Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce

5 from 2 votes

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Mustard BBQ sauce is lip smacking and tangy and it’ll add a delicious twist to your summer grilling menu. Even better, you can make this recipe for Carolina gold sauce in just 10 minutes!

basting brush dipping into bowl of Carolina mustard BBQ sauce


Are you crazy about condiments? I definitely am, especially when it comes to grilled foods. It could be a bbq dry rub or a new twist on a favorite barbecue sauce, but when I can create something simple to take the flavor up a notch, I’m SO there!

Barbecue recipes vary by region, especially across the U.S. Each region has their own idea of what makes the “perfect barbecue”. For Texans, it’s all about the meat itself. Using the perfect spice rubs and smoking it to perfection.

Kansas City style bbq sauce is a sticky molasses and tomato-based bbq sauce. Head down to Alabama and you’ll see them use a unique, mayo-based Alabama white sauce that is beyond delicious!

Mustard BBQ Sauce

The Carolinas are known for their barbecue sauce as well. North Carolina and South Carolina each have a unique sauce that they consider to be the very best. North Carolina bbq sauce has a lot of vinegar, while South Carolina sauce has a base of vinegar and mustard.

The golden yellow color is why mustard bbq sauce is known as Carolina gold sauce.

If you’ve never tried Carolina gold BBQ sauce before, it’s something you should definitely try! It’s not overly sweet like some red bbq sauces. The flavor is tangy from the vinegar, but rather than sweet, mustard bbq sauce has a bold, edgy flavor.

dipping basting brush into dish of Carolina gold sauce

How to use Carolina gold sauce

I think the best way to use a mustard-based sauce like Carolina gold sauce is for dipping meat into rather than for basting the meat.

I find that the mustard in the sauce takes on a bitter flavor as it cooks on the grill. It’s completely up to you, though.

dipping green silicone basting brush into small glass bowl of mustard bbq sauce

What meat tastes the best with Carolina mustard bbq sauce?

When it comes to the type of meat, I think mustard bbq sauce is fantastic on everything from roasted garlic chicken to baby back ribs and smoked bbq meatballs.

I think the bold flavor works best with pork, but don’t let that stop you from trying it with turkey legs or even smoked salmon!

Carolina gold sauce on smoked ribs (shown close up)
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Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce

5 from 2 votes
Mustard BBQ sauce is lip smacking and tangy and it'll add a delicious twist to your summer grilling menu. Even better, you can make this Carolina gold sauce in just 10 minutes!
Servings: 10 servings
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 15 minutes

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • In small saucepan whisk together all the ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes. Let cool before using.

Nutrition

Calories: 50kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 486mg | Potassium: 63mg | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 50IU | Vitamin C: 0.8mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 0.5mg

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Course: Pantry Staples
Cuisine: American, Southern
Have You Made This Recipe? Let Me Know on InstagramTag @keviniscooking or tag me #keviniscooking!
Carolina gold sauce on smoked ribs (shown close up)

Kevin

Whether in the kitchen or on the grill, you’ll find me cooking American favorites with a love for BBQ, Mexican and Tex Mex. I’m passionate about making tasty food because life’s too short to be bland!

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5 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    The South Carolina mustard-based BBQ sauce was made famous by Maurice Bessinger, who had several restaurants in SC. The mustard sauce was wonderful and unique. I believe the meat was basted with the sauce, which is a dark yellow in color. I’m from NC and there are 2 BBQ sauces here: a tomato-based BBQ sauce in Western NC and a vinegar-based sauce in Eastern NC. I love all 3 of the sauces unique to each area! Thanks for featuring the Carolinas in your post.