White BBQ Sauce

By Sam Sifton

Updated June 24, 2023

Total Time
About 10 minutes
Rating
4(163)
Comments
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White barbecue sauce is indigenous to northern Alabama, where it adorns the chicken at Big Bob Gibson’s barbecue emporiums in Decatur. It melts into beautiful lacquer over the grill or in the oven, bringing a tangy slickness to all that it touches. It’s also quite good on bluefish.

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Ingredients

  • 1½cups mayonnaise
  • ⅓cup plus 2 tablespoonsapple-cider vinegar
  • 2tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2tablespoons prepared horseradish
  • 1teaspoon mustard powder
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • cayenne pepper, to taste
Ingredient Substitution Guide
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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, lemon juice, horseradish and mustard powder in a medium nonreactive bowl, and whisk until smooth.

  2. Step 2

    Add salt, pepper and cayenne to taste. Brush on grilled or roasted chicken during the end of the cooking process, and pass remaining sauce at the table.

Ratings

4 out of 5
163 user ratings
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Comments

Lora

Enjoyed this sauce on chicken at Big Bob's in Decatur many times, years ago. Recipe purported to have come from the restaurant (and the one I use) has a little sugar added but no mustard.

Linda

Tasty but not the BBQ I was after. I've made homemade BBQ before and enjoy them over the bottle stuff. With this, I was looking for something with more mustard. However, I ended up using it as a sandwich spread. It is fantastic on good bread and with quality cold cuts.

Margot

I am from Alabama although I live in New Mexico now. This barbecue sauce takes me right back home! It's good on anything grilled or smoked. Chicken, pork, burgers and on and on....

horseradish sub

I have subbed the horseradish with some Worcestershire which I think works well

Deena

Sounds really interesting. I have an allergy, so I will omit both the chili powder and the peppers, both black and cayenne . The horseradish and mustard should give me enough kick to wake up the flavors.

Nancy

This is the sauce i like with bbq chicken on wood fire

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