Vinegar

• Vinegar is often used in barbecue sauces, but it can also be used to make other toppings. It has a strong taste, so it doesn’t take much to add flavor to your meat. Add a small splash of seasoned vinegar, which contains sugar and seasonings, to the meat for a quick way to add a little tangy flavor. Rub pulled pork with a little apple cider vinegar and parsley for a light taste of tangy herb. Mix white wine vinegar and garlic with pulled chicken for a hint of sophisticated flavor. Combine rice vinegar and soy sauce to create an Asian-style dressing for your meat.

Tomato Sauce

• Tomato sauce is another ingredient often found in barbecue sauce, but it can also be tasty on its own. Add plain tomato sauce to chicken or pork to give a hint of garden sweet to the meat. Combine tomato sauce, parsley, basil, oregano and garlic with pulled chicken for an Italian twist. Mix tomato sauce, garlic, cilantro and paprika with pulled pork to give the dish a South American style.

Mustard

• Mustard is one of those “go to” ingredients that tastes good with a variety of foods, pulled chicken and pork included. Mix Dijon mustard, brown sugar and pepper to create a strong, flavorful sauce for the pulled meat. Combine spicy brown mustard and honey to create a sweet topping for pulled chicken. Stir yellow mustard with horseradish and mayonnaise to give a sandwich a little bite.

Salsa

• Salsa adds the complex flavor of barbecue sauce with less sugar. You can get the smoky flavor of peppers, the bite of onion and the sweet of tomato all in a premade sauce. Cover pulled pork with chipotle salsa for a spicy taste with a hint of smoky flavor. Top pulled chicken with mango salsa to give the dish a sweet, tropical twist. Mix salsa with a little oregano, chili powder and cocoa powder to create a rich mole for pulled pork.

Fruit Juice

• A sauce with a fruit juice base is a natural way to sweeten up pulled pork or chicken. Mix orange juice, lime juice, chicken broth, cumin and oregano to create a tropical sauce for pulled pork. Combine apple juice, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar and red pepper for a sweet and spicy pulled chicken.