Who Created Alabama White Sauce
BBQ Chicken With Alabama White Sauce | Traeger Grills
Bob Gibson popularized the creamy, peppery sauce known nationwide as Alabama white sauce. When he opened his barbecue restaurant in northern Alabama in 1925, the white sauce was on the menu. It quickly proved to be the perfect poultry pairing, with mayo to keep the meat moist and vinegar and spice to balance the fat.
What Is Alabama White Sauce Good On
At Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q, they dunk whole smoked spatchco*cked chickens into huge pots of the white sauce.
As you can see in the video above, they smoke 70 chickens at a time. I imagine youre probably only smoking 1-2, which is why my recipe is scaled down to make a 2 1/4 cup batch.
The sauce isnt just good on chicken. Its also great mixed with smoked pulled turkey, tossed on pulled pork or mixed into slaw.
Alabama White Bbq Sauce
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Alabama White BBQ Sauce is a tangy, creamy twist on traditional barbecue sauce recipe. It’s delicious on grilled chicken, pulled pork, fish, burgers, and lots more!
When grilling season rolls around, we do most of our cooking outdoors! Some of our other favorites are Grilled Pork Chops, Santa Maria-Style Tri-Tip, and Beef Kabobs!
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How To Make Alabama White Barbecue Sauce
Place mayonnaise in a small bowl and add the vinegar and lemon juice.
Next, add salt, pepper, and sugar to the mixing bowl.
Mix all ingredients together with a whisk or just put all of your ingredients into a large jar with a lid and give it a really good shake. Thats 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 yall, honest!
Serving Suggestions For White Bbq Sauce
Alabama white sauce may be famous for serving with smoked or grilled chicken, but it’s a hugely flavorful addition to any grilled foods and barbecue fair. You’ll love it on pulled pork or pork chops. You can also use it as a dipping sauce with meats and vegetables or use it to brush onto your foods as you’re cooking them, veggies included.
Try it out as a salad dressing and you’ll be amazed. You definitely have to try it out on these Brined Grilled Chicken Wings.
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What Is Alabama White Barbeque Sauce Made Of
This sauce starts with a mayo base that is thinned out with a little vinegar, then gets a flavor kick from mustard, horseradish, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.
It’s ridiculously easy to make. You just whisk everything together in a bowl until smooth, then pour into a jar and refrigerate until you are ready to use it. It’s so simple, but so, so good.
Use the Alabama white barbecue sauce just like you would any other barbecue sauce – on smoked or grilled meats for basting or as a dipping sauce. We brush it on grilled meat or fish during the last few minutes of cooking on the grill and serve with extra sauce on the side.
The Origins Of Alabama
Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q’s Chris Lilly hold a smoked chicken dipped in Original White Sauce.
There’s probably no one alive who knows the reason, 100 percent, for absolute certain.
Why did Bob Gibson come up with the idea of using mayonnaise with vinegar in a barbecue sauce for smoked chicken?
Chris Lilly, executive chef and vice-president of Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q, the iconic Decatur barbecue restaurant Gibson founded, has an interesting, logical theory. Although, “I can only speculate based on my conversations with his kids, back when I first joined the family,” says Lilly, who is married to Gibson’s great granddaughter Amy. “They’re all since passed away.”
A 6-foot-4, 300-pound railway worker, in the mid-1920s “Big” Bob Gibson began cooking in the backyard of his two-story, four-bedroom Danville Road home before he ever thought of opening a restaurant. It was just a weekend thing, for friends and family. Big Bob cooked whole chickens and whole pork shoulders in his hand-dug pit and served them from an oak-plank table nailed to a sycamore tree.
The scene at a backyard barbecue at Big Bob Gibson’s Decatur residence in the mid-1920s.
“He definitely had an affinity for vinegar based sauces,” Lilly says. “His pork sauce is what I’d describe as sort of an Eastern-style North Carolina barbecue sauce. It’s what you call a ‘sop mop,’ where he basted shoulders during the latter part of the cooking process. And I think that carried over for his chicken when he developed that sauce.
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If I Use This As A Marinade Or For Basting Do I Need Any Other Seasonings Or Dry Rubs
This sauce contains everything you need in my opinion. Maybe thats why its considered an all-purpose sauce in Alabama. But if you prefer extra seasoning check out my BBQ dry rub and Steak seasoning.
If you prefer a more traditional bbq sauce thats fine. I personally love a mustard based sauce from South Carolina. Mostly because it is tangy and not overly sweet like other tomato based sauces.
This is the exact reason why this white bbq sauce is my new favorite. If you like tangy vinegar based dressings, then this bbq sauce is for you! They tend to be thinner in consistency just like this one.
Use it as a dipping sauce for your Cajun fries too!
More Ways To Use Alabama White Sauce
Smoked Chicken with Alabama White Sauce
- great as a sandwich spread
- drizzled on pulled pork
- If you cant find creamy horseradish sauce, try prepared horseradish sauce.
- If you dont want to use regular mayo, try Miracle Whip or plain Greek yogurt.
- Is the sauce too thick when you make it? Thin it out with a little extra vinegar or water.
- Need a little sweetness to balance it out? Try a teaspoon or two of honey.
- Make a double or triple batch and store it in a mason jar in the fridge.
If you love this recipe as much as I do, please write a five-star review in the comment section below , and be sure to help me share on facebook!
This Alabama White BBQ Sauce will change the way you think about bbq sauce recipes whether you are from North Carolina or Texas. Your smoked or grilled chicken will sing with extra flavor!
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Burnt Ends White Wraith Alabama White Sauce With Ghost Peppers
WHITE WRAITH pays homage to the state of Alabama, where white sauce originated. We kick up the heat on our version with Ghost Peppers. Alabama white sauce is traditionally used for dunking chicken, so use this sauce accordingly. It also makes a great dipping sauce for chicken wings. It is incredibly addictive. Use with caution, as tomorrow you may be as white as a ghost.
Where Did Alabama White Sauce Come From
Alabama White Sauce was created by Robert Gibson at Big Bob Gibson’s Bar-B-Q in Decatur, Alabama. At Big Bob’s BBQ joint, they dunk smoked chicken into vats of the sauce before serving. The sauce clings to the meat, offering up a tanginess and rich flavor you won’t get with any other bbq sauce.
You can, of course, purchase Alabama style white sauce at your local grocer, but it’s so much better when you make it at home. My version ups the zesty elements with horseradish, spicy brown mustard and other spices, making it the best white bbq sauce I’ve ever had.
I hope you enjoy it. Let’s talk about how to make Alabama white sauce, shall we?
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The Franklin Barbecue Collection : Franklin Barbecue And Franklin Steak
Aaron Franklin is the king of barbecue. He’s also a New York Times bestselling author. In this boxed set, you’ll get his two books: Franklin Barbecue and Franklin Steak. These books are packed with everything you need to know about meat. They’re both deluxe editions, and they’re exclusive to this boxed set.
How To Make Alabama White Bbq Sauce
Add to a Large Bowl. First, add all of the ingredients to a large bowl – mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, brown mustard, brown sugar, horseradish, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper.
Get Whisking. Next, whisk everything together, like so.
Make sure the resulting bbq sauce is nice and uniform. It will look like this when you’re done.
BOOM! All set. You are now the happy creator of your own Alabama white sauce. Nicely done.
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Alabama White Bbq Sauce Ingredients
To make your own white barbecue sauce, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Mayonnaise. Use your favorite brand. I love Duke’s mayo.
- Apple Cider Vinegar. Offers the best tang factor over other vinegars.
- Spicy Brown Mustard. My personal addition for extra flavor and tang.
- Brown Sugar. I prefer it here over honey.
- Prepared Horseradish. My own addition for zing – I use hot horseradish.
- Lemon Juice.
- Hot Sauce. To taste, optional.
- Spices. Use Garlic powder, onion powder cayenne , and salt and black pepper.
How Long Can You Keep Alabama White Sauce
When left at room temperature, the sauce needs to be consumed within two hours. This includes if its mixed in salads like my kale coleslaw or simply served on the table in a jar for guests to spoon right onto their meat.
If you properly store it in an air-tight container in the refrigerator, it will keep for a couple of weeks.
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How To Make Alabama White Sauce
First: In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, horseradish , and mustard. Stir to combine.
Second: Add in the spices, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to combine.
Third: Taste and add hot sauce if desired. Serve with your favorite meats!
For the full recipe and detailed instructions, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
What Is Alabama White Sauce
Alabama White Sauce Recipe – How to Make Alabama White Sauce Easy
This white bbq sauce recipe is a tangy, creamy, mayonnaise based sauce that is perfect for chicken and pork. I love to dip my chicken wings in it. Really its good for just about anything!
Not just an afterthought for slathering on after the meat is cooked, this white sauce is perfect for marinating you meat beforehand, basting it while you are cooking it, and for coating and dipping your meat afterwards.
Originating from Big Bob Gibson Bar, in northern Alabama is credited with this delicious and controversial sauce. I do believe that Old Robert Gibson knew what he was doing when he made this!
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What Does Alabama White Sauce Taste Like
White barbecue sauce hits all the right spots on your taste buds. Tangy, zesty, slightly spicy, and a hint of sweetness describes this sauce.
Not to mention it has so many uses and is the hands down favorite of bbq lovers from Alabama.
Even though its not as thick as regular sauce, the mayo brings just the right amount of creaminess to make it perfect for just about any food! This is why the sauce is so controversial. The addition of the mayo keeps the smoked chicken from drying out.
Dont forget to makes extra for dipping!
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How To Grill Bone
When I was testing Alabama recipes, I used this white bbq sauce on bone-in grilled chicken breasts, which we served with tomato pie.
While you can absolutely grill boneless, skinless chicken breasts and have them turn out super juicy and delicious , I find that when we are doing bbq, I way prefer to go slower and use bone-in chicken.
Here is how we grill bone-in chicken breasts:
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The Ultimate Book Of Grilling: Recipes Tips And Tricks For Easy Outdoor Cooking
This cookbook is filled with recipes for grilling and smoking. You’ll impress your guests with a range of interesting flavors, such as Spicy Baby Back Ribs and Sticky Bourbon Chicken Wings. It contains recipes for homemade sides, barbecue sauces, desserts, and drinks so you can create a delicious and memorable meal. Packed with tips for the best results, this book will help you make the perfect BBQ.
