Mustard BBQ Sauce
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure.Tangy yet sweet, my homemade Mustard BBQ Sauce has a yellow mustard base that’s sweetened with honey and brown sugar. I love slathering it on everything, from veggie burgers to crispy vegan chicken sandwiches. This is one sauce I always keep on hand because it’s just that good.
Mustard-based BBQ sauce goes by many names, like Carolina Gold Sauce or Southern Gold BBQ Sauce, and it’s especially popular in South Carolina, particularly Charleston. Unlike traditional tomato-based BBQ sauces, I make mine with yellow mustard and just a touch of ketchup for balance. Do you like this sauce? Then, you’ll also love my vegan BBQ sauce recipe.
If you’ve ever been to a BBQ restaurant or joint in South Carolina, you’ve probably seen a few yellow barbecue sauces on the table. The best part? You don’t have to travel to enjoy it, I make my own at home, and it’s so easy that I just have to share my recipe with you.
👩🏽🍳 Why I Love This Recipe
I always make this mustard BBQ sauce in the summer when we fire up the grill for veggie burgers and cookout favorites. It’s one of those sauces that goes with everything, I drizzle it over grilled tofu, roasted vegetables, and grain bowls, and even use it as a dip for my crispy eggplant fries.
It’s naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, and if I swap the honey for agave syrup, it’s completely vegan-friendly too. I’ve brought it to backyard barbecues, game days, and weeknight dinners, and even my friends who usually reach for tomato-based BBQ sauce end up loving it.
I make this sauce at least a day ahead because letting it rest deepens the flavor. The best part? No cooking required! I whisk together yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, honey, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, paprika, ketchup, and a pinch of black pepper, then pour it into an airtight jar and let it sit in the fridge. By the next day, it’s even better, perfect for brushing over grilled veggies, drizzling on sandwiches, or serving as a dipping sauce.
I highly recommend making this BBQ sauce from scratch, it’s fresh, easy, and way better than store-bought. I love having a jar ready to go all summer long, whether I’m grilling, meal prepping, or just craving something flavorful to add to a dish. I can’t way for you to try it!
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🥘 Ingredients
These are the main ingredients I use to make mustard BBQ sauce, and chances are, you already have most of them in your pantry. If not, they’re all easy to find at any local grocery store.
Yellow Mustard: This is the heart of the sauce, and if I want to keep it classic, yellow mustard is the only way to go! It has just the right tang to balance out the sweetness, so I never swap it for Dijon.
Brown Sugar & Honey: This combo gives the sauce a deep, sweet, honey-like flavor. The molasses in brown sugar adds a caramel-like richness, making it perfect for BBQ.
Apple Cider Vinegar: I love how apple cider vinegar brings a touch of sweetness and acidity, giving the sauce that signature Carolina-style tang.
Worcestershire Sauce: You won’t taste it outright, but two tablespoons add a deep, savory umami flavor that makes a big difference.
Garlic Powder & Paprika: These simple spices pack a punch and bring out the best in the mustard and sweeteners. I never skip them, they add just the right depth to the sauce.
Ketchup: A little ketchup rounds out the flavors with a hint of sweetness and mild tomato richness, making the sauce even more balanced.
🍲 Substitutions
Brown Sugar & Honey: If I need a swap, I use blackstrap molasses for depth (though it darkens the sauce), and for a vegan option, cane sugar or agave syrup works well. If using cane sugar, I recommend simmering the sauce for 5–10 minutes over low heat to help it dissolve.
Vinegar: If I’m out of apple cider vinegar, white vinegar makes a great substitute without changing the overall flavor too much.
Worcestershire Sauce: Soy sauce is my go-to alternative for Worcestershire, it adds a similar savory umami kick to the sauce. If I’m making a vegan version, I always use a fish-free Worcestershire sauce.
Ketchup: If I want to skip ketchup, I use a small amount of tomato paste or purée instead to keep the balance of flavors.
🔪 How To Make
My easy mustard BBQ sauce recipe comes together with a handful of ingredients, simple steps, and almost no effort! Here’s how I make it:
Mix Ingredients Together: I stir all the ingredients in a mixing bowl until the sauce is completely smooth. I always use a whisk, it blends the spices better than a spoon or spatula.
How To Know When It’s Ready: I know my sauce is ready when it has a rich golden color and the ingredients are fully blended with no separation.
Refrigerate Overnight: I pour the golden sauce into an airtight container or glass jar and let it chill in the fridge overnight. I could use it right away, but trust me, the flavors get so much better with time!
💭 Expert Tips
My #1 Secret Tip for making this Mustard BBQ Sauce: I always taste and adjust before storing it, even though the flavors deepen overnight. If I want it sweeter, I add a little extra brown sugar or honey. And if I tweak the recipe, I write it down, I have a whole file of my own variations, and it’s the best way to keep track of what works.
Other Tips To Keep In Mind:
- Stick to Yellow Mustard: I always use yellow mustard for this sauce, Dijon changes the flavor too much, and stone-ground mustard makes it too grainy.
- Make Ahead: This sauce tastes even better the next day, so I always make it ahead of time for the best flavor.
- Taste and Adjust: Before storing, I taste and tweak, if I want it sweeter, I add a little more brown sugar or honey. I always write down my changes so I can recreate my best versions.
- Pour Into Squeeze Bottles: I love storing this sauce in squeeze bottles, it makes drizzling over hot dogs, burgers, and sandwiches so much easier.
- Double the Recipe: When I’m cooking for a crowd, I always double the batch, this sauce goes fast!
📖 Variations
There are so many types of BBQ sauce, but mustard-based barbecue sauce is one I always come back to. Here are a few variations I love to try:
A Touch of Heat: When I want a spicy kick, I add ½ teaspoon of hot sauce, black pepper, cayenne, red pepper flakes, or minced chipotle in adobo. I start small and adjust, some of these pack more heat than others!
Make It Smoky: A little ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika or ¼ to ½ teaspoon of liquid smoke gives this sauce a deep, smoky flavor. I start light and add more if needed.
With Honey Mustard: For a sweeter twist, I swap 1 cup of yellow mustard for honey mustard. If I do this, I usually reduce the brown sugar and honey by 1–2 tablespoons and adjust to taste.
North Carolina BBQ Sauce: If I want a tangy, vinegar-based BBQ sauce, I skip the mustard and use ¾ cup of apple cider vinegar as the base instead. This gives it a true North Carolina-style flavor.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
Here are some of my go-to ways to enjoy this BBQ mustard sauce – trust me, it makes everything better. I love slathering this sauce piling it onto a soft vegan dinner rolls with a side of crispy yuca fries.
For a fun plant-based twist, I dip vegan chicken nuggets and my air fryer tofu nuggets right into the sauce, it’s the perfect balance of tangy and crispy. And if I’m making vegan pigs in blankets, I brush a little on top before baking for an extra punch of flavor.
🫙 Storage Directions
Refrigerating: I pour the sauce into an airtight container like a jar with a tight-fitting lid and store it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Make Ahead: Unlike other sauces, this mustard BBQ sauce only gets better with time. I always make it at least 24 hours ahead so the flavors can fully develop and deepen.
❓Recipe FAQs
Where does mustard style BBQ sauce come from?
South Carolina! The area from Columbia to Charleston, also known as the mustard belt because of its large population of German immigrants, is famous for it but you can find it all over the state. You may hear it called Carolina gold sauce, South Carolina barbecue, or Carolina mustard sauce, but the use of mustard in barbecue sauce is definitely a South Carolina thing.
Is this sauce spicy?
Not by default, but it’s easy to adjust. If I want heat, I throw in some cayenne or hot sauce.
What does mustard based BBQ sauce go with?
This sauce isn’t just for meat, it’s perfect for grilled tofu, roasted vegetables, hearty grain bowls, and even plant-based burgers. I also love using it as a dressing for chopped salads, a dip for crispy baked fries, or a glaze for roasted chickpeas for a flavorful, protein-packed snack!
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🎥 Watch How to Make It
Mustard BBQ Sauce
Tangy yet sweet, my homemade Mustard BBQ Sauce has a yellow mustard base that’s sweetened with honey and brown sugar. I love slathering it on everything, from veggie burgers to crispy vegan chicken sandwiches. This is one sauce I always keep on hand because it’s just that good.
Servings: 13 servings
Calories: 55kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup Yellow American mustard (not dijon)
- ¼ cup Brown sugar
- ¼ cup Apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup Honey use cane sugar for a vegan version
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce use vegan Worcestershire sauce for a vegan and vegetarian version
- ½ tsp Garlic powder
- ½ tsp Paprika
- 2 tbsp Ketchup
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl and whisk until smooth.
- Pour sauce into an airtight container, refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to enhance.
Notes
- My #1 Secret Tip for making this Mustard BBQ Sauce: I always taste and adjust before storing it, even though the flavors deepen overnight. If I want it sweeter, I add a little extra brown sugar or honey. And if I tweak the recipe, I write it down, I have a whole file of my own variations, and it’s the best way to keep track of what works.
- Stick to Yellow Mustard: I always use yellow mustard for this sauce, Dijon changes the flavor too much, and stone-ground mustard makes it too grainy.
- Make Ahead: This sauce tastes even better the next day, so I always make it ahead of time for the best flavor.
- Taste and Adjust: Before storing, I taste and tweak, if I want it sweeter, I add a little more brown sugar or honey. I always write down my changes so I can recreate my best versions.
- Pour Into Squeeze Bottles: I love storing this sauce in squeeze bottles, it makes drizzling over hot dogs, burgers, and sandwiches so much easier.
- Double the Recipe: When I’m cooking for a crowd, I always double the batch, this sauce goes fast!
Nutrition
Serving: 3tbsp | Calories: 55kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 266mg | Potassium: 70mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g
Its tangy, zesty flavor instantly takes any dish to the next level. The perfect balance of sweetness and spice makes it a scrumptious addition to grilled meats and sandwiches.
So glad you liked this sauce Gianne! I agree, it works with so many dishes!
Best French fry dip EVERRRRR!
Omg totally right! Thanks Sue!
This sauce is perfect on a pulled pork sandwich! I love the fresh take on BBQ sauce – thank you!
Yes!! I could see that being delicious!
I love when barbecue sauce has a little more zing to it so this was perfect for me! I will definitely make this one again!
Thanks Lauren! Glad you liked it!
Love this! I’m making up some hampers of homemade goodies for friends and this will be such a great gift, perfect on burgers. Thanks so much!
This sauce is perfect on burgers! You will love it!
I love the idea of making my own BBQ sauce! I will give it a try this weekend!
Totally! So much easier and better tasting than store bought! Can’t wait to hear how it turns out for you!
I love this mustard version of BBQ sauce. Such a great tangy flavour complimented by the sweetness of the honey.
Thank you so much Lucy! So glad you liked it!
You can’t beat homemade BBQ sauce and a mustard version is my favourite.
Totally! Hope you enjoy this recipe Dannii!
We really liked this better than conventional BBQ sauce. Great recipe! Thank you. 🙂
Thanks so much Kristen! 🙂