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white barbecue sauce

How To Make The Best White Barbecue Sauce

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Last Modified: March 12, 2024
Published: March 12, 2024

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A Wonderful Old Recipe From Alabama

Alabama White Barbecue Sauce

White barbecue sauce? For most of us, that idea is a stretch. Throughout the Midwest and south into Texas, BBQ sauce is red because it's tomato-based. The usual elements added are sweeteners like brown sugar or molasses, spices like cumin, chili powder, mustard, or pepper, and liquid smoke.

But as you head east, the sauces used in barbecuing change. You see more vinegar-based, light-colored concoctions. There is usually some sugar in all barbecue sauces because it helps form the meat's tasty crust. That crust also keeps the juices inside!

Once upon a time in Alabama, a very large guy named Big Bob Gibson invented a new sauce that took the South by storm and is still popular today. Why? Because it simply does amazing things for food!

Bob started cooking for friends and family in about 1925. He dished out his now-famous sauce on smoked chicken and served it on an oak plank table nailed to a sycamore tree in his backyard.

Over time, a restaurant still bears his name and has immortalized the magic white barbecue sauce he dreamed up almost a hundred years ago.

Why Does White Barbecue Sauce Taste So Good

No one left today worked directly with Big Bob, so the original secret recipe has almost become a legend. However, the basic ingredients have not varied for nearly a century. Bob liked to slow-roast and smoke whole chickens for more than three hours in a barbecue pit.

He knew they needed more fat to keep them juicy and moist. That's what inspired his novel creamy white sauce that combined full-fat mayonnaise with vinegar, salt, pepper, and a touch of lemon juice.

It's smooth and creamy with a pleasant bit of tang and tastes great on many foods! Those five ingredients alone changed Alabaman's taste buds!

Over decades of experimentation, other ingredients have been added, and it seems every cook has a unique twist on what makes this incredible white barbecue sauce their signature white barbecue sauce.

Interestingly, this white BBQ sauce has exploded onto the food scene recently. It's a hot ticket these days, and you don't want to miss out!

This Is All You Need To Make White BBQ Sauce

Why Does This White Barbecue Sauce Taste So Delicious

No one alive today worked directly with Big Bob, so the original secret recipe has almost become a legend. However, the basic ingredients have not varied for nearly a century. Bob liked to slow-roast and smoke whole chickens for more than three hours in a barbecue pit.

He knew they needed more fat to keep them juicy and moist. That's what inspired his novel creamy white barbecue sauce, which combined full-fat mayonnaise with vinegar, salt, pepper, and a touch of lemon juice. It's smooth and creamy with a pleasant bit of tang and tastes great on many foods! Those five ingredients alone changed Alabamans' taste buds!

Over decades of experimentation, other ingredients have been added, and it seems each cook has a unique twist on what makes this incredible white sauce their signature white sauce.

You will need full-fat mayonnaise, like Hellman's or Duke's, not salad dressing! This recipe also calls for apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. I added a spoonful of brown sugar to smooth it out and a teaspoon of horseradish for a little kick.

There's nothing to making this delightful concoction! All you need is a bowl and a whisk. Please don't wait to make it! It will only take about ten minutes of your time! You may even wan to double the recipe!

I test-drove it the first afternoon on two granddaughters, who declared it "amazing!" They gobbled it down on plain old wheat crackers and chips. I wouldn't get to make the grilled chicken for them until a couple of days later!

I'm here to tell you Big Bob was right! Over a holiday weekend, I grilled some boneless, skinless chicken breast. I had marinated it for a couple of hours and pounded it out pretty thin. You know how dry a skinny cut of chicken like that can get.

But the white barbecue sauce was magic! I basted a little on each piece as I grilled it. Incredibly, it stayed tender and moist. We drizzled a little more sauce on top for good measure when we served it. It was fabulous!

The teenagers all wolfed it down! Interestingly, this white BBQ sauce has exploded onto the food scene recently. It's a hot ticket these days, and you don't want to miss out!

A Delicious Idea For What We Call Plan-overs

At our house, we never call them leftovers! I call them "plan-overs" or "bonus meals" on our "tip-the-refrigerator" nights! I credit our daughter for making this spectacular lunch from the last pieces of grilled chicken, lettuce, berries, and the remaining sauce. Isn't this gorgeous?

You'll find lots of ways to use this yummy sauce, and your grilled chicken will never be dry again!

PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD

Yield: 12 servings

White Barbecue Sauce

white barbecue sauce

A unique mayonnaise-based sauce that's perfect for grilling chicken and great on raw veggies, chips, even sweet corn!

Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup full fat mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp horseradish
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. Whisk together all ingredients in a medium bowl until well-blended. Transfer to a jar with a tight lid and refrigerate for up to a week.

Notes

Hellman's and Duke's are excellent choices for mayonnaise

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 133Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 248mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 0g

Sauces can add so much to any dish. Here are a couple of my favorite sauce recipes! Jezebel Sauce and Cranberry Orange Sauce. You can use frozen cranberries and make this yummy cranberry sauce any time of the year! It's great on turkey and equally amazing on pork!

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