Homemade Alabama White Sauce

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This Alabama white sauce recipe is easy to make with a few basic pantry ingredients. Serve it with your favorite pulled pork sandwiches, crispy chicken wings, or grilled chicken for an extra tangy kick of flavor!

I’ll be the first to admit… Alabama white sauce is not for everyone. Before I had my first taste of the regional favorite sauce, I was picturing it would taste similar to a vinegar-y barbecue sauce, except whiter in color.

But that’s not really the case. With a distinct, tangy flavor from a good amount of apple cider vinegar, this sauce is more akin to a coleslaw dressing. And it’s not really like anything you’ve ever tasted before.

The tangy sauce is perfect on crispy chicken wings, pulled pork, or grilled chicken. And if you’re like me and you always have a jar of prepared horseradish in your fridge, then you probably have all of the necessary ingredients on hand.

Here’s how to make our version of Alabama White Sauce at home:

What goes in Alabama White Sauce?

The base of the “white barbecue sauce” consists of mayonnaise and apple cider vinegar, much like a coleslaw dressing. Then, add the following ingredients:

• mayonnaise – We prefer full-fat Hellman’s or Duke’s mayo. Remember, not all mayonnaise is created equally, and since this recipe includes quite a bit, it’s best to go with a premium brand. Definitely NO Miracle Whip!
• apple cider vinegar
• Worcestershire sauce
• hot sauce – You can add more or less depending on your spice tolerance. We used Cholula, but any hot sauce will work well.
• lemon juice
• honey – You can also use hot honey for an extra kick!
• prepared horseradish – This is a staple in our fridge, and one of the ingredients that I feel like is under-utilized. Horseradish adds a nice kick to all sorts of sauces and dressings – add a bit to your homemade Ranch dressing and thank me later!
• garlic powder
• salt and black pepper – A hefty dose of black pepper is a staple of many Alabama white sauce recipes.

Ideas for Serving Alabama White Sauce

Smoked whole chicken is one of the most common meats to pair with this white sauce. After all, the iconic sauce was created in Decatur, Alabama by Big Bob Gibson, and it’s most famously served with the restaurant’s hickory pit-grilled chicken.

Here are some other creative uses for this tangy, peppery white sauce:

• Alabama white sauce chicken wings – We made these on our YouTube channel, and they were fantastic!
• Pulled pork sauce – The tangy flavor compliments the pork perfectly!
• Sauce to go in a barbecue burrito – We’ve done this also – for a fantastic leftover bbq burrito, add pulled pork, mac ‘n cheese, crispy fried onions, and a drizzle of Alabama white sauce.
• Dressing for coleslaw – Since the sauce starts with a base of mayo and vinegar, the two most common ingredients for coleslaw dressing, try adding it to your coleslaw veggie mix for a little Southern barbecue flair.
• French fries or onion ring sauce – The tanginess pairs with the crispy fried sides beautifully.

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