Homemade Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce
This Carolina Gold BBQ sauce is liquid gold for your taste buds! Unlike a traditional BBQ sauce, it has a tangy mustard base with rich umami flavor and a touch of natural smokiness. Perfect for pulled pork sandwiches or as a dipping sauce for chicken wings, this simple recipe will be the star of your summer BBQ all season long.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce
- Serves: 1 ½ cups
- Main Ingredients: yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar, honey, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika
- Why You'll Love It: You're going to love my tangy, sweet, and slightly spicy Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce! This mustard-based Southern classic is my absolute go-to for ribs, pulled pork, and chicken. It whips up in minutes and completely changed my backyard BBQ game.
What is Carolina Gold Barbecue Sauce?
Carolina Gold hails from South Carolina and is an absolute staple at backyard cookouts across the state. Unlike standard tomato-based sauces, this golden beauty gets its signature tangy, sweet, and slightly spicy kick from a blend of mustard, vinegar, spices, and a sweetener.
While many recipes call for brown sugar, I personally love using honey. You can even use pureed squash or apples as a healthier, naturally sweet option! No matter how you sweeten it, this sweet-and-tangy masterpiece is one I reckon you’ll fall in love with!
Once you’ve finished this South Carolina staple, take a little hop over to Alabama and test out my creamy, tangy Alabama White Sauce!
Recipe Ingredients
- Yellow mustard
- Apple cider vinegar
- Honey
- Ketchup
- Worcestershire sauce
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Smoked paprika
- Black pepper
- Cayenne pepper
Top Tips for the Perfect Gold Sauce
- I always recommend using a good-quality yellow mustard as the base, as it really does make a difference in the final flavor!
- Taste as you go! I usually do a quick taste test before simmering and adjust the honey or cayenne to get that perfect sweet-to-spicy balance.
- This sauce thickens up quite a bit once it cools, so don’t panic if it looks a little thin straight off the stove.
How to Make Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce
1. In a small saucepan, whisk together all ingredients until smooth. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
2. Next, reduce the heat and let it simmer for 8–10 minutes until slightly thickened.
3. Once thickened, remove from the heat and let the sauce cool. It will thicken more as it cools. Serve and enjoy!
Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce FAQs
Carolina Gold BBQ sauce is a tangy, sweet, and mildly spicy mustard-based sauce. Everyone has their own way of adding heat. Some prefer hot sauce while others reach for chili flakes. Personally, I like to use cayenne pepper alongside smoked paprika and black pepper. If you’re sensitive to spice, start with a small pinch and adjust to your taste.
For this recipe, you likely won’t need to thicken the BBQ sauce, but if you do, it’s easy to fix. Use either flour or cornstarch as a thickener. Mix 2 tablespoons of flour with ¼ cup of water, or combine 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water. Stir until the mixture is smooth and free of lumps, then add it to your sauce for the perfect consistency.
To me, Carolina Gold BBQ sauce pairs best with pork and chicken. I love swapping this sauce into my Pan-Seared Pork Chops or Southern Smothered Chicken. It also pairs beautifully with my Easy Baby Back Ribs and Crockpot Pulled Pork for a finger-licking main course. And don’t forget my Fluffy Cathead Biscuits on the side; perfect for sopping up every last drop!
Storage
Store your Carolina Gold BBQ sauce in a clean jar or an airtight container to keep it fresh. Place it in the fridge, where it will stay good for up to 2 weeks.
If this sauce had you licking your spoon, leave a star rating and share your thoughts in the comments below!
Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow mustard
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Pinch of cayenne
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, whisk together all ingredients until smooth.
- Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- Reduce heat and let it simmer for 8–10 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Remove from heat and let cool. The sauce will thicken more as it cools.
- Store in a jar or an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
- I always recommend using a good-quality yellow mustard as the base, as it really does make a difference in the final flavor!
- Taste as you go! I usually do a quick taste test before simmering and adjust the honey or cayenne to get that perfect sweet-to-spicy balance.
- This sauce thickens up quite a bit once it cools, so don’t panic if it looks a little thin straight off the stove.
Thks for posting Yellow BBQ musturd sauce. need some more varieties of sauces if possible.
I am a little confused. Your description at the top of the page says it is made from several items, including Brown Sugar. You answer in the FAQ quesion says it has molasses and hot sauce. Yet your recipe has neither brown sugar, molasses, or hot sauce. What am I missing here?