Alabama White Sauce

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A classic Southern sauce that's wonderfully versatile, Alabama white sauce has a beautiful, deep, rich flavor and a deliciously creamy texture, capable of enhancing everything from grilled meats to salads and sandwiches.

It's a simple sauce to put together but calls for a precise blend of much-loved ingredients. The result is a harmony of flavors that truly takes the breath away!

Why you'll love this Alabama white sauce

The combination of creamy mayonnaise, zingy vinegar, the rich Worcestershire Sauce, and the heat from the mustard and the horseradish make for a wonderful flavor.
It can elevate all kinds of foods, from burgers and hot dogs to smoked chicken and even as a salad dressing.
This white barbecue sauce is the perfect addition to a summer backyard party!
It's quite adaptable, meaning you can put your own twist on it.

Equipment needed

There are a few essential pieces of equipment that you'll need before you start making this Alabama white sauce recipe:

Balloon whisk – a classic balloon whisk is needed to whisk up all the ingredients together
Mixing bowl – a good quality mixing bowl is needed to mix up this classic Alabama white BBQ sauce
Basting brush – if you're using Alabama white BBQ sauce on grilled meats, using a silicone basting brush is the easiest way to apply it

How to make Alabama white sauce

Get all your ingredients ready.

ingredients for alabama white sauce in a bowl.

Place everything in a bowl.

Lastly, pour in the vinegar.

Whisk, whisk, whisk!

The sauce should be perfectly smooth.

Serve with smoked chicken wings, Grilled Corn, burgers, hotdogs, or as a salad dressing. Enjoy!

Top tips

Taste and adjust the sauce as you go. Add extra cayenne pepper or hot sauce if you fancy a little more heat.

How to serve Alabama white sauce

There are so many ways to use this traditional BBQ sauce. Here are just some suggestions:

Smothered on smoked or grilled chicken

The creaminess of the mayonnaise, the tang of the vinegar, the spices, and the heat converge to create the perfect foil for smoky meats. Serve this sauce with your favorite barbecued and smoked meats at your next backyard barbecue, and your guests will wonder how you made it.

On a pulled pork sandwich or sloppy Joe

It doesn't have to be smoked chicken or barbecued brisket. This sumptuous sauce is perfect when used as a fabulous flavor enhancer in classic sandwiches like pulled pork or sloppy Joe, adding a creaminess and tang that works wonders.

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Drizzled on vegetables

Whether barbecued, grilled, or steamed, green vegetables and Alabama white sauce go together really well. The likes of broccoli, asparagus, and artichokes are especially excellent with this creamy white BBQ sauce.

As a dipping sauce

The classic dipping sauce! Whether you're looking for a dip for chips, something to dip chopped vegetables in, or a simple sauce to enhance finger food at a party, Alabama white sauce is an easy-to-make dipping sauce that will really impress the crowd.

Variations and substitutions

You can replace apple cider vinegar with any kind of light colored vinegar, such as white wine vinegar.
Use freshly chopped chilies instead of hot sauce if you can't find any. Substitute at a 1:1 ratio.
Can't find Worcestershire Sauce? Try one of these excellent Worcestershire Sauce substitutes.
If you're looking for a vegan Alabama white sauce, all you need to do is make a simple adjustment. Just swap mayonnaise for a vegan mayonnaise. It's as simple as that!

Top tips

Adjust Consistency: If the sauce is too thick for your liking, you can thin it with a little more vinegar or lemon juice. If it's too thin, adding a bit more mayonnaise will thicken it.
Taste as You Go: The key to a great sauce is balance. Don't be afraid to adjust the amounts of acid (vinegar and lemon juice), sweetness (sugar), and heat (cayenne pepper, horseradish, hot sauce) to suit your taste preferences.
Serving Temperature: Alabama White Sauce is best served chilled or at room temperature. If serving it as a dip, consider placing the serving bowl over ice to keep it cool, especially if it will be out for a while during a gathering.
Storing Leftovers: Store any leftover sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It should last for up to a week. The flavors will continue to meld and develop over the first few days, often resulting in an even tastier sauce after a day or two.
Versatility: While perfect for chicken wings, Alabama White Sauce is also great with other grilled meats, such as chicken breast and pork chops, or even as a dressing for coleslaw. Experiment to find your favorite pairings!
Food Safety: Since this sauce contains mayonnaise, ensure it doesn't sit out at room temperature for extended periods. Follow food safety guidelines, especially during warm weather or at outdoor events.
Make It Your Own: Feel free to add your personal touch to the sauce. Some like to add a bit of smoked paprika for a smoky flavor, or a splash of apple juice for extra sweetness and tang. Your unique twist could become a new favorite!

What is Alabama white sauce?

A magnificent mayonnaise-based dressing, Alabama white BBQ sauce is a creamy, tangy sauce that can be served to add flavor to any number of dishes, from chicken and fish to burgers and hot dogs.

This white BBQ sauce recipe is easy to make and tastes sensational, featuring ingredients such as apple cider vinegar, mustard, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and horseradish.

How does Alabama white sauce taste?

Delicious! Imagine mayonnaise infused with spices, the earthy heat of mustard, horseradish, and subtle spices. It works wonderfully with smoky meats and barbecue flavors.

What are the origins of Alabama white sauce?

This classic BBQ sauce is said to have originated a century ago in the city of Decatur, Alabama. Local cook Bob Gibson, the founder of Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q., started experimenting with adding his own flavors to mayonnaise to enhance its taste and make it suitable as a white BBQ sauce.

At the time, sauce cuisine didn't involve using mayonnaise as a barbecue sauce. Still, it was a key ingredient in many other local Alabama recipes, including potato salads and deviled eggs. Gibson found that the spices, vinegar, and other ingredients harmonized and cut through the mayonnaise base to create a creamy white BBQ sauce that perfectly complements the smoky flavor of the meat.

The fame of Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q and its white BBQ sauce spread like wildfire, becoming a local sensation. Famous for its huge hickory-fed pits that house their smoked split chickens, the restaurant began slow smoking chickens submerged in a whole tub of Alabama white BBQ sauce. The locals couldn't get enough of it!

Gibson bottled his sauce and began selling it in 1925. It became a national favorite, and a century later, it's one of America's best-loved sauces.

More sumptuous sauce recipes

This Alabama white sauce recipe is just one of many sumptuous sauce recipes I have for you. Look at these, each of which can take a dish to a whole new level. Which one will you make next? Let me know in the comments below:

Orange sauce for duck – this sweet, tangy sauce is tailor made for pan-fried duck dishes and really makes the flavors pop! Pair it with my pan-fried duck breast for an extra special meal
Curry base sauce – the foundation to so many wonderful curry recipes, this simple curry base sauce is so easy to make. Make it once and it'll open you up to a whole world of Indian cuisine
White sauce – a standard sauce that should be part of every cook's repertoire, this a very versatile sauce that you'll go back to again and again
Romesco sauce – a smoky, nutty sensation, this pepper and tomato based sauce is native to the Catalan region of Spain, and works perfectly with meats and vegetables
Marie Rose sauce – an popular old school British classic, this sauce is known in the United States as seafood sauce. It's simple but effective. Serve with shrimp as the perfect starter for your next dinner party

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