Carolina Gold Mustard BBQ Sauce
Colorful, tangy, and a tad sweet, this Carolina Gold mustard BBQ sauce is perfect for slathering chicken and pork for smoking and grilling. Bring a fabulous flavor twist to your next family cookout to impress your loved ones.
I recently moved to South Carolina to be closer to family. So, of course, I had to try the local specialty, smoked ribs slathered in a mustard sauce. And you know me, I had to go home and make my own.
Mustard vs. Tomato-Based BBQ Sauce
Regular BBQ sauce has as many variations as the people who make it. Tomatoes and molasses or honey deliver a sweeter, heavier feel. Mustard is bold with a sharp zing, for a completely different flavor profile. Maybe a little lighter, but equally sweet and sour. It goes especially well with chicken and pork.
How to Make Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce
Mix all the ingredients together and let them develop flavor. Optionally, you can simmer it for 5-10 minutes to make sure the sugar dissolves and to thicken it slightly.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- If you’re not worried about it having to last more than a week, feel free to replace the garlic and onion powder with the same amount of minced garlic and onion.
- Leave the cayenne out for a kid-friendly version, though it’s not really enough to make it hot. And if you love spicy food, you can definitely add more.
- If you regularly make your own BBQ sauce, a restaurant-style squeeze bottle is the way to go. It makes serving super easy, and saves on clean up.
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
Homemade BBQ sauce keeps well in a glass jar for a week or two in the fridge and 3-4 months in the freezer (make sure there’s room for expansion if you freeze it in a glass jar). If you freeze it, thaw it in the fridge the night before using it.
How to Use Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce
You can use mustard BBQ sauce just about any way you use the tomato-based version.
- Switch it out with the regular BBQ sauce on pork ribs the next time you break out the smoker for an incredible twist.
- Slather grilled chicken and pork chops during the last 10-15 minutes of cooking for glazing.
- Serve brats and kraut with mustard BBQ sauce instead of plain mustard.
- Mix in a tablespoon or two with your pulled pork or chicken.
- Put some in a bowl, and put it on the table so everyone can dip chicken tenders and corn dogs in it.
- Use it as a pork steak and fried chicken marinade.
More Spicy BBQ Recipes to Enjoy
By Imma
This blog post was originally published in May 2021 and has been updated with additional tips and new photos.
Carolina Gold Mustard BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240g) yellow mustard
- ¼-⅓ cup (85-115g) honey
- 2 teaspoons (7g) garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons (6g) onion powder
- 2-4 tablespoons (25-50g) brown sugar (adjust to taste)
- 1 teaspoon (3g) smoked paprika
- ⅓ cup (80g) apple cider vinegar
- 1-2 tablespoons (15-30g) tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon (15g) Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon (1g) cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1-2 teaspoons (3-6g) freshly ground black pepper
- salt to taste (see notes)
Instructions
- Whisk the mustard, honey, garlic and onion powder, brown sugar, smoked paprika, vinegar, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne, and black pepper until thoroughly combined.
- You can use it as is, or heat it in a small saucepan to a simmer. Stir constantly to avoid burning, and cook for 5-10 minutes until the sugar dissolves and the flavors develop.
- Adjust seasoning to taste with salt, pepper, vinegar, or honey as you go. Use immediately or let it cool and store it in a glass jar in the fridge for up to two weeks. The flavors will be even better the next day.
Tips & Notes:
- Since mustard and Worcestershire sauce already have salt, I wait until everything else is mixed to taste it. Then, taste a little bit, and if it seems bland, add a pinch of salt, stir it in, wait a few minutes, then taste it again.
- If you like more tart than sweet, start with half the brown sugar and honey, then add more as needed while simmering it. You can do the same thing with the vinegar to get the desired balance between sweetness and acidity. The key is using a little at a time to avoid going overboard.
- Make the sauce the day before if possible so the flavors have time to develop.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is an approximation and can vary greatly based on the ingredients used in the recipe.
