Authentic South Carolina Barbecue Recipes

If you’re looking for a true taste of authentic South Carolina barbecue recipes, this is the place for you. Prefer the curated starting point? See our BBQ Recipes hub.

South Carolina has a long BBQ history. In fact, some have argued that SC is the birthplace of barbecue.

Whether that’s true or not, one thing is clear: because of its longevity and innovation, South Carolina has established itself as one of the influential BBQ regions in the US.

Contributing to the barbecue canon from the early days, South Carolina has given at least two gifts to the BBQ world, beyond barbecue itself.

The first and more widely known is mustard-based barbecue sauce. This tangy yellow sauce likely was first concocted in the 19030s in Orangeburg County.

Both the Sweatman and Bessinger families were in the Holly Hill area and while there is some disagreement as to who may have stirred up the first pot of sauce, there is no argument over what a great addition it has been to the BBQ world.

Pot of Sauce on a Burner at Hogs and Hops BBQ

The other contribution from the array of South Carolina barbecue traditions is certainly less widely known. In fact, it still has not spilled far beyond our borders, but it is something you’ll find in at least half of the BBQ joints in the state: South Carolina Barbecue Hash.

For those from elsewhere, hash is simply a thick meat gravy, often made with pork, sometimes beef, and sometimes both. It’s a side dish that native Sandlappers expect to see on the menu.

While it’s not the most photogenic of foods, it is certainly tasty.

South Carolina Barbecue Hash from Swig Swine
South Carolina Barbecue Hash from Swig & Swine

Whether for barbecue, mustard sauce, hash, or from other parts of the menu, our recipes come from generations-old family cookbooks and from South Carolina’s top pitmasters.

Yes, we have recipes shared by famous names like Rodney Scott and Texas-transplant and new South Carolinian John Lewis.

And yes, we have recipes from widely-respected restaurants across the state from Bucky’s BBQ in Greenville to Swig & Swine in Charleston.

But we also have recipes from Patrick Phillips and the Aull family, normal folks you may not know, but whose families have been making true SC BBQ for generations.

We hope you find a recipe or two that your family will enjoy for years to come.