Name: Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce (Mustard BBQ Sauce)
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 16
Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients: 1 cup yellow mustard; 2 tablespoons honey; 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar; 1/4 cup brown sugar; 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; 1/2 teaspoon pepper; 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/4 teaspoon onion powder; 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional for heat); pinch of salt

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Tangy Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce is bursting with flavor. This golden sauce is a mustard-based barbecue sauce with sweetness thanks to honey and brown sugar, and best of all, it cooks up in just 10 minutes!

spoon dripping Carolina gold BBQ sauce into a small jar

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Down here in the South we take our barbecue very seriously. Whether we are smoking pork ribs or slow-cooking pulled pork, it’s not just a meal, it’s a passion!

Along with that passion come some very strong opinions about barbecue sauce as well. Maybe it’s my South Carolina roots, but for me, Carolina gold barbecue sauce is far and away my personal favorite, followed closely behind by eastern North Carolina vinegar BBQ sauce.

There’s something about the tangy flavor that just wins me over more traditional sauces made with tomato sauce like honey BBQ or bourbon BBQ sauce or even that wild child Alabama white sauce!

You can purchase Carolina mustard BBQ sauce in many grocery stores in the south, my favorite brand is Sticky Fingers (affiliate link), but it’s also very easy to make your own homemade BBQ sauce as well.

Love homemade sauces? You also might like our Big Mac sauce, Zaxby’s Zax sauce, and homemade remoulade.

Where did Carolina Gold Sauce originate?

According to the SC Barbecue Association, the South Carolina colony heavily recruited German immigrants in the mid-1700s. As the Germans settled in central South Carolina they brought with them their love of mustard! This led to the mustard-based BBQ sauce we all know and love today.

Why I love this recipe

10 minutes of prep: mix, simmer, cool, and serve!
it is great as a marinade, dipping sauce, or BBQ sauce
it has the perfect balance of tangy flavor, sweetness, and a hint of heat
it tastes delicious with pork, brisket, chicken, or even seafood

Ingredients

You only need a few simple ingredients to make this easy recipe, all pantry staples.

yellow mustard – no brown mustard or honey mustard here, go with the classic yellow mustard
honey
brown sugar
apple cider vinegar
Worcestershire sauce
spices – garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper (optional for heat)

Step by step

Whisk the ingredients together in a small saucepan.
Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.
Allow the sauce to cool and enjoy!

Serving suggestions

The possibilities for this sauce are truly endless. Use as a traditional bbq sauce with chicken wings, beef brisket, pork butt, on a pulled pork sandwich with crunchy coleslaw, it’s great on almost any type of meat.

It also makes a great marinade for pork chops or grilled chicken. You can also use it to dip french fries, onion rings, sweet potato fries, or even hush puppies in the sauce.

Storage

Allow the sauce to cool to room temperature then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

If you try this recipe please comment and rate it below, I love hearing from you!