Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce

If you haven’t tried Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce, you are in for a treat! This sauce has a great tangy flavor. It has a little sweetness from the honey and brown sugar, but the cider vinegar keeps it from being overly sweet and gives it some zip! It is just the right balance of flavors and is perfect for your grilled chicken or pork!

You can use this amazing homemade mustard, vinegar-based sauce as a dip for a chicken like this great BBQ Beer Can Chicken or as a finishing sauce you can brush on anything from pork ribs to pork chops!

How to make Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce

This sauce is super simple to make! Start by measuring out all the ingredients and place them in a small saucepan. Whisk everything together over medium heat until it starts to simmer.

Reduce the heat to low and continue to gently simmer, stirring occasionally for 15 – 20 minutes. Use right away or allow the sauce to cool. This sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

I like to make the sauce at least a few hours or even a day ahead of time. This allows all the flavors to meld together. This produces a better-tasting sauce, I think, anyway.

As a side note, if you are serving your Carolina Mustard BBQ sauce as a dip or as a sauce on say pulled pork, you want the sauce to be at room temperature, not chilled. The flavors will be better and deeper in taste.

It is also a good idea to have it at room temperature when you are brushing the sauce on as you finish grilling or smoking. Like on grilled chicken or smoked pork, you don’t want to cool your protein down with an ice-cold sauce.

Why is Carolina BBQ sauce yellow?

Carolina BBQ sauce is yellow because it is a mustard-based BBQ sauce, unlike Kansas City BBQ sauce which is tomato based. Or an Eastern Carolina sauce that is generally vinegar and pepper based.

Notes:

Serve your Carolina mustard BBQ sauce at room temperature, not cold, right out of the fridge.

You can add a pinch or 2 of your favorite herbs to this sauce; try a little dried oregano, basil, or thyme. Or spices like a dash of cumin or even nutmeg.

What is the difference between North and South Carolina BBQ sauce?

The BBQ sauce you get depends upon where in the Carolinas you are. If you are in the eastern Carolinas, you will likely find a vinegar and pepper-based sauce. In the western Carolinas, you may find tomato sauce as part of the equation.

Mustard-based sauces like this Carolina mustard BBQ sauce recipe is most common in central South Carolina. In the very west of South Carolina, you will often find ketchup-based BBQ sauce.

Of course, with people traveling around the country nowadays, the lines between these styles of BBQ sauce do become a little blurred. But if you are talking to a traditional BBQer from any region, they will put up a strong argument for their traditional sauce.

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