Smoked Chicken with Alabama White Sauce (2024)

FAQs

What is Alabama white sauce made of? ›

Alabama white sauce starts with a base of mayonnaise and apple cider vinegar. Many variations exist but typical flavorings include mustard, Worcestershire sauce, sugar or honey, garlic and/or onion powder, and lots of black pepper.

It will take 4 – 5 hours if smoking a whole chicken at 225 degrees F. We find that it will also results in rubbery skin.

Smoker temps for smoked chicken

Cook your chicken at 225–250°F (107–121°C) for an hour to imbue the meat with smoky goodness. The slow smoking not only gives us flavor, but it also cooks the meat quite gently for that first hour. Once that's done, though, it's time to crank up the heat.

A staple of Northern Alabama barbecue, this sauce is primarily a mixture of mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, and pepper. It was invented by Robert Gibson at Big Bob Gibson's Bar-B-Q in Decatur, AL, where freshly smoked chickens are pulled from the pit and then "baptized" in a pool of the sauce.

Béchamel – milk-based sauce, thickened with a white roux. Beurre blanc – Reduction of butter, vinegar, white wine and shallots.

What Is In White Sauce? This traditional white sauce starts with a roux of equal parts all-purpose flour and butter, which gives the sauce a rich and creamy base. Whole milk thins the butter-flour mixture, turning the roux into a sauce.

Tip #4: Don't Overcook Your Chicken

The temperature will continue to increase as the chicken rests, much as it would if you were cooking a roast in the oven. You should also note that a little bit of pink in your bird is okay — in fact, it's unavoidable when you're cooking chicken in the smoker.

Plan on about an hour per pound for smoked whole chicken at 250°F. Cooking time may have a lot of wiggle room for larger chickens, so be sure to monitor the internal temperature and use that as a guide. Once a probe thermometer reads 160-163°F, it's ready!

Bring the smoker up to 200 to 225 degrees. Place the chicken on grate and cover. Smoke until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees on a digital thermometer in the thickest part, about 75 minutes (see note 2). Allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

How do you keep chicken moist when smoking? ›

The key to moist, flavorful smoked chicken is a low temperature and patience. (That melted butter helps, too.) Boneless skinless chicken breasts really benefit from a longer cooking time at a lower temperature because it keeps the moisture from cooking off.

Smoking Chicken

Smoke it at 240°-275°F until it reaches 165°F in the thickest part of the thigh. This will take approximately 2-1/2 hours or so but just remember, it's NOT done until it reaches the proper temperature no matter how long it takes.

The flavor of Alabama White Sauce

At first taste, Alabama white sauce has a slightly cool, neutral flavor thanks to the mayonnaise, with the tang of the vinegar to offset any spice. Before long, you start to pick up the exciting flavors from the spice blend, making you want to take another bite ASAP.

Alabama white BBQ sauce is a mayonnaise-based dressing that also includes horseradish and cayenne pepper for a good amount of heat.

Ranch is thin and buttermilky, while white sauce should be thicker and richer, with more tang from the vinegar. It will have a bite similar to that of Carolina BBQ sauce.

Alfredo sauce is a classic cream sauce used in countless pasta dishes. Also known as a white sauce or “pasta in blanco”, alfredo blends simple ingredients and turns them into a rich, indulgent delight.

Cream gravy or white gravy (sawmill gravy) is a bechamel sauce made using fats from meat—such as sausage or bacon—or meat drippings from roasting or frying meats.

Melt butter in sauce pan over low heat, blend in flour, salt and dash white pepper (black is fine). Add milk all at once, cooking quickly, stirring constantly until mixture bubbles and thickens. Remove sauce immediately upon bubbling. CHEDDAR SAUCE add 1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (makes 1 1/2 cups).