5 White BBQ Sauces, Ranked Worst To Best

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When most people think of barbecue sauce, they might think of the sticky, sweet, tomato-based condiment that is slathered on everything from St. Louis ribs to Texas brisket. But the barbecue connoisseurs among us know that the world of barbecue sauce is much bigger — and comes in many more hues — than the classic red.

Take white barbecue sauce, which was born in Decatur, Alabama, by pitmaster Robert "Big Bob" Gibson. His family-owned restaurant chain, Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q, has been in business for more than 80 years, and its locations still sling his original Alabama-style barbecue sauce, which gets its white color from a base of mayonnaise punctuated with plenty of pepper and horseradish. Although the sauce is traditionally used for chicken, its creamy, tangy flavor complements plenty of barbecue staples.

Today, Big Bob's sauce is not the only game in town. Several barbecue sauce brands have released their own riffs on the nearly century-old condiment — but how do they stack up against the original white sauce, and against each other? Whether you are already a loyal fan of white barbecue sauce or are curious about trying the regionally beloved condiment for the first time, you will want to read this ranking of some of the most popular white barbecue sauces on the market. I've tried all of them blind, both straight-up and on drumsticks of fresh barbecue chicken, with the goal of determining which has the best consistency, balance of flavors, and versatility.

Before everyone picks up their torches and pitchforks, I just want to say that I so badly wanted to love Duke's Alabama White BBQ Sauce. As a food writer who spent a year reporting in Columbia, South Carolina, I became well acquainted with Duke's mayonnaise, which is considered the best among chefs for good reason: It is luxuriously rich and creamy, with a vinegary tang that truly sets it apart from the rest. Sadly, the brand's recipe for white barbecue sauce left much to be desired.

There is an immediate, almost plasticky and artificial taste to this sauce, which comes as such a surprise because there is no such offensiveness in classic Duke's mayonnaise. Its sharpness felt less tangy and more astringent, and I got no notes of the "peppery blend of spices" or "tangy horseradish" that its bottle promises. This sauce also notably uses Dijon mustard, whose white wine might contribute to some of that acrid taste.

Ultimately, it does not take any label-reading or ingredient sleuthing to recognize that there are far better options (at least four!) for white barbecue sauce than Duke's. While I will continue to be a loyal customer for the brand's mayonnaise, my loyalty will start and end there.

Immediately, Duce's Wild Alabama White Gold Barbecue Sauce beat out Duke's because it did not taste like acidic plastic; however, that is a very low bar to clear. Unfortunately, this white barbecue sauce landed in fourth place because it just did not taste like much.

Duce's Wild Alabama White Gold was noticeably thinner than the other options on this list, which stopped it from clinging to the meat as well (as such, it might be better to baste or paint it on your barbecue before serving). On its own, it lacked some of the richness that I hope for in a white barbecue sauce, although I did appreciate its slight sweetness from ingredients like apple cider vinegar and honey. On a barbecued chicken leg, it felt like any patch of char immediately overwhelmed the flavor of the sauce, even as I kept dousing the chicken in more of it. 

While there wasn't anything outwardly bad-tasting about this sauce, it couldn't stand up to more flavor-packed barbecued entrées. That said, if you are looking to skip the mayo and dress your coleslaw in Alabama white barbecue sauce instead, I could see Duce's Wild's version harmonizing with the milder shredded cabbage.

Lane's Sorta White BBQ Sauce fell in the middle of the pack. It's more of a creative take on the classic regional barbecue sauce. But despite its bells and whistles, it ultimately strayed too far from traditional white sauce to earn a higher ranking.

As its bottle proclaims, the sauce is proudly "Sorta White" — which comes through in its flavors. Its red hue comes from ancho and cayenne peppers, which both add a gentle heat and a slightly sweet, jammy flavor to the sauce. If this were a ranking for the best mayonnaise-based marinade for meat, Lane's would be a winner. However, it was missing some of the creaminess and tang I would hope to find in a white barbecue sauce, especially one I'd dip or baste with.

Truth be told, I will absolutely be reaching for Lane's again. It is packed with flavor, and I could see it working with a variety of different meats (including as a topping for an Alabama-style hot dog). But for the sake of finding the best white barbecue sauce, the search must continue.

This is the only white barbecue sauce that brazenly labels itself Mississippi-style, rather than Alabama-style, so I anticipate the pushback from angry regional barbecue lovers. That said, I have a responsibility to speak the truth, even if it is not popular — and the truth is that Killer Hogs' Mississippi White Sauce is fantastic.

The sauce, which was created by Mississippi-based pitmaster Malcom Reed, has an unmistakably citrusy flavor that is not as pungent as many of the more vinegar-heavy sauces on this list. It still manages to stay velvety and buttery, with just the right amount of zesty flavor that I was enjoying even eating it without anything else. Lemon juice concentrate and lemon oil are the second and third ingredients listed on the sauce's bottle, while a healthy dose of black pepper gives the sauce a kick of its own. 

Between a thick consistency that's perfect for drizzling and dipping and a balance of rich and bright flavors, Killer Hogs makes one of the best white barbecue sauces money can buy. It might not call itself an Alabama-style sauce, but its ingredient composition and strong compatibility with chicken make it taste like it came straight from the sauce's birthplace.

I had not initially started this blind taste test with the assumption that Big Bob Gibson Original White Sauce was going to be the sauce to beat. But as I tasted more sauces, it became clear that it was — and that no sauce would be as successful as it.

It turns out that there is just nothing like Big Bob's iconic sauce. It is on the thinner side, but still somehow as silky and sumptuous as some of the thickest sauces on this list. The richness is balanced by a hit of acidic tang, which tastes and smells as fragrant as the lemon-juice-heavy Killer Hogs sauce. On the back of the Big Bob's bottle, the sauce's flavorings are vaguely listed under the descriptor of "spices," so I can only assume that black pepper is a heavy hitter. Mustard flour also provides a balanced zing.

Big Bob Gibson Original White Sauce was the only bottle on this list that I could not stop squeezing. It's no wonder that barbecue experts say it is one of the best store-bought sauces you can buy, and that so many copycat recipes for it exist on the internet. I am sure that those reverse-engineered sauces get close to the real deal, but given how delicious this white barbecue sauce is, I'd recommend investing in the bottle. 

Before I ranked these white barbecue sauces, I had to set parameters for which brands were eligible. The bottles had to be labeled as white barbecue sauces and needed to be sold at major grocery stores and retailers. To control for freshness as much as possible, all sauces were purchased on the same day and refrigerated for 24 hours before use.

The white barbecue sauces were tasted individually in a blind taste test — first, straight-up on spoons, to get a sense of the true flavor of each sauce; then, on grilled chicken legs, to see how they would hold up against some barbecued meat. The chicken legs were prepared simply using a rub of salt, pepper, and olive oil, as well as garlic, onion, and chili powders (that said, if you're looking to make unforgettable Alabama-style barbecue chicken, add a packet of this seasoning). 

Chicken legs were grilled together on an outdoor gas grill at 500 degrees Fahrenheit and were turned frequently until they each reached an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit. For both the sauce-only and on-chicken taste tests, these sauces were judged on their consistency, balance of flavors, and versatility for cooking and dipping.