Alabama White BBQ Sauce

If you've lived in the South for more than a minute, you know that BBQ—and the sauce that's served with it—is a matter of regional pride. Texans love their brisket, Kentucky claims chipped mutton, and in North Carolina they'll take their pork with dip.

And in Alabama, it's all about the white BBQ sauce.

Bob Gibson of Decatur, Alabama is credited with creating this mayonnaise-based sauce all the way back in 1925.

"We marinate with it, use it to baste, plus we use it as an all-purpose table sauce," says Chris Lilly, a world barbecue champion and current pitmaster at Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q. "It's the only sauce we know here, because it's what everyone grows up on."

Most folks like to serve Alabama white sauce with smoked or grilled chicken, but this versatile condiment can jazz up just about any piece of meat. Southern Living Test Kitchen Pro Ivy Odom likes to fry up turkey cutlets and serve them with Alabama white sauce on the side.

This could become your family's new favorite spin on a Southern Thanksgiving. We think everyone should make a pilgrimage to Big Bob Gibson's barbecue joint, but we also like to keep this white BBQ sauce recipe on hand for any moment that the craving might strike.