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.
Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce Recipe (Carolina Gold)
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.
Behold - Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce.
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 sauces with molasses and brown sugar and their vinegar based sauces as well, 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 to make mustard bbq sauce, shall we?
South Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce Ingredients (Carolina Gold)
- Mustard. Use ¾ cup yellow mustard. Yellow mustard is standard and preferred, though you can use others if you'd like.
- Sweet Factor. I use both ½ cup honey and ¼ cup brown sugar. Adjust to your own preference.
- Vinegar. Use ½ cup apple cider vinegar, though you can use other vinegar. Apple cider vinegar has a nice sweetness and tang.
- Ketchup. 2 tablespoons ketchup, or more to preference.
- Worcestershire Sauce. Use 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- Seasonings. I use 1 teaspoon garlic powder, a pinch or more of cayenne (usually more for me) and ½ teaspoon salt. If cayenne is too spicy, use paprika.
- Hot Sauce. I like to add in a few dashes of hot sauce, though this is completely optional.
How to Make Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce - the Recipe Method
Gather Ingredients. 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. Whisk everything together until very smooth.
Simmer. Next, add to a small pot and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool.
Refrigerate. Pour into a jar and cover. Refrigerate at least one day to let the flavors mingle.
Serve. To serve, warm it up in a small pot and get eating! Or enjoy it straight out of the refrigerator! So good.
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. I love to eat pulled pork.
This Recipe Is In our Cookbook - FLAVOR MADNESS
Did you know that you can find this recipe in our new cookbook FLAVOR MADNESS? It's waiting for you on PAGE 76.
Best Mustard BBQ Sauce Recipe - Ever!
I love this sauce! Such a great recipe. 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.
Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce Recipe (Carolina Gold)
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
Instructions
- Whisk all of the ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Add to a small pot and simmer for 10 minutes. 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!
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
This recipe was updated on 2/23/26 to include new information and review video and photos.
Delaney says
We don't have ketchup, but we do use the concentrated tomato paste that you can buy in a tube. That works beautifully for anyone else who doesn't have ketchup in their house. I just squeezed some out until I thought it looked like it was enough (since it's much more concentrated than ketchup), kept mixing it all together, then tasted and adjusted. I also added some molasses even though I still added the brown sugar and honey (I have this mesquite honey that I've been using for salad dressings, and it's good here, too).
I make my own mustard using brown and yellow mustard seeds, beer, champagne vinegar, honey, and salt, but I just made a batch this morning, so that would be too bitter to use here. I'm considering making a batch of mustard just from the yellow seeds JUST so I can make this BBQ sauce.
I love the Carolina Gold sauce and chips that you can find at Trader Joe's in the summer, so now I don't have to stock up since it's seasonal!
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome! Thanks, Delaney. I agree, tomato paste is a very good sub. Thanks for sharing this!
Dave says
Great on grilled pork chops!!!
Mike Hultquist says
Yes!! Thanks, Dave!
Heather says
This recipe is amazing! I made it tonight with pork chops and my 9 year old was asking for more and literally licked her plate clean! And she wants it everytime we have pork or chicken now. Thank you so much! I have a feeling this will be a highly requested condiment in our house now!
Mike H. says
Haha, thank you, Heather - I am very happy to hear that. Enjoy!
Jessica Hantz says
This came out perfect!we served it at one of our parties and the guests raved about it. It is now a staple every time we make pulled pork or grilled chicken!
Mike Hultquist says
Jessica! Thanks so much! I appreciate it. I hope you guys are enjoying your new home!! Happy for you both.
Cindy says
This sauce is so delicious! Thank you for sharing.
Mike Hultquist says
Happy to help, Cindy! We love this one!
William Schulze says
EXCELLENT sauce, sir! Thank you.
I do have a comment/question. Given that this type of mustard sauce dates back several centuries, when--I think--there was no "yellow mustard", why do you suppose pretty much all Carolina mustard sauces specifically specify yellow mustard? No snark or criticism intended, just a serious question
Thanks!
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, William. I'm not sure of the exact origins, but recipes to change as people adapt them to available ingredients as time passes. It's an interesting question.
Goat girl says
Mustard is made from the seeds of mustard green plants which are a mainstay in many southern gardens. The seeds are yellow regardless of the color of the which can be green, red, purple, etc.
Mike Hultquist says
Mustard seeds can be yellow (white), brown, or black, which depends on the plant variety source, though you will see some color variation, like reddish. But the mustard itself is quite yellow in color regardless of which seeds are used.
Karri says
what kind of hot sauce do you use for this??
Mike H. says
Hey, Karri. For the hot sauce, you could try sriracha, tabasco, jalapeno, or even ghost pepper hot sauce. It is totally up to you!
M says
How long with this keep for if refrigerated? It’s an excellent sauce! I’m from SC lowcountry and love a mustard sauce, especially without all the terrible ingredients added that you get from the store.
Mike H. says
M, it will likely last a few months easily in the refrigerator. Enjoy!
Lenora Cherry says
Wisconsinite here! I had meatballs in a honey mustard BBQ sauce (sweet baby Rays) a few weeks ago and it was good. However, I'm all about making it from scratch so would this recipe be okay for homemade meatballs?
Mike Hultquist says
Lenora, this sauce would work for your meatballs, though it's different from my Honey-Mustard BBQ Sauce Recipe, which you might try: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/chili-pepper-recipes/sauces/honey-bbq-sauce/.
Also, if you're looking to make meatballs from scratch, I have a few recipes you can refer to: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/chili-pepper-recipes/sauces/honey-bbq-sauce/#growMeSearch=meatballs
Lee M says
Just harvested my reaper, scorpion and moruga peppers off my plants with a few habaneros thrown in and was making different sauces with them. Came across this recipe and figured my puree off peppers would work well with the sweetness of the sauce....definitely not disappointed !! put a table spoon full in and turned out amazing...perfect balance of heat and sweetness.
Mike Hultquist says
Nice! I love it, Lee! Extra spicy!
Carolyn L says
This is absolutely delicious mixed with shredded cabbage, and served over hot dogs, sausage dogs, or Bratwurst!
By the way, some of the best sausage is Manda Mild Smoked Pork Sausage. I buy it in the 1# packages direct from Manda Fine Meats in Baton Rouge,LA, & they ship it in dry ice. It’s just like the sausage, in casings, my Mom bought when I was a kid, during the 50s & 60s, but is impossible to find in stores anymore … at least not where I live.
Anyway, a carhop type burger joint used to have foot long hot dogs, with this type sauce & slaw mixed together. Everyone loved them. Now I can have them again! Thank you!
Carolyn L says
Correction: I said the sauce was mixed with slaw, but I should have said shredded cabbage.
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome, Carolyn! I love to hear it! Definitely a great way to use it. Cheers!
Venita Philmore says
this is a good recipe
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Venita! Definitely a favorite here!
Laura says
This is the first time I have made BBQ Sauce from scratch. This turned out great! Thank you
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it, Laura.