North Carolina BBQ Sauce

North Carolina BBQ Sauce is a tasty combination of tangy, spicy and sweet. It’s an easy recipe that adds a lot of flavor to shredded pork!

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North Carolina BBQ Sauce is a tasty combination of tangy, spicy and sweet.  It's an easy recipe that adds a lot of flavor to shredded pork!

I still remember the first time my father ordered a barbecue sandwich in North Carolina. One bite, and he was shocked – in fact offended might be a better word. You see, my father grew up in Texas. BBQ in Texas is very different than BBQ in North Carolina. Both types are delicious…but they are very, very different.

Barbecue sauces vary quite a bit by region in the United States. Texas-style BBQ sauce is typically tomato or ketchup based, and it’s a bit thicker. It goes great on top of smoked brisket. However, as you make your way east to the Carolinas, the taste of the barbecue sauce changes. Carolina-style BBQ sauce is thinner, and it’s often used as a mopping sauce to baste the meat while it cooks. The meat also changes from beef to pork.

North Carolina BBQ Sauce is a tasty combination of tangy, spicy and sweet. It's an easy recipe that adds a lot of flavor to shredded pork!

Carolina BBQ sauce relies heavily on vinegar with a little bit of molasses or brown sugar. Tomatoes typically don’t play a role in Carolina-style sauces. In parts of South Carolina, yellow mustard works it’s way into the sauce.

North Carolina BBQ Sauce

Today’s recipe focuses on North Carolina style bbq sauce. This sauce is vinegar-based, and it typically pairs with smoked pork. (Compare that to Texas’ version which is tomato-based and goes over smoked beef.) Did you know that North Carolina is the 3rd leading pork producer in the US? (Iowa is #1…by a huge margin.)

North Carolina BBQ Sauce is a tasty combination of tangy, spicy and sweet. It's an easy recipe that adds a lot of flavor to shredded pork!

This post focuses on actual North Carolina BBQ Sauce rather than smoked pork. (Click here for tips on making shredded pork in a smoker or in a slow cooker.) We always keep packs of pulled pork in the freezer, and this NC BBQ Sauce is a fun way to mix up the flavors when we’re in the mood.

As noted above, North Carolina BBQ Sauce is vinegar-based with a little bit of sugar to cut the acidity from the vinegar. I use brown sugar instead of granulated sugar, and then I add a few other spices for flavor. Oh, and hot sauce. The result is a spicy, tangy mixture that goes quite well when tossed with shredded pork!

North Carolina BBQ Sauce is a tasty combination of tangy, spicy and sweet. It's an easy recipe that adds a lot of flavor to shredded pork!

In addition to being used as a sauce for pulled pork, this North Carolina barbecue sauce can also be used as a marinade for chicken. We’ve brushed it on chicken breasts on the grill, and the result is fantastic! And if you happen to be smoking a pork shoulder, then use this sauce as a mopping sauce while the meat smokes. The sauce not only adds flavor, but the vinegar helps tenderize the meat as it cooks.

Since this sauce doesn’t contain any fresh ingredients, it has quite a long shelf life. As long as it is kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator, this sauce can be stored for up to 2 months. I do recommend making this sauce the day before you use it, though. Letting it rest overnight in the fridge will allow the spices to meld together better.

North Carolina BBQ Sauce is a tasty combination of tangy, spicy and sweet. It's an easy recipe that adds a lot of flavor to shredded pork!

If you’re looking for a tasty version of North Carolina’s iconic barbecue sauce recipe, then give this one a try. It’s different than ‘typical’ barbecue sauce that you find in the grocery store, but it’s delicious!

Did you make this North Carolina BBQ Sauce recipe at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!

North Carolina BBQ Sauce is a tasty combination of tangy, spicy and sweet. It's an easy recipe that adds a lot of flavor to shredded pork!

North Carolina BBQ Sauce

North Carolina BBQ Sauce is a tasty combination of tangy, spicy and sweet. It's an easy recipe that adds a lot of flavor to shredded pork!
5 from 3 votes
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Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Refrigeration Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 24 servings
Calories: 11kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Using a medium saucepan, add all of the ingredients; stir until well combined.
  • Place pan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
  • Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Remove sauce from heat and let cool to room temperature.
  • Transfer sauce into jar or bottles and refrigerate overnight.
  • Sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 months – just shake well before serving.

Notes

The hot sauce is an optional ingredient. Feel free to omit, or adjust to your own personal tastes.
North Carolina BBQ Sauce is a tasty combination of tangy, spicy and sweet. It's an easy recipe that adds a lot of flavor to shredded pork!

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18 Comments

  1. Cant wait to make this soon for me i never had north carolina bbq sauce before perfect for snacks love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work

  2. This sounds absolutely delicious! That tangy zing from two types of vinegar mixed in with hot sauce and sugar sounds downright tastebud tantalizing! I went to see G last weekend and she had a sriracha bbq sauce which she mixed with honey mustard. I gave it a taste and her concoction was so good! I need to make this and send it to her so she can make her concoction with it!

    1. This is definitely a tangy sauce! The heat builds from the hot sauce, but we absolutely loved it. (Of course, you could adjust the hot sauce to your personal preferences.) For sure send this to Little Shashi. I’d love to hear her thoughts! This is a classic North Carolina recipe, but I imagine it would go well with lots of foods.

  3. This is so intriguing! That’s a lot of vinegar and nothing else! I couldn’t even make it if my husband was in the house. But it sounds lovely.

    1. Haha – I get ya on the vinegar. I’m still a little iffy on the smell of it myself…especially when it’s heated. This is a classic North Carolina BBQ sauce, though. Very different than the bottled BBQ sauces in the store, but it still brings a lot of flavor!

  4. I don’t like BBQ sauce at all and never eat it. Then again I don’t eat anything that it would go with 🙂 But I think your sauce looks and sounds much more to my taste David!
    cheers
    sherry

    1. So this BBQ sauce is nothing at all like a traditional BBQ sauce. I would say give it a try, but if you don’t eat anything that BBQ sauce goes with, then that might be hard. Haha! Thanks, Sherry!

  5. 5 stars
    I love vinegar-based sauces! Well, I love vinegar, in general, so I know this would be a huge hit! And perfect timing for grilling season (though it’s cold here today). That won’t stop me from having a BBQ though. 🙂 So many delicious uses!!

    1. You and Laura would be fast friends as you both love vinegar! While I prefer Texas style BBQ sauce, I have gotten to where I can appreciate this version, too. Very different – but still very delicious. Definitely give this one a try soon! (And I hope the warm weather comes your way soon, too.)

    1. So to answer your question, Frank – yes and yes. You can absolutely baste the pork shoulder with this bbq sauce. Then once you shred the pork, you can add more sauce and toss it until well coated. This is how bbq is served in North Carolina – well at least if you’re looking for “North Carolina BBQ”. It’s different than traditional barbecue, but it’s quite tasty!

  6. I think I’ve had sauces like this while travelling. And I think I had a similar experience: at first, because what I think of as barbecue sauce is tomato-based, I’m shocked at it. But once you get past that expectation, it’s a really flavorful sauce.

    1. If you’ve travelled anywhere near North Carolina, then I’m sure you’ve stumbled across a similar sauce. It’s definitely a different type of sauce, and it’s almost a misnomer to call it “bbq sauce” but it still has great flavor!

  7. 5 stars
    What a delicious sauce! I love the simplicity of the ingredients too! I have some ribs sitting in the fridge… looks like I know what sauce to make!

    1. This is a fun – and unique – sauce, Michelle! If you like the tanginess of vinegar, then definitely put this on the list!

  8. 5 stars
    Thank you for sharing this delightful recipe! I can’t wait to give it a try and experience the authentic taste of North Carolina BBQ at home, this is will be a first for me

    1. North Carolina BBQ is a very different style (including the meat) from traditional Texas or Kansas City BBQ. But it’s delicious in its own right! Thanks, Raymund!

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