History

Big Bob Gibson invented white sauce in Decatur Alabama in 1925 to keep whole smoked chickens moist during long pit cooks. The mayonnaise, vinegar and black pepper combination became the signature of North Alabama barbecue and spread south to Birmingham in 2009 when Saw's BBQ opened in Homewood. The style remains distinct from Memphis tomato-based and Eastern North Carolina vinegar-based barbecue; Big Bob Gibson holds the canonical white-sauce origin and Saw's runs the Birmingham metro version.

Book a food experience

Tours, tastings and classes that match this page, bookable on GetYourGuide.

Browse every bookable food experience

Common allergens: Eggs, Dairy

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 30 minTotal 2 hr 30 minDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 1 whole chicken, 1.5 to 2kg, split in half
  • 240ml mayonnaise (real, not light)
  • 120ml apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
  • Hickory wood chips for smoking

Method

  1. Whisk mayonnaise, vinegar, black pepper, salt, horseradish, sugar, cayenne and garlic in a bowl. Refrigerate at least 1 hour to let the flavors meld.
  2. Pat the chicken halves dry and season generously with salt and black pepper.
  3. Prepare a smoker or grill for indirect cooking at 120C / 250F with hickory wood chips.
  4. Smoke the chicken skin-side up over indirect heat for 2 to 2.5 hours, until the internal temperature reaches 75C / 165F at the thickest part of the thigh.
  5. Remove the chicken to a serving tray and immediately brush or pour the white sauce generously over the hot skin so the sauce melts into the chicken.
  6. Serve with extra sauce on the side, white bread, dill pickles and slaw.

Tip from the editors. Use real full-fat mayonnaise. Light mayo breaks at smoker temperatures and the canonical sauce needs the fat for body.

Where to eat alabama white sauce smoked chicken

Alabama white sauce smoked chicken in Birmingham

Saw's BBQ ★ 4.5

$ American BBQHomewood

Saw's BBQ in Homewood near Birmingham serves the canonical Mike Wilson pulled-pork sandwich with Alabama white sauce slaw under $12 from the 2009 shack.

TryPulled pork sandwich, $9-12

Directions

Saw's Soul Kitchen ★ 4.3

$$ American BBQAvondale

Saw's Soul Kitchen on 41st Street South Avondale is the 2012 Brandon Cain sibling to Saw's BBQ, mixing Alabama white sauce barbecue with soul-food sides.

Why locals goThe Avondale 2012 sibling to Saw's BBQ runs a smaller room than the Homewood original, with a pork-and-greens plate locals defend hardest.

TipOrder the pork-and-greens stuffed sandwich; the banana pudding has a smaller crowd than the Homewood location.

Directions

Demetri's BBQ ★ 4.0

$$ Soul foodHomewood

Demetri's BBQ on 28th Avenue South Homewood Birmingham has run a Greek-American meat-and-three since 1973, continuing the 1961 El Rancho BBQ tradition.

Why locals goThe 1973 Greek-American meat-and-three in Homewood is masked behind a barbecue sign; locals know it as a Birmingham lunch institution.

TipOrder the Greek salad alongside the pulled-pork plate to taste the Greek-American crossover.

Directions

All Birmingham signature dishes →

More cities are in research. Want alabama white sauce smoked chicken covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.

Browse all dishes →