North Carolina BBQ Sauce

An easy recipe for North Carolina BBQ sauce, made from vinegar and hot sauce. Perfect for ribs or for pulled pork!

I don’t know why it took me so long to remember the excellent ribs we had at The Pit in Raleigh, North Carolina, back in 2013. The ribs, lacking the sticky sweetness I expected, were slow cooked in an amazing North Carolina bbq sauce, based on vinegar and hot sauce. They were tender and delicious:

What is North Carolina BBQ sauce?

North Carolina BBQ sauce is a sauce based on vinegar and hot sauce, instead of on tomatoes and sugar. It’s delicious, and for those of us on a keto or low carb diet, it’s the perfect solution. We get to enjoy flavorful bbq without the extra carbs found in tomato-based barbecue sauces.

I’ve been struggling with tomato-based rib sauces for a while now because I eat low carb. Tomato-based barbecue sauces tend to be very sweet. Too sweet.

I do have an excellent paleo bbq sauce recipe on this blog that is not so high in carbs. I sometimes make it with stevia instead of maple syrup. But for anyone on a keto diet, every carb counts. North Carolina BBQ sauce is by far the best option for keeping the carbs down without sacrificing the flavor.

Oven baked ribs with North Carolina BBQ sauce

Last night, I made North Carolina style ribs (using this recipe for oven baked ribs), basting them with this sauce. They were phenomenal! Fall-off-the-bone tender. In fact, the bones themselves were tender so we could extract yummy marrow out of them (perhaps they were softened by the vinegar).

The ribs were wonderfully flavorful, with just the right amount of heat, and they were not vinegary at all. They were delicious!

There’s no need for a sweetener!

The first few times I made this recipe, I added just a touch (1 tablespoon) of honey or the equivalent in stevia. But in subsequent versions, I omitted the sweetener altogether, and we did not miss it at all. The slow cooking itself caramelizes the meat and creates subtle notes of sweetness, even without the addition of a sweetener.

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4.97 from 52 votes

North Carolina BBQ Sauce

An easy recipe for North Carolina BBQ sauce, made from vinegar and hot sauce. Perfect for ribs or for pulled pork!

Prep Time5 mins

Total Time5 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: barbecue, bbq

Calories: 5kcal

Author: Vered DeLeeuw

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

INSTRUCTIONS

• Place the ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well to combine.
• Refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to meld. Shake again before using.

NOTES

If using for oven-baked ribs, use half the recipe. The rest will keep in the fridge for several weeks.
 
If using for pulled pork, start by slow cooking the pork (2-3 lb.) in your slow cooker with just salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons water. When done, shred the meat with two forks, add the entire jar of barbecue sauce, mix it in, cover, and slow cook on high for 30 more minutes.

NUTRITION INFO Nutrition info is approximate. It is calculated using the SparkPeople.com recipe calculator, and the carb count excludes sugar alcohols. Please read the disclaimers in our Terms of Use carefully before using any of our recipes. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Please verify they are before using.

Nutrition Facts

North Carolina BBQ Sauce

Amount Per Serving (2 tablespoons)

Calories 5

% Daily Value*

Sodium 338mg 14%

Total Carbohydrates 2g 1%

Dietary Fiber 0.1g 0%

Sugars 0.2g

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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