Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce

This BBQ season, whip up this great rich and tangy recipe for Carolina mustard BBQ sauce, featuring a vingar and mustard base, with plenty of spice added.

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Our Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce is a bold celebration of Southern barbecue tradition. Featuring the signature vinegar and mustard base that sets Carolina BBQ apart, this sauce delivers a tangy, spicy punch that contrasts with the sweeter styles from other regions. Perfect for drizzling over grilled chicken, steak, or ribs, it also shines as a marinade or dipping sauce for almost anything. Whether you’re elevating your next cookout or looking for a unique twist on classic barbecue, this sauce offers the vibrant flavors that make Carolina BBQ so special.

Let’s Dish; About This BBQ Sauce

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Main Ingredients: Mustard, honey, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, liquid smoke, hot sauce.
Quick Steps: Mix ingredients, simmer with slurry for 5 minutes, cool and refrigerate overnight.
Total Time & Yield: 1 day, 10 minutes | 12 servings.

Why This Recipe

• This Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce recipe stands out from other mustard-based sauces with its balance of tangy, sweet, and smoky flavors.

• While some recipes rely on basic ingredients like mustard, honey, and vinegar, our version takes it a step further by adding liquid smoke and Worcestershire sauce.

• This creates a deeper, more complex flavor profile. The result is a sauce that pairs well with a variety of meats, offering a bold taste without overpowering the dish.

• By simmering the sauce briefly and letting it chill overnight, our version ensures that the flavors meld together for a richer, more refined BBQ experience.

Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce Ingredients

Substitutions And Additions

SPICE: If you would like to increase the spiciness of this sauce, you can either add a couple more dashes of hot sauce, a pinch of cayenne pepper, or red pepper flakes to your sauce.

YELLOW MUSTARD: If you prefer a milder mustard flavor, you can substitute Dijon mustard for yellow mustard. This substitution will give the sauce a smoother and slightly less tangy profile.

Alternatively, if you enjoy a spicier kick, you can use spicy brown mustard instead. Just keep in mind that the taste will vary accordingly.

WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE: Worcestershire sauce contributes to the umami and savory elements of this barbecue sauce. You can use soy sauce or tamari as a substitute. They will add a similar depth of flavor without the anchovy component found in Worcestershire sauce.

How To Make This Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce Recipe

STEP ONE: In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and water for the slurry. Set it aside.

A slurry is used to thicken sauces and soups, and it is perfect for thickening up this delicious sauce recipe.

STEP TWO: In a medium bowl, add all the ingredients except for the slurry. Whisk until the ingredients are well combined.

STEP THREE: Using a rubber spatula, pour the mixture into a small saucepan. Whisk often while simmering on low heat for 3 minutes (or just until it starts to bubble). Do not overheat or boil.

STEP FOUR: Add your slurry mix to the sauce and continue to cook for another 2 minutes.

STEP FIVE: Remove from the heat and allow the sauce to cool.

STEP SIX: Once cool to the touch, pour into a jar or container with a sealed lid. Refrigerate overnight. This golden sauce can be used once cooled; however, the best results occur the next day when the flavors have had time to enhance. 

How To Serve This Carolina BBQ Sauce Recipe

When you are ready to serve your sauce, place it in a small saucepan and bring it to a simmer.

Serve it on top of your pulled pork sandwiches, chicken wings, oven-baked chicken.

Add one of our tasty pasta salads on the side, such as our dill pickle pasta salad, and you have the perfect meal.

This is a great sauce to serve with so many different meat dishes. Try it on our grilled chicken, or use it to dip your turkey tenders or popcorn chicken.

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Storing This Carolina Mustard Barbecue Sauce

This barbecue sauce keeps well in both the fridge and freezer. Here’s how:

IN THE FRIDGE: Store Carolina mustard sauce in an airtight container with a tight-fitting lid or a glass jar, like a mason jar, in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

IN THE FREEZER: This mustard-based barbecue sauce recipe can be frozen for up to 3 months.

There are so many different types of BBQ sauce, but we think this authentic Carolina mustard BBQ sauce, originally from South Carolina, is the best BBQ sauce to use for dipping and as a condiment.

Skip the grocery store and whip up a batch of this tangy sauce anytime you want. The deep golden color and fantastic flavor will not let you down.

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Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce

5 from 2 votes

This BBQ season, whip up this great rich and tangy recipe for Carolina mustard BBQ sauce, featuring a vingar and mustard base, with plenty of spice added.

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 day day 10 minutes minutes

Servings 12

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Ingredients

  

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Slurry

• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons water, room temperature

Sauce

• ½ cup mustard
• ¼ cup honey
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke
• 6 dashes hot sauce of your choice, more or less depending on your desired level of heat

Instructions

 

• In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and water for slurry. Set it aside.
• In a medium bowl, add all the ingredients except for the slurry.
• Whisk until the ingredients are well combined.
• Using a rubber spatula, pour the mixture into a small saucepan.
• Whisk often while simmering on low heat for 3 minutes (or just until it starts to bubble). Do not overheat or boil.
• Add your slurry mix to the sauce and continue to cook for another 2 minutes.
• Remove from heat and allow the sauce to cool. Once cool to the touch, pour into a jar or container with a sealed lid.
• Refrigerate overnight.
• To serve, warm it up in a small pot and get eating!

Notes

• A slurry is used to thicken sauces and soups, and it is perfect for thickening up this delicious sauce recipe.
• This golden sauce can be used once cooled; however, the best results occur the next day when the flavors have had time to enhance.

Nutrition

Calories: 48kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 234mg | Potassium: 36mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 14IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg

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