This White BBQ Sauce (aka Alabama White Sauce) is a rich and tangy twist on traditional barbecue sauce. Made with mayo, horseradish, and seasonings, the bold flavors pair perfectly with grilled meats and so much more!

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Grilled meats and vegetables can always benefit from an extra something to infuse layers of flavor. That’s why I love to experiment with marinades, glazes, and sauces when grilling season rolls around. You can transform an ordinary chicken thigh into a work of art with a simple mango marinade or a barbecue sauce glaze.

If you love grilled or smoked meats with added tang and creaminess, you’re going to love my White BBQ Sauce recipe! Made with a handful of simple ingredients and seasonings, the bold flavors in this creamy southern sauce are perfect to layer on pork chops and grilled chicken or to serve as a dipping sauce with french fries, green bean fries, or zucchini fries.

The signature kick in this unique Alabama white sauce comes from the horseradish. Mixed with spicy brown mustard, vinegar, and paprika, the flavor profile is bright, tangy, rich, and just a little bit spicy. It’s a great easy sauce to mix things up at your family barbecues or when you want to impart unique flavors on your favorite meals.

Ingredients for white bbq sauce on tray.

Ingredients for white bbq sauce in bowl.

What is White BBQ Sauce?

White BBQ sauce (or Alabama white sauce) is a tangy, rich, and creamy twist on traditional bbq sauce. It’s a southern favorite that originated in northern Alabama and is typically made from mayonnaise, horseradish, spicy mustard, vinegar, and a handful of savory spices to give it a tart and tangy bite with a hint of spice.

The original recipe was invented by Robert Gibson at Big Bob Gibson’s Bar-B-Q in Alabama. They lathered the sauce all over smoked chicken and other meats, giving them unique flavors you couldn’t find anywhere else. These days, you can find bottled white BBQ sauce in most local grocery stores in the south. If you can’t find it, it’s simple to make at home!

Ingredients Needed

Mayonnaise – the main ingredient in this creamy sauce. If you’re not a mayo fan, I’ve got some substitutions below.
White wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar or lemon juice)
Spicy brown mustard (or dijon mustard or mustard powder)
Creamy horseradish
Garlic
Black pepper
Salt
Paprika

How to Make It

Add all of the sauce ingredients to a bowl or jar and stir them together. That’s it!

How to Store It

Store Alabama sauce in an airtight container in your fridge for up to 1 week.

White bbq sauce in small jar with spoon.

Variations

Increase the spice: Make the sauce tangier or a little spicy by stirring in some horseradish, cayenne pepper, hot sauce or buffalo sauce.
Without horseradish: Horseradish provides the signature kick in this bbq sauce but if you can’t find it, you can leave it out entirely or use extra brown mustard instead.
Seasonings: Add Old Bay, a Cajun blend, garlic powder, onion powder, brown sugar, or Worcestershire sauce.
Without mayonnaise: Try swapping the mayo base with sour cream or plain Greek yogurt. These will help the sauce taste light without losing the tang.

Uses for Alabama White Sauce

This Alabama BBQ Sauce is a super versatile condiment. Try it in one of these ways:

Dressing: Try it as a salad dressing or drizzled on pizza.
On meats: On meats like pork chops, pork tenderloin, beef brisket and bbq chicken thighs, air fryer drumsticks, baked chicken legs, chicken sandwiches and burgers.
As a dip: For chicken tenders, chicken wings, french fries, zucchini fries, sweet potato fries, or buffalo tofu bites.
On vegetables: Like brussels sprouts and roasted broccoli.
Glaze it: As you grill potatoes, lamb, pork, and chicken.

Overhead close up of pork chop topped with white bbq sauce on grey plate.

More Homemade Sauces

Did you make this White BBQ Sauce?

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