Homemade Carolina Mustard Sauce is vibrant and deeply flavorful, combining tangy mustard with hints of sweetness and spice for a truly unique taste experience. It pairs exceptionally well with grilled or smoked meats, making it the perfect complement to dishes like Smoked Pork Brisket or Classic Pulled Pork.
🌶️ The Ingredients
The ingredients for this sauce may not be exotic, but they harmoniously blend to create an amazing sauce that elevates many grilled meats and sandwiches with its bold and zesty flavor. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and variations) below.
🥫 Substitutions and Variations
- Mustard – Yellow mustard delivers the classic flavor. However, for added depth of flavor, you can use a combination of Dijon, brown, or whole grain mustard.
- Ketchup – Tomato sauce or tomato paste can be substituted for the ketchup.
- Vinegar – This is a key ingredient for most Carolina sauces and mops. You can also use white wine vinegar or distilled white vinegar with a splash of lemon juice.
- Sugar – We recommend granulated white sugar. However, brown sugar (light or dark) will give excellent flavor, too. Honey can be substituted, too.
See the recipe card (with video) below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Expert Tip
For a smooth and silky sauce, we grind all of the dry ingredients in a spice grinder before mixing them in with the other ingredients. This is optional, but we love the smooth texture of the sauce it creates.
👩🏼🍳 How To Make Carolina Mustard Sauce
- Step 1: Grind dried rosemary, celery seeds, chicken bouillon, dry mustard, onion powder, and garlic powder and add to a bowl.
- Step 2: Add in the hot sauce and ketchup.
- Step 3: Add the sugar, salt, and pepper.
- Step 4: Add the apple cider vinegar.
- Step 5: Stir everything until smooth, then transfer to a saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Step 6: Let cool, then transfer to a jar with a lid.
🌭 How To Store and Serve
- This sauce gets even better after it chills for a day or two.
- Be sure to place it in a jar or container with a tight-fitting lid and chill in the fridge until ready to use.
- We recommend serving the sauce at room temperature or warm. Let it sit out on the counter for a couple of hours, and be sure to give it a good stirring before serving.
- This sauce is amazing on grilled meats, including hot dogs, bratwurst sliders, the best grilled chicken, and smoked pork brisket.
🙋🏽♂️ Frequently Asked Questions
It will stay good in a jar with a lid in the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks.
No. It has a punch of flavor from the vinegar, mustard, and a tiny bit of heat from the hot sauce. Add additional hot sauce for increased heat.
It’s similar to regular BBQ sauce, but has more of a vinegar flavor profile, and mustard is the base ingredient, as opposed to ketchup. It’s amazing!
😋 Other Classic BBQ Condiment Recipes
Ready to take your BBQ to the next level with an amazing sauce? Go for it!
And when you do, be sure to take a photo of it, post it on Instagram, and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and hashtag #HowToFeedaLoon!
Carolina Mustard Sauce
Video
Equipment
- 1 spice grinder optional
- 1 Medium saucepan
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon celery seeds
- 2 chicken bouillon cubes crumbled
- 1 tablespoon dry mustard
- 2 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups yellow mustard
- 3 tablespoon ketchup
- ⅔ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon hot sauce ie, Tabasco, Louisiana, Frank's
Instructions
- Place the rosemary, celery seeds, bouillon cubes, mustard, onion powder, and garlic powder in a spice grinder and grind until very fine (this is optional, but it helps to make a smooth sauce).2 teaspoon dried rosemary, 1 teaspoon celery seeds, 2 chicken bouillon cubes, 1 tablespoon dry mustard, 2 teaspoon onion powder, 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- In a bowl, add the remaining ingredients and then add the ground spices. Stir until combined and smooth.¾ cup sugar, 1½ teaspoon Kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 2 cups yellow mustard, 3 tablespoon ketchup, ⅔ cup apple cider vinegar, ½ teaspoon hot sauce
- Transfer to a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Let the sauce cool completely and then transfer to a jar (or container) with a tight-fitting lid. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. Serve at room temperature or warmed.
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