Alabama White Sauce Recipe - How to Make White BBQ Sauce (2024)

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5 from 13 votes

By Hank Shaw

June 21, 2021 | Updated June 06, 2022

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I’ve eaten barbecue six ways to Sunday, all over the nation. By far the most offbeat BBQ sauce is Alabama white sauce, a specialty of the northern part of that state that is almost always used on chicken.

White BBQ sauce, as it’s also known, is super easy to make, keeps for a week or more in the fridge, and is good on more than just barbecued chicken.

Alabama White Sauce Recipe - How to Make White BBQ Sauce (2)

Said to be invented by Big Bob Gibson almost a century ago, Alabama white sauce is scandalously easy to make. Chances are you have most of the ingredients in your kitchen already.

White BBQ sauce tastes tart and only slightly creamy, despite the mayonnaise, which really just cuts the acidity of the apple cider vinegar to manageable levels. A bit of horseradish, a dash of Worcestershire, a touch of garlic, cayenne and mustard powder and you’re in business.

Some recipes use lemon juice, too, for flavor, and most use a little brown sugar… or a lot, depending on the cook. I don’t like my Alabama white sauce sweet, so I only add a touch to even things out.

The beauty of white BBQ sauce is that you tinker with it, and add things to your liking. And it’s all safe and easy because Alabama white sauce is not cooked. Yep, a no cook BBQ sauce.

My recipe below is what I like. Tart, zippy with the mayo and sugar just there to shave off the rough edges. Start with mine and go from there.

Once you get it where you like it, use your Alabama white sauce as a finishing sauce on barbecue. What you see in the pictures are smoked turkey wings from a spring gobbler. Chicken is customary, but white BBQ sauce is really good as a salad dressing — take that ranch! — and is great to dip chicken wings in, or to use on pulled pork or even smoked pork chops.

Alabama White Sauce Recipe - How to Make White BBQ Sauce (3)

And, untraditionally, Alabama white sauce is great on fried fish. I like it over fried speckled trout especially, but it’s good with a Southern crappie fry, too.

Any leftovers will keep in the fridge for a couple weeks. The sauce might separate, but shake it and it will be as good as new.

5 from 13 votes

Alabama White Sauce

A simple, quick, no-cook barbecue sauce that's traditionally poured over chicken, but other poultry, pork or fish are good uses, too. It's also a great salad dressing.

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Course: Condiment, Sauce

Cuisine: Southern

Servings: 8 servings

Author: Hank Shaw

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 0 minutes minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 3 teaspoons prepared horseradish
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar (optional)

Instructions

  • Whisk everything together until well combined. Use chilled or at room temperature.

Video

Notes

Once made, this sauce will keep for a couple weeks in the fridge.

Nutrition

Calories: 204kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 208mg | Potassium: 50mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 72IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg

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

Tried this recipe? Tag me today!Mention @huntgathercook or tag #hankshaw!

Categorized as:
American Recipes, Featured, How-To (DIY stuff), Recipe, Southern, Wild Game

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About Hank Shaw

Hey there. Welcome to Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, the internet’s largest source of recipes and know-how for wild foods. I am a chef, author, and yes, hunter, angler, gardener, forager and cook. Follow me on Instagram and on Facebook.

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Alabama White Sauce Recipe - How to Make White BBQ Sauce (2024)

FAQs

What is Alabama white barbecue sauce made of? ›

What is white BBQ sauce made of? Alabama white sauce starts with a base of mayonnaise and apple cider vinegar. Many variations exist but typical flavorings include mustard, Worcestershire sauce, sugar or honey, garlic and/or onion powder, and lots of black pepper.

What is Mission BBQ Alabama white sauce? ›

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.

How to thicken white barbecue sauce? ›

You can use either flour or cornstarch to thicken BBQ sauce. Just mix together 2 tbsp (16 g) of flour and ¼ cup (62.5 mL) of water, or combine 1 tbsp (9 g) of cornstarch with 1 tbsp (15 mL) of water. Continue mixing the thickener until there are no lumps of flour or cornstarch.

Is white vinegar or apple cider vinegar better for BBQ sauce? ›

The needed acidity for balance is there but without all the sharp edges of white vinegar. Whether you're using your barbecue sauce on pulled pork, ribs, chicken, or meatballs, a little apple cider vinegar can really improve the flavor.

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 brand is Alabama white sauce? ›

Duke's Alabama White BBQ Sauce is a barbecue sauce unlike any other, and a longstanding source of pride for the Northern Alabamians who popularized it. This distinctive, zingy sauce marries the taste of Duke's with tangy vinegar, punchy horseradish, and a peppery blend of spices.

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 BBQ is Alabama known for? ›

Vinegar-based Sauce Barbecue is the age-old art and science of slow-cooking meat. It is worshipped in the state of Alabama, from pecan-infused pork shoulder in Mobile near the coast to white sauce-soaked chicken on the banks of the Tennessee River.

What is New York City white sauce? ›

What is white sauce? It's one of those special little New York City secrets. It's believed that it's half Mayo, half Greek yogurt, but the rest, it's a bit of a mystery. Some interesting research was done by queen's College.

What is the best thickener for white sauce? ›

The most readily available sauce-thickener is flour. For a too-thin sauce, try adding a slurry (equal parts flour and water, whisked together) or beurre manie (equal parts softened butter and flour, kneaded together to form a paste)—both are ideal thickeners for rich and creamy sauces, such as steak sauce recipes.

Why isn't my white sauce thick? ›

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).

Does milk thicken white sauce? ›

Plus, the sauce will thicken much faster with warm milk. Cook butter and flour to make a roux: A roux — a mixture of equal weights butter and flour — is made by melting butter, whisking in all-purpose flour, and cooking the two together into a clumpy paste.

Why spray apple cider vinegar on ribs? ›

My favourite choice for spritzing meat is a mix of apple cider vinegar and water as it helps balance fatty cuts of meat, add moisture, and inject flavour. Avoid spritzing too often as it will increase your cooking time.

What happens when you soak meat in apple cider vinegar? ›

An apple cider vinegar marinade will not only make the meat tender but will also kill all the bacteria on it. Mix ½ cup vinegar, 2 tbsp oil, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp chilli flakes or chilli powder, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper powder, 1 tbsp parsley or any other herb and 1 tbsp soy sauce.

Can I use apple cider vinegar instead of white vinegar for sauce? ›

White vinegar substitute: If you need a different vinegar to substitute for white vinegar, use apple cider vinegar or malt vinegar. You could also swap in lemon or lime juice, depending on your recipe. When you're canning or pickling, there are no comparable substitutes.

Does Alabama white sauce taste like ranch? ›

If your white sauce tastes like ranch, that's another sign you're not quite on the right track. Ranch is thin and buttermilky, while white sauce should be thicker and richer, with more tang from the vinegar. It will have a bite similar to that of Carolina BBQ sauce.

Is white sauce alfredo sauce? ›

Alfredo sauce is a classic cream sauce used in countless pasta dishes. Also known as a white sauce or “pasta in blanco”, alfredo blends simple ingredients and turns them into a rich, indulgent delight.

Does white BBQ sauce have sugar? ›

Ingredients. SOYBEAN OIL, WATER, GROUND HORSERADISH, SUGAR, DISTILLED VINEGAR, SALTED EGG YOLKS, LEMON JUICE CONCENTRATE, SALT, BROWN SUGAR, APPLE CIDER VINEGAR, SPICES, CORN STARCH-MODIFIED, DEHYDRATED GARLIC, XANTHAN GUM, MUSTARD FLOUR, SODIUM BENZOATE, POTASSIUM SORBATE AND CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA (TO PROTECT FLAVOR).

What mother sauce is white? ›

The most common list of mother sauces in current use is attributed to chef Auguste Escoffier and based on his seminal cookery book Le guide culinaire: Béchamel sauce: White sauce, based on milk thickened with a white roux.

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