Alabama-Style White Barbecue Sauce

Name: Alabama-Style White Barbecue Sauce
Yield: 3 cups
Ingredients: 2 cups mayonnaise; ½ cup apple cider vinegar; ¼ cup prepared extra-hot horseradish; 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; 1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper; 2 teaspoons prepared yellow mustard; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper; ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Rating: 4.65 stars

57 Ratings
44 Reviews
11 Photos

This incredibly easy-to-make Alabama white barbecue sauce was invented in 1925 by Robert 'Big Bob' Gibson at Big Bob Gibson's Bar-B-Q restaurant, in Decatur. Don't let this mixture's appearance stop you from trying what is a devastatingly delicious marinade, basting sauce, and serving sauce.

By Chef John

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Recipe Summary

Servings:

Yield:

3 cups

Nutrition Info

Ingredients

Original recipe yields 6 servings

The ingredient list now reflects the servings specified

2 cups mayonnaise
½ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup prepared extra-hot horseradish
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons prepared yellow mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

Step 1

Mix mayonnaise, vinegar, horseradish, lemon juice, black pepper, mustard, salt, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder together in a bowl. Whisk together thoroughly until creamy and smooth. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

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Cook's Note:

When basting, brush two or three applications on each side toward the end of cooking over more indirect heat. It sears on nicely. As a table sauce, it's great on any of the traditional barbecued meats, but since it's really just a salad dressing, it's also wonderful for making potato salad, coleslaw, and grilled vegetables.

You can use this sauce on chicken, ribs, pulled pork, or any fatty meat.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving:

540 calories; protein 1g 2% DV; carbohydrates 4.7g 2% DV; fat 58.4g 90% DV; cholesterol 27.9mg 9% DV; sodium 788.5mg 32% DV. Full Nutrition

Reviews (44)

Most helpful positive review

Soup Loving Nicole

11/23/2015

I made five BBQ sauces today to get a head start on the 40 pound whole hog I will be fixing for Thanksgiving and I've got to say that this one was the best hands down. None of the sauces I made were what I would call a traditional BBQ sauce and this one really stood out in terms of flavor. It was great right out of the mixing bowl but I am anxious to see how good it got after it sat a few days. This would be great on brisket or roast beef! Read More

Helpful

(16)

Most helpful critical review

Melani Courtis

06/16/2020

This sauce made me so sad because I was so looking forward to it for my family. I followed the directions EXACTLY as it said and it turned out horrible. Tasted like bad coleslaw dressing. I hate leaving such a negative review but it was so disappointing. Read More

57 Ratings

5 star values: 44
4 star values: 10
3 star values: 1
2 star values: 0
1 star values: 2

Reviews: Most Helpful

Most Helpful Most Positive Least Positive Newest

Soup Loving Nicole

11/23/2015

Helpful

(16)

Cardiacolt

08/06/2017

Easy to make, tastes great. Great for marinating, basting, and garnishing after cooked. Marinated chicken thighs and a thick cut pork chop; flavors were incredible. Will do this next for BBQ salmon and Ribs. Read More

Helpful

(6)

LettuceHead

10/20/2015

Very easy very tasty. I could not find extra hot horseradish and didn't measure the vinegar which dominated a bit so I will be more cautious with that next time. Also it goes a long way so I might make less. This was good but not great as a tangy dressing for house salad. It really saved some dry and tasteless pork ribs from another recipe. It was also nice as a dip with pita bread. Read More

Helpful

(5)

pop

01/24/2020

Wow! Great Alabama White Sauce. I made 1/2 a batth in case I didn't like it. I learned two things...1) a couple reviewers said to judge the taste the next day. They were spot on. There is a big difference in flavor. 2) I used half the amount of vinegar called for. For 1/2 a batch I used 2 tablespoons. Wait and taste next day to compare. This was a matter of taste for me. This sauce is good on so many things. I may even try it on a flip flop. Thanks for the recipe! Read More

Helpful

(5)

jacquelyn

06/16/2017

I love this stuff. Going to make cole slaw with it Read More

Helpful

(3)

dragon

05/23/2017

I didn't have a lemon so I used the only lime I had. I couldn't find "extra hot" horseradish so I made do with what Food Lion had. Next year it'll be home grown. That being said, I'm excited for Memorial Day weekend when I'm doing about 20 pounds of pulled pork. Freshly made this has a really good flavor that should get better by Saturday. With the ratio of spice, this is actually milder than I thought it would be but that means more people will enjoy it. There's a little pleasant heat at the end that stays awhile. I will make this again. Read More

Helpful

(3)

SouperMom

09/17/2017

I'm from North Alabama and crave white sauce with my BBQ and ribs. I've tried many different recipes but this one is on fire!! I absolutely love it and it's my go-to recipe for white sauce. Read More

Helpful

(2)

James Glenn

03/25/2020

Great sauce. Had never had it before. I made it just the way it said except I substituted wasabi paste for the hot horseradish. Worked great. I also added a bit extra garlic powder Read More

Helpful

(2)

ADonoghue

02/08/2017

How do I love this? Let me count the ways!!! I originally made it for Pulled Pork and it was wonderful on that. But it's also great as a dip for French Fries and makes an outstanding Cole slaw dressing to serve with Brats or hotdogs. It's a nice sauce to use on steamed cabbage as well. If you like hot and spicy, this sauce is very versatile. But be warned, it's not for the faint of heart!!! Read More

Helpful

(2)

Melani Courtis

06/16/2020

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Nutritional Information

Alabama-Style White Barbecue Sauce

Servings Per Recipe: 6
Calories: 540.1

% Daily Value *

protein: 2 %

carbohydrates: 2 %

exchange other carbs:

dietary fiber: 2 %

sugars:

fat: 90 %

saturated fat: 44 %

cholesterol: 9 %

vitamin a iu: 5 %

niacin equivalents: 2 %

vitamin b6: 28 %

vitamin c: 8 %

folate: 3 %

calcium: 2 %

iron: 2 %

magnesium: 3 %

potassium: 2 %

sodium: 32 %

thiamin: 1 %

calories from fat:

percent of calories from carbs:

percent of calories from fat:

percent of calories from sat fat:

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-)Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.

Reviews for: Photos of Alabama-Style White Barbecue Sauce

1 of 44

All Reviews

Soup Loving Nicole

11/23/2015

Helpful

(16)

Cardiacolt

08/06/2017

Helpful

(6)

LettuceHead

10/20/2015

Helpful

(5)

pop

01/24/2020

Helpful

(5)

jacquelyn

06/16/2017

I love this stuff. Going to make cole slaw with it

Helpful

(3)

dragon

05/23/2017

Helpful

(3)

SouperMom

09/17/2017

I'm from North Alabama and crave white sauce with my BBQ and ribs. I've tried many different recipes but this one is on fire!! I absolutely love it and it's my go-to recipe for white sauce.

Helpful

(2)

James Glenn

03/25/2020

Great sauce. Had never had it before. I made it just the way it said except I substituted wasabi paste for the hot horseradish. Worked great. I also added a bit extra garlic powder

Helpful

(2)

ADonoghue