This Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce is a new twist on an old favorite. Try this amazing homemade sauce on pulled pork, ribs, burgers, and smoked chicken.
Our mustard sauce recipe blends traditional BBQ sauce with a spicy, smoky ingredient. And that ingredient is chilis in adobo! This golden BBQ sauce is traditionally sweet, smoky, and a little tart. However, we’ve enhanced the smoke and spice elements to suit the modern palette. This sauce should be made the day before to allow the flavors to evolve.
Where does Carolina mustard sauce come from?
This delicious mustard sauce, sometimes called Carolina Gold sauce, has an interesting backstory. According to legend, it was invented by German immigrants who settled in South Carolina. Mustard is the preferred condiment in German cuisine and can range from mellow, sweet mustard to tangy and whole-grain varieties.
What is mustard BBQ sauce?
It is a mustard-based sauce that includes other ingredients like honey or brown sugar, yellow mustard, cider vinegar, red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper, and liquid smoke. Pitmasters and home cooks serve this mustard BBQ sauce on smoked pork and chicken. However, it can be used as a burger topping or a dipping sauce.
What is the difference between North & South Carolina BBQ Sauce?
East North Carolina is known for their thin, spicy, vinegar-based sauces like Piedmont. South Carolina serves up a thicker mustard-based variety. Both areas also use tomato-based sauces on barbecued meats.
Ingredients
- Yellow mustard
- Cider vinegar
- Dark brown sugar
- Chili in adobo plus adobo sauce
- Worcestershire sauce
- Mild chili powder
- Onion powder
- Butter
- Salt and pepper to taste (start small and work up from there)
Spice level: Make this sauce as mild or spicy as you like. Want it spicier? Use two tablespoons of minced chipotles in adobo peppers. For a milder mustard BBQ sauce, reduce the chilis in adobo sauce amount by half.
How to make it
- Place all sauce ingredients except butter in a medium saucepan. Simmer mixture over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring often. If the sauce is too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons of water to thin it out.
- Remove saucepan from the heat and stir in the butter. Let the sauce cool for 10-15 minutes before using.
- Store mustard BBQ sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 7 days.
- To use: Mix small amounts in with pulled pork, and serve the rest of the sauce on the side. Treat as you would a table sauce or condiment for chicken and burgers.
Try this Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce on:
Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups yellow mustard
- 1/2 cup cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon minced chili in adobo
- 1- 1 1/2 teaspoons adobo sauce
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon mild chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoons butter
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place all ingredients except butter in a medium saucepan. Simmer mixture over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring often. If the sauce is too thick, add about 2 tablespoons of water at a time until you reach your preferred consistency.
- Once sugars have melted through and the sauce is well combined, remove the saucepan from heat, and stir in the butter. Let the sauce cool for 15 minutes before using.
- Store sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 7 days after initial preparation.
