Description
This Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce is a tangy, sweet, and smoky Southern-style barbecue sauce that combines mustard, honey, apple cider vinegar, and a perfect blend of spices. It’s thickened with a cornstarch slurry and gently simmered to develop deep flavors. Ideal for grilling or as a dipping sauce, it pairs beautifully with pork, chicken, and more. Refrigerating overnight allows the flavors to meld perfectly.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
SAUCE
- 1/2 cup mustard
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 4 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp liquid smoke
- 6 dashes hot sauce of your choice (adjust to heat preference)
Slurry
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 2 tsp water, room temperature
Instructions
- Prepare the slurry: In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water until smooth. Set aside for later use.
- Mix sauce ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine mustard, honey, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt, garlic powder, liquid smoke, and hot sauce. Whisk the ingredients thoroughly until fully blended and smooth.
- Simmer the sauce: Transfer the mixed sauce to a small saucepan using a rubber spatula. Place the saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently and gently simmering the sauce for about 3 minutes or until it just begins to bubble. Avoid bringing the sauce to a full boil to preserve the flavor balance.
- Thicken the sauce: Slowly add the prepared cornstarch slurry to the saucepan. Continue cooking the sauce on low heat, stirring constantly for another 2 minutes to allow it to thicken evenly.
- Cool the sauce: Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the sauce cool to touch. Once cooled, transfer the sauce into a jar or container with a tight-sealing lid.
- Refrigerate: Place the sealed container in the refrigerator overnight to let the flavors develop and meld.
- Serve: When ready to use, warm the sauce gently in a small pot before serving. Enjoy with your favorite grilled meats or as a flavorful condiment.
Notes
- Adjust the amount of hot sauce to your preferred spice level.
- Make sure not to boil the sauce to avoid bitterness or breaking the consistency.
- Overnight refrigeration enhances the flavor depth.
- This sauce keeps well refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
- Use yellow mustard for the classic Carolina tangy base.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 45
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 0.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.1 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 11 g
- Fiber: 0.2 g
- Protein: 0.2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
