consistency. Like many of the other Better Than Bouillon flavors, it has a gravy-like aroma, only this time, it smelled like it was heavily doused with minced garlic.

Now before I deliver the verdict, I want to say I'm no stranger to minced garlic — I buy it in a large tub from Sam's Club and use a tablespoon or more in almost every meal. It's for that very reason that I believe Better Than Bouillon Roasted Garlic Base is worth skipping. Its flavor is nearly identical to what you'd get from jarred minced garlic.

Now, if you don't have any minced garlic on hand and would rather keep this stashed in your refrigerator, I totally get it. Just know that the Better Than Bouillon Roasted Garlic Base doesn't come with instructions on how to dissolve. I suppose that's because it's meant to be stirred directly into entrees. You'll also want to keep in mind its salt content — because there aren't instructions on how to dilute it, using it haphazardly or alongside more seasoning may make your meal unbearably salty. In that sense, using Better Than Bouillon Roasted Garlic Base is more effort than I'm willing to exert, but I suppose if you like the taste of garlicky gravy, this one could be for you.

It was hard to track down the Better Than Bouillon Baked Ham Base. It isn't something I commonly see alongside the other, more widely available varieties on store shelves, though thankfully, I was able to snag it on Amazon. It features a smooth, medium consistency that's a deep caramel brown. Its scent reminds me of cheap hot dogs or fake meat, which, let's be real, isn't very appetizing. Fortunately, the Better Than Bouillon Baked Ham Base did come with instructions on how to dissolve, and I happily put 1 teaspoon of the mixture into a steaming hot cup of water before giving it a sip.

Better Than Bouillon Baked Ham Base was amazing in almost every way. Despite its initial off-putting aroma, it mellowed out into a beautifully rich flavor like that of a fresh-baked honey ham once diluted. I will say, the ham variety is quite salty even when diluted. You'll need to go easy on the salt or not use it at all when using this flavor.

Personally, I could see myself using the Better Than Bouillon Baked Ham Base on a chilly day in a simmering pot of beans. Its flavor is so robust that using real ham pieces would almost seem unnecessary. Almost.

Should you buy Better Than Bouillon Chili Base? In my opinion, the answer is no. Better Than Bouillon Chili Base intrigued me from the start. Chili can be hard to get just right, and some recipes, including this fantastic roasty toasty bourbon chili, require a lot of ingredients. My hope was that Better Than Bouillon Chili Base would provide a simple answer to the complex ingredient conundrum, cutting down on the time spent chasing the perfect flavor.

So, what's my issue with Better Than Bouillon Chili Base? First, it's one of those varieties that come with no dissolving instructions, leaving me having to guess how to use it and at what ratio. The other issue is its flavor — its initial color was a deep burgundy, and it smelled like canned Hormel chili sauce. Sadly, its flavor was also similar. Better Than Bouillon Chili Base tastes like cheap, low-quality, canned chili sauce.

Now, if Hormel chili is your thing, have at it. After all, fewer steps in the kitchen are always a win, especially on busy weeknights. Still, I think traditional chili ingredients deliver the best deep, authentic flavor, and the artificial beef-and-cumin vibes of Better Than Bouillon Chili Base simply aren't for me.

I really hope you can find Better Than Bouillon Mushroom Base for cheaper than I found it on Amazon. If you can, you must add it to your cart. I already figured Better Than Bouillon Mushroom Base would be great, mainly because I love almost anything mushroom. Opening the jar, I was met with a smell strikingly similar to Campbell's mushroom soup. Growing up, my mom always used Campbell's soup in delectable recipes like pot roast and creamy tuna noodle, so, naturally, my mouth watered from the first whiff. Don't worry, though. Better Than Bouillon Mushroom Base has a much better and more complex flavor than Campbell's Mushroom Soup. It is, in fact, one of my favorite Better Than Bouillon varieties on the list.

Better Than Bouillon Mushroom Base doesn't come with instructions on how to dissolve it; instead, it recommends adding a spoonful to whatever dish you wish. I could see myself dissolving it in water anyway to make a broth for my pot roast or as a base for Salisbury steak. It'd also work great as a creamy mushroom soup base or virtually anything you'd want to inject with deep umami flavor. Although it's quite salty and will no doubt require some trial and error to use, this Better Than Bouillon Mushroom Base will forever stay in this mushroom-lover's fridge.

Admittedly, I don't eat lobster often. I also don't typically eat dishes that feature lobster flavor as their base. Nevertheless, I can only judge by my own frame of reference, and as such, I can't say I recommend Better Than Bouillon Seasoned Lobster Base.

At first glance, Better Than Bouillon Seasoned Lobster Base looks the part. The product is super thick, one of the thickest on the list. Its color is a reddish chestnut brown, but its smell was a major turn-off for me. Though I like fish and eat it fairly often, I didn't find the fishy smell of this concentrate pleasant. It had the same gravy smell boasted by other Better Than Bouillon varieties, but with a fishy tinge at the end, which I found pretty unpleasant.

Once dissolved at 1 teaspoon per cup of water, Better Than Bouillon Seasoned Lobster Base tastes almost like nothing. As I continued to sample, I was able to detect a slightly fishy taste, but not much. While I'm biased as a non-lobster eater, I can't say I'd recommend this, even for people who are. The flavor is too docile and, to me, is a total waste of money.

So, I'm not too big on vegetable broth, but if you're a person who purchases it on a regular basis, it's definitely worth checking out Better Than Bouillon Seasoned Vegetable Base. Its initial appearance surprised me. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but this vegetable concentrate was a bit chunky and very dark brown. Its smell, like Better Than Bouillon Mushroom Base, was very similar to Campbell's Cream of Mushroom, which is something I definitely didn't expect.

Once dissolved at 1 teaspoon per 1 cup, Better Than Bouillon Seasoned Vegetable base turned a satisfying deep reddish-brown color. On my first slurp, I wasn't sure how I felt about it, being that I'm more accustomed to chicken or beef broth. Still, for what it is, Better Than Bouillon Seasoned Vegetable Base is pretty tasty. I could easily discern the rich umami flavors of tomato, celery, and carrot, with all its flavors melding together in perfect harmony. Overall, I found Better Than Bouillon Seasoned Vegetable Base rich and nostalgically comforting, making it, surprisingly, one of the tastier Better Than Bouillon flavors I sampled.

If you're surprised to see Better Than Bouillon Roasted Beef Base on the skip list, join the club. To my shock, I was as underwhelmed by this variety as by the fact that it was out of stock at my local market, presumably because it's so popular.

Better Than Bouillon Roasted Beef Base got off to a promising start. Its aroma was deeply umami, and its smell was deliciously savory. Once diluted at 1 teaspoon per 1 cup, this deep dark brown concentrate yielded a beautifully rich broth that I couldn't wait to sample. Once I did sample it, though, my excitement quickly began to dissipate. It didn't pack nearly the same flavor I expected, especially compared to the other Better Than Bouillon varieties.

Look, Better Than Bouillon Roasted Beef isn't gross. It simply didn't have the wow factor I thought it would, and it didn't taste any different than a cheaply priced, generically branded beef broth sold in a carton. What I will say is that Better Than Bouillon Roasted Beef is, comparatively, better value than spending $3 to $4 per carton of liquid broth. It would be more cost-effective to use a teaspoon of this whenever you wish to enjoy broth flavor. In this case, having a stash of this, though not as flavorful as I hoped, still might make sense.

Better Than Bouillon Sautéed Onion Base was absolutely incredible. The concentrate has a very dark brown appearance, and its scent is reminiscent of Lipton Recipe Secrets Onion Soup, which, for me, isn't a bad thing. What I wasn't prepared for is its outrageously delicious flavor — it tasted exactly like caramelized onions, and lots of 'em.

As usual, Better Than Bouillon Sautéed Onion Base doesn't come with instructions to tell you how much to dilute with water, but I could see this working to inject flavor into a variety of dishes and side dishes, including gravies, soup, veggies, stir-fries, and more. Its flavor was super deep, rich, and full of umami decadence, making it the perfect substitute for when you aren't in the mood to actually sauté fresh onions in a skillet. Needless to say,  Better Than Bouillon Sautéed Onion Base is yet another home run from the brand.

Alright, this might sound unexpected, but if you're going to pick up a Better Than Bouillon base for your next pot of chili, you may consider giving the brand's Adobo a try. To clarify, I am not overly familiar with Adobo flavors, so take my opinion with a grain of salt if you must. However, I found the flavor of this thick burgundy-colored paste quite delicious, with its complexity being a major selling point. 

Unlike the aforementioned Hormel-esque Better Than Bouillon Chili Base, there's nothing about Better Than Bouillon Adobo that tastes artificial. There was a smokiness and a hint of heat that made it super enjoyable. I will say that I preferred the taste of Better Than Bouillon Smoky Chipotle over this one (more on that later), but I think that's really just a matter of preference. I still think Better Than Bouillon Adobo is worth the buy, especially for people not wanting to buy a long list of ingredients to whip up Mexican-inspired Adobo dishes.

Better Than Bouillon Italian Herb did its thing in terms of flavor. I only wish it came in powdered form. Seriously, this base is the real deal; though it doesn't contain Parmesan, its taste reminds me of the Parmesan-heavy garlic butter that restaurants put on breadsticks and specialty pizza crusts.

I don't know how they managed it, but Better Than Bouillon figured out a way to meld the flavor of garlic and herbs in a way I'm not sure I could replicate on my own. It features a texture very similar to basil pesto; the instructions claim you can take a spoonful of the sauce and simply mix it into your favorite dishes. Given its zesty flavor, I wonder if I can get away with brushing this over a homemade copycat Pizza Hut breadstick, but part of me thinks it would be too potent and salty to use at full strength. Either way, Better Than Bouillon Italian Herbs is a great option for lovers of Italian cuisine. The brand's attempt at emulating classic garlic-herb flavor was spot on.

Better Than Bouillon Smoky Chipotle was smoky indeed, with all the right flavor to amp up your next chipotle-flavored dish. This particular variety was one I looked forward to — though I don't typically buy chipotle peppers, I know that anything I've ever eaten containing them delivered nothing short of deliciously irresistible flavor. 

The Better Than Bouillon Smoky Chipotle was no different. It didn't come with detailed instructions on how to dilute it, but I found myself mixing it into dishes such as tacos and fajitas and was quite pleased with the results. It packs a bit of smoky heat but isn't so spicy it becomes off-putting. The base itself is deep burgundy, and a whiff of it makes you feel like you're sitting right in the middle of a high-end Tex-Mex restaurant. There was nothing odd or artificial about its taste, which is why I highly recommend Better Than Bouillon Smoky Chipotle for those looking for an easy way to add a flavorful kick to Mexican-inspired meals.

Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base is one of the most widely available varieties I've seen from the Better Than Bouillon brand, but honestly, I wasn't ready for what I got in terms of flavor. I've certainly used it before in the past, but that was years ago. I'm happy to report that tasting this particular variety renewed my interest in the product, proving a fantastic stock-making option to keep stashed for multiple uses throughout the busy workweek. 

After cracking open the jar of Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base, I was met with a golden yellow paste that had a rich chickeny smell, just as expected. I diluted the contents as instructed at 1 teaspoon per cup, and was admittedly disappointed — compared to many of the Better Than Bouillon flavors, the roasted chicken variety was nearly transparent. I shook my head in disappointment, took a hesitant sip, and was floored. Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base had a flavor that was savory and robust; it was way better than any broth I've ever tasted from a carton. I even found the taste generally more pleasing than the Better Than Bouillon Bone Broth. 

I suppose if you want to reap the benefits of bone broth, go ahead and spend the extra cash on that Better Than Bouillon Bone Broth variety, but if it's simplicity you seek, I'd say save yourself a little cash and go with Roasted Chicken instead. It's totally worth it!

The Better Than Bouillon varieties featured in this post were a mixture of flavors sent to me by the company and those I purchased either at the supermarket or via Amazon. Some Better Than Bouillon flavors require different methods of use and therefore may take on different flavors, depending on how you utilize them.

Each Better Than Bouillon flavor was critiqued on the basis of overall flavor, though other factors, including nutrition, pricing, and ease of use, were mentioned as necessary. As always, price, availability, and other details in this article are subject to change.