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Home » Blog » Recipes » Main Dish

Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce Recipe

Donya Mullins 8 Comments This post may contain affiliate links.

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This post may contain affiliate links.

Tangy, peppery, and loaded with a punch of flavor, Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce will take anything you slather it on to a whole new level! With a beautiful golden color from mustard and a slight sweetness from brown sugar and honey, this sauce takes only 10 minutes to make. Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce is a classic and is deserving of the accolades it gets whenever served!

Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce dripping off a spoon to be served with pulled pork and red slaw.
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In these parts, we take our BBQ seriously. For us, BBQ, (chopped or sliced pulled pork) is a thing, not something you do. Having said that we are also passionate about what kind of sauce we use when dressing up a big pile of tender, juicy “Q.”

In North Carolina, we are known for our spicy, hot vinegar sauce. I make my own Carolina Vinegar BBQ Sauce and it’s become a staple in my kitchen. Now, I’m giving my South Carolina friends the due they deserve with my homemade recipe of their famous Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce.

History Of Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce

All the thanks for this amazing sauce go to German immigrants who settled in South Carolina. Though the history is not well documented, it’s clear that the combination of mustard and pork has a long-standing tradition that carries on even today with this BBQ sauce recipe.

What Makes This Sauce So Special?

  • it is tangy, with a zippy edge that makes it totally irresistible.
  • made with only a handful of ingredients, 9 simple pantry ingredients to be exact.
  • it can be used as a BBQ sauce, dip, or marinade.
  • you can serve it with pork, chicken, fish, and is a must for any cookout!
Ingredients for Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce

Ingredients For This Recipe

  • Yellow Mustard – any brand that you like
  • Honey
  • Brown Sugar
  • Apple Cider Vinegar
  • Black Pepper – fresh cracked is best
  • Worchestershire Sauce
  • Garlic Powder
  • Onion Powder
  • Salt
  • Cayenne Pepper – if you want a little more heat

How To Make This Sauce

All that’s needed to make Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce is one pot and about 10 minutes of time. Add all the ingredients to the pot and whisk them together. Bring the sauce up to a boil then reduce and simmer for 5 minutes. Let the sauce cool and you are ready to serve.

Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce in a mason jar with a spoon for drizzling.

How To Store Homemade BBQ Sauce

Allow the BBQ Sauce to cool to room temperature then transfer it to a mason jar or an air-tight container. Store for up to two weeks in the refrigerator.

Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce served with hushpuppies.

The ways to use this sauce are actually limitless. Even the picky eater in my family loves using Carolina Gold as a dip for chips and pretzels. As an added bonus to its incredible flavor, you can add more spice with additional black and cayenne pepper for some added heat.

What To Serve With Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce

  • Smoked Pulled Pork with BBQ Red Slaw
  • Grilled Hot Dogs With Homerun Hot Dog Chili
  • Grilled Sausages With Peppers And Onions
  • Marinated Pork Tenderloin
  • Easy London Broil
  • Sweet Heat Grilled Chicken
Pulled pork sandwich drizzled with Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce served with slaw.

Love a Yummy Sauce? Check Out These Recipes:

  • Honey Mustard Sauce
  • Carolina Vinegar BBQ Sauce
  • Dr. Pepper BBQ Sauce
  • Jezebel Sauce
  • Spicy Mayo Sauce
Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce dripping off a spoon to be served with pulled pork and red slaw.
5 from 1 vote

Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce Recipe

Course: Extras, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 1.5 cups
Author: Donya Mullins
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Tangy, peppery, and loaded with a punch of flavor, Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce will take anything you slather it on to a whole new level! With a beautiful golden color from mustard and a slight sweetness from brown sugar and honey, this sauce takes only 10 minutes to make.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup yellow mustard
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder
  • pinch of salt
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Instructions

  • To a small pot over medium-high heat, whisk all ingredients together and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
  • Remove the sauce from the stove and let cool. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce dripping off a spoon to be served with pulled pork and red slaw.
Did you make my Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce Recipe?I’d love to see! Share on Instagram, tag @asouthernsoul, and use the hashtag #asouthernsoul!
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Carolina Gold BBQ sauce with 2 images for Pinterest.

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Donya with A Southern Soul

Meet A Southern Soul

Hey, there! I’m Donya and welcome to A Southern Soul. I love to cook and entertain with easy to make recipes and simple ideas that make people feel special. Read More

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  1. Wendy

    September 15, 2022 at 6:12 pm

    I made a quarter of this recipe and added it to oven roasted potatoes tonight. The family really enjoyed it! I didn’t have enough mustard for the entire recipe but it was just enough for the potatoes.

    Reply
    • Donya

      September 16, 2022 at 8:15 am

      Hey there Wendy!
      Wow! I love the way you think, adding this sauce to roasted potatoes was a genius idea, I’d never thought to do that! Thank you so much for your kind words and your phenomenal rating, I really appreciate your support! If you ever have any questions about a recipe, please don’t hesitate to reach out and ask!
      ~Donya

      Reply
  2. T. Goodell

    September 20, 2021 at 11:42 pm

    The first time I made this I only made a half recipe because it sounded like a lot of mustard and I thought it would be over powering.
    The second time I made this I made a double recipe so I won’t run out. It’s great on green Fried tomatoes!
    TG

    Reply
    • Donya

      September 21, 2021 at 11:39 am

      Hey there!
      Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe, I am thrilled to hear you liked it so much to double it! This Golden BBQ Sauce definitely has a kick from the mustard, and is terrific on just about anything fried. Thank you for your support, let me know if you ever have any questions about a recipe!
      ~Donya

      Reply
      • Mike Farnsworth

        August 2, 2022 at 11:21 pm

        This was awesome! With the acidity of the cider vinegar, I would be able to can this to stock up on right?

        Reply
        • Donya

          August 3, 2022 at 8:31 am

          Hey there Mike!
          I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, it’s one of my favorite BBQ sauces to I’m thrilled that you enjoyed it as well! Canning is not my area of expertise, so I am honestly not sure how long this BBQ Sauce would keep on a shelf if it were canned. This recipe will keep for about 3 weeks as is, if you wanted to extend the shelf life, I would guess that you might need to use more vinegar. I would love to hear how everything turns out if you do end up canning this sauce, I hope you enjoy!
          ~Donya

          Reply
  3. Debbie Manning

    April 12, 2021 at 3:34 pm

    I cannot wait to try this!!!

    Reply
    • Donya

      April 14, 2021 at 7:27 am

      Hey there Debbie!
      I’m thrilled that you’re excited to try this, it’s one of my favorite sauces ever! Thank you so much for your support, let me know how it turns out!
      ~Donya

      Reply

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Donya with A Southern Soul

Meet A Southern Soul

Hey, there! I’m Donya and welcome to A Southern Soul. I love to cook and entertain with easy to make recipes and simple ideas that make people feel special. Read More

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