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    Home » Condiments & Dips

    South Carolina-Style BBQ Sauce

    Published: Sep 17, 2020 by Rebecca Eisenberg · Modified: Jun 7, 2022 · This post may contain affiliate links

    209 shares
    Jump to Recipe

    Hi hi hi I am so excited to share today's post because it's been a while since Jimmy's written a post for the blog and I finally got him to write down his South Carolina BBQ sauce recipe that is so good and I know you will love.

    When I think of BBQ sauce I think of the little square dipping sauces you get at most fast food chains. So I am not the best person to tell you about BBQ sauces and what makes South Carolina BBQ sauce so special.

    What I can tell you is that when Jimmy makes this sauce it's so freaking good I want to put it on everything. We've used it as pizza sauce, drizzled it over leftover carnitas for bbq tacos, and I even like to squeeze a zig-zag of it onto my grilled cheese sandwiches. Sometimes I even squeeze it on to tortilla chips as a treat, just because I can.

    an overhead shot of two plates on a white wooden counter. the top plate has a pulled pork sandwich and a zig zag of bbq sauce across it. the bottom plate has a split open bun with a hand is using a spoon to spread half the bun with bbq sauce. a bottle of bbq sauce lies on the counter next to the plates as does a small bowl of cole slaw.

    South Carolina BBQ sauce is a little sweet, a little tangy, not spicy at all, and just extremely, extremely good.

    So, without further ado, here's Jimmy.

    an ode to south carolina's bbq sauce

    by Jimmy

    When it comes to condiments, BBQ sauce is my favorite. I love ketchup, but my go-to sauce for dipping French fries or chicken tenders has always been of the BBQ variety.

    For most of my life, I assumed there was just one BBQ sauce (I grew up in Connecticut, don’t judge me). When my sister fell in love with a South Carolinian (good guy, love the accent), he introduced me to South Carolina’s version of BBQ sauce, and it was in that moment that I knew she had made the right choice of life partner.

    So here's what I know now: South Carolina BBQ sauce is a staple of low-country cooking (one of my favorite styles of cooking). It's great on pulled pork sandwiches and it is even more amazing on ribs. It's so good on pizza and as a dip for chips, soft pretzels, and Chex Mix chicken tenders.

    South Carolina's BBQ sauce is a perfect balance of tanginess and sweetness, with a zing of acidity that pairs well with the natural flavors of low and slow cooked meats. Which, if you ask me, is the best way to cook meat. Low and slow.

    in the foreground a tipped over bottle of south carolina bbq sauce has squeezed out a tiny bit of a sauce. in the background is an open face pulled pork bbq sandwich on a bun.

    South Carolina's BBQ sauces are also nothing like any of the other BBQ sauces in the country.

    Though barbecue might seem like a quintessentially "American" style of food, its origins are complicated by America's ugly history of colonialism and enslaving people for labor. The use of smoke and fire to cook and flavor food accompanied with a sweet and tangy sauce, most likely originated in the Caribbean. So you can probably guess how it made its way here.

    George Washington (often considered the forefather of Guy Fieri) frequently wrote about how much he loved attending barbecues, and he wasn't the only president to do so. And how did the people of the 13 colonies celebrate the end of the Revolutionary War? With barbecue parties. 

    As the practice of BBQ cooking spread throughout the colonies and expanding territories, the accompanying sauce evolved, picking up regional flavors as different cultures and populations added their own twists.

    an overhead shot of an open face pulled pork sandwich with a zig zag of bbq sauce over the pulled pork and red onion and coleslaw on the other half of the bun

    That's why, for example, Texas BBQ sauce often uses chili powders and spices common to southwestern and Mexican cuisine. Florida's BBQ sauces often have citrus flavors more common to Cuban food. Maryland's BBQ sauce is full of horseradish because the originally Catholic colony apparently just enjoys the experience of pain.

    And what did South Carolina have a lot of back then? Germans. And what do Germans love? Strict upholding of established rules and procedures... and mustard.

    Unlike most BBQ sauces, which have tomato or vinegar bases, South Carolina BBQ sauce uses a mustard base. If you’re the type of person who doesn’t like mustard and is about to stop reading, I’ve got a secret: neither do I.

    But I freaking love South Carolina-style BBQ sauces. In all their mustard-y glory. It's hard to find them in grocery stores here, so for the past few years I've been making my own.

    To soften the bitter sharpness of the mustard, I add honey and brown sugar, a little heat thanks to smoked paprika and other spices, and apple cider vinegar for some fruity acidity.

    It's my own way of taking something I don't like — mustard — and turning it into something that I really, really, really do. The end result is an amazing balancing act that will make you devour everything it touches.

    Practical Tips & Recipe Notes

    • This will have a spicy kick to it on the first day you make it. Letting it chill in the fridge overnight gives the flavors time to mellow and settle down slightly. If you don't have time to chill it overnight, use an ice bath to drop the temperature quickly.
    • There are a lot of kinds of dijon mustard out there, but this works best with one that has some sort of visible mustard seeds in it. It's up to you if you want to go with a whole grain or coarse ground variety.
    • If you're storing your BBQ sauce in a squeeze bottle, you'll need to snip the tip of the bottle big enough that the mustard seeds can fit through.
    an overhead shot of an open face pulled pork sandwich with a zig zag of bbq sauce over the pulled pork and red onion and coleslaw on the other half of the bun

    south carolina bbq sauce

    Rebecca Eisenberg
    This mustard based bbq sauce is sweet and tangy with just a bit of a kick. Make sure to let it cool in the fridge overnight to give the flavors time to mingle and mellow out a little.
    4 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved! Email
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Cooling Time 8 hrs
    Total Time 8 hrs 20 mins
    Course Condiment
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8 oz

    Equipment

    • Sauce pot
    • Funnel
    • Squeeze bottle (8 oz)

    Ingredients
      

    • ½ cup yellow mustard
    • ¼ cup dijon mustard with mustard seeds
    • ⅓ cup honey
    • ⅓ cup brown sugar (tightly packed)
    • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
    • 2 tablespoon ketchup
    • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (or Marmite, optional)
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
    • ½ teaspoon red pepper powder (or cayenne)
    • ½ teaspoon onion powder
    • ½ teaspoon seasoned salt (season all)
    • 1 dash hot sauce (optional)
    • freshly cracked black pepper (a few grinds)
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Combine all of the ingredients in a medium sauce pot over medium heat. Stir well to combine and break up and dissolve the brown sugar.
    • Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Then reduce to a simmer.
    • Simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    • Remove the pot from the heat and let cool slightly before transferring to an airtight bottle or jar.
    • Refrigerate overnight.

    RECIPE NOTES

    • If you're in a rush to use this BBQ sauce right away, transfer it to your preferred container and then place the container in an ice bath to cool it down quickly.

    YOUR NOTES

    Click here to add your own private notes. Only you can see these.
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and let me how it was!
    Condiments & DipsUnder 30 Minutes
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Larry D.

      October 13, 2020 at 4:33 pm

      4 stars
      There are a few very good commercial bottles sauces of the South Carolina type just described. And like the author, I could never stand mustard, either. But these two are excellent: Blue Front and Rub Some Butt. The former is made in South Florida and is available at Publix. The latter can be found on line and in Lowes Home Improvement stores.

      Reply
      • Rebecca

        October 13, 2020 at 6:55 pm

        Great intel! Thanks for sharing!

        Reply
    2. ANNA

      April 25, 2021 at 7:42 pm

      I'm kind of new to Carolina style barbecue sauce so I appreciate this post. I can already tell this is a 5 star recipe.

      Reply

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