Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce
Get your smokers and grills ready for summer with this classic Carolina mustard bbq sauce recipe from South Carolina. It goes perfectly with pork or grilled chicken.
South Carolina has a rich and proud history in barbecue. Growing up, I only knew of tomato-based barbecue sauces. Sadly, they were all I’d ever been introduced to.
Little did I know there were so many other types of barbecue sauces out there, and a practically infinite variation of them, but each with their own unique base. This mustard-based barbecue sauce is one of them.
Mustard, you say? In barbecue sauce?
Absolutely. If you’ve never encountered a barbecue sauce recipe made with mustard, you’re in for a taste bud awakening because it is truly a revelation.
A History of Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce
Mustard-based bbq sauce is tied back to the Germans who populated South Carolina in the 1700s.
Germans are fond of their mustards, which accounts for its early introduction, but its overall flavor is the reason for its enduring popularity. I’ve seen many variations of this sauce, with a smattering of other ingredients included. This is the version I personally enjoy at home. It pairs ideally with pork – think ribs, pork chops, pork shoulder that’s been smoked to tender perfection.
You’ll find it all over South Carolina, though it has found its way up through North Carolina as well, and is offered along with other barbecue sauces at many BBQ restaurants. North Carolina is known more for their ketchup based bbq sauce with molasses and brown sugar, but they’ve made plenty of room for this mustard bbq sauce, which is also known as Carolina Gold Barbecue Sauce.
It’s great stuff, my friends!
It’s also incredibly easy to make. First off, you only want to use yellow mustard. No brown mustard here, my friends. You MUST go with the classic recipes. Trust them in the south. They know what they’re doing.
Toss in your ingredients and whisk away. A little bit of heating and you have a sauce ready to go. I like to make mine a day ahead to allow the flavors to mingle a bit. The choice is yours.
What Does Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce Taste Like?
This mustard bbq sauce is a wonderful mix of sweet and tangy and spicy. You get a double whammy of tang from the mix of apple cider vinegar along with yellow mustard, which has a respectable level of tang on its own. You’ll find a wonderful sweetness from the brown sugar and honey, a welcomed savory taste from the seasonings, as well as enticing spicy notes from the cayenne.
If you’d like to up that overall heat factor, you can easily include extra cayenne pepper in the mix, or introduce some spicy chili flakes. If you’d prefer a no-heat version, simply omit the cayenne and focus on the other ingredients.
Let’s talk about how we make it, shall we?
South Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce Ingredients
- ¾ cup yellow mustard
- ½ cup honey
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Pinch or more of cayenne
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Dash of hot sauce
How to Make Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce
First, add the following together in a mixing bowl: yellow mustard, honey, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, cayenne, salt and hot sauce.
Whisk everything together until very smooth.
Next, add to a small pot and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool.
Pour into a jar and cover. Refrigerate at least one day to let the flavors mingle.
To serve, warm it up in a small pot and get eating!
Time to get the smokers and grills going. Here’s another barbecue sauce to add to your arsenal. Enjoy!
What to Serve with Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce
Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce is particular delicious when served with pulled pork on a bun, topped with crunchy coleslaw. It is also wonderful spooned over grilled pork chops or grilled chicken. I’ve also enjoyed it over smoked pork ribs, where the tanginess really shines.
Still, personally, there’s nothing better than smoking up a couple pork butts until they’re pull apart tender, then smothering the meat with this outstanding bbq sauce. So flavorful and infinitely enjoyable.
Try Some of My Other Popular BBQ Sauce Recipes
- Chipotle-Bacon-Bourbon Barbecue Sauce
- Peach-Bourbon Barbecue Sauce
- Spicy Honey BBQ Sauce
- Ancho BBQ Sauce
- Easy BBQ Sauce
Best Mustard BBQ Sauce Recipe – Ever!
I love this bbq sauce! So tangy, wonderfully sweet, just a touch spicy. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Get your smokers and grills ready for summer with this classic Carolina mustard bbq sauce recipe from South Carolina. It goes perfectly with pork or grilled chicken.
- ¾ cup yellow mustard
- ½ cup honey
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Pinch or more of cayenne
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Dash of hot sauce
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Whisk all of the ingredients together in a large bowl.
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Add to a small pot and simmer for 10 minutes. Cool.
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Pour into a jar and cover. Refrigerate at least one day to let the flavors mingle.
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To serve, warm it up in a small pot and get eating!
Heat Factor: Mild, though it is nice and juicy-tart.
This recipe was updated on 6/17/19 to include new information and photos. It was originally published on Jun 15, 2016.
8 comments
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What is the shelf life once made up? Looking to make it to take on a week’s long camping trip in the summer
WelshBird, if you store it properly in the refrigerator, it should last a good 6 months for you.
I needed a mustard bbq sauce for a recipe, and was so glad to find this because I had everything on hand. And it’s so delicious! I am going to make it and have it on hand all the time. Tonight its going on a chicken dish, can’t wait to try it on pork chops! Thanks for sharing!
That’s great, Julia. Yes, I LOVE this mustard bbq sauce recipe as well. Outstanding on chicken and pork chops for sure!
I made this today for our Thanksgiving dinner (we have Thanksgiving in a October in Canada) to go with our ham….. amazing! Everyone raved about it! Thanks for a fantastic recipe!
That’s great, Carole! Glad you enjoyed it! Happy Thanksgiving!
Im from jville Florida but i live in Phoenix Az and this is the closest to Jenkins bbg sauce lve made this sauce alot.my neice and nephews wont eat anything else on their pig ribs..lol my sister puts it on her rice..needless to say we love this sauce
REPLY: Great to hear, Alexis! Thanks for sharing! — Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
have you ever canned this? How hot have you made it?
REPLY: Theresa, no, I have not canned it though you can can mustard. It normally isn’t very hot, but you can easily heat this up with extra hot peppers. — Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.