Dukes Style BBQ Sauce Recipe (2024)

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South Carolina is blessed when it comes to BBQ.

In SC, barbecue is often defined by the sauce it is served with. South Carolina — arguably the birthplace of BBQ — can brag about having four distinct sauce regions. In the map below, you will see how the state divides according to the sauce type you would historically find in those areas.

SC BBQ Sauce Regions

In the heart of mustard country, you will find Orangeburg County. It could easily be argued that this is the birthplace of the sauce unique to South Carolina, the mustard sauce.

Without getting too deep into the history behind it, know that Joe Bessinger may have been the first to create a mustard sauce near Holly Hill, in rural Orangeburg County. Joe’s sons later spread the family’s BBQ greatness across the state.

Dukes Style BBQ Sauce Recipe (2)

They each opened several different BBQ restaurants, including Maurice’s with a number of “Piggie Park” locationsin Columbia. In addition, you’ll find Melvin’s on James Island and in Mt. Pleasant.Thomas Bessigner opened Bessingers Bar-Be-Que West of the Ashley in Charleston.

Also, there isJoe Bessinger’s in Summerville, and Robert’s in North Charleston. All were founded by Big Joe’s descendants.

But that’s not the whole story of Orangeburg County’s importance in SC’s barbecue heritage.In and around the city of Orangeburg, the Dukes BBQ family empire evolved.

Dukes serves what many South Carolinians would instinctively call a mustard sauce, but really there is more to it than that, as you will see in the recipe below. (If you’re looking for a sauce built on mustard only, check out this Carolina Gold BBQ sauce recipe from Maurice’s Piggie Park.)

Earl Dukes, the progenitor of the Dukes brand, opened his restaurant after his brother Danny opened the original Dukes restaurant.

Dukes Style BBQ Sauce Recipe (4)

Earl Dukes, founder of The Original Earl Dukes BBQ

His sauce, and the type of sauce that you will find in all Dukes restaurants, is what some refer to as “Orangeburg Sweet” sauce.Tony Kittrell, who formerly ran the Dukes Barbecue on Whitman Street in Orangeburg, calls it: “Rust Gravy.”

Whatever you call it, it is a clear SC favorite. If you decide to hit the road, you need to make it to a Dukes to try at least one version of this recipe.

Michael Ott, who originally grew up in Orangeburg County, the heart of Dukes BBQ country, provided us with this recipe.

“You can post the mustard sauce recipe because it really is my version. None of my recipes are from Dukes. They are not going to tell anyone — including family members — their recipes,” Michael said.

Here is his version:

Dukes Style BBQ Sauce Recipe (5)

Dukes BBQ Sauce

Mixing time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

This Dukes BBQ style mustard-based barbecue sauce recipe is a SC favorite from one of the most important names in SC BBQ.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup yellow mustard
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise, Duke's brand, of course
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar, or 1/2 part if you like it with a little kick
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, or more if you like it sweeter
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • hot sauce, preferably Texas Pete, to taste

Instructions

  1. Mix mustard and mayo in a bowl until it turns a light creamy color.
  2. Add ketchup, vinegar, and sugar. Mix well.
  3. Slowly add soy sauce while mixing until the sauce turns a little darker. Discard remaining soy.
  4. Add Texas Pete until you can slightly taste a little heat.
  5. Refrigerate and serve.

Notes

This mustard sauce is a serving sauce, not a basting sauce. It's easier to follow if you start with one cup of mustard and adjust the rest accordingly, but if you just think of it in "parts" as in a ratio, it is easy to adjust to any quantity. As written above "cup" could simply be "part." In that case, you may use four tablespoons of soy. "You can go with 2 tablespoons. I don’t really follow a recipe. I just add till the color is right. Two tablespoons are probably plenty," Michael said. Note the instructions do say: "Slowly add soy sauce while mixing until the sauce turns a little darker. Discard remaining soy."

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 64Serving Size: 2 Tablespoons
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 24Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 131mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 0gSugar: 2gProtein: 0g

Want More Authentic SC BBQ Recipes?

Check out our SC BBQ Cookbook. Complete with over 150 pages of recipes from generations-old family cookbooks and today's top pitmasters.

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Interested? Just send me an email.

Check out theseother SC BBQ sauce recipes we’ve published on destination-bbq, and we’ve published even more sauce (and rub) recipes in the SCBBQ Recipes: Going Whole Hog Cookbook.Read more about that here.

Sauces and Rubs:

Vinegar-Pepper Sauces
  • Jay Phillips’ Whole Hog Sauce Recipe
  • Dad’s Mop Sauce Recipe
  • Eastern SC Vinegar-Pepper Sauce Recipe
  • Moore Family’s Little Fisher Hog Sauce Recipe
  • Lowcountry Vinegar Sauce Recipe
Mustard Sauces
  • Dukes BBQ-Style Sauce Recipe
  • Dukes BBQ Sauce – “Actual Recipe”
  • Simple South Carolina Mustard Sauce Recipe
  • Bessinger’s-Style Gold Sauce Recipe
Tomato-Based Sauces
  • John Padgett’s Kansas City BBQ Sauce Recipe
  • Honey-Hickory Barbecue Sauce Recipe
  • Bullies BBQs Thin Basting Sauce Recipe
  • Cherrywood Signature BBQ Sauce Recipe
  • “Carolina Red” Light Tomato Barbecue Sauce Recipe
  • Basic Tomato Barbecue Sauce Recipe
Other Sauces
  • Home Team BBQ Alabama White Sauce Recipe
  • Moe’s Original BBQ’s Alabama White Sauce Recipe
  • Brisket Mojo Sauce Recipe
  • Roller Family Hot Sauce Recipe
  • Salsa Verde with Avocado for Pulled Pork Recipe
Rubs
  • Sticky Fingers’ Basic Dry Rub Recipe
  • JB’s Smokeshack-Style Spicy Dry Rub Recipe
  • Sticky Fingers’ Texas Rub Recipe
  • BlackJack Barbecue Dry Rub Recipe
  • Sticky Fingers’ Sweet Rib Rub Recipe
  • Home Team BBQ Dry Rub Recipe for Chicken Wings Recipe
  • John Lewis BBQ-Style Brisket Dry Rub Recipe

Learn More About our SC BBQ Cookbook

Dukes Style BBQ Sauce Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is in Dukes barbeque sauce? ›

Ingredients. Water, Sugar, Distilled and Cider Vinegar, Spices (Includes Mustard Seed), Hot Sauce (Aged Cayenne Peppers, Vinegar, Water, Salt, and Garlic Powder), Salt, Tomato Paste, Natural Flavors, Turmeric, Onion*, Garlic*, Sodium Benzoate (Preservative), Xanthan Gum, Oleoresin Paprika. *Dehydrated.

Where is Dukes BBQ sauce made? ›

The company's manufacturing facilities are in Richmond, Virginia; Mauldin, South Carolina; New Century, Kansas; and San Luis Obispo, California.

What are the three types of BBQ sauce? ›

Generally, barbecue sauces is categorized into four varieties: tomato-based sauces, vinegar-based sauces, mustard-based sauces, and mayonnaise-based sauces. Each category can have a range of BBQ sauce styles, ranging from sweet and tangy to hot and spicy.

What makes BBQ sauce taste better? ›

Add smoky, spicy, or tangy flavors for a semi-homemade bbq sauce that tastes just like it's from scratch. You can spice up bbq sauce and add some texture and flavor to store-bought bbq sauce with chopped kimchi, bacon bits, sautéed onions, or jalapeños, fresh herbs, or fruit like pineapple and peaches.

Is Duke's mayo better than Hellmann's? ›

Duke's is tarter, with a more distinctive, almost vinegary, smell. Hellmann's is more neutral. That said, though, someone will immediately claim to prefer the “saltier, more citric” taste of Hellmann's. Or point out that Duke's contains no sugar.

What is the oldest brand of BBQ sauce? ›

Heinz was the first major company to sell bottled barbecue sauce in 1940. Soon afterward, General Foods introduced "Open Pit". Kraft Foods only entered the market in around 1960, but with heavy advertising, succeeded in becoming the market leader.

Does Dukes make tartar sauce? ›

Add more flavor to your crab cakes, fried shrimp and fish sticks with Duke's Tartar Sauce. Made with your favorite tangy mayonnaise and crunchy pickles, olives and capers. Created from a family recipe since 1917.

How does Gordon Ramsay make BBQ sauce? ›

For the BBQ sauce:
  1. 350g ketchup.
  2. 1 medium white onion diced.
  3. 70ml water.
  4. 80g soft brown sugar.
  5. 50g smoked paprika.
  6. 80g cider vinegar.
  7. 30g strong coffee (espresso is preferable)
  8. Splash of olive oil.

What style sauce is Sweet Baby Ray's? ›

Sweet Baby Ray's is a brand of barbecue sauce based in Romeoville, Illinois.

What is the secret to good BBQ? ›

1) Precook Your Meats

Not many people think to precook their meat, but this simple trick will prove to be an important part of your BBQ techniques. Not only will save you time when it comes to grilling your food, it also gives you reassurance that the food is cooked through properly.

What thickens BBQ sauce? ›

You can use either flour or cornstarch to thicken BBQ sauce. Just mix together 2 tbsp (16 g) of flour and ¼ cup (62.5 mL) of water, or combine 1 tbsp (9 g) of cornstarch with 1 tbsp (15 mL) of water. Continue mixing the thickener until there are no lumps of flour or cornstarch.

How do you add depth to BBQ sauce? ›

Create depth by adding dark chocolate and coffee to your barbecue sauce. These two, feature a bitter-sweet combo that can truly enhance the blend of spices and flavors present in your bottled barbecue sauce. Enhance your Barbecue Sauce using almost anything, including your favorite beer.

What are the components of BBQ sauce? ›

Ingredients vary, but most include vinegar or tomato paste (or a combination) as a base, as well as liquid smoke, onion powder, spices such as mustard and black pepper, and sweeteners such as sugar or molasses.

What is BBQ sauce mostly made of? ›

The base ingredients of barbecue sauce usually include tomato sauce or ketchup, vinegar, and sweeteners, such as molasses or brown sugar. Other common ingredients include Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic, onion powder, and various spices, which can include paprika, cumin, and chili powder.

What is the primary ingredient found in traditional barbecue sauce? ›

As you might've guessed, these sauces use tomato as the primary ingredient. To that, other ingredients are added to create different flavors, for example: sugar, molasses, vinegar, and various spices.

What are the ingredients in Hunt's BBQ sauce? ›

Ingredients. Tomato Juice from Concentrate (Water, Tomato Paste), Corn Syrup, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Distilled Vinegar, Molasses, Less than 2% of: Salt, Mustard Bran, Tomato Fiber, Natural Flavors Including Smoke, Spices Including Paprika, Guar Gum, Pectin, Carob Bean Gum, Citric Acid.

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