This classic South Carolina mustard BBQ sauce packed with bold and tangy flavors features yellow mustard along with apple cider vinegar and brown sugar. It's perfect for pulled pork, chicken, or sausages and is great as a dipping sauce, too.

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Ramekin of mustard BBQ sauce in front of a glass jar of BBQ sauce.

Mustard-based BBQ sauce, sometimes called "Carolina Gold," is my absolute favorite. It was a staple of my childhood growing up in Charleston, SC. Every time I'm back in Charleston, I have to make a stop at Bessinger's. It's a little harder to find a mustard-based BBQ sauce at restaurants here in Maryland, so I usually just make my own. The grocery store versions don't always cut it for me either.

Mustard BBQ sauce is said to have originated when mustard-loving German immigrants settled in South Carolina. Makes sense why I love this sauce so much given my German heritage and SC upbringing!

One of my biggest pet peeves is the term "Carolina BBQ." The BBQ varies significantly within the Carolinas, so "Carolina BBQ" doesn't really mean something specific. I've found that in most cases, people say "Carolina BBQ" when they're talking about the Eastern NC vinegar and pepper based sauce. There is also Western NC BBQ, which usually uses a vinegar and tomato based sauce. And, my favorite, South Carolina BBQ uses a mustard-based sauce. Food and Wine has a post on a lot of the regional BBQ sauces if you want to learn more about other regional varieties.

My favorite way to use this sauce is for pulled pork. I love smoking pork on my charcoal grill, but that can be labor-intensive, so I often make a braised pork shoulder in the oven (still working on posting the recipe for this one). Sometimes I'll use a slow cooker in a pinch. Chef Billy Parisi has a good Slow Cooker Pulled Pork recipe. When I have leftover pulled pork, I sometimes make a Pulled Pork Tortilla Soup. This sauce is also great for pulled chicken or grilled chicken. It makes a good dipping sauce for fries or chicken fingers, too.