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    Home » Sauces, Dressings, Dips, Pickles, Flavored Salts » Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce- Sweet and Tangy BBQ Sauce

    Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce- Sweet and Tangy BBQ Sauce

    May 28, 2018 Updated: February 24, 2021 By Katie Crenshaw 23 Comments

    Recipe Card Recipe Video
    Carolina #MustardBBQSauce is a little sweet from honey, a little tangy from apple cider vinegar, and a little spicy from red pepper flakes.
    Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce is a little sweet from honey, a little tangy from apple cider vinegar, and a little spicy from red pepper flakes. #MustardBBQSauce
    Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce is a little sweet from honey, a little tangy from apple cider vinegar, and a little spicy from red pepper flakes. #MustardBBQSauce

    Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce is a little sweet from honey, a little tangy from apple cider vinegar, and a little spicy from red pepper flakes.

    It is delicious poured over pulled pork or slathered on grilled chicken. It is the perfect homemade BBQ sauce to have on hand for your cookouts.

    Pulled Pork with yellow mustard bbq sauce on top sitting on a white plate with a jar of bbq sauce in the back ground.

    My blog is pretty famous for my  Carolina Barbecue Sauce Recipe. It is a Southern vinegar based barbecue sauce that is delicious poured over pulled pork and topped with cole slaw. It is umm... umm.. good!

    Want to know what else is good? This Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce!

    Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce

    What is Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce?

    Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce is vinegar and mustard based. It's roots come from South Carolina and has trickled into the homes of some of North Carolinians.

    Unlike North Carolina bbq sauce which is vinegar based with ketchup, brown sugar or molasses, the Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce is based with mustard, vinegar, sugar, and/or honey, and spices.

    The result is a tangy, sweet, slightly golden bbq sauce.

    Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce dripping on a spoon over a bottle of sauce in a jar.

    Carolina Gold Barbecue Sauce

    This Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce is also known as Carolina Gold Barbecue Sauce. The sauce gets its name from the beautiful gold color it produces.

    My husband isn't a huge mustard fan, so this isn't his favorite bbq sauce.

    However, I love the sweet and tangy mixture. I never stop at one helping with barbecue, so I am often interchanging all the lovely sauces.

    Although this sauce is DELICIOUS on some pulled pork, it makes a tasty sauce for grilled chicken and grilled ribs.

    Pour some of that golden love over either of those meats and you have a fantastic meal ahead of you.

    Note: For a pulled pork sandwich, on a bun, add pulled pork, this Carolina mustard barbecue sauce, and my Southern creamy coleslaw! YUM!

    Watch how to make Carolina mustard bbq sauce

    process pictures of mustard bbq sauce in pan

    Steps to make

    Carolina BBQ Sauce can easily be made in under 10 minutes following these easy directions!

    1. Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan. (Photo 1)
    2. Cook on low heat stirring continuously to prevent scorching for 5 to 7 minutes. (Photo 2)
    3. Allow to cool. Pour into a jar. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

    Tip: I add 1 tablespoon of red pepper flakes to give a little kick. I don't think that makes it too spicy. If you want it to not have any spice, you can omit the flakes. If you want more heat, add another tablespoon.

    This post contains affiliate links.

    Looking for a Sweet, Thick Sauce to buy?

    ** I am all about homemade BBQ Sauce. However, I also have an obsession of buying different local hot sauces and BBQ Sauces when I travel.

    I love trying new sauces to get inspired to make my own.

    I have found this Cackalacky Sweet Cheerwine Sauce 33.8 Oz in a small little town here in NC.

    It is wicked good! If you are looking for a sweet, thick, slightly heated bbq sauce to have on hand, I highly recommend this one.

    I know you will love it. It makes a great gift also! xoxo

    Carolina Gold Barbecue Sauce in a jar with a spoon full of sauce on a wooden board.

    If you are a barbecue lover living or visiting North Carolina, be sure to try out these restaurants: Parker’s BBQ in Wilson, NC,  Pik-N-Pig, and B’s Barbecue.

    Please leave me a comment below if you make this Carolina Barbecue Sauce and tell me what you thought about it. I would love to hear back, and so would my readers.

    Also post your picture of your sauce on Instagram or Facebook, and tag @aforkstale with #aforkstale hashtags! I will share with my followers! xoxo!

    Carolina mustard barbecue sauce on pulled pork

    Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce- Sweet and Tangy BBQ Sauce Recipe

    Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce is a little sweet from honey, a little tangy from apple cider vinegar, and a little spicy from red pepper flakes. It is delicious poured over pulled pork or slathered on grilled chicken. It is the perfect homemade BBQ sauce to have on hand for your cookouts.
    4.96 from 22 votes
    Print Pin Save Recipe Saved! Rate
    Course: Sauce
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 3 minutes
    Cook Time: 7 minutes
    Total Time: 10 minutes
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 71kcal
    Author: Katie Crenshaw

    Ingredients

    • ¾ cup yellow mustard
    • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
    • ½ cup honey
    • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
    • 2 tbsp ketchup
    • 1 tsp garlic powder
    • 1 tbsp red pepper flakes
    • ½ tsp salt
    • 2 tbsp brown sugar

    Instructions

    • Combine ¾ cup yellow mustard,  ½ cup apple cider vinegar, ½ cup cup honey, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 2 tbsp ketchup, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp red pepper flakes, ½ tsp salt, 2 tbsp brown sugar in a sauce pan.
    • Mix well.
    • Cook on low heat stirring continuously to prevent scorching for 5 to 7 minutes.
    • Cool completely. Then pour into a jar. Refrigerated until ready to serve.

    Video

    Notes

    Note: I add 1 tablespoon of red pepper flakes to give a little kick. I don't think that makes it too spicy. If you want it to not have any spice, you can omit the flakes. If you want more heat, add another tablespoon.

    Nutrition- Nutrition info is based on estimation only.

    Calories: 71kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 0g | Fat: 0g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 316mg | Potassium: 65mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 225IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 0.5mg
    Tried this recipe? I want to see it!Mention @aForksTale or tag #aForksTale!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lauren Rodolfo

      May 14, 2020 at 4:24 pm

      5 stars
      Made this yesterday to go with 10lbs of pulled pork that I made and it was a HUGE hit! Very easy to make, great taste.

    2. Buck

      March 27, 2020 at 7:44 am

      5 stars
      Totally out of the park. Thanks so much. Everybody that has tried this has simply fell in love with the robust tangy sweet flavors that this sauce produces Well done . It's our favorite sauce for most of our meats.

    3. JASON

      December 13, 2019 at 9:39 pm

      5 stars
      Great recipe, I have used it a few times and everytime its picked over plain old bbq sauce. I also use it to make my slaw.

    4. Jeffrey Cutting

      August 24, 2019 at 11:02 pm

      5 stars
      Worked so good on pork I tried it on chicken Yes Yes Yes !!!!Thank you!!!!

    5. Leah

      July 07, 2019 at 1:40 am

      5 stars
      Thank you for sharing your recipe. This sauce was a hit over smoked pulled pork. Absolutely the perfect compliment. Had a perfect balanceof sweet, spicy and tangy. Will definitely be making this on the regular.

    6. Daniel

      June 11, 2019 at 1:37 am

      5 stars
      Amazing sauce. I'd never had it, but I heard about mustard based BBQ sauce before. Having made the Carolina BBQ sauce from your recipe, I couldn't help but click on the link to this one. I'm happy I did. It is glorious and I know everybody at my BBQ will love it.

    7. Keegan Winfree

      May 26, 2019 at 11:52 pm

      Not thick like it looked like and definitely did not have the same color. But it is definitely good.

    8. James Roller

      May 05, 2019 at 8:49 pm

      5 stars
      Katie, well done! Living in Fayetteville, I am sure SC mustard-based BBQ sauce is something you are very familiar with, despite the fact that your part of NC -- heck, all of NC -- favors a vinegar-pepper based sauce. Guess the only question is, do you add ketchup to yours? (Guessing not, if you're from Fayetteville!) Interesting that you do add it to the mustard sauce. Not that that is without precedent, of course. In fact, the many Dukes BBQ restaurants that are scattered about the Lowcountry of SC actually serve a "mustard sauce" that includes ketchup and mayo, believe it or not! Having lived in SC all of my 53 years and having written about SC BBQ since 2012, I applaud you and your recipe. Cheers to doing the mustard sauce justice!

    9. Joy W.

      March 03, 2019 at 10:25 pm

      5 stars
      We just had it with pulled pork on sweet Hawaiian rolls. Amazing!!!

    10. Katie

      November 30, 2018 at 12:16 pm

      Thank you so much for sharing Tracy! I am glad you all liked it! xoxo

    11. Tracy

      November 30, 2018 at 6:23 am

      5 stars
      This was so good. My picky husband loved it. Licked his fingers clean so that's 5 stars in my book!

    12. George

      October 20, 2018 at 8:59 pm

      5 stars
      Made this today for some pulled pork. It’s great. Tell me why I have been buying sauce again!

    13. Harold D Davis

      September 04, 2018 at 1:33 pm

      5 stars
      THANK YOU - - We already have an Excellent Mustard Sauce recipe, BUT it has Tons of Butter; THIS is an EXCELLENT Replacement and will be our whole family
      "Go To" BBQ SAUCE. FIVE STARS.

    14. Gary

      August 20, 2018 at 7:41 pm

      4 stars
      Made this yesterday and we loved it. Great on pull pork. But the color is not the same has the recipe. Dont,undrstand that. We make again for the next cook out.

    15. Crystal

      July 06, 2018 at 10:30 pm

      5 stars
      As a couple of BBQ sauce enthusiasts, we're definitely going to have to give this one a try on some pulled pork!

    16. Ramona

      July 06, 2018 at 5:04 pm

      5 stars
      Absolutely gorgeous looking recipe. That sauce! Ohh!! Just want to dive in. Absolutely delicious. How long can you keep this in the fridge do you reckon? I’d love to make some and keep in the fridge for this bbq season. Thanks for sharing this delicious sauce recipe.

    17. Zahra

      July 06, 2018 at 4:49 pm

      5 stars
      We have plans to light up the bbq this weekend so a recipe like this will definitely come in handy. Can’t wait to pour it over my meat. Thanks for sharing.

    18. Beth

      July 06, 2018 at 4:43 pm

      5 stars
      This looks so delicious! I don't know if I have ever had the liquid Gold! I will have to remedy that and make your sauce because it looks amazing!

    19. Shanna Jones

      July 05, 2018 at 4:42 pm

      5 stars
      Oh this looks fantastic! So many ideas come to mind for this yummy sauce! Sweet + spicy + tangy = perfection.

    20. Gabby | The Tolerant Table

      July 04, 2018 at 2:15 pm

      5 stars
      Oh this looks so good! I actually just made us a big piece of pulled lamb shoulder tonight so will happily make this gorgeous sauce to pour over the leftovers. Yum!

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