5 BBQ Sauces that Will Change Your Grill Game

Photo of author

| Updated:

Ever wondered what makes barbecuing so irresistible? The secret lies in the sauce! Get ready to explore our carefully curated list of the top 5 essential BBQ sauce recipes guaranteed to revolutionize your grilling adventures. Each recipe is easy to make, incredibly flavorful, and tested to assure your BBQ earns rave reviews. Fire up the grill and let’s get saucy!

Carolina Gold Mustard Based BBQ Sauce

Overhead shot of Carolina bbq sauce with buns and pulled pork.
Carolina BBQ Sauce. Photo Credit: Kita Roberts GirlCarnivore

When it comes to amazing bbq sauces, the smooth piquant flavor of mustard-based bbq sauce, also dubbed Carolina Gold, may be my favorite. There’s something about how it coats smoked pulled pork piled high on a sandwich that balances everything out perfectly, making every bite finger-licking good.
Get the Recipe: Carolina Gold Mustard Based BBQ Sauce

Vinegar-based BBQ Sauce

Overheat shot of pulled pork with jar of vinegar sauce.
vinegar-based bbq sauce. Photo credit: GirlCarnivore.com.

This simple sauce is a staple for great barbecue. With roots in North Carolina, it’s a thin vinegar-based bbq sauce that packs a lot of heat, is easy to make, and is perfect to use as a mop while smoking and to add moisture and flavor to pulled pork, brisket, and chicken.
Get the Recipe: Vinegar-based BBQ Sauce

Alabama White Sauce

Jar of white BBQ sauce with pile of chicken.
Alabama White Sauce. Photo credit: GirlCarnivore.com.

This Alabama white sauce recipe may be the most versatile of the traditional barbecue sauce recipes. It’s a mayonnaise-based bbq staple with many more uses than slathering over smoked meats. It’s a tangy sauce that’s smooth and incredibly dippable for just about anything savory! And it may also be the easiest. With no cooking, this is about as straightforward as it gets.
Get the Recipe: Alabama White Sauce

Carolina Vinegar Mop Sauce

Jar of mop sauce with brush.
Mpp Sauce. Photo credit: Girls Can Grill.

Punch up the flavor of your barbecue by basting your pork, ribs and chicken with a Carolina Vinegar Mop Sauce as it cooks.
Get the Recipe: Carolina Vinegar Mop Sauce

Homemade Keto BBQ Sauce

Jar of keto bbq sauce.
Homemade keto bbq sauce. Photo credit: GirlCarnivore.com.

Talk about rich, tangy flavor, this homemade keto bbq sauce recipe is where it’s at! Perfect for smoked barbecue, grilled chicken, hearty beef, and pretty much all the meats, this ridiculously delicious recipe is low-carb, sugar-free, and has quickly become a go-to condiment in our kitchen, getting rave reviews from friends on incredibly strict diets!
Get the Recipe: Homemade Keto BBQ Sauce