Sauces & Dips Recipes

Big Bob Gibson’s White BBQ Sauce Recipe, Make It at Home

Read 7 min

If you’ve ever stared at a bowl of white BBQ sauce and thought,

“…why does that look like ranch and danger had a baby?”

hi, you’re my people.

Alabama white sauce looks suspicious, I know. It’s mayo based, it’s pale, and it’s not the sticky red barbecue situation most of us grew up with. But the flavor? Bright, peppery, tangy, a little nose tingly from horseradish… and completely addictive on smoked or grilled chicken.

The original comes from Big Bob Gibson’s in Decatur, Alabama, home of dunked in a bucket of sauce chicken and about a million BBQ trophies. The good news: you do not need to drive to Alabama to get in on this. You just need:

5 minutes
A mixing bowl
Some very basic pantry stuff

No cooking, no blender, no drama. Let’s make it.

What Even Is Alabama White Sauce?

Most BBQ sauces start with tomatoes, molasses, brown sugar… all the sticky, sweet, red things.

Alabama white sauce says, “No thanks, we’re doing mayo.”

Here’s the vibe:

Mayo = creamy and rich, but not gloopy if you thin it right
Apple cider vinegar + lemon juice = sharp tang and brightness
Horseradish = gentle sinus tingle, not total face melter
Black pepper + cayenne = warm, peppery kick through every bite

Instead of covering the meat in sugary goo, it sharpens what’s already there. Especially chicken. It’s like your smoked chicken put on a leather jacket and sunglasses and suddenly became the main character.

A 10 Second History Lesson (With Chicken Baptisms)

Quick backstory, because it’s actually kind of wild.

In 1925, a railroad worker named Bob Gibson started cooking barbecue in his backyard in Decatur, Alabama. The chicken was good. The white sauce? Nobody had ever seen anything like it.

And here’s the iconic part: when the chickens came off the smoker, he didn’t just brush them. He dunked the whole bird into a vat of white sauce. Fully submerged. Total chicken baptism.

Almost 100 years later, Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q is still dunking chickens in that sauce—and people still make pilgrimages to eat it.

You, however, can stay in your comfy clothes and make a batch at home in 5 minutes.

5 Minute Alabama White Sauce Recipe

This makes about 1½ cups, which is plenty to dunk, drizzle, and “taste test” several times with a spoon.

Ingredients

1 cup mayonnaise

– Use full fat. Light mayo tends to go weird and watery. We want happy sauce, not sad soup.

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish (from a jar)
1 teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground if you can)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more if you like it spicy)

That’s it. No secret ingredients, no unicorn tears.

How To Make It (Dump, Whisk, Chill)

Whisk the base Add the mayo to a medium bowl and whisk until smooth.
Pour in the apple cider vinegar and lemon juice and whisk again. It should thin out slightly and look glossy.
Add the flavor Whisk in the horseradish, black pepper, salt, and cayenne.
Taste it now, but know: it’s going to calm down in the fridge.
Let it chill (this matters) Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, ideally 2-4 hours.
During this time:

– The vinegar chills out

– The horseradish mellows and blends

– Everything stops yelling and starts harmonizing

You can use it right away in an emergency (yes, “emergency chicken” is a thing), but it’s noticeably better once it’s had a little fridge nap.

Tweak It to Your Taste

Once it’s rested and you’ve given it a stir, adjust if you want:

Too thick?

Whisk in 1–2 teaspoons more vinegar (or a splash of water) until it’s pourable but not runny. It should coat a spoon and slowly drip off.

Too tangy?

Add a tiny pinch of sugar (about ¼ teaspoon). You’re not making it sweet, just smoothing the edges.

Not enough heat?

– Add a bit more cayenne, or

– A few dashes of your favorite hot sauce, or

– Up the horseradish for more nose tingle than tongue burn

Taste, tweak, repeat. This is saucy personality testing.

Easy Swaps If You’re Missing Stuff

You do not have to abandon ship if you’re out of one thing. This sauce is forgiving—this isn’t soufflé.

No Apple Cider Vinegar?

Use one of these instead:

White wine vinegar
Rice vinegar

Skip balsamic or red wine vinegar. They’ll darken the sauce and make it taste like “mysterious beige dressing” instead of bright and punchy.

No Horseradish?

Use spicy brown mustard for a similar sinus tingly effect.
Or just leave it out for a milder, kid friendly sauce.

(Also great for adults who “don’t like spicy” but mysteriously finish the buffalo wings.)

Mayo Options

Duke’s = closest to the original Southern vibe
Hellmann’s / Best Foods = totally fine and delicious
Want to lighten it? Use ½ mayo, ½ Greek yogurt.

– More yogurt = more tang, less classic BBQ flavor.

Swapping the Heat

Use smoked paprika instead of cayenne for warmth without the burn.
Add finely minced jalapeño if you want that fresh green pepper flavor.
A few drops of habanero sauce will push it into “who turned the heat up?” territory.

How to Use Alabama White Sauce Without Eating It Straight From the Bowl

You could just stand there with a spoon, but here are a few slightly more civilized ideas.

1. Do the Classic Dunk

If you want that Big Bob Gibson energy at home:

Put some sauce in a deep bowl (don’t dunk straight into your storage container unless you like cross contamination roulette).
Take your hot grilled or smoked chicken and submerge each piece for 10-15 seconds.
Move it to a platter and let the excess drip off.

Warm meat drinks up that sauce like it’s been wandering the desert. Messy? Yes. Worth it? Also yes.

2. Brush It On While Grilling

If dunking feels chaotic:

Grill or smoke your chicken as usual.
During the last 10-15 minutes of cooking, brush on the sauce.

Don’t put it on too early—mayo over high heat for too long can separate and turn into weird oily spots and choosing the right mayo helps. You want a nice glaze, not a grease slick.

3. Use It as a Dip

Honestly, this is where it becomes dangerous:

Wings
Chicken tenders
Pulled pork sandwiches
Smoked turkey
Leftover rotisserie chicken you’re pretending is “planned meal prep”

It’s like ranch that went to barbecue camp and came back with opinions.

4. Beyond Chicken

This sauce does not want to be typecast:

Smoked pork – especially pulled pork
Grilled shrimp – trust me, it works
Roasted veggies – potatoes, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower
Coleslaw – thin it with a splash more vinegar and toss with shredded cabbage for a killer slaw dressing

Basically, if it’s grilled, smoked, or even thinking about being a sandwich, this sauce wants in.

Storing Your Sauce (If It Lasts That Long)

Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Keeps for about up to 2 weeks.
If it separates a little, just stir or shake and you’re back in business.

I’ve never personally had it last the full two weeks, because someone (me, it’s me) keeps “testing” it, but in theory it can.

Quick FAQ

Why is Alabama BBQ sauce white?

Because some genius named Big Bob Gibson decided mayo > tomatoes for chicken back in the 1920s, and the region said, “Yep, we’re doing that now.”

Is it spicy?

Mild to medium. The horseradish is more of a nose tingle than a mouth burn, and the cayenne adds gentle warmth. Super easy to dial up or down.

Does it taste like ranch?

Not really. They’re cousins, not twins. Ranch is creamy and herby. Alabama white sauce is creamier, tangier, peppery, and has that little horseradish punch. Ranch is chill. White sauce shows up with a microphone.

Serve it hot or cold?