This traditional Eastern Carolina BBQ sauce is a tangy, vinegary treat best served over pulled pork. Also known as a mop sauce, don’t let its watery consistency fool you, it brings a depth of flavor to smoked meats that will bring you to your knees. Plus, it takes barely any time at all to make and keeps well.
Delicious Carolina BBQ Sauce
This Eastern North Carolina BBQ Sauce is one of those regional masterpieces that’s worth traveling for. It’s got a mildly sweet and tangy flavor thanks to a hint of dry mustard and lots of vinegar. Pair that with some heat from red pepper flakes, and you’re ready to fire up the smoker for a pig pickin and have all your friends over!
Don’t worry if you don’t have a smoker, you can make delicious pulled pork in your slow cooker.
In the Carolinas, we don’t have barbecues. BBQ refers to pulled pork not a cook-out. You don’t go to a bbq, you eat bbq. And when you eat bbq, you need some carolina sauce.
There are two kinds of North Carolina sauce. This recipe is from the eastern part of the state and is meant to be mopped—which quite literally means generously saturating meats with a thin sauce to retain moisture and add flavor. Western Carolina Sauce, has a little tomato sauce or ketchup added to it for a slightly sweeter sauce.
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While the seasonings might change a bit from one sauce to another, one thing you will not see in Eastern Carolina sauce is ketchup or tomato paste.
If you go to any bbq restaurant in the Eastern part of the state you’ll find a bottle of this on the table. Most people generously pour it over pulled pork. It is a watery sauce, nothing like its’ sweeter thicker cousin.
There is a third type of bbq sauce called Carolina Gold or South Carolina mustard bbq sauce. As the name indicates, it has mustard instead of ketchup.
My favorite way to use East Carolina BBQ sauce is poured over pulled pork that has been cooked in the slow cooker or smoked on the grill. It’s also great drizzled over pulled pork mac and cheese or on grilled chicken.
Serve this alongside all your favorite BBQ sides. The tangy flavor goes well with sweeter baked beans or creamy mac & cheese.
What’s The Difference Between Carolina and Texas BBQ Sauce?
Different sauces, different places, but always great barbecue. Carolina is a thin, vinegar-based sauce that gives meat flavor and moisture, while Texas or Kansas City Barbecue Sauce is a thick and sweet sauce made with brown sugar, tomato paste, and molasses. I use this type of sauce on ribs. Both are incredible to have on hand for all your summer cook out needs!
Why You Should Try This Regional Barbecue Sauce
- Sweet and Tangy – The combo of sweet Vidalia onion, apple cider, vinegar, and dry mustard makes this sauce a flavor bomb you’ll never forget.
- Natural Ingredients – No xanthan gum, artificial colors, or unpronounceable chemicals here. This sauce is made with fresh ingredients, vinegar, and spices—that’s it.
- Great Recipe – Full of pantry staples and just two steps needed. That’s what I call an easy recipe.
Ingredients For Carolina BBQ Sauce
Vinegar – This recipe calls for apple cider vinegar, but white vinegar will work in a pinch. You may need to adjust your spices to balance out the flavor.
Produce – A Vidalia onion, known for its sweet flavor, and fresh garlic are all you need.
Pantry Staples – Dry mustard, fresh thyme, sugar and a bay leaf.
How To Make the Eastern version
Step One: Combine Ingredients
Combine all ingredients, except the dry mustard in a saucepan. Bring to a boil then turn down and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.
Step Two: Strain and Store
Mix the dry mustard and water in a measuring cup and stir until dissolved. Temper the mustard sauce by adding a little of the hot vinegar mixture, then pour it all into the saucepan and stir to combine.
Strain it through a fine mesh strainer and store it in a mason jar in the refrigerator. It’ll be the consistency of water.
There’s nothing better than a pulled pork sandwich with carolina sauce drizzled over the pork and topped with some slightly sweet coleslaw. You can also just drizzle this over a plate of pulled pork, which is how it will be served in most bbq restaurants throughout the state.
How To Store BBQ Sauce
In The Fridge: Store in a sealed mason jar for up to three weeks after straining and cooling.
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Eastern Carolina-Style Barbecue Sauce for Pulled Pork
Ingredients
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup water
- ⅔ cup Vidalia onion finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon red pepper
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 Bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoons dry mustard
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except the dry mustard and 4 tablespoons of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil then turn down and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Mix the dry mustard and 4 tablespoons of water in a measuring cup and stir until dissolved. Add some of the hot vinegar sauce to the mustard mixture, then pour it into the saucepan and stir to combine. Pour it through a strainer and let it cool. Store in the refrigerator. It should be the consistency of water.
Barbara’s Tips + Notes
- Try mixing this with shredded cabbage for some red slaw.
- You can make it spicier by adding a pinch of cayenne or a teaspoon of hot sauce.
Nutrition
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