This Alabama White Sauce Recipe combines mayonnaise, spices, and tangy apple cider vinegar for a great complement to chicken, pork, and other dishes.
Ingredients for sauce
Mayonnaise
Apple cider vinegar
Lemon juiceโoptional
Prepared horseradish
Pantry ingredientsโsugar, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper to taste
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I love regional American food, and this is one of the bestโhats off to Alabama. The perfect sauce for hickory smoked grilled chicken but can be used on fish and many other places.
White BBQ originated in north Alabama and was made famous by the historic barbecue joint Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q, founded in Decatur, AL, in 1925 and continues to this day.
๐จโ๐ณHow to Make Alabama White Sauce and Alabama BBQ ChickenโStep-by-Step
Mix ยพ cup mayo, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 teaspoons sugar, ยฝ teaspoon table salt, ยฝ teaspoon black pepper, ยฝ teaspoon horseradish, and ยผ teaspoon cayenne pepper.
Allow the flavors to come together for an hour before using if you have time. Refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
Additional ingredients to cook Alabama White BBQ Chicken
- Any skin-on chicken you like, butterflied whole chicken, cut-up whole chicken, or other chicken parts
- Seasoning or rub for the chicken like Chipotle Seasoning, Black Magic Seasoning, or any seasoning or rub you like. Just some salt, pepper, and a touch of cayenne will be good.
- Wood chips for smokingโhickory preferred
Prepare skin-on chicken for cooking by trimming as needed and applying a rub or seasoning of your choice.
Place the chicken on a preheated 450ยฐ grill with the skin side up and start wood smoke if desired. Flip and rotate the chicken every 4-5 minutes until a final internal temperature of 165ยฐ.
Remove to a chopping board and coat all sides with sauceโtent for 10 minutes with aluminum foil. Re-coat with sauce and serve the sauce on the side.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
When to use Alabama white sauce?
Sometimes called white barbecue sauce, Alabama white BBQ sauce. The sauce is delicious on grilled or smoked chicken or turkey. It can also be used on pork or seafood. Other uses: cole slaw as a salad dressing, dipping sauce, or condiment. It is so tasty; you will find your own creative use for this wonderful sauce.
Recipes to make where you can use Alabama white sauce
A few recipes where Alabama white sauce can be used include Spatchcock Chicken, Grilled Chicken Drumsticks, Grilled Split Chicken Breasts, Grilled Chicken Tenders, and Baked Chicken Wingsโor used on grilled chicken sandwiches or grilled pork tenderloin sandwiches.
โFAQs
No, unlike more traditional tomato-based BBQ sauces, it is not cooked. It is mixed and used cold. It can be brushed on grilling chicken near the end of cooking for a few minutes after reaching 165ยฐ or applied after removing it from the grill.
You can store sealed in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks refrigerated.
Serve with typical BBQ side dishes like baked beans, potato salad, or cole slaw. Also, try French fries, Macaroni salad, or broccoli slaw.
โ๏ธHow to store leftover Alabama white sauce.
You can store sealed in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks refrigerated. Freezing is not recommended.
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Have you tried this recipe, or have a question? Join the community discussion in the comments.
๐ Recipe
Alabama White Sauce
Ingredients
Alabama White Sauce
- ยพ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice - optional
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ยฝ teaspoon table salt
- ยฝ teaspoon black pepper
- ยฝ teaspoon prepared horseradish
- ยผ teaspoon cayenne pepper to taste
If Making Alabama White BBQ Chicken
- 2-3 pounds skin on chicken - cut up
- 1 cup smoking chips - hickory prefered
Rub or seasoning of your choice or this simple seasoning
- 2 teaspoons table salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Mix ยพ cup mayo, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 teaspoons sugar, ยฝ teaspoon table salt, ยฝ teaspoon black pepper, ยฝ teaspoon horseradish, and ยผ teaspoon cayenne pepper.
- Allow the flavors to come together for an hour before using if you have time. Refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
If Making Alabama White BBQ Chicken
- Prepare skin-on chicken for cooking by trimming as needed and applying a rub or seasoning of your choice.
- Place the chicken on a preheated 450ยฐ grill with the skin side up and start wood smoke if desired. Flip and rotate the chicken every 4-5 minutes until a final internal temperature of 165ยฐ.
- Remove to a chopping board and coat all sides with sauceโtent for 10 minutes with aluminum foil. Re-coat with sauce and serve the sauce on the side.
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Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- The lemon juice is optional but suggested. 2 tablespoons seems to dominate the other tastes. I uese 1 tablespoon.
- Wonderful on hickory smoked grilled skin on chicken but has many uses discussed in the post.
- Store airtight in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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This version was inspired by Cooks Country White BBQ Chicken (subscription required), which I simplified a bit and added lemon juice back that was removed but is classically used.
Editor's Note: Originally published July 9, 2010. Updated with refreshed photos and a table of contents to help navigation.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Jil,
Welcome to the blog.
You are so right, it is not there. I "broke out" the sauce and it's discussion to another post and didn't fix this one years ago.
The sauce here is modeled after an American Test Kitchen recipe. That recipe had no lemon juice. Most other Alabama White BBQ sauce do. So it is there as an "option". In practice, I add 1 tablespoon and feel that 2 tablespoons is a bit much. I think ATK was wrong to leave it out.
As soon as I post this reply. I'm fixing both recipes.
Dan
Sage says
I have a feeling I will be learning great new ways of preparing our meals for 2 here; I will be back.Love the way you present your recipes.
Rita
Dr Dan says
The whole chicken... sounds like a plan.
The smoke seemed to add a lot more to chicken quickly then other meats. A blank slate I guess.
I'm going to see what happens with skinless but don't have high hope for the smoke adding like it did here.
Chris says
I LOVE Alabama White sauce but like you, only grilled with it for two years. We like it that way.
This spring, I took a class from Chris Lilly of Big Bob Gibsons and tasted his smoked chicken. It was amazing, some of the best chicken I have ever had.
It is very good grilled, but some time when you have the extra time, try it on a whole smoked chicken.