Alabama White Barbecue Sauce
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Alabama white barbecue sauce is a regional specialty that has received national acclaim for good reason! Uniquely sweet yet tangy, let me show you how to make it for yourself at home. One bite and you’ll be serving it with every meal!
Today, I’m bringing you a real rarity. In fact, it is pretty much unheard of outside of North Alabama. Even my husband (who is from a town in Georgia only four hours away) had never heard of it. A lot of folks in South Alabama have never heard of it.
I’m talking about Alabama white bbq sauce. This is truly a regional thing, but also a regional requirement. Every BBQ restaurant in North Alabama features white bbq sauce on their menu, their meats, and their tables and North Alabamians eat it with everything from French fries to bread to chicken and ribs. My husband loves to smother his chicken in Alabama white barbecue sauce. Personally, I like to use so much that my food is always swimming in it.
So, what makes this homemade white bbq sauce so irresistible? Well, it has a uniquely sweet yet tangy flavor, thanks to the combination of mayonnaise, lemon juice, white vinegar, and sugar. Let me tell you, it truly is the perfect compliment to just about everything. So how about we make up a batch for you? This recipe has the simplest ingredients and instructions ever, after all – mix and serve. That’s my style!
Recipe Ingredients
- Mayonnaise
- Black pepper
- Salt
- Lemon juice
- White vinegar
- Sugar
How to Make Alabama White Barbecue Sauce
Place mayonnaise in a small bowl and add the vinegar and lemon juice.
Next, add salt, pepper, and sugar to the mixing bowl.
Mix all ingredients together with a whisk or just put all of your ingredients into a large jar with a lid and give it a really good shake. That’s all there is to it!
You have just made Alabama white barbecue sauce!
Before you go wow your friends, get a French fry or a piece of chicken and give it a good dunking so you can be the first to taste it. YUM!
I could just live on this y’all, honest!
Storage
Pop the sauce in a mason jar or airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days. But we all know it’s not gonna last that long! Lucky it only takes 5 minutes to whip up another batch (or you can always simply double the recipe).
Recipe Notes
- If you like, substitute white sugar for brown sugar or use a combination of both.
- Another substitution is using apple cider vinegar (or a combination again) instead of white vinegar.
- Some white sauce recipes also include prepared horseradish. If that’s your thing, I’d go with just a couple of teaspoons.
- Some also add in mustard, so if you like you can add 2 teaspoons of yellow mustard, dijon mustard, spicy brown , or even .
- For an extra pop of flavor, go ahead and add 1/2 teaspoon of your favorite seasoning, like Cajun seasoning or Old Bay seasoning.
- For a lighter version, replace half of the mayo with sour cream or Greek yogurt. It won’t affect the taste.
- Want to add some heat? If you’re going to add the prepared horseradish, opt for hot horseradish. Then add 1/2 teaspoon of hot sauce and 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper to make things extra spicy.
Recipe FAQs
Where did Alabama white BBQ sauce originate?
We have Robert Gibson from Big Bob Gibson’s Bar B-Q in Decatur, Alabama to thank for introducing us to Alabama white sauce way back in 1925.
What do you serve with Alabama white barbecue sauce?
Alabama white sauce tastes fantastic with any grilled or barbecued meat, like grilled chicken tenders or , pork chops, Southern-style pulled pork, beef brisket, crockpot beef ribs, North Alabama-style pulled chicken, steak kabobs, and air fryer chicken wings. You can baste it on the meat two or three times towards the end of cooking, or simply pour it over the top when serving.
It also tastes great as a dipping sauce with fries and veggies, like my baked zucchini fries, parmesan oven fries, and roasted sweet potato wedges. Another option is to use it as a salad dressing. It tastes absolutely amazing with potato salad, coleslaw, and roasted vegetables.
You may also enjoy these sensational sauces:
Homemade Pretzels and Cheese Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 cups mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
- 2 tablespoons black pepper
- 6 tablespoons white vinegar
- 6 tablespoons lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons white sugar
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together and stir well.2 cups mayonnaise, 1 1/2 tablespoons salt, 2 tablespoons black pepper, 6 tablespoons white vinegar, 6 tablespoons lemon juice, 4 tablespoons white sugar
Nutrition
I’m from Decatur Al Yes this sauce is a north Alabama tradition.I love white sauce on chicken.My daughter eats it on everything.We especially love it on hushpuppie.I found this site today and i love it. Thanks.
Thank YOU!!
Christy, I’m like you I luv Whitesauce, but to me the best BBQ with whitesauce is the Old Greenbrier Resturant. They bring a basket of hushpuppies and have 3 different sauces on the table: WhiteSauce,RibSauce,and Vinegar BBQ Sauce. All three are wonderful!!!We lived for a long 3 years in St. Louis, and when we would come through Athens on the way home,we would detour to Old Greenbrier and take home BBQ and Ribs. YUMMO!!
Christy-
Can this be canned? If so what’s the processing time. I think this would go well in some baskets I am making with Jams and BBQ Sauce and even your recipe for Apple butter which I might add is rootin tootin finger lickin! Also, you have me addicted to this hobbyist canning- it is a nice little way to make friends round the town.
I’m from North Alabama, the Cullman/Decatur area. This has been a staple in our home for 25 years. I use it on everything Pork Chops are wonderful I baste them while grilling and smother them afterwards. I like to use fresh squeezed lemon juice when I can. This is the first time I’ve visited your blog and I am enjoying your recipes.
Greetings from Tucson, AZ. Your picture pulled me into this website. I have heard of white BBQ sauce for years. Now that I’ve got this recipe, I’ll try it. Thanks
Oh my goodness this is my absolute favorite!! it’s soooo good. I’ll eat it with anything, chicken, pork, potatoes, rolls. My favorite bbq place here in east tn has a white sauce just like this they call Alabama white sauce!
My daddy and pawpaw use to have a BBQ restuarant in Birmingham on the old fair grounds many many years ago. So of course I was raised on this stuff. I make it all the time now in the summer when we are grilling. he would start cooking in neighborhood and everyone would start coming over to see what he was cooking. and they all had to have their white sauce to take home with them.
I have been in Birmingham for 17 years and just a month ago tried Golden Rule’s White BBQ sauce. I wish I hadn’t thought “that just ain’t right” for so long. Love the White BBQ sauce. It is definitely a Northern Alabama thing. Just like Catalina on pizza is a Mississippi Coast thing. Try it before you think “that just ain’t right”.