Alabama White BBQ Sauce is a tangy, creamy twist on traditional barbecue sauce that can be slathered on grilled chicken, pulled pork, fish, and burgers. It’s an equally delicious dressing for coleslaw and dip for corn ribs, fries, and chicken wings!
If you’re from the south, Alabama barbecue sauce needs no explanation. If you hail from more northern parts, you may be wondering.
What exactly is Alabama white barbecue sauce? And how does it differ in ingredients and usage from traditional red barbecue sauce?
Besides the obvious visual difference, the white-hued sauce is a tangy, creamy alternative to its reddish-brown cousin but can be used in many of the same ways – and a few novel ways as well.
Alabama barbecue sauce is perfect for slathering on grilled chicken, pulled pork, fish, and burgers and makes a fabulous and dip for corn ribs, fries, ribs, and chicken wings. And while we wouldn’t think of using red barbecue sauce as a dressing for coleslaw, Alabama BBQ sauce works exceptionally well.
I first developed this sauce after enjoying corn ribs at Basic Kitchen, a gem of a restaurant in Charleston, South Carolina. (If you haven’t tried the corn ribs, they’re a fun way to eat corn on the cob – a recipe to add to your summer menus for sure.) The chef was kind enough to share a few key ingredients, and I also weighed in with my friend Stacey, who is an Alabama native.
Stacey uses Alabama BBQ sauce exclusively on chicken, drizzling her thinner, more vinegar-forward family recipe over top. Just like traditional BBQ sauce, there are many variations on the Alabama rendtion.
My recipe is more similar to the restaurant version, which is suitable as a condiment on all the usual meats yet thick enough to serve as a dip as well. I’ve also found it makes a delicious dressing for coleslaw.
As a bonus, the sauce takes less than five minutes to whip up and will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator.
If you make this recipe, please comment and give it a 5-star review if you deem worthy. Your feedback is always appreciated! 💛
Alabama White BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
- ½ cup (104g) mayonnaise
- 1½ tablespoons (22ml) apple cider vinegar
- ½ tablespoon (10g) honey
- 1 teaspoon (5g) Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon (5g) horseradish
- ¼ teaspoon each garlic powder, kosher salt, and fresh black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk the ingredients together until smooth. Transfer to a jar with a tight lid and refrigerate until ready to use. The sauce will keep for up to 1 month.
- Brush on chicken while grilling, use with fish or other meat, as a slaw dressing, in a pulled pork sandwich, on corn ribs, or as a dip for fries and chicken wings.
Notes
Notes from the test kitchen: I’ve made this sauce many times, adjusting the amounts of vinegar, horseradish, Dijon, and honey to come up with the best balance of flavors. The recipe above was the eventual favorite, but a version with 2 tablespoons vinegar and 2 teaspoons honey was a close second. Another version with 2 tablespoons vinegar and ½ tablespoon each horseradish and Dijon is a winner with those who prefer a somewhat bolder, tangier sauce.
Leave a Reply