Carolina BBQ Sauce Recipe

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This tangy vinegar-based bbq sauce, also known as Western-style or Lexington-style, is a southern staple in the Carolinas. Carolina BBQ Sauce can be made thick or thin and runny and has a slight kick to it from hot sauce and pepper.

Carolina vinegar-based bbq sauce in a wide-mouth Mason jar with sauce dripping down the side.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Tastes better from scratch. Making your own homemade condiments whether it’s a Hot Bacon Salad Dressing or bbq sauce, such as Alabama White Sauce, always tastes better from scratch. This sauce is simmered down to perfect, which allows the flavors to bloom.
Thick or thin. Carolina bbq sauce can range from a thicker consistency to a more runny almost translucent sauce so when you prepare you’re own you get to choose the consistency. This may come across as controversial to many who reside in Western Carolina where this sauce originated who swear one way or the other is correct.
Helps tenderize the meat. Not to be confused with Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce this version contains vinegar instead of mustard. Since it is a vinegar-based sauce it helps to tenderize the meat while adding flavor making it extra juicy.

Ingredients

If you’re looking for a Carolina bbq sauce recipe for pulled pork, look no further. The ingredient combination of this sauce makes it perfect for Pulled Pork, which I recommend turning into Pulled Pork Sliders.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Brown Sugar
Ketchup
Worcestershire Sauce
Seasonings – garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and salt.

How to Make Carolina BBQ Sauce

Dissolve the sugar and salt. Pour the vinegar, brown sugar, and salt into a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a soft boil, stirring occasionally.
Simmer to desired consistency. Add the remaining ingredients and reduce the heat to a simmer. Allow the mixture to simmer, stirring occasionally for 20 to 40 minutes. Less time will produce a runny sauce whereas more time will result in a thicker sauce.

Cool. Allow the sauce to cool slightly before moving it to a jar to store for later use or you can pour it straight onto some Instant Pot Pulled Pork or Country Style Ribs.

Recipe Tips

Storage Information: to store your sauce pour it into a Mason jar and seal it with a lid or place it into a glass jar with a lid and keep it stored in the fridge. It will last for up to 2 weeks stored in the fridge.
Cover your saucepan with a lid for the last 15 minutes of simmering because it will begin to splatter.
Make-Ahead Instructions: I recommend preparing this sauce 2 to 3 days in advance of when you plan on serving it. This allows the flavors to bloom and marinate together.
Toss some of this bbq sauce with this Instant Pot Pork Butt for an insanely delicious meal.

FAQS

What makes Carolina bbq sauce different?

Carolina-style bbq sauce has more of a tangy flavor due to the vinegar than other bbq sauces and often is slightly sweet with a kick. It can also range from a runny somewhat translucent sauce to a thicker more traditional bbq sauce texture.

What is the difference between Western-style Carolina bbq sauce and Eastern-style Carolina bbq sauce?

There are no shortages of bbq sauces in the south and each area or region has its own version. Western style, also known as Lexington-style bbq sauce, uses ketchup, and brown sugar, and is seasoned with spices. The consistency is thicker but can also range to a more runny liquid. The eastern-style bbq sauce is always runny and doesn’t use ketchup. Instead, it uses mustard, which results in a gold sauce.

More Sauce Recipes

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