Food and Recipes Entertaining Ideas & Tips 10 Award-Winning Southern BBQ Sauce Recipes By Robert F. Moss Robert F. Moss Robert F. Moss writes about food, drink, and travel. Based in Charleston, South Carolina, he is the Contributing Barbecue Editor for Southern Living and the author of five books on food culture and culinary history. Connect with him on Instagram and Twitter, as well as at robertfmoss.com. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on July 27, 2024 Close Photo: Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox Depending on your protein, or even your postal code, BBQ sauce recipes will likely vary from person to person. For those of us who love poultry, North Alabama's vinegary white BBQ sauce can't be beat when drizzled over freshly smoked chicken. If your favorite smoked meat happens to be tender pulled pork, we suggest eating it like a South Carolinian with a generous serving of a spicy mustard-based sauce. And if you can't get enough of ribs and brisket, try our thick tomatoey Kansas City-style barbecue sauce that's robust enough even for beef. Whatever you prefer, you're sure to find a recipe you'll love with these easy and delicious homemade barbecue sauces. 01 of 10 South Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox This simple sauce has only six ingredients and is super easy to make. It's slightly sweet from brown sugar and honey, almost like honey-mustard, and just a touch spicy from cayenne and black pepper. Get The Recipe 02 of 10 Eastern North Carolina Vinegar BBQ Sauce Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox This sauce is made with only four ingredients and truth be told, it's mostly vinegar. It requires no cooking and just a little patience while it sits for at least four hours so that the spices can infuse. Get The Recipe 03 of 10 Texas-Style BBQ Sauce Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Prissy Lee Montiel Texas barbecue is in a league of its own. The state is serious about ribs and brisket, but it also has its own formula for barbecue sauce as well. Ketchup-forward and slightly spicy, this Texas-style sauce is full of savory flavor thanks to Worcestershire sauce and cumin. Get The Recipe 04 of 10 Alabama White BBQ Sauce Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox Use this vinegary, piquant North Alabama specialty as both a basting and finishing sauce on smoked or grilled chicken. Get The Recipe 05 of 10 Homemade BBQ Sauce Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox The beauty of this homemade BBQ sauce is its versatility. It can serve as a marinade, basting liquid, condiment, or finishing sauce for pork, beef, or chicken. Get The Recipe 06 of 10 Kansas City BBQ Sauce Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Prissy Lee Montiel This sauce is thick and spicy with dynamic layers of flavor from chili powder and cayenne pepper. It's also a pretty rusty orange color that glazes anything from brisket to ribs beautifully. Get The Recipe 07 of 10 Sweet-and-Spicy Barbecue Sauce Hector Sanchez With spice from jalapeño and crushed red pepper, plus sweetness from honey and dark brown sugar, this sauce hits all the right notes. Get The Recipe 08 of 10 Honey Barbecue Sauce Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Cat Steele If you like your 'cue sweet, then this is the sauce for you. This quick Honey Barbecue Sauce also includes lemon for a touch of acidity to balance the honey. Get The Recipe 09 of 10 Coca-Cola BBQ Sauce Southern Living Your favorite soft drink is the secret ingredient in this multi-dimensional BBQ sauce. Try it on ribs or even sliders. Get The Recipe 10 of 10 Memphis BBQ Sauce Greg Dupree The secret to this sweet and tangy sauce? Molasses! Get The Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit