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    Carolina BBQ

    August 3, 2022 by sara 2 Comments

    It's the thick of summer right now, and that means grilling! Make yourself a batch of this Carolina BBQ and enjoy the tangy, mustardy, slight spicy flavors that South Carolina BBQ Sauce is known for!

    Jump to Recipe
    Straight on shot of a jar of Carolina BBQ Sauce with a spoon pouring sauce.

    Carolina BBQ sauce is one of the staple BBQ sauces out there. It seems like almost every region can claim a BBQ sauce, and while I do have a soft spot for the thick, sweet KC style, this mustardy BBQ sauce is my true favorite! It's regional to South Carolina - North Carolina sauce is more vinegary (although you'll find SC sauce in NC as well!).

    My favorite way to enjoy this sauce is on a pulled pork sandwich piled high with crunchy coleslaw, but it's also great over chicken, either grilled or pulled. It's also a great dipping sauce for steak fries!

    Regional BBQ Sauces

    There are a lot of different regional BBQ Sauces out there, but these are my favorites:

    • Kansas City BBQ: thick and sweet, tomato based
    • St Louis BBQ: very similar to KC BBQ, but a little thinner because of the addition of vinegar.
    • Texas BBQ: thinner, hearty, and smoky - full of flavor and usually used as a marinade rather than a condiment.
    • North Carolina Style BBQ: extremely vinegary - usually made with minimal ingredients, namely vinegar. It's delicious!
    • Alabama BBQ: Alabama sauce is a white, mayonnaise based sauce that's great with chicken, or for dipping!

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    To Serve with Pulled Pork BBQ

    • Lemon Pepper Fries
    • Chipotle Cheddar Cornbread
    • Esquites

    Ingredient List

    • Yellow Mustard
    • White Vinegar
    • Brown Sugar
    • Worcestershire Sauce
    • Hot Sauce
    • Salt and Pepper
    A shot of a bbq sandwich next to a dish of coleslaw with a jar of Carolina BBQ sauce in front.

    Tips and Tricks

    • This is a very forgiving sauce - if you like spice go ahead and add extra hot sauce - if you're a spice wimp like me, you can cut the hot sauce in half or leave it out entirely.
    • If you make this with pulled pork, you can add some of the de-fatted cooking liquid to the BBQ sauce for an extra shot of flavor.
    • A lot of Carolina BBQ sauces call for simmering the sauce - I don't find that to be necessary. This sauce comes together really well with all of the ingredients at their natural temperatures.

    FAQ's

    • How to store leftovers? Store any leftovers in an air-tight jar in the fridge for about 5-8 days. I wouldn't recommend freezing any leftovers.
    • You CAN heat the sauce up if you'd prefer it warm - just heat in a small saucepot over medium low heat until it reaches your desired temperature.
    • Do I have to use yellow mustard? Yellow mustard is the standard called for in this type of sauce. I personally wouldn't use a different kind, but some of the most delicious things I've made have come from substitutions, so you do you!
    Straight on shot of a jar of Carolina BBQ sauce with a spoon in it.

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    Carolina BBQ

    It's the thick of summer right now, and that means grilling! Make yourself a batch of this Carolina BBQ and enjoy the tangy, mustardy, slight spicy flavors that South Carolina BBQ Sauce is known for!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Servings 1.5 cups

    Ingredients
      

    • ½ Cup Yellow Mustard
    • ¼ Cup White Vinegar
    • ⅛ Cup Brown Sugar
    • ⅛ Cup Worcestershire Sauce
    • 1 tablespoon Hot Sauce (I prefer Frank's Red Hot)
    • Salt and Pepper

    Instructions
     

    • Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl, and whisk to combine.

    Notes

    Recipe adapted from America's Test Kitchen
    Recipe can be doubled easily.
    Keyword bbq, bbq sauce, carolina bbq, mustard
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Alan Hall

      August 13, 2022 at 2:42 am

      5 stars
      It is already available.
      It called Watasha #1 BBQ sauce. It is awesome sauce!

      Reply
      • sara

        August 14, 2022 at 3:42 pm

        I haven't had that yet! I'll have to look for it!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Sara! I’m a photographer, a recipe developer, and a blogger, but beneath it all, I’m just your average home cook.  I’m busy and I don’t always have time to spend hours in the kitchen.  I share quick, easy, and delicious meals that your family will love as much as mine does.  I taught myself to cook by trial and error.  Come along with me and I’ll help you get there too – hopefully with a little less “error” than I had!

    More about me →

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