You can make this Carolina Vinegar BBQ Sauce in five minutes! You'll love this tangy, flavorful sauce on pulled pork, chicken, ribs, steak and chops! Pour it over roasts in the slow cooker, use it as a mop sauce or drizzle it on your meal.
I have a confession. I've been making pulled pork with this Carolina Vinegar BBQ Sauce for years and only recently discovered it's AWESOME on chicken, chops and more.
Hello, spicy, tangy, vinegar goodness! You won't find any ketchup or tomato base here. This is an Eastern North Carolina BBQ sauce.
It tenderizes meats and adds deep flavor with some sweet heat. You can use it by itself or with a spice rub. You can pour it over roasts in a Crockpot, mop meat with it while cooking in the smoker (affiliate link) or on the grill, and drizzle some onto your meal as a finishing sauce.
Goodbye, dry, bland food!
Recipe ingredients
Apple Cider Vinegar: This brings a slightly sweet, fruity flavor to our vinegar-based BBQ sauce. You could substitute distilled white vinegar if needed.
Worcestershire Sauce: This adds deep, umami flavor to the vinegar sauce. Use the Lea & Perrins brand (affiliate link) for the best taste. It also happens to be gluten-free, unlike some other brands.
Red Pepper Flakes: These add a kick of heat to Carolina-style BBQ sauce. I don't find the amount here to be overpowering, just pleasantly spicy. You can always adjust the heat to your liking.
How to make it
See the card at the end of this post for the full recipe, but here's an overview.
- Whisk the vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, sugar and seasonings in a medium saucepan.
- Heat on medium while whisking until the sugar is dissolved and the sauce is heated through. It should take 2-3 minutes.
Recipe tip
- You can adjust the level of spicy heat by reducing or increasing the amount of red pepper flakes. Or, you can strain the vinegar pepper sauce to remove the flakes before pouring the sauce onto your serving.
What to serve with it
Vinegar tenderizes meat, so this flavorful Carolina barbecue sauce works wonders on pork, beef, poultry or lamb. Besides using it for pulled pork or pulled chicken, try pouring some on ribs in the Crockpot, on a chuck roast, steak or lamb chops. It'll make wild meat taste less "gamey."
You can add the vinegar BBQ sauce before cooking meat, wait until afterward, or do both. You can even drizzle it on leftovers out of the fridge before reheating them.
It's absolutely fabulous on leftover roasted chicken thighs and poured over long-grain rice.
Try drizzling it on turkey meat for a juicy sandwich or on hamburgers with homemade buns.
Frequently asked questions
Since this North Carolina Vinegar BBQ Sauce is very acidic and doesn't contain ingredients requiring refrigeration, you can store it in a mason jar at room temperature.
This sauce will be shelf-stable as long as you use it within the expiration date of the Worcestershire sauce it contains. Check the expiration date on the bottle before making this recipe.
Vinegar doesn't go bad, but after its expiration date, it may not taste as good. So, it's a good idea to use vinegar that's not about to expire when making this sauce.
More recipes to try
- 3-Ingredient BBQ Sauce
- Cheddar-Stuffed Meatloaf
- Glazed Pork Tenderloin
- BBQ Chicken Breasts in the Oven
- Turkey Chili with Black Beans
Enjoy!
If you try this North Carolina Vinegar BBQ Sauce recipe, please leave a comment and a rating!
Carolina Vinegar BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 cups apple cider vinegar
- â…” cup Worcestershire sauce (preferably Lea & Perrins for best taste, and it's gluten free)
- 4 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
- 4 teaspoons granulated sugar (or use monk fruit sweetener for a keto option)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a medium saucepan and whisk to combine. Heat uncovered, over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved and the sauce is heated through. (It should take 2-3 minutes).
- Let the vinegar BBQ sauce cool. Place it in a mason jar or sealed container and store at room temperature. The sauce will stay good as long as the expiration date on the Worcestershire sauce you used for this recipe.
Notes
- You can adjust the level of spicy heat by reducing or increasing the amount of red pepper flakes. Or, you can strain the vinegar pepper sauce to remove the flakes before pouring the sauce onto your serving.
- Since sauce is very acidic and doesn't contain ingredients requiring refrigeration, you can store it in a mason jar at room temperature.
Nutrition
(Recipe Source: Cooking with Mamma C)
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