Create a Flavorful Feast With These 5 Regional Barbecue Sauces

Whether you like it hot and spicy or sweet and tangy, barbecue sauce is an essential ingredient for any barbecued meat. According to Eater, the barbecue sauce that you use today traces its roots back to the Carolinas, where people used combinations of liquids and spices to keep meat moist as it slow cooked over a wood grill. This basic sauce evolved over time, and today we have a range of regional barbecue sauces with their own distinctive flavor profiles. They're easy enough to make on your own, so the next time you fire up the grill, give your taste buds a treat by experimenting with one of these BBQ sauce recipes.

Tangy Eastern Carolina Sauce

North Carolina vinegar BBQ sauce comes from a simple BBQ sauce recipe that includes a combination of vinegar and spices. The watery consistency of this sauce makes it a perfect basting solution to keep the meat tender as it cooks.

Ingredients:

4 cups apple cider vinegar

4 tablespoons cayenne pepper

1/2 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon salt

Combine all ingredients in a non-metal bowl and let them rest for at least four hours before using.

South Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce

German immigrants to South Carolina brought with them a traditional combination of pork and mustard that still appears on tables across the region. Try this tangy, slightly sweet barbecue sauce recipe on pulled pork and hot dogs.

Ingredients:

1 cup prepared yellow mustard

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Whisk the ingredients together in a non-metal bowl until they are completely blended. Keep the sauce tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Creamy Alabama White Sauce

In northern Alabama, Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q replaced ketchup and mustard with mayonnaise to create a new style of sauce that locals think is the best BBQ sauce recipe around. Spread this creamy sauce on chicken before tossing it on the grill, or use it as a condiment or dipping sauce.

Ingredients:

1 cup mayonnaise

3/4 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Prepared horseradish to taste

Lemon juice to taste

Combine the measured ingredients in a bowl and whisk until well blended. Add horseradish and lemon juice to taste. You can store this in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Sweet and Smoky Kansas City Sauce

Kansas City BBQ sauce has a thicker consistency and sweeter flavor than its counterparts in the South. The addition of molasses and ketchup balances spicy peppers and tangy vinegar to produce a sauce that pleases a variety of palates.

Ingredients:

2 cups ketchup

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup molasses

2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon salt

2 tablespoons black pepper

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pan. Cook over high heat until the mixture starts to boil. Reduce the heat and let the sauce simmer until it thickens. Stir frequently. As soon as the sauce cools completely, transfer to the refrigerator and store up to two weeks.