Carolina BBQ sauce (apple cider vinegar bbq sauce) is perfect for pulled pork. This low carb recipe has a vinegary-peppery taste tempered with a subtle sweetness.
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While I grew-up eating Southwest food and my mom’s Italian recipes… my husband dined on southern staples like southern green beans, biscuits, and pulled pork with Carolina BBQ sauce. Over the years we’ve shared our childhood favorites with each other and are better for it!
Carolina BBQ Sauce
BBQ is one of the great pleasures of the backyard cook. The term bar-be-que means different things to different people.
In upstate New York (where my parents are from) BBQ is a verb, and refers to cooking something on the grill.
When I was a kid, BBQ meant grilled chicken slathered with a semi-sweet tomato based sauce.
Down South, where my husband is from, BBQ is a noun meaning pulled-pork or pulled-chicken which is cooked in a crock pot or cooked low-and-slow on a grill/smoker.
You can almost tell from which region of the U.S. a person is from by the style of BBQ sauce they prefer. To my knowledge there are 5 traditional styles of U.S. BBQ sauce:
- Sticky-sweet Kansas City BBQ Sauce
- Less-sweet, tomato based Texas BBQ Sauce
- Apple cider vinegar BBQ sauce or North Carolina BBQ Sauce
- Mayonnaise based Alabama White Sauce
- South Carolina Sweet Mustard BBQ Sauce
If you haven’t had Carolina BBQ sauce or “thin BBQ sauce” it’s a vinegar condiment most often found in North Carolina.
There are almost as many recipes for it as there are cooks! But, they all start with apple cider vinegar.
Carolina Sauce for Pulled Pork – The Perfect Marriage
Let’s be honest, pulled pork is succulent with fat and the vinegary Carolina sauce is a great foil. Its intense acidity cuts the fat in the meat much like adding malt vinegar to fried fish does. It perks up the taste buds for sure!
Some versions of vinegar BBQ sauce are more pungent than others. In this Carolina BBQ sauce recipe I strived for balance.
How to Make Carolina BBQ Sauce
Many homemade Carolina BBQ sauce recipes are short and simple; vinegar, a little sugar, salt and pepper, and maybe some red pepper flakes for heat. Simmer the ingredients until the sugar and salt dissolve. Cool, then store in a jar or a squeeze bottle. Shake before use. Any additional ingredients than what’s listed above is considered fancy!
I prefer to temper the acidity by adding balance to the sauce with a little more sweetener. Cayenne pepper adds subtle heat and a little ketchup adds body.
This version of Carolina style bbq sauce may appeal to those who are used to the sticky sweet bbq sauces found in the grocery store. Try it on pulled chicken, too!
Carolina BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup water
- 3 tbsp Low carb brown sugar (coconut sugar or brown sugar if not low carb)
- 1 tbsp Low sugar ketchup (reduced sugar or regular ketchup)
- 1 dash Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 tsp granulated garlic
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into a small pot and heat until it comes to a boil. Cool and place into a lidded jar or a squeeze bottle. Refrigerate up to two weeks. Shake before using. Tastes better the next day.
- Makes 1 cup. Serves 4.
Nutrition
Easy Pulled Pork (low carb, crock pot)
Quick question:
Refrigerate up to two weeks. – What does this mean in the instructions above?
Does it go bad after two weeks?
Thank you! I am making this tonight. : )
Hi Josh. It never lasts longer than two weeks at my house so I don’t know if it lasts longer. Since it’s vinegar based it should last at least 2 weeks, but i don’t know about beyond. You could always freeze half if you don’t use it fast enough. -Kim
I’m a NC native living in Texas, so I was looking for an authentic NC bbq sauce. This one is close, like 90+%, but still missing the key ingredient of red pepper flakes and something else but not sure what. Doesn’t matter. Great recipe – very delish! On my second batch I substituted a sugar-free bbq sauce (I didn’t have sugar-free ketchup), and it was still banging. Thanks Kim!
Should this sauce thicken up?
Hi Diane. Carolina style barbecue sauce is a thin, vinegar sauce. If you’d prefer a more standard BBQ sauce, try my keto BBQ sauce recipe. Readers seem to like it. -Kim
How do you serve the sauce? Are you soaking the meat in it or just sprinkling some on?
You mix it into the pulled pork to taste; either the whole amount of pulled pork or serve it on the table for people to pour over their pulled pork. -Kim
This is quite possibly the most amazing sauce I’ve ever had… The flavor is SO good!! My husband licked his plate, and my 8 year old declared it is better than ketchup (still shocked at that one). Thanks for sharing this one!!!
Hooray! -Kim
I grew up a town away from Lexington NC. I can go on and on about my snobbery towards BBQ from other parts of the state, but I digress.
I needed a find a good keto version of vinegar BBQ sauce and this one hits the spot. I just made it an hour ago and it tastes like it’s a couple days. Keto BBQ wraps w/ this sauce and some fresh pepper jack. Thanks for the recipe!
PS- Is granulated garlic the same as garlic powder?
Hi Chris. I’m thrilled you like the sauce and I won’t hold your snobbery against you! Lol. Granulated garlic is a little more coarse than garlic powder. You may want to use a little less garlic powder if a recipe calls for granulated garlic. Other than that, they are basically the same. -Kim
Made the recipe and followed instructions completely any one know why it came out thin and watery.. Smelt alot more vingery then normal for sauce..
Hi Tanja. This is a thin and vinegary BBQ Sauce in the Carolina style. My husband’s family makes it very thin like the recipe I shared. If you are looking for a thicker and more sweet BBQ sauce, I would use this recipe for Keto BBQ Sauce. It gets great reviews. -Kim
I just made this sauce for a pulled pork I smoked yesterday. This sauce is great! A perfect combination of sweet & tart. Very good.
I smoked a nice 8 lbs Boston butt today. I never had a Carolina sauce. My wife and I are hooked. Thank you for this recipe it’s a go to from now on in our house. I even made a batch for the kids (no heat) and two of the four liked it.
Hi Sidney. Carolina BBQ sauce is different than thick, sweet sauce most of us are familiar with, but it’s awesome. I’m glad you and your wife like it. And, having 2 of 4 kids like it on the first try is pretty great. Have a nice week. Be well. -Kim
Nice tangy sauce for pulled pork. I used Swerve instead of sukrin, but I am sure they were comparable. Probably will explore of the bbq sauces for ribs, etc, but this was perfect for the pulled pork.
WOW!!!
I’m not a big fan of pulled pork, although my husband is.
Now that I’ve tried your sauce I won’t make anything else. I don’t particularly like the heavy smoked sauces and yours is the perfect blend of tart, sweet, smoky but not overpowering and I love the hint of heat.
Absolutely delicious!! Makes my mouth water just typing this.
So glad I found your recipe
I’m thrilled you like the sauce, Alison! I don’t like the thick sauces on pulled pork either. Make sure to put the leftover pork into an avocado half or in bell peppers – so good! I have recipes for them if you want to take a look for inspiration! Enjoy your week. -Kim
Looks yummy, thanks for all the good stuff.
My pleasure, Julia. -Kim