The Best BBQ Sauce in the World:
America's Different Types of BBQ Sauce

So go ahead and spell it bbq, barbecue, bar-b-que, or barbeque-- who cares? It's gonna taste great anyway.

But what, exactly, makes a barbecue? Some people use the word to refer to a meal cooked outside (often in a back yard or back garden), shared with friends, and generally accompanied by plenty of chips and beer. In other words, a really fun afternoon. Officially, though, bbq is a particular way of preparing food that uses spices, sauces, and slow outdoor cooking. You know what I mean. Tangy, sweet, spicy, tender, and oh-so-good. That's bbq, baby.

The Best BBQ Sauces in America

In my opinion (which is the one that counts here as I'm the one doing the writing), all bbq is wonderful. Wonderful! But it's also very different depending on what style you use to cook and where you're doing the cooking. Some of the most popular (and tastiest) different types of bbq sauce are:

Alabama BBQ Sauce: Though different types of bbq sauces are used all over Alabama, including mustard-based, tomato-based, and vinegar, Alabama is also home to the famous white barbecue sauce, which is made with mayonnaise and pepper.

Arkansas BBQ Sauce: In Arkansas the best BBQ sauce is thinnish and made with a tomato base. These sauces are slightly sweet from molasses and have nice dose of pepper for spice.

Georgia BBQ Sauce: Georgia is the home of the bourbon (Jack Daniel's) barbecue sauce. This is a thick, flavorful tomato based sauce with a medium amount of sweetness.

Kansas City BBQ Sauce: Kansas City calls itself the barbecue capital of the world, and their sauce is world famous. This sauce is a thick, tomato-based sauce with plenty of sweetness from molasses. Very flavorful and super duper thick, this is the best bbq sauce for those with a sweet tooth.

Memphis BBQ Sauce: These are well-balanced tomato-based sauces, and blend the flavors of sauces from other bbq regions. These barbecue sauces focus more on overall flavor than extreme heat, tang, or sweetness.

Texas BBQ Sauce: Texas and Mexico are neighbors, and you can taste it in Texas barbecue sauce, which tends to be extra spicy. They toss plenty of hot peppers, such as chipotle, into their tomato based bbq, as well as some cumin. These sauces tend to be less sweet.

Virginia and North Carolina BBQ Sauce: These are very particular sauces for very particular eaters. Much tangier and thinner than a "traditional" barbecue sauce, these are made with sugar, plenty of vinegar, black pepper, and chili pepper, among other things. Sooo good... but watch out!

St. Louis BBQ Sauce: This is a tomato-based sauce which is a nice balance between sweet, spicy, and tangy. Less sweet than a Kansas City sauce.

South Carolina: A couple of different types of bbq sauce are popular in South Carolina. I think the best bbq sauce in S.C. is their mustard barbecue sauce-- it's mustardy, sweet, and a little tangy. Vinegar based sauces (similar to Virginia and North Carolina) are also popular there.

Go from our Best BBQ Sauce page our Barbeque Headquarters... it's chock full of BBQ sauce recipes, rubs, and more!

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