Alabama White BBQ Sauce Recipe

Name: Alabama White BBQ Sauce
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 cups mayonnaise; 1 cup apple cider vinegar; 2 tablespoons lemon juice; 1/4 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon black pepper (coarsely ground, to taste); 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper; Optional: 1 clove garlic (minced); Optional: 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard; Optional: 1 teaspoon sugar; Optional: 2 teaspoons horseradish

Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 10 mins

Total: 30 mins

Servings: 28 servings

Yield: 3 1/2 cups

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This traditional Alabama white barbecue sauce is unlike any other barbecue sauce you might be familiar with. First of all, it's white, rather than red, and not made with a tomato or fruit base, but mayonnaise instead.

It's creamy, tangy, peppery, and slightly sweet if sugar is added with a rich flavor that is a great addition to most grilled foods but especially chicken, turkey, smoked pork, and grilled fish.

Just like a red sauce, this white sauce can be used to marinate or grill, or as a table sauce. But it has a leg up on the red stuff because white sauce makes a great dip, salad dressing, baked potato top, and even a binding agent for coleslaw and potato salad.

As with many barbecue sauces, you want to apply this only at the very end of your grilling or smoking, especially if you add sugar to the basic ingredients. Not only will it break down and separate if it is heated too long, but the sugar will burn instead of becoming nicely caramelized.

2 cups mayonnaise
1 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 clove garlic, minced, optional
1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard, optional
1 teaspoon sugar, optional
2 teaspoons horseradish, optional

Gather the ingredients.

The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, cider vinegar, and lemon juice until creamy and smooth. If you do not want the sauce quite as tart, use half the amount of apple cider vinegar.

The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
Stir in black pepper, salt, cayenne pepper, and optional garlic, mustard, sugar, and horseradish. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using.

The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
Brush lightly over chicken, turkey, or pork during the last few minutes of grilling. Since this sauce also is great as a dipping sauce to serve at the table, set some aside before you start grilling the meat.

The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Storing BBQ Sauce

The unused sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

To make a great sandwich, place pulled chicken in a large bowl and mix with Alabama white barbecue sauce, tossing gently to coat. Serve immediately on bread or buns of your choice.

White Barbecue Sauce History

Bob Gibson, of Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in Decatur, Alabama, is credited with creating white barbecue sauce in 1925.

The white sauce was never really intended to accompany meats like beef brisket. Instead, it was meant to accompany chicken and turkey and to be used as a finishing sauce rather than as a basting medium while the meat is grilling.

Gibson smoked whole chickens for three hours and to keep them from drying out, he devised the white sauce to dunk them in once they came off the pit and were held for service. He thought the fat in the mayonnaise helped them to stay juicy.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
110	Calories
12g	Fat
0g	Carbs
0g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 28
Amount per serving
Calories	110
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g	15%
Saturated Fat 2g	9%
Cholesterol 7mg	2%
Sodium 176mg	8%
Total Carbohydrate 0g	0%
Dietary Fiber 0g	0%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 0mg	1%
Calcium 3mg	0%
Iron 0mg	0%
Potassium 15mg	0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.