Gluten Free Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce
Carolina mustard BBQ sauce is the tangy, golden cousin of the tomato-based stuff, and once you try it, there's a good chance it becomes your new go-to. The base is yellow mustard brightened with apple cider vinegar, sweetened with honey and brown sugar, and deepened with smoked paprika and a touch of garlic and onion powder — it's bold, balanced, and genuinely addictive. The key swap here is tamari in place of regular soy sauce, which delivers that same savory, umami depth without any wheat, and the Worcestershire sauce used is also safe to use as written. Everything comes together in one small saucepan in under 10 minutes, so there's no reason to reach for a bottled sauce that might carry hidden gluten from additives or thickeners. A gentle simmer over medium-low heat is all it takes to meld the flavors and dissolve the sugar into a glossy, pourable sauce. If you like a little heat, the optional cayenne nudges it into seriously craveable territory. This makes enough for 8 servings, so it's perfect for a backyard cookout or meal-prepping a batch to keep in the fridge all week.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- ½ cup yellow mustard
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp tamari
- 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar, honey, brown sugar, tamari, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, black pepper, and cayenne, if using, in a small saucepan. Whisk until smooth.
- 2
Set the saucepan over medium-low heat and cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce is steaming and the sugar has fully dissolved, about 5–7 minutes. Do not let it boil.
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