Creamy & Tangy Alabama White Barbecue Sauce
Alabama White Barbecue Sauce is a regional specialty that has received national acclaim for good reason! Uniquely sweet yet tangy, this sauce takes just 5 minutes to make and tastes great on everything from juicy grilled chicken and pulled pork to crispy French fries. Let me show you how to make it for yourself at home. One bite and you’ll be serving it with every meal!
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: Alabama White Barbecue Sauce
- Ready In: 5 minutes
- Serves: 4
- Main Ingredients: mayonnaise, salt, black pepper, white vinegar, lemon juice, white sugar
- Why You'll Love It: Uniquely sweet yet tangy, serve this homemade recipe for nationally-acclaimed Alabama white barbecue sauce with main meat dishes and sides.
The Sweet & Tangy Sauce You’ll Put on Everything
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. You’ll find white BBQ sauce on every menu, table, and piece of meat at every BBQ joint in North Alabama. Locals eat it with everything, from French fries and juicy smash burgers to chicken and tender BBQ ribs. My husband loves to smother his chicken with this stuff, and personally, I like to use so much that my food is always swimming in it!
This homemade white BBQ sauce 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.
Reader Rating
“I’m an Alabama girl through and through, and I’ve got news for you. THIS IS FANTASTIC. No need for additional ingredients. It’s as good as any white BBQ sauce I’ve ever had. THANK YOU!!!” – Jenna
Recipe Ingredients
- Mayonnaise
- Black pepper
- Salt
- Lemon juice
- White vinegar (apple cider vinegar can be used as a substitute, or a mix!)
- Sugar (you can also use brown sugar, or a mix of both)
Mix It Up: Your Sauce, Your Rules!
- Horseradish: For a classic twist, add a couple of teaspoons of prepared horseradish.
- Mustard: Add 2 teaspoons of yellow, dijon, spicy brown, or Creole mustard for a tangy kick.
- Seasoning: For an extra pop of flavor, add 1/2 teaspoon of Cajun or Old Bay seasoning.
- Lighter Version: Replace half the mayo with sour cream or Greek yogurt to make a lighter sauce without changing the taste.
- Make it Spicy: For some heat, use hot horseradish, 1/2 teaspoon of hot sauce, and 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
How to Make Alabama White Barbecue Sauce
To start, add your mayonnaise to a mason jar or small bowl. Then add the salt and pepper.
Next, add the sugar, vinegar, and lemon juice.
Mix all ingredients together with a whisk. Or if you’re using a mason jar with a lid, you can just 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 an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days. But we all know it’s not gonna last that long! Luckily, it only takes 5 minutes to whip up another batch (or you can always simply double the recipe).
Alabama White Barbecue Sauce FAQs
Alabama white BBQ sauce is creamy and tangy with a good peppery kick. I make mine with a mayonnaise-and-vinegar base, so it starts off rich and cool. Then you get this sharp, zesty punch from the lemon juice and black pepper that just keeps you coming back for more. It’s truly one-of-a-kind!
Alabama white BBQ sauce originated in Decatur, Alabama. We have Robert “Big Bob” Gibson, founder of Big Bob Gibson’s Bar-B-Q, to thank for creating this unique sauce way back in 1925!
Alabama white sauce tastes fantastic with any grilled or barbecued meat, like this North Alabama-style pulled chicken, pan-seared pork chops, roasted beef brisket, crockpot beef ribs, 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!
From my kitchen to yours, I hope you enjoyed this recipe. Let me know by leaving a comment and a star rating!
Ingredients
- 2 cups mayonnaise
- 1 ½ 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 ½ tablespoons salt, 2 tablespoons black pepper, 6 tablespoons white vinegar, 6 tablespoons lemon juice, 4 tablespoons white sugar
Notes
- If you don’t have white vinegar, apple cider vinegar can be used as a substitute, or a mix of them together.
- You can also swap white sugar for brown sugar, or use a combination of the two!
Nutrition
Hey, Christy, Yes, this is a North Alabama tradition:) One thing I do different is I use powdered sugar rather than granulated. I like the way it blends better. Either way White Sauce cannot be beat! My children grew up eating it and would put it on anything I would allow them to. BTW, I live in Decatur, AL and we are the home of Bob Gibson’s BBQ. They are world known for their white sauce which is sold in stores and can be ordered from them:)
I also live in decatur al . i love greenbrier white sauce. wish i knew their recipe.
I remember this one time when I was in Northern Alabama for some military training, I went to a restaurant with a friend and was told I absolutely HAD to try the white BBQ sauce. I looked at her like she was crazy (and I still think she is hehe) because BBQ sauce is NOT supposed to be white!!! Well, I tried it nevertheless and it was pretty darn good! Now that I have finally read how it’s made I understand why! You see, I’m from WAAAY upstate NY and we have this thing for vinegar up there. We put it on everything just about. I also happen to love mayo. Hmmm…put the two together and add some seasoning and I can see why it’s so good!! lol
Thanks for bringing this post back to life Christy!! I may have to use some during one of my cookouts this summer!
Christy:
I’ve shared your site with many friends and we all love it! Can’t wait to try this Alabama white barbeque sauce! Thanks so much and keep sharing your great southern recipes.
I LIVE IN ATHENS. I DIDNT KNOW ABOUT THE NEW BBQ PLACE BUT WILL HEAD THAT WAY TO TRY IT. I EAT THE WHITE SAUCE AT LAWLERS ON 72 IN THE LITTLE LOG CABIN LIKE BUILDING WITH THE AWESOME FOOD!! BEST LOADED BAKED POTATOES I EVER HAD VERY BIG. I GET MINE WITH BBQ TURKEY ON IT. THEN I PUT THE WHITE BBQ SAUCE ON IT. YUM! WE GO THERE ONCE OR TWICE A WEEK. MY FAV BBQ RESTURANT EVERYTHING IS DELICOUS! THE PEOPLE, FOOD AND CHARMING ARMOSPHERE THAT REMINDS YOU OF A FISHING CABIN IN THE WOODS OR THE MOUNTAINS IS DIVINE.
Thanks so much for posting this! I love white bar b q sauce. I have a recipe that requires cooking on the stove, and three times I have tried to make it, and just as I get ready to take it off the eye, it curdles! I believe I can handle making your recipe! Once again, Thanks!
I first had white bbq sauce when we lived in Birmingham. A place call Steak Out had it on their menu and I loved it on the baked potatoes. They called it Billy’s of Mountain Brook white BBQ sauce. (If I remember, Billy’s is a restaurant in Mountain Brook. After we moved to Atlanta, I never saw it again. I made my own version on occasion.
I love this stuff but my husband fusses at me for using too much mayo. (My favorite is Dukes because it has no sugar. Elixir of the gods.) Love the vinegar-y taste and the mayo.
This surely proves that a good sauce has no limits. I’ve been using this as the dressing for a broccoli salad for years, and it is absolutely delicious with raw vegetables. There’s never any salad left when I take it to parties, and one friend always asks for it no matter what the occasion. Hadn’t used it with meats yet, but I sure will try it! The only difference between recipes is that I add some garlic, nolemon juice. I’ll try it next time with the lemon juice.
Hi,
This is the same dressing I use for my Broccoli Salad as well!
Plus I use it on a spinach salad with onions and bacon (and a hint of warm bacon fat at the last minute).
Wow…now I can use it for baked potatoes and chicken.
Thanks a bunch!
Love from Paradise……..fort lauderdale,
Joyous