Alabama White Sauce BBQ Chicken

After a weekend with my brother and sister-in-law, I was inspired to pull together my take on Alabama White Sauce. Seems in their neck of the woods, BBQ is served up with a creamy, peppery sauce vs. my tried and true Texas sweet'n'spicy tomato sauce. I was skeptical at first. But as it turns out, I love the stuff!

Alabama White Sauce is predominantly a combination of horseradish, black pepper, and mayo. I added a squeeze of honey for balance, and a splash of lemon juice for brightness. Traditionally, it's served with chicken. And while I don't have a BBQ smoker, I think this grilled chicken stands up.

You can easily dress this up for company. Maybe serve it up with creamy mac & cheese, a pot of smoky baked beans, and a skillet of cornbread! Otherwise, for a quick weeknight meal, I reach for a bag of frozen fries and fresh broccoli.

Alabama White Sauce BBQ Chicken

Ingredients

For the chicken

· 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts

· 2 tsp chili powder

· 2 tsp brown sugar

· 1 tsp garlic powder

· 1 tsp salt

· ½ tsp black pepper

· 4 tsp Dijon mustard

For the Alabama White Sauce

· ½ cup mayo

· 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

· Juice of ½ lemon

· 2 tsp prepared horseradish

· ½ tsp Dijon mustard

· 1 tsp honey

· ½ tsp black pepper

For the chicken…Using a meat mallet, pound the chicken breasts into a uniform thickness – about 1 inch. Place the chicken in a large Ziploc bag.

In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, brown sugar, garlic powder, salt, pepper and Dijon mustard. Spread the spice paste over the chicken breasts in the plastic bag. Zip the bag closed and massage the chicken with the spices. Ensure even coverage. Chill for at least 2 hours hours.

For the Alabama White Sauce… combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Whisk until smooth. Add a splash of water until the sauce is thick but pourable. Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving to allow the flavors to combine.

Remove the chicken from the fridge about 20 minutes before grilling.

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Grill the chicken breasts on either side for 4-5 minutes until cooked through. Remove from heat. Tent under aluminum foil and rest the chicken for 5 minutes.

Serve thick slices of the chicken breast with the White Sauce.

Serves 4

Notes

Swap the chicken breasts for legs or thighs if you prefer!

Gluten Free Friendly!