Citrus Gold BBQ Sauce
When grilling season is upon us, there is nothing better than Citrus Gold BBQ Sauce to go with a variety of meats and sides! This sauce is simple to create and will enhance any meal you like to eat a good BBQ sauce with. The tangy mustard, smoky spiced, hint of sweetness, and just a touch of citrus in this sauce will satisfy a craving you probably didn’t even know you had! So let’s get to making some BBQ sauce!
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What is “Gold BBQ Sauce?”
Gold BBQ sauce is also commonly called “Carolina-style” or “Mustard BBQ.” With a mustard base combined with the typical BBQ ingredients of vinegar, a sweetener, and spices, this tangy delicacy goes great with so much! I love it with poultry such as smoked turkey/chicken, shredded chicken from the crock pot/instant pot, or in a chicken salad. But don’t get me wrong, it pairs well with pork and beef and as a topping for veggies or even a dip for french fries or chips. In South Carolina, where it originated, it is popular with pork since that’s the famed smoked meat of choice down there.
This gold sauce is set apart because of the citrus notes in it. When we lived in Florida, one of my favorite BBQ joints had a citrusy gold sauce and I always tried to replicate it once I moved away. This sauce is that attempt that has been perfected over time! The orange flavor is not too powerful and it really brightens the sauce with a summery taste.
Try it with my Cheese-Stuffed BBQ Chicken Meatloaf!
Tips for Making Citrus Gold BBQ Sauce
My daughter loves to help out in the kitchen and especially loves to mix anything. This is something to call the kids in to help with measuring the ingredients and mixing them up. If you can trust them, this is also a good first recipe to step up to the stove to stir it there.
Some recipes will not call for finishing the sauce on the stove, but I tell you it is worth the extra step. When you bring it to a simmer for a few minutes over the stove, it does a few things to the sauce to amplify it. One: it will thicken the sauce to a perfect consistency instead of being drippy and runny. Secondly: It allows to vinegar to cook off some vapors, melts the sugar and honey into the sauce, and blends the spices into the sauce better than if you didn’t cook it. It can be a bit sharp from the vinegar if you don’t simmer.
Also, you can serve it right away, but it is great to make it the day before or a couple of days before to allow the flavors to get friendly with each other while it sits in the fridge.
*The longer it simmers, the thicker it will become.
Ingredients
Mustard: Just your ordinary yellow mustard. If you are a mustard fan then you’ll love this!
Brown sugar: Light or dark brown sugar is fine.
Honey: This is a sweetener that pairs well with the orange juice! You can substitute it with maple syrup in a pinch.
Vinegar: In a pinch, you can definitely use just regular white vinegar, but for this recipe, I really recommend Apple Cider Vinegar.
Orange juice: Being a food blog person I feel like I need to suggest fresh-squeezed orange juice, but honestly I don’t always have oranges around but I always have orange juice in the fridge. Aldi organic orange juice tastes the best! It is the closest thing to fresh-squeezed and I’m not paid to share this opinion.
Ketchup: A little goes a long way in this recipe
Worcestershire sauce: I have subbed soy sauce before and it was fine for us 😉
Hot sauce: Your favorite will do depending on how hot you like it. We use either the cheapest and simple rec cayenne and vinegar blend like a generic Texas Pete, but Tobasco Chipotle is great too!
Spices: garlic, cayenne, chili powder, cumin, salt. You don’t always see cumin or chili powder, but we like the smoky flavor these add. Always taste the sauce after it has simmered and blended together to see if you want to adjust the spices. Depending on how bad my sinuses are I might add way more on one day than another haha.
Enjoy!
This sauce is truly better when you let it sit overnight in a jar. If you prefer it warm, just heat it up when you are ready for it! You can make this a ahead a few days in advance as well. I hope you love it as much as we do!
Citrus Gold BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
- 3/4 Cup Yellow Mustard
- 1/2 Cup Honey
- 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1/4 Cup Orange Juice
- 2 Tbsp Ketchup
- 2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Cumin
- 1 tsp Chili Powder
- Cayenne to taste
- Hot Sauce a couple of dashes, to taste
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a small saucepan and combine with a whisk.
- Turn on the heat to medium and bring to a gentle simmer for 10 minutes or until the sauce reaches your desired thickened consistency.
- Remove from heat and cool.
- Place in a jar and store it overnight in the fridge for the best taste. Use cold or heat to serve.
