Carolina Gold Mustard BBQ Burger
A tangy South Carolina-style beef burger with homemade yellow mustard BBQ sauce, coleslaw, and pickles.
- Prep
- 15min
- Cook
- 10min
- Total
- 25min
- Serves
- 4
- Calories
- 780per serving, est.
By Time for Burgers, updated
Yellow mustard is the base of this sauce instead of ketchup, and that gives it a sharp, tangy bite in place of the usual sweet smokiness. Cider vinegar thins it, honey and brown sugar round off the edges, and Worcestershire and cayenne add depth and a little heat. Whisk it together first so it can sit while you cook.
The sauce goes on both bun halves, so toast the buns cut-side down in the fat left in the skillet. A crisp surface keeps the thin sauce from soaking in. Mayo-dressed coleslaw and dill pickles finish it.
Carolina Gold Mustard BBQ Burger
Prep 15 min, cook 10 min, total 25 min. About 780 calories per serving.
timeforburgers.com/recipes/carolina-gold-mustard-bbq-burger
Serves 4.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Make the Carolina Gold sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together ½ cup yellow mustard, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, 3 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, ½ tsp cayenne pepper, and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
Prepare the coleslaw: Toss 1 cup coleslaw mix with 2 tbsp mayonnaise and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Form ground beef into 4 equal patties, about ¾ inch thick. Season both sides generously with salt and pepper.
Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook patties for 4-5 minutes per side, until an instant-read thermometer in the center of a patty reads 160°F (71°C).
Toast buns cut-side down in the same skillet until golden, about 1-2 minutes.
Assemble burgers: Spread Carolina Gold sauce generously on both bun halves. Place beef patties on bottom buns, top with coleslaw and pickle slices, then crown with top buns. Serve with extra Carolina Gold sauce on the side for dipping.
Tips
- Give the sauce at least 10 minutes so the sugar dissolves and the raw mustard edge softens. For a rounder taste, simmer it 5 minutes and let it cool.
- Stir a spoonful of the mustard sauce into the coleslaw. It ties the slaw to the burger and cuts the mayo.
- The patties are 3/4 inch (2 cm) thick. Press a shallow dent in each center so they don't puff up, and check for 160°F (71°C).
Substitutions
- Ground pork instead of beef: mustard sauce suits pork well; cook it to the same 160°F (71°C).
- Dijon for a quarter of the yellow mustard: sharper and a little less golden.
- Gluten-free: use a gluten-free bun and check the Worcestershire label, since some brands contain malt vinegar.
Make ahead & storage
The mustard sauce keeps up to a week in a covered jar in the fridge, and the dressed slaw keeps a day. Cooked patties keep 3 to 4 days; reheat to 165°F (74°C).
