This western North Carolina BBQ sauce recipe is a vinegar-based sauce and a departure from thick, sugary sauces. Rooted in North Carolina's Piedmont region, it's the perfect companion to pulled pork, smoked chicken, or even a grilled burger.
Bold, balanced, and ready in under 20 minutes using simple ingredients you likely already have on hand, this is a sauce you need in your life. After one taste, you'll see that it's as versatile as it is delicious.
Unlike its Eastern North Carolina bbq sauce cousin, which is all vinegar and spice, this Western-style version adds a touch of ketchup and brown sugar for color, body, and a smooth, sweet finish.
It’s fast, pantry-friendly, and deeply flavorful. You also don’t need whole hog barbecue to enjoy it—just whip up a batch and drizzle it on your favorite barbecue, grilled brats, ribs, or sandwiches. Trust me, it’s a must-have in your barbecue rotation.
Barbecue in the Carolinas is as much about the sauce as it is the meat. And if you’ve never tried a vinegar-based BBQ sauce before, this is a great entry point. It’s simple, quick, and is undeniably delicious—especially when it hits that crispy bark on a slow-smoked pork shoulder.
This tangy sauce begs for pulled pork and makes the most amazing sandwich. Serve it with your favorite coleslaw, some pickles, and banana pudding for dessert and I'm a happy girl.
Or, go all-out and make the ultimate barbecue platter: a few sweet and sour ribs, braised collard greens, smoked gouda mac and cheese, some refrigerator pickled onions, creamy macaroni salad, and a giant scoop of blackberry peach cobbler. Oh yeah, that's the stuff!
Don’t be afraid to make it your own, either. Want it spicier? Add more hot sauce or a pinch of cayenne. Prefer it a little more mellow? Stir in a splash of apple juice or a touch more brown sugar. Once you have the base recipe down, you can tweak it to suit whatever you're cooking—or whoever you're feeding.
So, have I convinced you yet? Let's get to it!
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Ingredients
Before we get started, let's gather the ingredients we need for this western Carolina bbq sauce:
- apple cider vinegar
- ketchup
- dark brown sugar
- hot sauce
- Worcestershire sauce
- ground mustard
- onion powder
- freshly ground pepper
- kosher salt
(See recipe card for quantities.)
Instructions
Now that we've got our ingredients, it's time to get cooking!
- First, combine the vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, ground mustard, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a small saucepan.
- Then, cook over medium-low heat until the sugar is dissolved and the sauce is slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a jar and let cool completely.
Hint: Taste as you go. Vinegar-based sauces are punchy so you may want to adjust the sweetness or spice to your liking before cooling. Remember that it'll mellow out too once you pair it with your favorite barbecue.
Hint #2: This Western Carolina style barbecue sauce is also fantastic stirred into shredded rotisserie chicken for a fast sandwich or used as a dipping sauce for smoked sausage links. If you’ve got leftovers (unlikely!), try using it as a mop sauce to baste roasted vegetables, or stir it into mayonnaise for a delicious zippy sandwich spread or dip for chicken tenders.
Substitutions
Need to make some ingredient swaps? Here are some suggestions:
- Apple Cider Vinegar - For this recipe, the vinegar is the star so I recommend using a mild vinegar. Rice vinegar is the best substitute. You can also use white vinegar in a pinch although it's much sharper in flavor, so you will likely want to add more sugar to balance it out. If you're out of all of the above, try white wine vinegar with a splash of apple juice for a more rounded flavor.
- Ketchup - Tomato paste mixed with a little water and sugar is a good swap for ketchup. Just keep in mind that ketchup also brings acidity and salt to the table, so you may need to tweak the vinegar and salt slightly if substituting.
- Dark Brown Sugar - Light brown sugar will work great in this recipe. In a pinch, you could use honey or maple syrup for a different kind of sweetness and depth. Each will slightly alter the flavor, but in a delicious way.
- Hot Sauce - Use your favorite brand or add a little cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes instead. Crystal and Texas Pete (my favorite) are classic options, and both add just the right vinegary heat.
- Ground Mustard - If you don't have ground mustard, you can use 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard or Dijon mustard instead.
Variations
Here are even more ways to change up this Carolina barbeque sauce recipe:
- Spicy - To give this more of a kick, increase the hot sauce or add ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper.
- Smoky - Give this barbecue sauce a hint of smokiness by stirring in ½ teaspoon smoked paprika.
- Garlicky - If garlic is your thing, add 1 to 2 cloves minced garlic or ¼ teaspoon garlic powder.
- Super Sweet - Want it sweeter for kids or guests who aren’t big vinegar fans? Add a tablespoon of molasses or honey for a smooth finish that mellows out the acidity.
- Citrusy - Add a strip of orange peel while the sauce simmers for a subtle citrus note. It’s especially good when paired with smoked turkey or grilled shrimp.
Equipment
Here's the equipment you'll need to make this Carolina vinegar barbecue sauce recipe:
- liquid measuring cup
- dry measuring cup
- measuring spoons
- small saucepan
- whisk
Storage
To refrigerate: Store leftovers in a sealed jar or airtight container for up to 3 weeks.
To freeze: Freeze in small portions in a freezer-safe container (ice cube trays work great!) for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge and stir well before using.
Tasty Tip
Since this Western Carolina-style sauce is highly acidic from its vinegar base, you'll want to cook in a non-reactive pan to avoid imparting a metallic flavor into the sauce. This is not the recipe to use your cast-iron cookware.
Frequently asked questions
It's very closely related! Western NC BBQ sauce is often called Lexington dip—it includes vinegar, ketchup, and sugar.
It is. Just make sure to double-check your Worcestershire sauce brand since some can contain gluten.
For sure. It’s great for marinating pork, chicken, or even tofu before grilling. Because it is very acidic though, don't marinate for too long. Doing so will break down the meat and cause it to become mushy.
Add a little water or apple juice to reduce the acidity of the sauce.
Fatty and rich meats are really great with this sauce. The vinegar is just the thing for cutting through it. Pulled pork butt is my favorite pairing. This sauce is also great for basting ribs.
This sauce shines when served warm or at room temperature in a squeeze bottle or small mason jar. It’s perfect for setting out buffet-style so guests can drizzle it on pulled pork, grilled chicken, or even burgers and hot dogs. Bonus tip: Set up a barbecue sauce smorgasbord and add my white bbq sauce and South Carolina mustard sauce (Carolina Gold) to the mix.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with barbecue sauce pulled pork sandwiches:
🍽Get the recipe
Western North Carolina Style Vinegar Barbecue Sauce
Equipment
- liquid measuring cup
- dry measuring cup
- measuring spoons
- small saucepan
- whisk
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup ketchup
- 6 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a small or medium saucepan.
- Simmer over medium-low heat until the sugar is dissolved and the sauce is slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a jar and let cool. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- Simmer Low and Slow: Don’t rush the cooking—it helps the flavors meld and the sugar dissolve fully.
- Taste As You Go: Vinegar sauces are potent—adjust the sweetness or spice to your liking before cooling.
- Let It Rest: Cooling allows the sauce to thicken slightly and flavors to round out.
- Double Batch It: Make extra and store for it later—it keeps well and you’ll use it more than you think.
- Use Non-Reactive Cookware: Stick to stainless steel or enameled pots to avoid metallic flavors. This is not a recipe to use your cast-iron.
RECIPE GUIDELINES AND TEST KITCHEN TIPS
When developing and testing recipes, here are some key things that I do for more success in the kitchen:
- Be sure to use dry measuring cups for things like flour, sugar, and mayonnaise and a liquid measuring cup for things like water, milk, and broth.
- When measuring dry ingredients like flour and powdered sugar that can pack down, spoon the ingredient into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife as opposed to scooping the measuring cup into the ingredient.
- I test and develop recipes using a standard electric oven and standard gas stovetop. Be aware that if you use an electric stovetop or convection oven, your bake times will be different.
- When recipes call for kosher salt, I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
FOOD SAFETY
Don't forget to keep these food safety tips in mind when making this recipe:
- Cover and refrigerate any leftovers--don't let them hang out at room temperature for too long.
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove.
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