Alabama White Barbecue Sauce (Authentic Southern Recipe)
Alabama White Barbecue Sauce is a tangy, mayonnaise-based barbecue sauce made with vinegar, pepper, and spices, traditionally served with smoked chicken in North Alabama. Unlike tomato-based barbecue sauces, this creamy white sauce delivers a bold, peppery bite that’s become a Southern classic.
Invented in Decatur, Alabama, this sauce has earned a loyal following far beyond state lines—and once you try it, it’s easy to see why. It’s simple, punchy, and ridiculously versatile.
Quick Sauce Facts
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Chill Time: 30 minutes (optional, but recommended)
- Yield: About 1½ cups
- Flavor Profile: Tangy, creamy, peppery
- Best Uses: Smoked chicken, pulled pork, dipping sauce, salad dressing
A Little History
Alabama White Sauce was created in Decatur, Alabama, in the 1920s by Big Bob Gibson, a railroad worker turned pitmaster. Instead of brushing the chicken with a tomato-based sauce, he dunked the smoked birds in a creamy mixture of mayonnaise, vinegar, and spices.
That simple idea became iconic. Today, Alabama White Barbecue Sauce is recognized as a defining part of Alabama’s barbecue culture – especially in North Alabama – where it’s most commonly paired with smoked or grilled chicken.
Why You’ll Love This Sauce
- No cooking required: Just whisk and chill.
- Bold but balanced: Tangy, peppery, and creamy without being heavy.
- Incredibly versatile: Works as a sauce, dip, or dressing.
- Southern classic: A true regional specialty with real history.
Ingredients
To make your own creamy Alabama White Barbecue Sauce, you’ll need:
- Mayonnaise
- Apple cider vinegar
- Lemon juice
- Worcestershire sauce
- Ground black pepper
- Salt
- Cayenne pepper
- Prepared horseradish
Directions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, cover, and chill before serving. You can add more apple cider vinegar to make a thinner sauce with a bit more bite.
- Whisk until smooth and fully blended.
- Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more vinegar for extra tang or cayenne for heat.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to let the flavors meld.
How easy is that?!
If you love Southern comfort food, be sure to check out a few of my other reader favorites. My Quick and Easy Chicken and Dumplings is perfect for weeknights, while Zucchini Tots make a fun and healthy side dish. And for dessert? You can’t go wrong with my Ooey Gooey Butter Cake —a true Southern classic.
Alabama White Sauce
Ingredients
Method
- 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.
Nutrition
Video
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Recipe Source
This Alabama White Barbecue Sauce recipe comes from Great American Grilling: The Ultimate Backyard Barbecue & Tailgating Cookbook by Kent Whitaker. The book is filled with classic grilling recipes, sauces, and barbecue favorites, and this tangy white sauce is a standout example of the bold Southern flavors it celebrates. (Look for it at your favorite bookstore or Amazon.com.)
How to Use Alabama White Sauce
This sauce shines on more than just smoked chicken. Try it:
- Tossed with pulled pork for a creamy twist
- As a salad dressing for coleslaw or leafy greens
- As a dip for fries, wings, or veggie trays
- Drizzled over fish tacos or grilled shrimp
In my house, it’s most often served on grilled chicken—but one family member swears it’s incredible on hard-boiled eggs. I won’t judge. It really is that good.
Final Bite
Alabama White Barbecue Sauce is proof that simple ingredients can make a big statement. Tangy, creamy, and unmistakably Southern, it’s a sauce worth keeping in your fridge all summer long.
Leave a comment below and tell me how you use Alabama White Sauce—classic on chicken, or something unexpected?
This sauce is amazing!! Some tips that might help other home cooks when making this sauce:
-The initial recipe was too tangy for me (meaning the sauce finished with too much acid/punch of ACV on my palate after eating) – so i had to cut down the tanginess with extra mayo and a little added water to maintain a semi-loose consistency. My advice is to slowly add ACV in small increments and taste test until you reach your desired tanginess
-adjust the horse radish according to the level of “bite” you want in the sauce. i found that 2 tsp was a good bite for me
-add 1 or 2 tsp of onion or garlic powder to make this a garlic sauce (this is deviating from the original Alabama White Sauce but it’s an option)
-I use this sauce to replace the white sauce you get from halal carts. it goes great on chicken over rice dishes!
Thanks, John, for sharing your experience and insights. I am glad you have enjoyed the recipe.
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.
Thanks for your input. So glad you have enjoyed the recipe.
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?
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.
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.
Glad to hear you enjoyed it. (I am going to have to try adding liquid smoke now!)
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!
Thanks for coming back and commenting!
This looks delicious and somehow decidedly FRENCH, but, seeing as my family’s roots lie in Alabama, I am going to call it that! 💋
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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.
Can’t wait to make!! What is the serving size??
I ran the nutrition calculation on the premise that the batch yields 3 cups and each serving is 2 tablespoons.
Just made this sauce… going to have with low carb oven baked chicken wings for dinner!
This sauce is amazing especially on corn ribs. Tried this tonight and it was delicious!
What are corn ribs?
Take a look at this post for Spicy Corn Ribs.
Would give it 10!
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Love this! I have a feeling it will be going on everything!
can you substitute white vinegar for apple cidar ?
I haven’t tried it, but I don’t see why not.
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!
This is a great idea for a homemade gift. Any idea as to the refrigerated life once made?
I really can’t say, but a lot would depend on the expiration dates of the components used.
how long will it last in the fridge?
I would guestimate that it should easily keep for at least 2 weeks.
@Lynda, Thank you for the reply
Is this just used as a finishing sauce or do you baste it on the meat as it cooks?
Great question! It’s used as a finishing sauce.
Can this be canned?
I don’t know.
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.
I couldn’t AGREE MORE Margaret!