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Home » Recipes » How To Make Alabama White Sauce

How To Make Alabama White Sauce

Published: Mar 25, 2022 · Modified: Oct 12, 2022 by Lynda · This post may contain affiliate links.

Jump to Recipe

The tangy goodness of mayonnaise combined with apple cider vinegar and spices enhances everything that Alabama White Sauce is put on from chicken to seafood to turkey and everything in between.

Jar of Alabama White Sauce with spoon in it.

The best way to make your own white bbq sauce is by following this easy recipe. It’s similar in flavor and consistency with Big Bob Gibson’s Original White Sauce, which everyone agrees on as being one of the top choices for barbecuing enthusiasts everywhere!

Jump to:
  • About White BBQ Sauce
  • 🥘Ingredients
  • 🔪 Directions
  • 📖 Recipe

About White BBQ Sauce

It’s hard to pin down the first time that white bbq sauce was served, but it is known that ever since Bob Gibson opened his BBQ restaurant in 1925, it has been on the menu.

Today, many have heard of Big Bob Gibson’s Bar-B-Q, which is located in Northern Alabama, because of the awards that Pitmaster, Chef, and part-owner Chris Lilly has amassed for his delicious smoked chicken and barbecue.

If you are in Alabama or the southeast, you can easily pick up a bottle at your local grocery store. If not, then use this recipe to make your own homemade barbecue sauce. It’s a versatile condiment that is low-carb and tangy.

This BBQ staple is made with simple ingredients – it has a mayonnaise base, black pepper, horseradish, spices, and the addition of vinegar, making it a tangy sauce perfect for chicken breasts, pork chops, pork tenderloin, pulled pork, chicken wings, chicken thighs, bbq chicken, grilled fish, fried fish, hard-boiled eggs, and just about any piece of meat that you’d like.

Some people even use it as a dipping sauce for things like chicken nuggets and French fries.

Bottle of Big Bob Gibson's Original White Sauce.

We all probably have all of the ingredients already in our pantry and it comes together in no time. The hardest part about making it is waiting a few hours for the flavors to meld before using it.

White sauce being poured on grilled chicken breast.

🥘Ingredients

To make your own creamy version of Alabama’s favorite white barbecue sauce, you need the following ingredients:

  • 2 cups mayonnaise
  • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons horseradish

🔪 Directions

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, cover, and chill before serving. You can add additional apple cider vinegar for a thinner sauce with a bit more bite.

How easy is that?!

📖 Recipe

Alabama White Sauce

Alabama White Barbecue Sauce is a must for grilling season.  The tangy goodness of mayonnaise combined with apple cider vinegar and spices enhances everything that it is put on.
4.62 from 187 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 24 servings
Calories: 127kcal
Author: Lynda

Ingredients

  • 2 cups mayonnaise
  • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons horseradish

Instructions

  • Combine in a bowl, cover and chill before serving. You can add additional apple cider vinegar for a thinner sauce with a bit more bite.

Video

Notes

Recipe excerpted from Great American Grilling: The Ultimate Backyard Barbecue & Tailgating Cookbook, copyright 2016, and reprinted with permission.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 127kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 214mg
Tried this Recipe? Share it Today!Mention @SouthernKissedBlog or tag #southernkissed!

My family and I like to use it on top of grilled chicken, though one family member loves it so much that she has been known to put Alabama White Sauce on hard-boiled eggs. It’s that good.

Great American Grilling cookbook.

Great American Grilling: The Ultimate Backyard Barbecue & Tailgating Cookbook has 250 recipes for grilling, barbecuing, and tailgating. Kent Whitaker, the author, won the Emeril Live/Food Network Barbecue Contest, so he knows his stuff.

Throughout the book, Kent includes tips and tidbits about grilling and barbecuing. The book is divided into the following chapters:

  • Awesome Appetizers
  • Let’s Get Dipping
  • Grille Sandwiches
  • Foil Packet Magic
  • Pizza on the Grill
  • Dogs, Brats & Other Links

Though not mentioned in the chapter headings, there are also recipes for side dishes, desserts, sauces, rubs, and marinades, making the cookbook an invaluable resource when it comes to grilling.

Go ahead and make this Alabama White Barbecue Sauce. You will see why so many people in Alabama and around the South love it. Look for it at your favorite bookstore or at Amazon.com.

Spoonful of Alabama White Sauce.

Before you go, don’t miss out on these Southern Kissed favorite recipes:

  • Quick and Easy Chicken and Dumplings
  • Zucchini Tots
  • Ooey Gooey Butter cake

Don’t forget to come back and tell us how your Alabama White Sauce turned out!

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Benjamin says

    October 29, 2022 at 1:50 am

    Everyone is asking how long this sauce lasts. If you can exercise self-control and not eat it all right away, it will last a very long time. I made my first batch a few months ago, and have just finished it off. The awesome part is that the sauce gets better. It’s good at first, better after the flavors meld for a few hours, but the most radical change comes a few weeks in – the sauce takes off and becomes something incredible. Age this stuff… Age it well. Your mouth will thank you.

    Reply
    • Lynda says

      October 29, 2022 at 8:28 am

      Thanks for your input. So glad you have enjoyed the recipe.

      Reply
  2. Jessica Greene says

    October 12, 2022 at 9:19 pm

    I just made this sauce tonight (but added some extra Mayo to cut down on tangy-ness) and drizzled it on chicken bacon and provolone sandwiches! My husband LOVED it. He’s super picky, so I’m thrilled. Do you know how long the extra sauce will keep in the fridge?

    Reply
    • Lynda says

      October 13, 2022 at 6:33 am

      I am so happy to hear that he loves it!

      How long it will last would depend on the expiration dates of the mayonnaise and horseradish that was used.

      Reply
  3. Sam says

    October 09, 2022 at 6:15 pm

    5 stars
    Never had a white sauce before. Tried this tonight but added a little liquid smoke. 100% will be making this again. I used it as a finishing sauce the last 10 minutes of the smoked chicken. I wasn’t that thrilled when I first tasted the sauce, but on the chicken was totally different. I’m now going to try it on some ribs in the next few days.

    Reply
    • Lynda says

      October 10, 2022 at 6:53 am

      Glad to hear you enjoyed it. (I am going to have to try adding liquid smoke now!)

      Reply
  4. Mitch says

    September 24, 2022 at 8:55 am

    5 stars
    My wife and I love this sauce! It’s just as good in TN as it is in AL 😉 I used it to baste chicken thighs before putting them on the grill, and then used it as a finishing sauce as well. Thank you for sharing the recipe!

    Reply
    • Lynda says

      September 24, 2022 at 6:05 pm

      Thanks for coming back and commenting!

      Reply
  5. Yolanda says

    September 11, 2022 at 6:53 pm

    5 stars
    This looks delicious and somehow decidedly FRENCH, but, seeing as my family’s roots lie in Alabama, I am going to call it that! 💋

    Reply
    • Lynda says

      September 12, 2022 at 7:57 am

      💕

      Reply
  6. Doug Doty says

    June 05, 2022 at 2:08 pm

    5 stars
    This seems like it would be a good marinade and basting sauce as well as finishing sauce. That’s what I’m going to try doing with it.

    Reply
  7. Janan says

    April 06, 2022 at 9:44 am

    Can’t wait to make!! What is the serving size??

    Reply
    • Lynda says

      April 07, 2022 at 6:48 am

      I ran the nutrition calculation on the premise that the batch yields 3 cups and each serving is 2 tablespoons.

      Reply
    • Linda Smith says

      August 22, 2022 at 8:54 am

      5 stars
      Just made this sauce… going to have with low carb oven baked chicken wings for dinner!

      Reply
  8. Beth Findley says

    January 29, 2022 at 9:34 pm

    5 stars
    This sauce is amazing especially on corn ribs. Tried this tonight and it was delicious!

    Reply
    • Toni says

      June 10, 2022 at 11:19 am

      What are corn ribs?

      Reply
      • Lynda says

        June 10, 2022 at 12:21 pm

        Take a look at this post for Spicy Corn Ribs.

        Reply
  9. Cole says

    January 26, 2022 at 9:26 pm

    5 stars
    Would give it 10!

    Reply
    • Lynda says

      January 26, 2022 at 10:03 pm

      💕

      Reply
  10. Cindy says

    July 05, 2021 at 9:41 pm

    Love this! I have a feeling it will be going on everything!

    Reply
  11. Christine Holladay says

    June 28, 2021 at 7:51 am

    can you substitute white vinegar for apple cidar ?

    Reply
    • Lynda says

      June 28, 2021 at 7:52 am

      I haven’t tried it, but I don’t see why not.

      Reply
  12. james leath says

    February 09, 2021 at 6:49 pm

    5 stars
    I am from the decatur huntsville area of alabama, this is the basic recipe for this sauce. Big bob would be proud! Thank you Lynda!

    Reply
    • Dawn says

      May 22, 2022 at 6:51 am

      This is a great idea for a homemade gift. Any idea as to the refrigerated life once made?

      Reply
      • Lynda says

        May 22, 2022 at 6:53 am

        I really can’t say, but a lot would depend on the expiration dates of the components used.

        Reply
  13. Claude says

    February 01, 2021 at 11:41 am

    how long will it last in the fridge?

    Reply
    • Lynda says

      February 01, 2021 at 12:37 pm

      I would guestimate that it should easily keep for at least 2 weeks.

      Reply
    • Claude says

      February 04, 2021 at 8:15 am

      @Lynda, Thank you for the reply

      Reply
  14. Kim says

    August 01, 2020 at 9:18 pm

    Is this just used as a finishing sauce or do you baste it on the meat as it cooks?

    Reply
    • Lynda says

      August 02, 2020 at 7:05 am

      Great question! It’s used as a finishing sauce.

      Reply
  15. Sara Ekkens says

    July 09, 2020 at 2:57 pm

    Can this be canned?

    Reply
    • Lynda says

      July 10, 2020 at 8:55 am

      I don’t know.

      Reply
    • Margaret says

      March 07, 2021 at 5:39 pm

      I cannot imagine it would not last longer, much longer in the fridge. There is nothing in it that is not already stable. And when you add vinegar, that also makes last longer.

      Reply
      • Byron says

        May 20, 2022 at 11:36 am

        I couldn’t AGREE MORE Margaret!

        Reply

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Lynda and Johnny statue

My name is Lynda and I am a recovering sugar addict and travel junkie. I'm also a mom of two children & 2 dogs, wife of 1....and a messy cook taking life one bite at a time.

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