Homemade BBQ Sauce: 13 Regional Styles for Game Day, From Carolina Vinegar to Alabama White

Homemade BBQ sauce is the easiest way to win game day, and it starts arguments faster than any referee call. A recent taste test of a dozen store-bought barbecue sauces drew dozens of fired-up reactions and comments on MSN, which proves one thing: people care deeply about what goes on their ribs. The good news is that every famous American style comes down to pantry staples like vinegar, ketchup, mustard, brown sugar and spices. Below are 13 regional sauces, from peppery Carolina vinegar and golden mustard to creamy Alabama white, Kentucky black dip and a sticky hot honey glaze for wings. Each one comes with a simple recipe, so you can line up a sauce bar and let your crowd pick a side..

Set Up a Homemade BBQ Sauce Bar for Game Day

The smartest way to feed a football crowd is to cook one big batch of meat and let the sauces do the talking. Smoke or slow roast a pork shoulder and a rack of ribs, then line up four or five small jars: a thin red vinegar sauce, a sweet brick-red tomato sauce, a golden mustard sauce, a creamy white sauce and a dark dip. Add spoons, slider buns, pickles and slaw. Guests wander, taste and pick a favorite, and the debate keeps everyone at the table through halftime..

You will need: 4 to 5 small jars or bowls, 2 to 3 of the sauces below, 1 slow-cooked pork shoulder, 1 rack of ribs, slider buns, pickle chips, coleslaw, small spoons, labels made from masking tape.

How to make it: 1. Make the sauces 1 to 3 days ahead so the flavors have time to blend. 2. Bring them to room temperature about 30 minutes before serving. 3. Pour each sauce into its own jar with a spoon and a handwritten label. 4. Set out the meat, buns, pickles and slaw so guests can build their own plates.

Eastern Carolina Vinegar Pepper Sauce

In eastern North Carolina, barbecue means whole hog, and the sauce has no tomato at all. It is a sharp mix of cider vinegar, crushed red pepper, black pepper and a little sugar, thin enough to soak right into chopped pork instead of sitting on top. Many cooks call it a mop, and it is often splashed on the meat as it is pulled. If you have never tried it, this is the homemade BBQ sauce that makes rich pork taste lighter, brighter and almost addictive.

You will need: 1 cup cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 to 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, a few dashes of hot sauce.

How to make it: 1. Whisk everything together in a jar until the sugar and salt dissolve. 2. Let it sit at least 2 hours, or overnight, so the pepper flavor blooms. 3. Shake before using and sprinkle it over chopped or pulled pork. 4. Keep it covered in the fridge for up to a month.

Lexington Red Dip, the Piedmont Cousin

Drive west toward Lexington and the Piedmont, and the vinegar sauce picks up ketchup and a rosy color. Locals call it dip, and it is used on smoked pork shoulder rather than the whole hog. It is still thin and tangy, just a little sweeter and rounder than the eastern version. The same dip also goes into red slaw, which is piled right on the sandwich. Toss it with freshly pulled pork while the meat is still warm so it soaks up every drop.

You will need: 1 cup cider vinegar, 1/3 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup water, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon salt.

How to make it: 1. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. 2. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. 3. Cool, then pour into a bottle or jar. 4. Drizzle over pulled pork and stir a few spoonfuls into chopped cabbage for red slaw.

South Carolina Mustard Gold Homemade BBQ Sauce

Across the Midlands of South Carolina, the sauce turns bright yellow. Mustard sauce is often linked to the German families who settled the area, and it blends prepared yellow mustard with vinegar, brown sugar or honey and black pepper. The result is tangy, a little sweet and amazing with pork, chicken and even sausage. This homemade BBQ sauce also makes a great dip for fries and a zippy spread for ham sandwiches the next day.

You will need: 1 cup yellow mustard, 1/2 cup cider vinegar, 1/3 cup brown sugar or honey, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, pinch of salt.

How to make it: 1. Stir everything except the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. 2. Simmer gently for 10 minutes until slightly thickened. 3. Stir in the butter off the heat for a glossy finish. 4. Cool and refrigerate up to 2 weeks; brush on pork or chicken at the end of cooking.

Alabama White Sauce for Smoked Chicken

North Alabama gave the world a barbecue sauce with no tomato and no mustard at all. White sauce was created in Decatur in the 1920s and is built on mayonnaise, vinegar, black pepper and a kick of horseradish. Smoked chicken is dunked in it right off the heat, and the sauce clings in a creamy, peppery coat. Try it on chicken wings, turkey sandwiches, baked potatoes and even as a dip for fries. Because it is mayonnaise based, keep it chilled.

You will need: 1 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish, 2 teaspoons coarse black pepper, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pinch of cayenne.

How to make it: 1. Whisk all ingredients until smooth. 2. Refrigerate at least 1 hour so the flavors blend. 3. Brush on cooked chicken or serve on the side for dipping. 4. Keep covered in the fridge and use within a week.

Kansas City Sweet and Sticky Homemade BBQ Sauce

When most people picture barbecue sauce, they picture Kansas City. It is thick, glossy and sweet, made with ketchup or tomato, molasses and brown sugar, then balanced with vinegar and smoky spices. It sticks to ribs and burnt ends like lacquer and caramelizes beautifully under the broiler. Making this homemade BBQ sauce from scratch lets you control the sugar and heat, and it tastes richer than most bottles. Double the batch, because it disappears faster than you think.

You will need: 2 cups ketchup, 1/3 cup molasses, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon each garlic powder, onion powder and chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.

How to make it: 1. Whisk everything together in a saucepan. 2. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. 3. Cook 20 to 25 minutes, stirring often, until thick and glossy. 4. Cool and refrigerate up to 2 weeks; brush on ribs during the last 10 minutes.

Memphis Tangy Tomato Sauce for Pulled Pork

Memphis is famous for dry-rubbed ribs, but its sauce shines on a pulled pork sandwich topped with slaw. The style is thinner and tangier than Kansas City, with tomato, vinegar and yellow mustard sharing the stage and just enough molasses to round it out. Many local cooks serve it on the side so the rub can speak for itself. Spoon it over pork, add a scoop of creamy coleslaw right on the bun, and you have one of the best game-day sandwiches in the South. It is the homemade BBQ sauce to try first if your family is new to tangy styles.

You will need: 1 1/2 cups ketchup, 1/2 cup cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons yellow mustard, 2 tablespoons molasses, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon each paprika and garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne.

How to make it: 1. Combine everything in a saucepan and whisk smooth. 2. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring now and then. 3. Taste and add more vinegar for tang or more molasses for depth. 4. Serve warm on the side with pulled pork, slaw and soft buns.

Texas Mop Sauce for Brisket

In central Texas, the beef is the star and sauce is almost an afterthought. What pitmasters do use is a mop: a thin, savory liquid of beef broth, vinegar, Worcestershire, butter and black pepper that is dabbed onto brisket while it cooks to keep the bark moist. Leftover mop, simmered down, becomes a light table sauce that tastes like the meat itself. It is a very different idea from sweet sauce, and it works beautifully on beef ribs and smoked sausage too. Think of it as a homemade BBQ sauce for people who say they do not like sauce.

You will need: 1 cup beef broth, 1/2 cup cider vinegar, 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 small onion sliced, 2 garlic cloves smashed, 1 tablespoon coarse black pepper, 1 teaspoon chili powder.

How to make it: 1. Simmer all ingredients for 10 minutes, then keep warm. 2. Dab onto brisket or beef ribs every hour with a clean mop or brush. 3. Never return a brush that touched raw meat to the main pot; set some aside for serving. 4. Simmer the reserved portion 5 more minutes and serve as a thin table sauce.

St. Louis Style Sauce for Sticky Spare Ribs

St. Louis gave its name to a neat, squared-off cut of spare ribs, and the city loves a sweet-tangy tomato sauce to go with them. It sits between Kansas City and Memphis: less thick than one, a bit sweeter than the other, with a clean vinegar finish. The secret is to layer it on in thin coats during the last stretch of cooking so it turns sticky without burning. Serve extra on the side, because everyone will want to dunk. A jar of this homemade BBQ sauce also makes a great tailgate gift.

You will need: 1 1/2 cups ketchup, 1/2 cup water, 1/3 cup cider vinegar, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon yellow mustard, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon each onion powder and garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.

How to make it: 1. Whisk everything in a saucepan and simmer 15 to 20 minutes. 2. Bake or smoke seasoned spare ribs low and slow until tender. 3. Brush on a thin coat of sauce every 10 minutes during the last 30 minutes. 4. Rest the ribs 10 minutes, slice between the bones and serve with more sauce.

Kentucky Black Dip Homemade BBQ Sauce

Owensboro, Kentucky, is one of the few places in America where mutton is the star of barbecue, and its sauce is just as unusual. Black dip is a thin, dark mix of Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, water, brown sugar and black pepper. Cooks mop it on the meat as it smokes and pour more over the slices on the plate. This homemade BBQ sauce is savory rather than sweet, and it is wonderful on lamb, beef, pork and even grilled mushrooms.

You will need: 1 cup water, 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce, 1/3 cup cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon allspice.

How to make it: 1. Combine everything in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. 2. Cook 5 minutes until the sugar dissolves. 3. Use part of it to baste smoked lamb or beef as it cooks. 4. Pour the rest over thin slices of meat and serve with bread, onion and pickles.

Hawaiian Pineapple Soy Glaze for Chicken

Hawaii’s roadside rotisserie chicken stands made a sweet and salty glaze famous, and it is a fun twist for a sauce bar. Pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, fresh ginger and garlic are simmered into a shiny glaze that caramelizes on chicken thighs. It tastes like a tropical cousin of teriyaki. Brush it on near the end of cooking so the sugar does not scorch, and save a clean portion to drizzle over the finished chicken with sliced green onions.

You will need: 1 cup pineapple juice, 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup ketchup, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger, 3 garlic cloves minced, 2 pounds boneless chicken thighs.

How to make it: 1. Simmer everything except the chicken for 15 minutes until syrupy. 2. Set aside half of the glaze for serving. 3. Cook the chicken until it reaches 165 F, brushing with glaze in the last 10 minutes. 4. Drizzle with the reserved glaze and top with green onion.

Apricot Bourbon Homemade BBQ Sauce

For a sauce that tastes a little fancy, fruit and bourbon are a winning team. Apricot preserves bring sweetness and body, a splash of bourbon adds warm vanilla and oak notes, and cider vinegar keeps it from turning into jam. This homemade BBQ sauce is gorgeous on pork chops, chicken wings and ham, and it makes a great glaze for meatballs too. Simmering cooks off some of the alcohol, but skip the bourbon and use apple juice if you are serving kids.

You will need: 1 cup apricot preserves, 1/2 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup bourbon or apple juice, 1/4 cup cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt.

How to make it: 1. Whisk everything in a saucepan over medium heat. 2. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring, until thick and glossy. 3. Blend smooth if your preserves have big fruit pieces. 4. Cool and refrigerate up to 2 weeks; brush on pork or chicken near the end of cooking.

Hot Honey Chipotle Glaze for Game Day Wings

Every sauce bar needs one wild card, and this sticky glaze is the one people ask about. Chipotle peppers in adobo bring smoky heat, honey brings shine and sweetness, and a little butter and lime pull it together. Toss it with crispy baked or air fried wings right before serving so they stay crunchy. For more ideas to feed a hungry crowd, browse these smoky BBQ dinners, and see this guide to regional barbecue sauce styles to learn how each style came to be.

You will need: 2 pounds chicken wings, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup honey, 2 chipotle peppers in adobo minced plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce, 2 tablespoons butter, juice of 1 lime, sesame seeds and green onion.

How to make it: 1. Pat wings dry, toss with baking powder and salt, and bake at 425 F for 45 to 50 minutes, flipping once. 2. Warm the honey, chipotle, adobo and butter until bubbling, then add lime juice. 3. Toss the hot wings in the glaze. 4. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onion and serve with celery and ranch.