North Carolina BBQ Sauce
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
So easy to make with pantry items on hand, this North Carolina BBQ Sauce is a thin, vinegar-based, spicy one and not a tomato or mustard based BBQ sauce. It’s a MUST on Carolina pulled pork, or as they as, simply barbecue!
What is North Carolina BBQ Sauce?
This is not your average BBQ sauce. While most barbecue sauces are tomato based with either a spicy or sweet flavor, this is a vinegar based BBQ sauce. It’s thin, not thick and with lots of pepper! It also doesn’t have any added smokey flavor.
Apple cider vinegar is the main ingredient with kosher salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes and the sweetness comes from brown sugar.
Ketchup add or no ketchup?
From what I’ve read, this recipe is East North Carolina-style and has no ketchup in the mix. West North Carolina style BBQ sauce has ketchup added, making it redder and sweeter. I myself enjoy them both, especially on my Pulled Pork. You pick and see what is your favorite.
The top one in the photo below is East North Carolina style and the bottom one is West North Carolina style sauce.
Carolinians it seems are one camp or the other when it comes to the ingredients in their BBQ sauce. Some won’t use it if it isn’t clear (no ketchup), some only use the redder, sweeter version.
Then there’s South Carolina! South Carolina has a Mustard BBQ Sauce and I love it on my South Carolina Ribs.
How to make North Carolina BBQ Sauce
- In a saucepan add apple cider vinegar, water, brown sugar, kosher salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes.
- Stir to dissolve the sugar and bring to a boil. Turn off heat, cover, and allow to steep for 15 minutes.
- Remove lid, stir and cool completely before using or storage.
- Refrigerate after using for up to 2 weeks (if it lasts).
Squeeze this stuff all over your next pulled pork sandwich and dig in! Enjoy!
North Carolina BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 cups apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup ketchup optional
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and stir. Bring to a boil, turn off heat, cover, and allow to steep for 15 minutes. Remove lid, stir and cool completely before using or storage. Refrigerate after using for up to 2 weeks (if it lasts).
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
This is an awesome sauce! I do omit the red pepper and use white vinegar instead of water. It’s definitely not a sweet sauce to me, the sugar just compliments the vinegar and the ketchup doesn’t make it tomatoey, just gives it some thickness, in my opinion. Thanks again for the awesome sauce!
So glad you enjoyed this one Natalie. Thanks for coming back to let me know. 🙂
My family is from North Carolina , this is the way we make bbq sauce. . A cube of butter , 1/2 C apple cider vinegar, red pepper flakes, Cayenne pepper to taste , salt & pepper and 1/2 C water . We do not add sugar . Good on chicken and pulled pork . We grill the chicken and the simmer in the sauce
Thanks for sharing your family version here Sue!
We also make our BBQ sauce without sugar and very similar. The primary difference is we rub our ribs with Dijon mustard (both sides), sprinkle heavily with granulated garlic (both sides) for a nice ring (or time permitting, use finely chopped garlic added to dijon instead of granulated garlic)then store overnight in refrigerator in large 2 gallon ziploc bags) to marinate. When adding to grill (or rack in oven) we cook over moist heat (large pan of water to help tenderize and cook evenly). An hour b4 cooking complete we mop with unsweeted NC BBQ sauce every 15 minutes until done and bones start to pull from rib meat.
This sounds amazing Karen! 🙂
Hi Kevin, I left a comment on the Carolina sauce recipe. I pretty much don’t comment, but I really felt that 1 star review wasn’t just mean, but pretty disgusting – why would you rate a sauce that’s obviously meant to be put on meats with such a large vinegar content?
Anyway, I mailed you because I’m pretty sure my post won’t be uploaded as it might be seen as a little toxic and I don’t want to effect the positive vibe on your site, and that’s absolutely fine. Just wanted to say the recipe is great AND balanced.
Thanks so much for you superb recipes – I do a lot of smoked BBQ and I’m based in the UK, to get an authentic sauce recipe like this is amazing and I’d appreciate any other US regional ones you can post up.
Kindest regards,
Paz.
Appreciate the kind words and feedback Paz, I don’t mind a healthy discussion and if things took a downward turn I would block and delete. I have lots of BBQ, Grilling, Smoking and sauces for you to try here on the site, so take a look around and have fun. Just use the search bar for anything specific and if you can’t find let me know and I will direct you or look into it for you! Cheers!
I had to add a 5 star, not just because this recipe is outstanding and something I’m going to use on probably most of my BBQ, but because the guy who 1 starred it really doesn’t deserve to use the damn recipe! Kevin – very gracious reply to the fool. To find your site and use your recipes is a privilege.
Appreciate the kind words and feedback Paz, I don’t mind a healthy discussion and if things took a downward turn I would block and delete. Enjoy and thanks for following along.
I live way up in northern Alberta and pulled pork is kinda new here. But I hate it. I hate that sticky gloppy barbecue sauce on the pork. I still want to taste the pork. Tomorrow is pulled pork with your sauce. I don’t really want it on bread. Any other suggestions? Definitely cole slaw (mine’s also vinegar based).
I love to have pulled pork over a good baked potato. Hope that sounds good!
Nice recipe, I would have to argue that ketchup doesn’t belong in a true ENC BBQ sauce. Only thing I add to my sauce is whole clove for a unique flavor.
Thanks for the clove tip Thomas!
How much do you add?
This is my first time making this kind of bbq sauce, but I tried it. I tasted it and the pepper almost killed me. My lips burned for 15 mins after. I’m just wondering if it really was supposed to be ONE TABLESPOON of pepper? I saw another recipe that was exactly like this but it was only one teaspoon of pepper. This wasn’t meant to be a bad review, I just wanted to make sure this portion was correct.
Mel a 1 star seems like a bad review in my eyes, but I have no issue leaving this comment up. The amount of red pepper flake in the recipe is written correctly. This is not one for the faint of heart.
I understand, maybe not a one star. Lol but I didn’t mean red pepper flakes. I was talking about black pepper. The recipe calls for one tablespoon of black pepper. That’s was I put in and it was the black pepper that was way to much when I tasted it. And I only really left a comment just to make sure this is sent an accident and someone else messes up the recipe and has to make it over.
It isn’t the kind of sauce you are supposed to “taste” on a spoon. You put it on pork to “taste” it. I used the full tablespoon of black pepper (freshly ground no less) and it tasted like home.
Thanks so much Kathryn, appreciate you stepping here. Yes, this is the real deal and some may not like it.
I think the issue here is that the 1 star reviewer doesn’t know what Eastern NC style BBQ sauce is, or how it is used (as @KathrynTT points out). As someone who has been eating this for many years, I tried this recipe and it is spot-on!
Thanks! Much appreciated!
Finally a N C Eastern BBQ sauce that tells you the ketchup is optional. I was born in Wilmington but grew up around Henderson and Elizabeth City. Every time I go home to visit I indulge in pulled pork North Carolina style with Cole slaw and Texas Pete. I take minced pork BBQ by the pints and freeze for my next whim back to Pennsylvania. I just made a whole pork shoulder into pulled pork and even though my husband likes the red stuff I want mine the vinegar and tangy kind. Thank you for your recipe.
Appreciate you taking the time to write and let me know!
Kevin, I find I am bookmarking your recipes with a plan to try them out as fast as you are providing them. Since it is BBQ season, this NC sauce is a must for me to try. I recently made some pulled pork BBQ that we will be soon enjoying and will be sure this is one of the offered sauces.
Love to read comments like this one Stan! Thanks so much. Grill On!
Vinegar based? Yes please! I’m obsessed with vinegar and put that in pretty much everything. I think I get that from mom because she enjoys it even more than me! This bbq sauce is a must to try this summer! Sounds delicious, Kevin 🙂
#FoodSoulMates 🙂