Alabama White Sauce BBQ Chicken Chili — Tangy Southern White Chili

Alabama white sauce is a tangy, peppery mayonnaise-based barbecue sauce from north Alabama — the thing pitmasters mop over smoked chicken in Decatur and Huntsville. We wondered what it would do stirred into a white chicken chili, and the answer is: it turns a good pot into a memorable one. The sauce goes in off the heat at the very end, melting into the broth to leave it creamy, sharp with vinegar and horseradish, and unmistakably barbecue. It's a white chili with a Southern accent — mild enough for a weeknight, unusual enough to be worth talking about.

Unlike the tomato- or vinegar-based barbecue sauces most people know, Alabama white sauce is built on mayonnaise, cut with apple cider vinegar, black and white pepper, and horseradish. It was created at Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in Decatur, Alabama in the 1920s, traditionally for smoked chicken. Its tang and creaminess are exactly what make it work stirred into a chili.

Stir together 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp prepared horseradish (drained), and 1 tsp each black pepper and white pepper. Taste and add more vinegar for sharpness or horseradish for bite. Keeps refrigerated for up to a week — use 2 tbsp in the chili and save the rest for drizzling at the table.

Ladle into wide bowls and finish with a thin drizzle of extra white sauce, chopped fresh parsley, and cracked black pepper. Cornbread or buttermilk biscuits on the side soak up the tangy broth. Pickled jalapeños or pepperoncini add a bright contrast without turning up the heat much.

Store-bought Alabama white sauce works fine — look for it near the barbecue aisle. Shredded rotisserie chicken cuts prep time; stir it in with the beans so it stays tender. Make the white sauce a day ahead if you like — the flavors meld. Dial vinegar up for more tang, horseradish for more kick; the chili itself stays mild.