Elevate your barbecue game with this easy Alabama white sauce recipe. Tangy, slightly sweet, and oh-so-delicious, it's the perfect sauce for slathering onto grilled chicken, for dipping smoked chicken wings, or for drizzling onto smoked chicken sandwiches.
I first had white barbecue sauce when I moved to Birmingham, Alabama to work in the Oxmoor House Test Kitchen. There was a great little bbq joint down the road from my house called Saw's BBQ (it's still there by the way) founded by a former coworker, Mike Wilson.
The delicious sauce is paired with chicken--in-house pulled smoked chicken is piled high on a white bun, drenched in the tangy sauce, and topped with loads of dill pickles. One bite, and I was hooked. Their other menu items, including traditional pulled pork, are also incredible, but I could never resist the pulled chicken sandwich.
If you've never had this delicious sauce before, you may be wondering how it came to be, and how it can even be considered a barbecue sauce. I've actually written and worked on two barbecue cookbooks (links here and here) and my most recent book is all about mayonnaise, so you may say I know a thing or two about bbq and mayo.
The Original Recipe for Alabama White BBQ Sauce
Bob Gibson from Big Bob Gibson's Bar-B-Q in the northern Alabama town of Decatur, is the pitmaster creator of this sauce. It first made its appearance in the 1920s, and has been a prized recipe ever since.
The sauce can be used as a marinade, for basting, and for drizzling over cooked meat--grilled and smoked meat in particular. I love to keep a jar of it in the fridge to amp up smoked chicken (purchased from a bbq restaurant close-by). It's a great way to make a busy weeknight dinner special.
Rotisserie chicken also benefits from a boost in flavor from this easy sauce. Or, try smoked chicken wings. My favorite way to re-invent Thanksgiving leftovers is to slice up the turkey and make sandwiches with white bbq sauce. BBQ in November? Yes, please!
Why not round out your meal and create the ultimate barbecue feast? Serve this sauce with grilled spatchcocked chicken--a chicken that has had the backbone removed. Spatchcocked chickens are perfect for the grill since the white and dark meat cooks evenly. (Pro Tip: You can purchase already spatchcocked chickens from Trader Joe's.)
On the side, serve my Red, White, and Blue Cheese Potato Salad and Roasted Beet and Watermelon Salad with Goat Cheese. Or, if the grill is already fired up, make some Smoked Street Corn. I'm getting hungry already!
Jump to:
Ingredients
Before we get started, let's gather the ingredients we need for this recipe.
- lemon
- mayonnaise (I'm a Duke's girl)
- distilled white vinegar
- granulated sugar
- prepared horseradish
- Worcestershire sauce
- garlic powder
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- cayenne pepper
(See recipe card for quantities.)
Instructions
Now that we've got our ingredients, it's time to make the barbecue sauce!
- First, halve the lemon and squeeze the lemon half to get 1 teaspoon juice. Add to a medium bowl.
- Then, add the remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Hint: This sauce will last in the fridge for several days. Keep a jar on-hand to elevate simple grilled chicken, rotisserie chicken, or grilled pork chops.
Substitutions
Need some ingredient substitution ideas? I've got you covered!
- Mayonnaise - Using Duke's mayo and only Duke's mayo is a hill I am willing to die on. It really does make a difference in flavor. Unlike other mayonnaise, Duke's doesn't contain sugar, making it a super versatile ingredient. But, if you don't have Duke's on hand, omit the sugar called for in this recipe.
- Vinegar - use apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar instead of distilled white vinegar. I don't recommend using red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar because it'll give the sauce a weird hue.
- Cayenne pepper - instead of cayenne pepper, you can use a few glugs of your favorite hot sauce.
- Sugar - use honey or agave in place of granulated sugar.
Variations
Here are some additional ways to change up this recipe:
- Spicy - this sauce already has a little kick from cayenne pepper. If you love to light things up, increase the amount.
- Herby - add chopped fresh herbs to your sauce to make it a little bougie. Rosemary or thyme are great additions.
- Smoky - add a little smoked paprika.
Equipment
Here's what you'll need to make this recipe:
- citrus juicer
- dry measuring cup
- measuring spoons
- medium bowl
- whisk
Storage
Store the barbecue sauce in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
This sauce does not freeze well.
Tasty tip
This sauce makes an incredible marinade! The mayonnaise and vinegar tenderize the meat and will also aid in browning.
Frequently asked questions
You may think of a red or brown-tinged sauce when you hear about barbecue sauce--that's because most sauces have a tomato, molasses, or vinegar base. Alabama barbecue sauce is white because it has a mayonnaise base.
Recipes for white barbecue sauce will vary, but two ingredients are always included: mayonnaise and vinegar.
It shouldn't. So if you are some place where they tell you it tastes like ranch, run for the hills. White barbecue sauce is thicker than ranch, and tangier and doesn't have the buttermilk and herb undertones that ranch does.
Alabama white bbq sauce made its debut at Big Bob Gibson's Bar-B-Q in Decatur, Alabama. There, it's slathered onto smoked chickens as soon as they're taken off the grill.
I like to pair this sauce with smoked chicken, pork, and turkey (hello, Thanksgiving leftovers upgrade!). But, it's also wonderful on seafood and veggie dishes. It's a great dunking sauce too.
I think it's best served cold or at room temperature. That said, you can use it to baste meats while they're hot on the grill.
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🍽Get the recipe
Alabama White BBQ Sauce
Equipment
- citrus juicer
- dry measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- medium bowl
- whisk
Ingredients
- ½ lemon
- 1 cup mayonnaise (I like Duke's mayonnaise)
- 3 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
- 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Squeeze the juice from the lemon half to equal 1 teaspoon and place in a medium bowl.
- Add the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Stir with a whisk until smooth. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Transfer to a jar or air-tight container and refrigerate until ready to use.
RECIPE GUIDELINES AND TEST KITCHEN TIPS
When developing and testing recipes, here are some key things that I do for more success in the kitchen:
- Be sure to use dry measuring cups for things like flour, sugar, and mayonnaise and a liquid measuring cup for things like water, milk, and broth.
- When measuring dry ingredients like flour and powdered sugar that can pack down, spoon the ingredient into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife as opposed to scooping the measuring cup into the ingredient.
- I test and develop recipes using a standard electric oven and standard gas stovetop. Be aware that if you use an electric stovetop or convection oven, your bake times will be different.
- When recipes call for kosher salt, I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
FOOD SAFETY
Don't forget to keep these food safety tips in mind when making this recipe:
- Cover and refrigerate any leftovers--don't let them hang out at room temperature for too long
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
Genevieve says
Wow! I've never heard of white BBQ sauce, but this looks delicious! My hubby loves horseradish so this is a must-make!
AshleyFreeman says
Yes! The horseradish adds a little extra zing to it. Can't wait to hear how he likes it!
JC says
I've always wanted to know how to make this -- thanks for the recipe! it was delicious.
AshleyFreeman says
Hooray! So glad you liked it!
Swathi says
This white BBQ sauce is perfect. I tried yesterday for a 4th of July get-together everybody loved it.
AshleyFreeman says
Woohoo! It's perfect for 4th of July!
Juyali says
Fresh off a recent trip to Huntsville, AL for a wedding, I was craving that amazing Alabama White BBQ sauce we tried at a local restaurant. This recipe totally nailed it - it brought those tangy flavors right to my kitchen. Now I can eat chicken like a true Southerner any time I want! 😉
The recipe was spot-on for recreating that same flavor at my home. Thanks!!
AshleyFreeman says
Yay! I love when that happens. Thanks for sharing!
Adriana says
What a lovely BBQ sauce. This was my first time trying a mayonnaise base sauce for my burgers and turned out amazing
AshleyFreeman says
Thanks Adriana!
Kim says
I've never heard of Alabama white bbq sauce before, but it definitely looks and sounds amazing. Can't wait to make it!
AshleyFreeman says
It's so good! Hope you love it as much as I do!
Chenee says
This sauce was so good I kept looking for more things to dip into it! Delicious!
AshleyFreeman says
I find myself doing that too!
Sharon Chen says
Such an interesting recipe and was so surprised by how it tasted! I've only tried it with chicken, and so far it is going well!
AshleyFreeman says
Great! It's so good with pork and shrimp too!
Katherine says
We loved the big flavors in this sauce!
AshleyFreeman says
Hooray! It's great on so many things.
Paula says
As a Texas girl, I wasn't sure what I'd think about Alabama BBQ Sauce, but this was SO GOOD! I want to serve it with EVERYTHING!!!
AshleyFreeman says
Right? Barbecue is one of those things that people are very opinionated about! I love it all!