Paw Dads Alabama White BBQ Sauce is one of our favorite all-purpose sauces. This classic Alabama-style white sauce is mayonnaise-based, bright with vinegar and lemon, tangy from prepared horseradish, and rounded out by smoked garlic and coarse black pepper. It’s a family recipe that traces back to my grandfather, and like many family sauces it has close cousins in my mother’s and uncle’s kitchens — similar, but each with its own personality.
This sauce is wonderfully versatile. Use it as a grilling sauce for chicken, pork chops, or ribs, as a dipping sauce for fried or roasted chicken, or as a flavorful sandwich spread in place of plain mayonnaise. It works well served cold or warm, and it adds a bright, creamy contrast to rich, smoky meats.
Backyard BBQ — A Wood Pellet Grill Recipe
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients: Paw Dads Alabama White Sauce
- 2 cups Miracle Whip or a creamy salad dressing of your choice
- 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp prepared horseradish (adjust to taste)
- 2 Tbsp smoked minced garlic (or regular minced garlic if you prefer)
- 1 Tbsp coarse ground black pepper (or to taste)
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp kosher salt (or to taste)
Directions: Paw Dads Alabama White Sauce
1. Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl until smooth and fully blended. That’s it — simple and quick.
2. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Chilling softens the bite of the horseradish and lets the smoked garlic infuse the sauce.
3. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. In our experience it rarely lasts that long before everyone has finished the jar.
Serving Ideas and Tips
– Chicken: Brush or serve on pulled or smoked chicken for a classic combination. The tangy, creamy sauce cuts through rich, smoky flavors.
– Pork: Try it with grilled pork chops, pulled pork, or smoked ribs for a bright counterpoint to fatty cuts.
– Sandwiches & Wraps: Use as a sandwich spread in place of mayo for turkey, ham, or grilled vegetables.
– Dipping Sauce: Serve alongside fresh veggies, potato wedges, or fried green tomatoes for dipping.
Variations
– For a milder sauce, reduce the horseradish by half or omit it altogether.
– If you don’t have smoked garlic, use regular minced garlic and add a small pinch of smoked paprika for a subtle smoke flavor.
– Adjust the vinegar and lemon to taste for more tang, or add a touch more sugar if you prefer a slightly sweeter balance.
About Our Recipes
We develop and test our recipes outdoors on a variety of grills and smokers, which gives them flexibility for different cooking setups. Our approach emphasizes time and temperature — the keys to good barbecue — and most recipes can be adapted to pellet grills, gas, wood, or even charcoal. While some techniques translate to the oven or slow cooker, cooking outdoors adds that distinctive smoked flavor that makes barbecue special.
A recipe is an outline, not a rulebook. Feel free to adapt this Alabama white sauce to suit your taste — tweak the horseradish, garlic, or acidity until it’s perfect for you. Take the base and make it your own.
Live your passion and do what you love,
Ken & Patti
Cookbooks
We’ve put together photo-driven cookbook guides focused on how-to barbecue. If you enjoy step-by-step picture recipes and simple techniques for two-person meals and backyard gatherings, look for our cookbook titles available where books are sold.
