This vinegar-based Carolina BBQ sauce has just five ingredients and is ready in ten minutes. It's perfect for slow-cooked ribs!
Back in 2013, I had amazing ribs at The Pit Restaurant in Raleigh, North Carolina. The ribs, lacking the sticky sweetness I expected, were slow-cooked in a vinegar-based Carolina BBQ sauce. This sauce is based on vinegar and hot sauce instead of tomatoes and sugar. It is thin, vinegary, and very different than the thick, sticky, and sweet BBQ sauce I was accustomed to. Back home, I developed my own version. Here's how to make it.
Ingredients
See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on some of the ingredients.
- Apple cider vinegar: The basis of this sauce. I really like its flavor, but red wine vinegar will work too.
- Hot pepper sauce: It can be as potent or as mild as you'd like. Although many will tell you that the classic hot sauce to use is Texas Pete, I prefer to use a hot sauce like Frank's, whose first ingredient is hot peppers rather than vinegar. I find it more flavorful.
- Seasonings: Smoked salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika. I highly recommend the smoked salt and paprika - they add a wonderfully smoky flavor to the sauce.
Variations
- For additional flavor and tang, add ½ teaspoon of dry mustard or a tablespoon of Dijon mustard.
- Sometimes, I add ½ teaspoon of garlic powder.
- To make it spicy, add ½ to 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
- Slow cooking caramelizes the meat and creates subtle notes of sweetness, even without adding a sweetener. But if you'd like, you can add 1-2 teaspoons of any sweetener (or the equivalent in stevia).
Instructions
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
Place all the ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.
Shake well to combine, or use a hand whisk to whisk everything together.
Let the sauce sit and rest for about 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. At this point, you can use the sauce immediately in a recipe or refrigerate it until ready to use and for up to two weeks. Shake the jar again before using.
Recipe Tips
- While you could mix the sauce and use it immediately, I highly recommend letting it rest for at least 30 minutes. This will allow the spices to better dissolve and the flavors to meld. Better yet, make it the day before you need it and refrigerate it. An overnight stay in the fridge will make it better and more flavorful.
- Don't worry about the vinegar base of this sauce. When you use it in a recipe, the slow cooking caramelizes the meat and the sauce, making it wonderfully tangy-sweet, though not as sweet as tomato-based sauces.
- Since this is a thin vinegar-based sauce, the spices will naturally settle during storage. Simply shake the jar well before each use.
Recipe FAQs
I don't recommend that, as the flavor will be too sharp and acidic. Apple cider vinegar adds a subtle fruity note that makes the sauce more balanced. If using distilled white vinegar, add a teaspoon of maple syrup to soften the acidity.
When you taste it straight from the jar, yes. That's exactly how this style of sauce is meant to taste. Once it's brushed onto meat and cooked, the vinegar mellows, and the finished dish becomes tangy rather than overwhelmingly sour.
No. Since all of the ingredients are ready to eat, there's no need to cook the sauce. Simply shake or whisk it together, let it rest, and use it as directed.
You can keep this sauce refrigerated in an airtight container for up to two weeks. Give it a good shake before using it.
Serving Suggestions
This sauce is perfect with pulled chicken, pulled pork, and the slow-cooked ribs shown in the photo below.
Last night, I made oven-baked ribs, but instead of using a tomato-based sugar-free BBQ sauce, I basted them with this vinegar-based sauce. The ribs were phenomenal! Fall-off-the-bone tender and so flavorful, with just the right amount of heat. They were not vinegary at all. They were delicious - just like those ribs at The Pit restaurant in 2013.
Recipe Card
Carolina BBQ Sauce
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
- 1 teaspoon smoked salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika - Nontraditional but good
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes - Optional, if you want it spicy
Instructions
- Place the vinegar, hot pepper sauce, smoked salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes (if using) in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.1 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce, 1 teaspoon smoked salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Shake well to combine. You can also whisk the ingredients by hand.
- Allow the sauce to rest for 30 minutes before using it to let the flavors meld. Whisk or shake the sauce again before using.
Notes
- If using this sauce for oven-baked ribs, use half the recipe.
- The slow cooking caramelizes the meat and creates subtle notes of sweetness, even without the addition of a sweetener. But if you'd like, you can add 1-2 teaspoons of any sweetener (I'm partial to maple syrup) or the equivalent in stevia.
- Seasonings, especially saltiness and sweetness, are just guidelines. Please adjust to taste.
- While you could mix the sauce and use it immediately, I highly recommend letting it rest for a minimum of 30 minutes. This will allow the spices to better dissolve and the flavors to meld.
- You can keep this sauce refrigerated in an airtight container for up to two weeks. Give it a good shake before using it.
Nutrition per Serving
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Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate - please verify it. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
Big John CHA says
Thank you for this most intriguing take on an Eastern NC vinegar sauce. I'll try it. It's gotta be good.
Vered DeLeeuw says
I hope you like it, John. 🙂