Alabama White Barbecue Sauce
Alabama white barbecue sauce is a zesty condiment or marinade that’s easy to throw together and can be used any way you’d use the traditional red-based alternative. This bold, homemade barbecue sauce makes the perfect compliment to any grilled meal this summer.
Ever have something that is so delicious, you can’t think of anything it wouldn’t taste good on?
That’s this white barbecue sauce.
It goes well on any grilled meat and my kids even like swapping out for traditional barbecue sauce and use it as a dipping sauce for chicken nuggets and fries.
I may have even seen them dip potato chips in a time or two.
This stuff’s finger lickin’ good y’all.
What is Alabama BBQ sauce?
Alabama white barbecue sauce is a tangy, spicy mayonnaise based condiment that soaks into the meat.
Unlike red barbecue sauce varieties, the meat absorbs this sauce so the sauce ends up acting as a baste.
The result is tender flavor packed meat that is just so juicy.
It’s a mainstay in norther Alabama barbecue and was invented by Robert Gibson at Big Bob Gibson’s Bar-B-Q in Decatur, AL to “baptize” smoked chickens by dunking them in a pool of this sauce.
Sometimes, it’s called Alabama white sauce.
What does Alabama white sauce taste like?
Unlike tomato based sauces, there’s no tomato in sight here.
The base of this sauce is mayonnaise but mayo isn’t the main flavor.
Instead the tangy blend of vinegar and zippy horseradish give this its predominant flavor profile and the mayo just lends moisture to slow cooked meat like smoked chicken.
Ingredients
To make Alabama white sauce you’ll need:
- Mayonnaise– Use real, full fat mayo and not mayonnaise style dressing or low fat mayonnaise.
- Vinegar– White vinegar though some recipes swear by apple cider vinegar.
- Mustard– Whole grain mustard.
- Garlic– Freshly minced
- Seasonings– Salt, sugar, coarse black pepper
- Horseradish– The prepared kind. You can adjust the amount up or down based on your heat preferences and how strong of a horseradish flavor you want.
How to Make
Unlike most tomato based barbecue sauces that need hours of simmering, this does not.
In fact, to make it, just add all the ingredients to a blender and blend it until it’s smooth.
Then use it in place of red barbecue sauce on any dish you’d normally put the other kind of sauce on.
How to Use White Barbecue Sauce
You can put the white barbecue sauce on anything you’d use other sauce on.
It’s fantastic for smoked or grilled chicken.
We love it to marinade:
- chicken breasts and tenderloins
- wings
- ribs
- pulled pork
You can also use it as a salad dressing, or even as a dip for french fries & potato chips.
Storing
Store any leftover Alabama white sauce in an air tight container in the fridge for no more than a few days.
Tips and Tricks
- Adjust the amount of horseradish up or down to suit your preferences.
- You could add some fresh lemon juice for even more zesty tang.
- This is particularly good on any lean slow cooked meat because the fat in the mayo replaces the fat that cooks out of the meat.
Recipes to Use White Barbecue Sauce On
Alabama white barbecue sauce is a delicious change of pace for your summer grilling. Make it for your next cookout and enjoy!
Looking for recipes that would be amazing with this sauce instead of red barbecue sauce? Try these:
- Smoked Burgers
- Cheesy Barbecue Chicken Quesadillas
- Barbecue Chicken Fajita Sliders
- Smoked Brisket
- Crockpot Pork Carnitas
- Barbecue Sausage Flatbread Pizzas
- Pulled Pork Barbecue Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
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White Barbecue Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 1 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp whole grain mustard
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp minced garlic fresh is best
- 2-3 tsp prepared horseradish
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients into a blender. Blend until the sauce is smooth.
- Use it in place of any red barbecue sauce.
Notes
- Adjust the amount of horseradish up or down to suit your preferences.
- You could add some fresh lemon juice for even more zesty tang.
- This is particularly good on any lean slow cooked meat because the fat in the mayo replaces the fat that cooks out of the meat.
- Store any extra in an airtight tupper ware or sealed mason jar. This will keep for up to a week.
I HAVE been wanting to try a white bbq sauce and never really got around to it – I’m liking this recipe and loving the horseradish in it!
Mollie
I nominate horseradish as my most favorite condiment ever! It’s my favorite way to give a dish a little kick. And this sauce is a game changer, especially when it comes to chicken.
You don’t see white bbq sauce very much and it’s a shame because it’s absolutely delicious. Love your sauce. Thanks so much for bringing to the party.
Thanks, Suzanne! And yeah, it seems to be a Southern thing but still only becoming more common the further south and west you go.