Alabama White Grilled Chicken | Buns In My Oven (2024)

ALABAMA WHITE SAUCE CHICKEN is a quick, flavorful grilled chicken that has two types of barbecue – a dry rub and a white barbecue sauce! So much flavor packed in these juicy chicken breasts!

Alabama White Grilled Chicken | Buns In My Oven (1)

Grilled chicken is a must for us, all summer long and you know we don’t want boring chicken around here! This sauce for grilled chicken seriously makes for the best summer meal!

Ever heard of Alabama White Sauce before? It’s a type of barbecue sauce, but instead of being tomato based, it’s mayo based!

And no, friends. It’s not ranch dressing. Someone inevitably LOOKS at it and thinks that. But when you TASTE it, you’ll see the differences.

Table of Contents

Make the white sauce first:

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Alabama White Sauce has a handful of ingredients, but they mix together quickly and easily.

Put the buttermilk, mayo, yellow mustard and vinegar in your bowl and stir them all together. Feeling fancy? Try this with homemade mayonnaise!

Now add your pepper, salt, sugar, and garlic salt and stir again.

Boom, your sauce is done! Now put it in one of your mason jars or cover the bowl and put it in the fridge while you start working on the chicken. Full sauce recipe at the link above or down in the recipe card!

Alabama White Grilled Chicken | Buns In My Oven (2)

How to cook the chicken

As always preheat your grill. In this case try to get it up to 400 degrees F.

Now but a barbecue dry rub on your chicken. We highly recommend using our barbecue dry rub. It’s so simple to throw together.

Just rub the seasoning all over the chicken. You want to coat it good.

Alabama White Grilled Chicken | Buns In My Oven (3)

Place your chicken on the grill and cook for 3 minutes, then flip.

Once you’ve flipped the chicken, you’ll brush it with a bit of the white sauce.

Keep cooking, flipping, and basting every 2-3 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

You can tell the chicken is done when the internal temp is 165 deg F. I find this thermopen super easy to use.

Alabama White Grilled Chicken | Buns In My Oven (4)

Recipe Hacks

You can mix all your sauce ingredients directly in the jar if you are careful while stirring. No need to mix them in a bowl first.

Use a store bought dry rub if you’re in a rush.

If you don’t have buttermilk, regular milk will work fine, just add an extra splash of vinegar.

We haven’t tried using Miracle Whip in place of mayo, but I think it’d work. Just skip the sugar in the recipe.

Helpful Tip!

Alabama Chicken Tips

  • Be sure to pour just enough white sauce to baste the chicken into a separate jar or bowl for basting, so as not to contaminate the entire container of white sauce with raw chicken.
  • Chicken should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
  • This makes the perfect sauce for grilled chicken, but it’s also delicious drizzled over pulled pork or for dipping French fries.

More grilled chicken recipes:

Need some other tasty chicken recipes?

  • Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad
  • Chicken and Dumplings
  • Chicken Spaghetti
  • Oven Fried Chicken Strips
  • Buffalo Chicken Burgers with RanchSlaw
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Recipe

Alabama White Sauce Grilled Chicken

Alabama White Sauce adds loads of flavor to these grilled chicken breasts.

3.40 from 30 votes

Prep5 minutes minutes

Cook10 minutes minutes

Total15 minutes minutes

Serves 4 servings

Ingredients

For the white sauce:

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons buttermilk
  • 2 tablespoons vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

For the chicken:

  • 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1/4 cup barbecue dry rub

Instructions

  • To prepare the white sauce, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl or mason jar. Stir to combine and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using.

  • To make the chicken, preheat the grill to 400 degrees.

  • Coat the chicken in the barbecue dry rub. Place the chicken on the grill and cook for 3 minutes.

  • Turn and brush with the white sauce. Cook for 3 more minutes. Turn and brush with the sauce again.

  • Continue turning and coating every 3 minutes until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes total.

  • Serve the extra sauce on the side.

Tips & Notes:

Be sure to place the sauce you’ll be using for basting in a small bowl. Do not dip the basting brush into the full container of sauce or it will become unusable due to the raw chicken.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 341kcal (17%)| Carbohydrates: 3g (1%)| Protein: 25g (50%)| Fat: 24g (37%)| Saturated Fat: 4g (25%)| Cholesterol: 85mg (28%)| Sodium: 623mg (27%)| Potassium: 459mg (13%)| Sugar: 1g (1%)| Vitamin A: 165IU (3%)| Vitamin C: 1.9mg (2%)| Calcium: 58mg (6%)| Iron: 2mg (11%)

Author: Karly Campbell

Course:Main Course

Cuisine:American

Keyword:easy dinner recipes, grilling recipes, summer recipes

Did You Make This?Tag Us On Instagram

This recipe was originally published in June 2014. It was updated with new photos in May 2020.

Alabama White Grilled Chicken | Buns In My Oven (2024)

FAQs

Does Alabama white sauce taste like ranch? ›

Classically white sauce drizzled over smoked chicken, but you can also use it on grilled or barbecued meats, wings, vegetables, pizza, burgers, and more. Does Alabama white sauce taste like ranch? No, Alabama white sauce is tangy with notes of vinegar and black pepper.

What to eat with grilled BBQ chicken? ›

Starchy Sides
  1. Fried Potatoes and Onions.
  2. Pita Bread.
  3. Grandma's Creamy Mac & Cheese.
  4. Old Fashioned Baked Beans.
  5. Cornbread.
  6. Grilled Corn with Herb Butter.
  7. Parmesan Truffle Fries.
  8. Arabic Rice.
Nov 16, 2023

What is the history of Alabama white sauce? ›

A staple of Northern Alabama barbecue, this sauce is primarily a mixture of mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, and pepper. It was invented by Robert Gibson at Big Bob Gibson's Bar-B-Q in Decatur, AL, where freshly smoked chickens are pulled from the pit and then "baptized" in a pool of the sauce.

How do you heat white sauce? ›

A white sauce can be made ahead and reheated when needed. Keep the sauce warm in a bain-marie (place the pot in a bowl of warm water) for up to an hour. When you need the sauce, put it back on the stove and increase the heat, stirring until heated through and smooth.

What are the 3 types of white sauces? ›

Bercy – Chopped shallots, butter and white wine, with either fish stock or meat stock. Béchamel – milk-based sauce, thickened with a white roux. Beurre blanc – Reduction of butter, vinegar, white wine and shallots.

What is Alabama white sauce taste like? ›

The flavor of Alabama White Sauce

At first taste, Alabama white sauce has a slightly cool, neutral flavor thanks to the mayonnaise, with the tang of the vinegar to offset any spice. Before long, you start to pick up the exciting flavors from the spice blend, making you want to take another bite ASAP.

What is Alabama white sauce made of? ›

Alabama white sauce starts with a base of mayonnaise and apple cider vinegar. Many variations exist but typical flavorings include mustard, Worcestershire sauce, sugar or honey, garlic and/or onion powder, and lots of black pepper.

Why is it called Alabama white sauce? ›

The creation of white barbecue sauce, often called “Alabama White,” is credited to Robert “Big Bob'” Gibson at Big Bob Gibson's Bar-B-Q restaurant, in Decatur, Ala., in 1925.

What to do after grilling chicken? ›

When the chicken has reached a safe temperature, remove from the grill, cover, and let rest for five minutes before slicing or serving to let the juices reabsorb into the meat.

What side dish goes well with barbecue chicken? ›

Quick and easy side dishes for BBQ chicken

Baked beans are a classic BBQ side dish that's easy to make and always a hit. You can also make a simple potato salad by mixing boiled potatoes with mayonnaise, mustard, and some chopped herbs. Another quick and easy option is watermelon salad.

Who made Alabama white sauce? ›

Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q began bottling their Original White Sauce in the mid-90s. It's now available in grocery stores in Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia and Florida, as well as specialty shops across the country.

How old is Alabama white sauce? ›

Alabama white sauce

It is believed to have been invented by Bob Gibson at the Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in Decatur in 1925. The sauce's popularity was mainly confined to northern Alabama until 1994 when it began to be bottled and sold commercially.

What is the nickname for white sauce? ›

Another name for bechamel — or béchamel — is "white sauce." Making a bechamel is a very basic technique in French cooking which begins with a roux, a cooked mixture of flour and butter, and after slowly whisking in milk, ends in a creamy sauce.

What does Alabama white sauce taste like? ›

The flavor of Alabama White Sauce

At first taste, Alabama white sauce has a slightly cool, neutral flavor thanks to the mayonnaise, with the tang of the vinegar to offset any spice.

What does Alabama white taste like? ›

This distinctive, zingy sauce marries the taste of Duke's with tangy vinegar, punchy horseradish, and a peppery blend of spices. It's bound to become your go-to sauce for dunking smoked or grilled chicken and fried green tomatoes or using as a dipping sauce for fried okra and French fries.

What does Alabama White barbecue sauce taste like? ›

The homemade white bbq sauce is white with a mayo base, but unlike the dressing you would use on classic coleslaw or broccoli salad, it is not sweet. It has a more robust savory flavor thanks to the vinegar's tang and the black pepper and horseradish's mild heat.

What kind of pasta is used for white sauce? ›

Flat Long Noodles Like Fettuccine, Linguine, Tagliatelle and Pappardelle. Flat ribbon-like pasta is best paired with rich or creamy sauces, as the surface area of the pasta's flat shape enables it to stand up against the heft of a rich sauce.

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