Barbecue is a beloved food in the United States, and with it comes a variety of regional sauces that give each area its unique flavor. From the vinegary sauces of the Carolinas to the sweet and tangy flavors of Kansas City, there’s a barbecue sauce for every taste. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the different types of regional barbecue sauces and a recipe for how to make them.
Alabama White Sauce BBQ Sauce
Original Recipe
Alabama white sauce is a tangy and creamy sauce that’s perfect for chicken. Here’s what you’ll need:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Directions:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar, lemon juice, black pepper, salt, sugar, and cayenne pepper until smooth.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using.
East North Carolina BBQ Sauce
Original Recipe
East North Carolina barbecue sauce is a classic vinegar-based sauce that’s perfect for pork. Here’s what you’ll need:
Ingredients:
- 2 cups apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon salt
Directions:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, red pepper flakes, and salt until well combined.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using.
West North Carolina BBQ Sauce
Original Recipe
West North Carolina barbecue sauce is a milder version of the East Carolina sauce, thanks to the addition of ketchup and brown sugar. Here’s what you’ll need:
Ingredients:
- 2 cups apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon salt
Directions:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, and salt until well combined.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using.
South Carolina BBQ Sauce
Original Recipe
South Carolina barbecue sauce is a mustard-based sauce that’s perfect for pork or chicken. Here’s what you’ll need:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup yellow mustard
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Directions:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and black pepper until well combined.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using.
Florida BBQ Sauce
Original Recipe
Florida barbecue sauce is a unique combination of vinegar, citrus, and spices that’s perfect for fish or chicken. Here’s what you’ll need:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Directions:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, orange juice, lime juice, lemon juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, honey, salt, and black pepper until well combined.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using.
Baltimore BBQ Sauce
Original Recipe
Baltimore-style barbecue is all about the pit beef sandwich, which is grilled rather than smoked. This sandwich is traditionally served up with a creamy horseradish sauce. The spicier the sauce, the better! Baltimore BBQ sauce is creamy and tangy, with a little bit of heat from the horseradish. It’s perfect for grilled beef or pork.
To make Baltimore-style BBQ sauce, you’ll need:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup prepared horseradish
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Kansas City BBQ Sauce
Original Recipe
When you think of traditional barbecue sauce, it’s probably Kansas City-style. This sweet and tangy sauce can contain more than a dozen ingredients, but it always starts with a tomato or ketchup base and includes brown sugar or molasses as a sweetener. It’s good on everything, but it’s especially tasty on a rack of ribs. Because of the high sugar content, you’ll want to use this sauce after cooking so it doesn’t burn.
To make Kansas City-style BBQ sauce, you’ll need:
- 2 cups ketchup
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and the flavors have melded together. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Use as a glaze or dipping sauce for your favorite grilled or smoked meats.
St. Louis BBQ Sauce
Original Recipe
St. Louis barbecue sauce is similar to Kansas City (hey, they’re both from Missouri), but it’s thinner because of the addition of vinegar, which also tames down the sweetness quite a bit. It has a sweet-and-sour flavor with a kick of spice, and its lower sugar content means it can be used while the meat cooks without fear of the sauce burning.
To make St. Louis-style BBQ sauce, you’ll need:
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and the flavors have melded together. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Use as a glaze or dipping sauce for your favorite grilled or smoked meats.
Oklahoma BBQ Sauce
Original Recipe
Oklahoma barbecue is a combination of Texas meats and Kansas City-style sauce. The sauce is heavy with ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and sweet-and-tangy flavors, making it a perfect accompaniment to cut through the fat of a barbecued beef brisket. To make Oklahoma BBQ sauce, you’ll need:
- 2 cups ketchup
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Mix all of the ingredients together in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool before using.
Memphis BBQ Sauce
Original Recipe
Many people will tell you that Memphis barbecue is served without sauce. They use a dry rub on their ribs to give it plenty of flavor from the get-go. However, others swear by “wet” rubbed ribs, which uses a barbecue sauce that’s thinner than Kansas City but sweeter than St. Louis. To make Memphis BBQ sauce, you’ll need:
- 2 cups ketchup
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Salt and pepper to taste
Mix all of the ingredients together in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool before using.
Nashville BBQ Sauce
Original Recipe
East Tennessee is split between two barbecue styles: the tangy, vinegar-forward sauce of the Carolinas and the sweet versions that come from Memphis and St. Louis. Nashville BBQ sauce is a smokier version of the sauces from surrounding areas. To make Nashville BBQ sauce, you’ll need:
- 2 cups ketchup
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Salt and pepper to taste
Mix all of the ingredients together in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool before using.
Texas BBQ Sauce
Original Recipe
Texas barbecue sauce is thinner than most other barbecue sauces, and it’s often used as a marinade or basting sauce rather than a condiment. The sauce is made with a combination of bold, flavorful ingredients that are designed to complement the meat rather than overpower it. Some of the key ingredients in Texas barbecue sauce include:
- Meat drippings: In Texas, barbecue sauce is often made with the drippings from the meat being cooked. This gives the sauce a rich, meaty flavor that’s hard to replicate with other ingredients.
- Cumin: This smoky spice is a staple in Texas barbecue sauce and gives it a distinctive flavor.
- Hot sauce: Texas barbecue sauce is known for its heat, and hot sauce is often used to give it that extra kick.
- Chili powder: This ingredient adds depth and complexity to the sauce, as well as a bit of heat.
- Garlic: A classic barbecue sauce ingredient, garlic is used to add flavor and aroma to the sauce.
- Worcestershire sauce: This ingredient adds a tangy, umami flavor to the sauce that complements the meat nicely.
One of the most important things about Texas barbecue sauce is that it’s designed to enhance the flavor of the meat rather than mask it. This is why the sauce is thin and used as a marinade or basting sauce. It allows the meat to shine through while still providing a delicious flavor that’s unique to Texas barbecue.
Making Texas barbecue sauce is relatively easy, and there are many different recipes to choose from. Here’s a basic recipe that you can use to get started:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Combine all of the ingredients in a saucepan and whisk to combine.
- Heat the sauce over medium heat until it comes to a simmer.
- Reduce the heat and let the sauce simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the sauce from the heat and let it cool to room temperature.
- Use the sauce as a marinade or basting sauce for your favorite Texas-style barbecue.
Barbecue sauce is an essential component of American barbecue cuisine, and each region has its own unique twist on this classic condiment. From the tangy vinegar-based sauces of the Carolinas to the sweet and smoky flavors of Kansas City, to the hearty and spicy flavors of Texas, each regional barbecue sauce has its own distinct personality and taste.
As barbecue continues to evolve and grow in popularity, it’s exciting to see how new flavors and techniques are being incorporated into traditional barbecue sauces. Whether you prefer a classic, no-frills sauce or a more innovative and adventurous blend, there’s a barbecue sauce out there that will satisfy your taste buds and enhance your barbecue experience.
So, next time you fire up the grill or head out to your favorite barbecue joint, be sure to sample the different regional barbecue sauces and discover what makes each one so special. You may just find a new favorite sauce that takes your barbecue game to the next level.
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