10 Terrific American Barbecue Sauce Recipes
Take a Delicious Tour of America's Top Regional Barbecue Sauces
From thick and sweet, to thin and tangy, these barbecue sauces are all fast and easy to make. No matter which meat you decide to barbecue, one of these delicious sauce recipes will work perfectly.
They're all here—from the Carolina coast, where mustard is king, to the thick, dark sauces of the Midwest, to the fiery, chili-spiked versions out west—a list of barbecue sauces for all tastes.
-
Kansas City Barbecue Sauce
Pam McLean / Getty Images
Kansas City barbecue sauce is probably America's most popular barbecue sauce recipe. Rich, dark, thick, sweet, and tangy, this barbecue sauce recipe is great on everything from smoked beef brisket to the classic rack of pork ribs.
-
"Magic Mustard" South Carolina Barbecue Sauce
The Spruce / Diana Chistruga
When it comes to barbecue sauce recipes, mustard and vinegar are kings in this part of the country. There's no ketchup allowed in this delicious and tangy South Carolina barbecue sauce recipe.
-
Kentucky Bourbon Barbecue Sauce
Tetra Images / Getty Images
This barbecue sauce recipe gets it' kick from Kentucky's famous bourbon. This is a great all-purpose barbecue sauce recipe that goes well with almost any barbecued meat.
-
Big and Bold Texas Barbecue Sauce
The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg
Everything is bigger in Texas, including the flavor of this great Texas barbecue sauce recipe. Not as thick or sweet as its Midwestern relatives, this spicy barbecue sauce recipe is traditionally used with beef.
Continue to 5 of 10 below. -
Honey Dijon Barbecue Sauce
The Spruce / Diana Chistruga
Sweet and tangy, this honey Dijon barbecue sauce recipe is perfect when you feel like a tasty break from the usual tomato-based barbecue sauce recipes.
-
St. Louis-Style Barbecue Sauce
NicolasMcComber / Getty Images
This St. Louis-style barbecue sauce recipe is similar to the more popular Kansas City barbecue sauce but is a bit less sweet, and a little tangier. This is a delicious barbecue sauce recipe to use on baby back ribs or grilled chicken.
-
Alabama-Style White Barbecue Sauce
The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
This white barbecue sauce recipe from the northern part of Alabama may be America's most unusual barbecue sauce recipe. It doesn’t contain any tomato but uses mayonnaise as the base, which is where this barbecue sauce recipe gets its name.
-
Southwestern Barbecue Sauce
The Spruce / Diana Rattray This Southwestern barbecue sauce recipe uses chipotle chili pepper to give it a smoky, spicy zing. Great on any slow-roasted meats, this Southwestern barbecue sauce recipe is also a perfect match for chicken.
Continue to 9 of 10 below. -
California Asian-Style Barbecue Sauce
Westend61 / Getty Images
This California Asian-style barbecue sauce recipe combines some classic American barbecue sauce ingredients, with a few traditional Asian flavors, for a great all-purpose sauce.
-
Mumbo Sauce
Diana Rattray Mumbo sauce is a tangy ketchup barbecue sauce that's a Washington, D.C. staple. It's a thin sauce that's great for marinades, slathering wings and ribs, and as a dipping sauce.