Zesty Alabama White Sauce - Hey Grill, Hey (2024)

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By Hey Grill Hey

On September 21, 2020 (Updated April 16, 2022)

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Alabama White Sauce is a creamy, tangy, and rich BBQ sauce with just a kiss of heat. This sauce is a classic white BBQ sauce that is perfect on smoked chicken and so much more! Ready in less than 5 minutes, it’s a quick and easy sauce ready when you are!

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Alabama White Sauce

This mayo-based white barbecue sauce is made to dunk, drizzle, and slather it all over some smoked chicken for a classic Alabama BBQ experience. You can also serve it as a side sauce for any kind of smoked meats, like ribs or smoked turkey. In my house, we also keep it on hand as a tangy vegetable dip or use it as a dressing for coleslaw!

Alabama white BBQ sauce is a mayonnaise-based dressing that also includes horseradish and cayenne pepper for a good amount of heat. Two packed tablespoons of brown sugar add some sweetness to the mix, while apple cider vinegar and lemon juice provide some flavorful acidity. This is one recipe I recommend trying at least once. Though, chances are you’ll want to print and save this recipe for later use. It’s hard not to fall in love with this beautiful, creamy BBQ sauce.

Where did Alabama White BBQ Sauce Originate?

Alabama BBQ sauce was made famous by Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in Decatur, Alabama. They have massive hickory-fed pits that house their famous smoked split chickens. These chickens are slow smoked to a glorious golden brown at 350 degree F Their flavor is out of this world, but the real showstopper is the Alabama white BBQ sauce. These chickens are then dunked whole into massive vats of their homemade white BBQ sauce for a taste like you wouldn’t believe.

Smoked chicken may be the most famous vessel for transporting this tangy and smooth sauce into your mouth, but it’s just the beginning! Alabama white BBQ sauce is incredibly versatile and has become a BBQ staple for good reason. It offers the ideal balance of flavors to enhance smoked or grilled meats and vegetables.

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What is Alabama White Sauce?

The head pitmaster of Big Bob Gibson’s restaurant, Chris Lilly, first shared their restaurant original recipe which was measured in gallons and is a fairly simple mixture of mayonnaise, corn syrup, vinegar, and salt/pepper. My zesty version has the same sweet and tangy notes that make all BBQ sauces the perfect complement to smoked meats, but an Alabama white sauce is mayonnaise based, instead of tomato based, which gives it a great creamy flavor profile.

I first met Chris at a Guinness World Record event for the Largest Grilling Lesson in 2017 (you can read more about that event HERE), and I was so incredibly impressed with his knowledge of all things BBQ. I consider my recipe an homage to the restaurant-style original with a little Hey Grill Hey kick.

How to Make Alabama White Sauce

Unlike some of my other BBQ sauce recipes that require cooking the sauce on the stovetop, this BBQ sauce is quite possibly the easiest BBQ sauce you’ll ever make. To begin, make sure you have the following ingredients on hand (full printable recipe card including ingredients and steps is available at the bottom of this post):

  • Mayonnaise
  • Apple cider vinegar
  • Brown sugar
  • Brown mustard
  • Lemon juice
  • Prepared horseradish
  • Salt
  • Black pepper
  • Cayenne pepper

Once you have all your ingredients assembled, pour them all into a bowl, grab a whisk, and whisk until everything is well combined and the sauce is nice and smooth. That’s it! No baking, boiling, or reducing here. This sauce is ready in less than 5 minutes, making it a great choice when you need something with a tangy zip but you don’t have a lot of time.

You are welcome to use this sauce immediately, or place it in the fridge for a couple days to let the flavors meld. Any unused sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Make sure to keep the sauce in an airtight container, and you’ll be all set!

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More BBQ Sauce Recipes

I often say the sauce can make the meal, and some good homemade sauces can really take your BBQ to the next level. Now that you’ve mastered Alabama BBQ sauce, try your hand at Kansas City and Carolina sauces as well!

  • Kansas City BBQ Sauce
  • Whiskey Peach BBQ Sauce
  • Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce

Alabama White Sauce Recipe

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Alabama White BBQ Sauce

By: Susie Bulloch (heygrillhey.com)

4.85 from 13 votes

Alabama White Sauce is a creamy, tangy, and rich BBQ sauce with just a kiss of heat. This sauce is a classic white BBQ sauce that is perfect on smoked chicken and so much more!

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Total Time5 minutes mins

Servings12

Video

Ingredients

  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon brown mustard
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions

  • Mix all ingredients. Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl until smooth and well combined.

  • Refrigerate and store. Transfer to a lidded jar. Use immediately or let set in the refrigerator for 24 hours to let the flavors meld together. Will keep 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Calories: 137kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 218mg | Potassium: 7mg | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 30IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 0.1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this? Leave a comment below!

**This post was originally published in November 2018. We recently updated it with more information and helpful tips. The recipe remains the same.

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About

FOUNDER/BBQ BOSS LADY

Susie is the BBQ Brain behind the Hey Grill Hey website. Her passion for smoked meats and developing fun, new recipes have landed her on the Food Network, cooking turkeys with Shaq, and on a couple of Guinness World Records. When she’s not grilling, she is hanging out with Todd and their three kids, preferably outdoors!

Read More About Me

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Zesty Alabama White Sauce - Hey Grill, Hey (2024)

FAQs

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.

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 the white sauce at Mission BBQ? ›

Alabama white BBQ sauce is a mayonnaise-based dressing that also includes horseradish and cayenne pepper for a good amount of heat. Two packed tablespoons of brown sugar add some sweetness to the mix, while apple cider vinegar and lemon juice provide some flavorful acidity.

What BBQ sauce does Bobby Flay use? ›

The one barbecue sauce he can't stop using is the Bone Suckin' brand, as he revealed while giving a tour of his pantry on Instagram.

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 does white sauce go with? ›

This White Sauce, also known as béchamel sauce, is one of France's four “mother sauces,” and it's a perfect complement to many dishes. Pair it with vegetables, turn it into a creamy casserole or ladle it over seafood or sliced chicken.

What country is white sauce from? ›

For the uninitated, Bechamel sauce, also known as white sauce, is a classic sauce of French cuisine. Originating in the late 17th century, it was named after Louis de Bechamel, the chief steward of Louis XIV, who is credited with inventing the sauce.

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

The French term for this medium-thick white sauce is béchamel. The foolproof way to attain a perfectly smooth sauce is to have the milk hot when added to the butter and flour. It uses an extra pot, but as you become more proficient, this cautionary measure may not be necessary.

What is the name of the white sauce? ›

Another name for bechamel — or béchamel — is "white sauce." Making a bechamel is a very basic technique in French cooking which begins with a roux, a cooked mixture of flour and butter, and after slowly whisking in milk, ends in a creamy sauce.

What is the most popular sauce at Mission BBQ? ›

Mission BBQ Original BBQ Sauce

This is Mission BBQ's signature sauce and a crowd favorite. It's a classic Kansas City-style barbecue sauce with a perfect balance of sweet, tangy, and smoky flavors.

What does Texas Roadhouse BBQ sauce taste like? ›

About Roadhouse original bbq sauce

The Original, based on pureed tomatoes is pleasantly sweet and smoky flavoured. The texture reminds a delicious home-made sauce with chunks of onions, pineapple and raisins and makes any comparision with a popular Ketchup sauce impossible.

What is unholy BBQ sauce? ›

Unholy BBQ Sauce

Baptise your meat with this Mid Western-style sweet, rich, tomato-based sauce with added flavours of orange and fennel. Mix it with your mince or use it as base to your cooking.

What does McDonald's use for BBQ sauce? ›

Our Tangy BBQ Sauce recipe is made with a tomato paste base, vinegar, and savory spices with a hint of sweet hickory smoke flavor. It's the perfect BBQ dipping sauce for Chicken McNuggets® and our World Famous Fries®. *Mobile Order & Pay and McDelivery at participating McDonald's.

What BBQ sauce was on Shark Tank? ›

The Sharks have seen several lines of sauces over the years, and one such business was season eight's Lulu Bang. Philadelphia-based sisters Kelly and Jorrae Beard walked into "Shark Tank" hoping to make a "bang" with a cheeky pitch of their line of barbeque sauces: Joyce's Lulu Bang.

What is the name of Guy Fieri's sauce? ›

Fieri's most famous ingredient is just your average blend of garlic, mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper. "I called it Donkey Sauce because you have to make fun of it.

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.

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.

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