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Alabama White Sauce

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This Alabama White Sauce is a tangy, creamy mayonnaise-based white sauce that is an excellent switch up to your regular BBQ sauces.

Homemade sauces are perfect for everything you BBQ. If you love homemade sauces, you gotta check out this copycat TGI Fridays Jack Daniels Sauce or this great Kansas City style Homemade BBQ Sauce.

Small bowl of Alabama white sauce with a fork full of chicken being dipped into the sauce.

I think, for BBQ, one of the quintessential recipes you need is an excellent Alabama White Sauce recipe! Rather than using a tomato or vinegar base like most other BBQ sauces, Alabama white sauce is a mayonnaise-based sauce.

Obviously, this sauce is common in its namesake region of Alabama, but as BBQ becomes more popular throughout the world, this BBQ sauce is also growing in popularity! It’s not just a Southern thing anymore!

When I was growing up, there wasn’t anything like this white barbecue sauce in our house; BBQ sauce was tomato based and came in a bottle from the store. Thankfully that is no longer the case! There are so many more great options out there today!

HELPFUL ITEMS FOR THIS RECIPE

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small portion from qualifying purchases at no extra charge to you.

3 Pack Stainless Steel Whisk

3 oz Ceramic Dip Bowls

Wooden Spoons for Cooking

WHAT IS IN ALABAMA WHITE SAUCE?

Ingredients for Alabama White Sauce in separate bowls on a white marble countertop.

Believe it or not, the ingredients for this Alabama White Sauce are everyday kitchen items that you likely have in your pantry.

INGREDIENTS

  • Mayonnaise
  • Apple cider vinegar
  • Spicy brown mustard
  • Brown sugar
  • Prepared horseradish sauce
  • Lemon juice
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • Garlic powder
  • Onion powder
  • Salt
  • Cayenne pepper
  • Dash of hot sauce

How to make Alabama White Sauce

This is likely one of the most straightforward recipes that you can make. Place all the ingredients into a medium bowl and whisk well to combine. Done! Your Alabama white BBQ sauce is ready to use.

No cooking or heating is required. It is best to make your white sauce in advance. This gives all the ingredients time to meld together. It will deepen the flavors of the sauce, making it that much better!

Serving suggestions for Alabama White Sauce

Alabama white sauce in a small metal bowl with a spoon dipped in and chicken on the plate.

This amazing sauce is super versatile! Yes, it pairs well with any type of chicken, from rotisserie chicken to chicken wings to grilled chicken thighs. It is also great on pork chops or your pulled pork!

You can also use it as a dipping sauce for a veggie platter or even onion rings or french fries! Use it really anywhere that you might use just plain mayonnaise. Try it on a turkey sandwich, for example. Or use it in your coleslaw salad instead of coleslaw dressing for an extra kick of flavor!

History of Alabama White Sauce

Alabama white sauce in a small blue bowl with a spoon beside the bowl and grilled chicken on plates around the bowl.

Credit for the invention of Alabama-style BBQ sauce or Alabama white sauce goes to Bob Gibson. In the 1920’s Big Bob Gibson, as he was known, worked for the railroad during the week.

On the weekends, he would invite family and friends over. He would smoke chicken and pork in a pit that he had dug out in his backyard.

To help keep his chicken from drying out, he created this amazing sauce. Obviously, using mayonnaise as a base for BBQ sauce was a bit unorthodox, but hey, it worked, and the rest is history, as they say!

Can I change the recipe?

Yes, absolutely, you can adjust the recipe to your tastes. If you like your BBQ sauce with a little more of a bite, add a little more horseradish. If you want it a little thinner, add a little more apple cider vinegar or a splash more lemon juice.

Small bowl of Alabama White Sauce on a plate with grilled chicken.

The great thing about cooking for your family and friends is you can create food that everyone loves. You can follow a recipe exactly. You can stray from the recipe a little bit if you like. Or you can create something completely new like Bob Gibson did when he dreamed up this amazing BBQ sauce!

Pin it HERE!!

This Alabama White Sauce has a creamy flavor with just a little kick of tanginess. It's the perfect topper for chicken, pork, or anywhere you use regular mayonnaise!

Pin it HERE!!

This Alabama White Sauce has a creamy flavor with just a little kick of tanginess. It's the perfect topper for chicken, pork, or anywhere you use regular mayonnaise!
Piece of Chicken on a fork being dipped into a small bowl of Alabama White Sauce

Alabama White Sauce

Ken Noland
This Alabama white sauce is fantastic on chicken or ribs, but you can use it in coleslaw or anywhere you might use plain mayonnaise too!
5 from 4 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Total Time 5 minutes mins
Course Miscellaneous
Cuisine American
Servings 2 cups
Calories 103 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp spicy brown mustard
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp prepared horseradish sauce
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • Dash of hot sauce or to taste

Instructions
 

  • Place all the ingredients into a small bowl and whisk to combine.
  • Store in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to 2 weeks

Equipment

Whisks for Cooking, 3 Pack Stainless Steel Whisk for Blending, Whisking, Beating and Stirring, Enhanced Version Balloon Wire Whisk Set, 8"+10"+12"
Whisks for Cooking, 3 Pack Stainless Steel Whisk for Blending, Whisking, Beating and Stirring, Enhanced Version Balloon Wire Whisk Set, 8″+10″+12″
BPFY 12 Pack 3 oz Ceramic Dip Bowls, Kitchen Dining Entertaining Dipping Sauce Bowls, White Condiments Serving Dishes for Soy, Vinegar, Ketchup, BBQ Sauce
BPFY 12 Pack 3 oz Ceramic Dip Bowls, Kitchen Dining Entertaining Dipping Sauce Bowls, White Condiments Serving Dishes for Soy, Vinegar, Ketchup, BBQ Sauce
12 Inch Long Wooden Spoons for Cooking - Oval Wood Mixing Spoons for Baking, Cooking, Stirring - Sauce Spoons Made of Natural Beechwood - Set of 3
12 Inch Long Wooden Spoons for Cooking – Oval Wood Mixing Spoons for Baking, Cooking, Stirring – Sauce Spoons Made of Natural Beechwood – Set of 3

Nutrition

Serving: 1Calories: 103kcalCarbohydrates: 2gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 211mgSugar: 1g
Nutrition calculation is an estimation only. If you need nutritional calculations for medical reasons, please use a source that you trust.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!


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Hi, I’m Ken thanks for stopping by BBQing with the Nolands! I was born and raised in Western Canada. I grew up on the great wide open farmlands that produce some of the worlds’ best livestock and grains.
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