How To Make Alabama White Sauce (2024)

Recipes | Sauce

ByLynda SelfPublishedUpdated on

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The tangy goodness of mayonnaise combined with apple cider vinegar and spices enhances everything that Alabama White Sauce is put on from chicken to seafood to turkey and everything in between.

How To Make Alabama White Sauce (1)

The best way to make your white bbq sauce is by following this easy recipe. It’s similar in flavor and consistency to Big Bob Gibson’s Original White Sauce, which everyone agrees on as being one of the top choices for barbecuing enthusiasts everywhere!

About White BBQ Sauce

It’s hard to pin down the first time that white bbq sauce was served, but it is known that ever since Bob Gibson opened his BBQ restaurant in 1925, it has been on the menu.

Today, many have heard of Big Bob Gibson’s Bar-B-Q, which is located in Northern Alabama, because of the awards that Pitmaster, Chef, and part-owner Chris Lilly has amassed for his delicious smoked chicken and barbecue.

If you are in Alabama or the southeast, you can easily pick up a bottle at your local grocery store.If not, then use this recipe to make your own homemade barbecue sauce. It’s a versatile condiment that is low-carb and tangy.

This BBQ staple is made with simple ingredients – it has a mayonnaise base, black pepper, horseradish, spices, and the addition of vinegar, making it a tangy sauce perfect for chicken breasts, pork chops, pork tenderloin, pulled pork, chicken wings, chicken thighs, bbq chicken, grilled fish, fried fish, hard-boiled eggs, and just about any piece of meat that you’d like.

Some people even use it as a dipping sauce for things like chicken nuggets and French fries.

How To Make Alabama White Sauce (2)

We all probably have all of the ingredients already in our pantry and it comes together in no time. The hardest part about making it is waiting a few hours for the flavors to meld before using it.

How To Make Alabama White Sauce (3)

Ingredients

To make your own creamy version of Alabama’s favorite white barbecue sauce, you need the following ingredients:

  • 2 cups mayonnaise
  • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons horseradish

Directions

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, cover, and chill before serving. You can add additional apple cider vinegar for a thinner sauce with a bit more bite.

How easy is that?!

How To Make Alabama White Sauce (4)

Alabama White Sauce

Alabama White Barbecue Sauce is a must for grilling season. The tangy goodness of mayonnaisecombined with apple cider vinegar and spices enhances everything that it is put on.

4.63 from 200 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Sauce

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 24 servings

Calories: 127kcal

Author: Lynda – Southern Kissed

Ingredients

  • 2 cups mayonnaise
  • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons horseradish

Instructions

  • Combine in a bowl, cover and chill before serving. You can add additional apple cider vinegar for a thinner sauce with a bit more bite.

Notes

Recipe excerpted from Great American Grilling: The Ultimate Backyard Barbecue & Tailgating Cookbook, copyright 2016, and reprinted with permission.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 127kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 214mg

Tried this Recipe? Share it Today!Mention @SouthernKissedBlog or tag #southernkissed!

My family and I like to use it on top of grilled chicken, though one family member loves it so much that she has been known to put Alabama White Sauce on hard-boiled eggs. It’s that good.

How To Make Alabama White Sauce (5)

Great American Grilling: The Ultimate Backyard Barbecue & Tailgating Cookbookhas 250 recipes for grilling, barbecuing, and tailgating. Kent Whitaker, the author, won the Emeril Live/Food Network Barbecue Contest, so he knows his stuff.

Throughout the book, Kent includes tips and tidbits about grilling and barbecuing. The book is divided into the following chapters:

  • Awesome Appetizers
  • Let’s Get Dipping
  • Grille Sandwiches
  • Foil Packet Magic
  • Pizza on the Grill
  • Dogs, Brats & Other Links

Though not mentioned in the chapter headings, there are also recipes for side dishes, desserts, sauces, rubs, and marinades, making the cookbook an invaluable resource when it comes to grilling.

Go ahead and make this Alabama White Barbecue Sauce. You will see why so many people in Alabama and around the South love it. Look for it at your favorite bookstore or Amazon.com.

How To Make Alabama White Sauce (6)

Before you go, don’t miss out on these Southern Kissed favorite recipes:

  • Quick and Easy Chicken and Dumplings
  • Zucchini Tots
  • Ooey Gooey Butter cake

Don’t forget to come back and tell us how your Alabama White Sauce turned out!

How To Make Alabama White Sauce (2024)

FAQs

How To Make Alabama White Sauce? ›

Alabama white barbecue sauce is basically mayonnaise and vinegar with some additional seasonings. I make two variations of Alabama white barbecue sauce: The simpler one has 1 cup mayonnaise; 1/2 cup white vinegar; 1/4 cup apple juice; 1 tsp horseradish; 1 tsp lemon juice; 1/4 tsp cayenne; and salt and pepper.

What is Alabama white sauce made of? ›

This addictive white sauce is a mayonnaise (preferably Duke's) and vinegar-based barbeque sauce with salt, pepper, and garlic. Similar to a zesty coleslaw dressing, this sauce sometimes has a little cayenne or horseradish for an extra kick.

Why won't my white sauce thicken up? ›

Cause: Ratios are wrong (too much liquid or not enough flour) or roux is cooked too long or too short. Solution: First try and cook it for a bit longer and see if it thickens up. If not, make a little more roux in a separate saucepan (using equal parts butter and flour).

How to make white sauce thicker? ›

Combine 2 tablespoons flour with every 1/4 cup cold water and whisk until smooth. Add the mixture to your sauce over medium heat, and continue to stir and cook until you've reached your desired consistency.

Who made the original Alabama white sauce? ›

A staple of Northern Alabama barbecue, this sauce is primarily a mixture of mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, and pepper. It was invented by Robert Gibson at Big Bob Gibson's Bar-B-Q in Decatur, AL, where freshly smoked chickens are pulled from the pit and then "baptized" in a pool of the sauce.

What is white sauce made of? ›

What Is In White Sauce? This traditional white sauce starts with a roux of equal parts all-purpose flour and butter, which gives the sauce a rich and creamy base. Whole milk thins the butter-flour mixture, turning the roux into a sauce.

Does milk thicken white sauce? ›

Adding milk to a sauce can help it thicken because of the proteins and fats present in the milk. When the sauce is heated, the proteins in the milk coagulate and cause the sauce to thicken. The fat in the milk also contributes to the thickness of the sauce.

What is the thickening agent called when making a white sauce? ›

Used as a thickening agent for sauces, the traditional roux is equal amounts of flour and a fat (usually butter) cooked together. The length of time that the flour is cooked depends on the color of the sauce being made. Cooked for a short time, the roux has little color and is used for white sauces.

How do you thicken white sauce without flour or cornstarch? ›

6 Ways to Thicken Sauce Without Cornstarch
  1. Reduce the sauce. Simmering your sauce over low heat will cause the water in the sauce to evaporate and the sauce to naturally thicken. ...
  2. Add egg yolks. ...
  3. Prepare a roux. ...
  4. Make a beurre manié. ...
  5. Add pureed vegetables. ...
  6. Use another thickening agent.
Jan 18, 2022

How does white sauce thicken when heated? ›

As a white sauce is heated, the starch grains soften, they absorb liquid & swell. The starch grains break open & thicken the liquid by releasing amylose. The process of gelatinisation starts at 60◦, the sauce begins to thicken at about 85◦ but it's not fully completed until it reaches 100◦.

What can I use to make my sauce thicker? ›

Ways To Thicken Sauce
  1. Tomato Paste. If your soup or stew is watery, adding tomato paste may help! ...
  2. Arrowroot. You might prefer to avoid gluten in your recipes. ...
  3. Flour. ...
  4. Reduce Your Liquid. ...
  5. Puréed Vegetables. ...
  6. Egg Yolk. ...
  7. Yogurt. ...
  8. Rice.
Jul 15, 2022

How do I make my sauce more creamy? ›

Cheese and dairy give sauces creaminess while butter and oil give them richness. You also don't need to use a lot — these are just for finishing and rounding out the flavors in a sauce. Whole Milk or Heavy Cream: Add a splash and let the sauce simmer for a few minutes to thicken.

What is white sauce vs alfredo sauce? ›

White sauce – also known as béchamel – is made with flour, milk, and butter. It's a basic sauce that can be used as a base for other sauces or as a topping for dishes like lasagna. Alfredo sauce, on the other hand, is made with butter, cream, and Parmesan cheese, and has a much richer flavour than white sauce.

What are the two white sauces? ›

Béchamel – milk-based sauce, thickened with a white roux. Beurre blanc – Reduction of butter, vinegar, white wine and shallots.

What is Greek white sauce made of? ›

Tzatziki is a creamy cucumber yogurt dip (or sauce) made from simple ingredients including strained yogurt (or Greek yogurt), cucumbers, garlic, and sometimes fresh herbs such as dill or mint. Traditionally, it is made from strained sheep or goat's milk yogurt, but a full-fat Greek yogurt works just fine in this dip.

What is the classic name for white sauce made from milk and flour? ›

A béchamel or white sauce is one of the classic French “mother sauces” that form the basis of much French cuisine. White sauce is perhaps the most commonly used mother sauce for home cooks.

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