This grilled chicken with Alabama white sauce is tender, juicy, and anything but boring. The mayo barbecue sauce is creamy. tangy, and perfectly complements the smoky char from the grill. It's a Southern favorite that's easy to love and even easier to make!
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A chicken recipe worth firing up the grill. Traditionally mayo based BBQ sauce is served with smoked chicken. You can achieve a similar, and way easier, version on a grill.
Alabama chicken is a staple at Southern cookout. Serve it up with classic sides like vinegar coleslaw, cornbread, and molasses baked beans for a spread everyone will love!
📖Why My Recipe Works
- Honey - Just a little bit of honey tones down the tang without turning it into a sweet sauce. Most white sauces use brown sugar. But my version isn't sweet. I use this trick in my traditional coleslaw recipe too.
- Lots of Flavor - Cayenne, black pepper, and dry mustard powder work together to add a bold flavor to the sauce. And just because the sauce has flavor doesn't mean you skip the dry rub on the chicken.
🧾Ingredient Notes
- Chickens - Use bone in, skin on chickens for the best flavor. Drumsticks or chicken breasts will also work but I typically use thighs or chicken halves because they stay moist.
- Dry Rub - Use any store-bought dry rub or make your own with my homemade recipe (see recipe card notes).
- Mayonnaise - Use full-fat mayo for a thick texture. Duke's is a classic but any mayo, NOT sandwich spread, you like will do.
- Apple Cider Vinegar - White vinegar has a slightly different taste but its the closest substitute if you don't have apple cider vinegar.
- Prepared Horseradish - Make sure it's prepared horseradish and not the creamy kind.
- Honey - Substitute with sugar if you must.
- Garlic Powder - Garlic powder blends more smoothly into the sauce than fresh minced garlic or garlic paste.
- Dry Mustard Powder - If you don't have any, a dollop of Dijon mustard will also work.
- Cayenne Pepper - Adjust to taste or skip if you don't like too spicy. Or add a hot sauce like Tabasco.
⏲️How to Make Grilled Alabama Chicken
- Combine all the sauce ingredients in a bowl until smooth and creamy. Chill for at least two hours, or even better, overnight, so the flavors have time to fully meld.
- Patting the chicken dry helps the seasoning stick better and gives you crispier skin on the grill. Be sure to season all sides, even under the skin, so every bite is packed with flavor.
- We’re using both direct and indirect heat to cook the chicken just right. Starting over direct heat crisps up the skin, then shifting to indirect heat lets the meat cook through gently without burning.
- Dip the chicken into the white sauce and serve while warm!
How to Make Alabama Chicken on a Smoker
Preheat your smoker to 225–250°F and choose a mild wood like apple or cherry. Place the dry-rubbed chicken thighs skin-side up directly on the grates, leaving space between each one. Smoke for 1.5 to 2.5 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F; rest for 5–10 minutes before dipping into the sauce.
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- Brine your chicken for an extra moist bite.
- Taste and adjust the BBQ sauce before chilling. Add more vinegar for tang, honey for balance, or horseradish for extra kick.
- Use a thermometer to check if the chicken is done. It should reach 165°F for safe and juicy results.
More BBQ Recipes
🌡️Storing Leftovers
Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat the chicken in the oven at 350°F until warmed through, about 10–15 minutes.
Keep the sauce in a separate jar and refrigerate—it should last for up to a week.
📖 Recipe Card
Grilled Alabama BBQ Chicken
Ingredients
Alabama Grilled Chicken
- 4 pieces bone in skin on chicken thighs or half chickens
- 2 Tablespoons dry rub use 1 T for chicken thighs or 2 T for chicken halves
Alabama White BBQ Sauce
- 1 cup mayonnaise not sandwich spread
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
Alabama White BBQ Sauce
- Whisk together all the sauce ingredients in a bowl large enough to dip the chicken pieces into.1 cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, 2 Tablespoons lemon juice, 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish, 2 teaspoons honey, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 2 teaspoons black pepper, 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Chill for at least 2 hours.
Alabama Grilled Chicken
- Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel. Loosen the skin. Sprinkle the dry rub on both sides of the chicken. Lift the skin and rub some of the seasoning directly onto the meat. Let the chicken rest at room temperature while you heat the grill.4 pieces bone in skin on chicken, 2 Tablespoons dry rub
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat (about 450°F). Once heated, turn off the flame on one side of the grill.
- Place the chicken skin-side down over direct heat and cook for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through to crisp the skin. Then move the chicken to indirect heat, skin-side up. Continue cooking with the grill lid off until the internal temperature reaches at least 165°F.
- Dip the chicken in the sauce and serve immediately with the remaining sauce on the side.
Notes
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- ⅔ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅔ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ⅔ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅔ teaspoon onion powder
- pinch cayenne pepper
Nutrition
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