Food and Recipes Party Food and Drink 10 Award-Winning Southern BBQ Sauce Recipes By Southern Living Editors Southern Living Editors Since 1966, the editors of Southern Living have been carrying out the mission of the brand: to bring enjoyment, fulfillment, and inspiration to our readers by celebrating life in the South. We inspire creativity in their homes, their kitchens, their gardens, and their personal style. We are a friend they can trust, a guide to the seasons, a helping hand during the holidays, and a relentless champion of the Southern way of life. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on November 22, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Hector Sanchez Take it from our Test Kitchen, there are more than just a few ways to make a delicious homemade BBQ sauce and depending on your protein, or even your postal code, your BBQ sauce craving might incorporate a variety of flavors. For those of us who love poultry, North Alabama's famous 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 by putting it on a bun with a generous serving of spicy mustard-based sauce. And if you can't get enough of ribs and brisket, try our thick tomatoey Kansas City style barbecue that's robust enough even for beef. Whatever your preference, you're sure to find a BBQ sauce recipe you'll love right here. Take ribs, wings, and pork to the next level with these easy and delicious homemade barbecue sauce recipes. 01 of 10 South Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Prissy Lee Montiel Recipe: South Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce This simple sauce has only 6 ingredients and is super easy to make. It's slightly sweet from the brown sugar and honey, almost like honey-mustard, and just a touch spicy from the cayenne and black pepper. 02 of 10 Eastern North Carolina Vinegar BBQ Sauce Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Prissy Lee Montiel Recipe: Eastern North Carolina Vinegar BBQ Sauce This sauce is made with only four ingredients and truth be told, is 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. 03 of 10 Texas-Style BBQ Sauce Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Prissy Lee Montiel Recipe: Texas-Style BBQ Sauce Texas barbecue is in a league of its own. The state has its own take on ribs and of course, 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 the Worcestershire sauce and cumin. 04 of 10 Honey Barbecue Sauce Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Cat Steele Recipe: Honey Barbecue Sauce If you like your 'cue sweet, then this is the sauce for you. This quick Honey Barbecue Sauce also includes lemon for acidity and freshness. 05 of 10 Melting Pot BBQ Sauce Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: MindI Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Melting Pot BBQ Sauce This recipe combines several regional BBQ sauce components to make one melt-in-your-mouth sauce. 06 of 10 Alabama White BBQ Sauce Hector Sanchez Recipe: White BBQ Sauce Use this vinegary, piquant North Alabama specialty as both a basting and finishing sauce on smoked or grilled chicken. 07 of 10 Fancy Barbecue Sauce Hector Sanchez; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller Recipe: Fancy Barbecue Sauce Upgrade your bottled BBQ sauce with just a few extra ingredients to make this Fancy Barbecue Sauce. 08 of 10 Coca-Cola BBQ Sauce Southern Living Recipe: Coca-Cola BBQ Sauce Your favorite sugary soft drink is the secret ingredient to this multi-dimensional BBQ sauce. 09 of 10 Kansas City BBQ Sauce Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Prissy Lee Montiel Recipe: Kansas City BBQ Sauce This sauce is thick and spicy with dynamic layers of flavor from the chili powder and cayenne pepper. It's also a pretty rusty orange color that glazes anything from brisket to ribs beautifully. 10 of 10 Sweet-and-Spicy Barbecue Sauce Hector Sanchez Recipe: Sweet-and-Spicy Barbecue Sauce With spice from jalapeño and crushed red pepper, plus sweetness from honey and dark brown sugar, this Sweet-and-Spicy BBQ sauce hits all the right notes. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit