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
This is also awesome with a little cayenne pepper and prepared horseradish. Amazing!
You’re the second person who has reminded me that I gotta try horseradish before I die! lol
I’m adding it to my list!
Gratefully,
Christy
We have the white BBQ sauce in Birmingham, too. My father-in-law used to have a place (Double L BBQ) in B’ham and he had it as well as some other places now. Love the stuff!!! I can’t wait to try the new place in Athens when I got o my daughter’s!!
Hi! I went to B’ham-Southern College in the early 70’s and the Double L was a favorite hangout then. I will be back in B’ham this summer and want to take my husband to Double L, but I can’t find it on the internet. Is the Double L still around? I remember great BBQ and fun times there! I know it has been 40 years, but I am hoping it is still there.
Thanks!
I never heard of it until I moved to Florence Alabama. I get it at Ricks Barbecue, always with smoked chicken breast. They also put a little cayenne pepper in it. DELICIOUS!!!
Well I have to agree with Stephanie up at the top post.. this is what I make for slaw dressing,, I just don’t put vinegar and lemon juice in it.. I use one or the other and I don’t p ut that much pepper in.. but thats coleslaw dressing at my house.. but from now on I will just call it white BBQ sauce too, haha.. and I am pretty sure that you are in good company calling it White BBQ sauce because I think Paula Deen makes this the same way and calls it white BBQ sauce but I would have to get up and look through cookbooks and I am too tired to do that… we will all just use it, no matter where we are from…
hugs
Jo in Sapulpa Oklahoma
This white BBQ sauce sounds good and I will definitely try it. But one question…is this just a dipping sauce? When I think BBQ sauce I think of the kind you spread on the meat before taking it off the grill.
I use it for dipping but other folks here have said they use it for marinating and basting as well.
Hope this helps!
Christy 🙂
i grew up in jasper and most bbq shacks there sell it on the side. and i just pour it onto a pulled chicken sandwhich. it is amazing on meat
I’m drueling thinking of the old (& new is not bad) Greenbrier’s!
Lol Heidi, I’m with you all the way! I always take folks to the old Greenbriar and that is my personal favorite. I’ve only eaten at the new one once and honestly never did understand why they were so bold as to name it Greenbriar to begin with. You know folks who don’t live around here and are reading this are probably confused as all get out! lol
Gratefully,
Christy
Christy, I now live in Georgia and every time I visit home, my mamma wants to Old Greenbrier. My sister always puts the white sauce on her hush puppies. No place like old Greenbrier. Love that catfish!
I love Old Greenbier too! My family lives in Alabama, but I live and was raised in Georgia. There is nothing like Alabama BBQ and White BBQ sauce. Can’t find BBQ like that in Georgia. We always eat BBQ when go to Alabama. 🙂
I’m with you when it comes to the Old Greenbrier the best BBQ in Alabama sorry Bob. Being from North Carolina you know where eastern NC Vinegar Sauce is KING well if you can see the sauce you know its from some where else and it ant no good! I was told or better yet DARED to try it and is what I thought well it was good, better yet as close to great as it comes in Alabama but couldn’t tell them if you know what I mean! But there is one thing that they needed that was good Cole Slaw they needed to send the cook to NC for training just a little fun! it was a heated discussion every time I eat there but in the end could wait to go there and eat what wonderful memory. Didn’t think you would ever hear that from some one from eastern NC when it comes to BBQ !!!!! Oh by the way you don’t INJECT a PIG HOG! that’s for Turkey!!!!!
There is a Big Bob Gibson’s in Monroe, NC. They have the best grilled corn. I’ve tried the White Sauce and like it. Glad to get a recipe for it!!! I see that you are visiting in NC. Not to start a fight, but NC Eastern Style BBQ is the best!!!!! Had some for lunch today!!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂