What Is White BBQ Sauce, aka Alabama White Sauce?

I’ll be honest with y’all. Before writing this article, if you had asked me what white BBQ sauce was, my guesses would’ve ranged from alfredo sauce gone wrong to smoky mayo to a poorly veiled euphemism (for what, I won’t say). But, and I can’t believe it either, this stuff is real, it goes on meat, and it is from Alabama. So what is white BBQ sauce exactly, what do you use it for, and do we all need to get on the white BBQ sauce train white the heck now? Read on for the answers to all these questions and more, and mayo-pen your brain to the possibilities.

What is white BBQ sauce?

White BBQ sauce, also called Alabama white sauce, is, in fact, a mayo-based BBQ sauce, so one (though let’s be real, probably two) of my initial guesses wasn’t that far off. It was invented by Big Bob Gibson in Decatur, Alabama, in the 1920s, and it was initially intended as a sauce for smoked chicken, which was the main dish served at Big Bob’s restaurant, Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q.

What is in white BBQ sauce?

What is in white BBQ sauce besides mayonnaise, you ask? Well, it is simpler than you may have expected, with the main non-mayo ingredients being just apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper. That said, different versions of this runny white sauce exist all over the internet, introducing flavors like brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, lemon, garlic, onion, cayenne pepper or hot sauce, mustard, horseradish, and more, all of which give the sauce sweetness, tang, and savory umami flavors perfect for dressing any meat, salad, or sandwich. It’s essentially Alabama Aioli (which does sound like an excellent name for a drag queen whose thing is mayo choreo. Oh, what’s mayo choreo? Wouldn’t you like to know.)

What is white BBQ sauce used for?

Alabama white sauce is truly one of the most versatile girlies in the sauce game right now. This white BBQ sauce will absolutely upgrade any sandwich, slap as a salad dressing, make a splash as a marinade, be bomb as a basting sauce, act as a dope dipping sauce for chips, fries, and veggies, and the best news is that most grocery stores have it these days all bottled up and ready to go. (The Sporked team is partial to Golden Rule Alabama white sauce.)

So if this old sauce gone newly viral is making your mouth wanna move (to that mayo choreo, IYKYK), then get out there and grab some, babygrill, and let us know how you like it!