How to Make the Best Alabama White BBQ Sauce

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, as a dipping sauce, 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 with this smoked chicken rub. My favorite way to re-invent Thanksgiving leftovers is to slice up the turkey and make sandwiches with this 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 mustard potato salad, red, white, and blue potato salad recipe or beet and watermelon salad. Or, if the grill is already fired up, make some elote corn. I'm getting hungry already!

Jump to:

• The Original Recipe for Alabama White BBQ Sauce
• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Tasty tip
• Frequently asked questions
• Related
• Pairing
• 🍽Get the recipe
• RECIPE GUIDELINES AND TEST KITCHEN TIPS
• FOOD SAFETY

Ingredients

Before we get started, let's gather the ingredients we need.

• 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!

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 - you can use a few glugs of your favorite hot sauce if you prefer.
• Sugar - You don't need much, but I find that adding a touch of sweetness helps balance out the flavors. Use brown sugar, honey, or agave in place of granulated sugar if you'd like.

Variations

Here are some additional ways to change things up:

• 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 sauce:

• 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

Related

Looking for others like this? Try these:

Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with this barbecue sauce:

🍽Get the recipe

RECIPE GUIDELINES AND TEST KITCHEN TIPS

When developing and testing, 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 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

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.