How To Give Your BBQ Sauce A Creamy, Alabama-Inspired Upgrade

In a world full of flavorful condiments, we can't help but gravitate towards big and bold BBQ sauce. Yet, while the best bottles are capable of hitting all of the right notes, others can leave something to be desired — worse yet, they can lack balance. In case of the latter, BBQ sauce can easily be revamped with one creamy addition. Using tangy and rich Alabama sauce as a blueprint, both stunning (and not-so stunning) condiments can be transformed into a decadent white BBQ sauce with mayonnaise.

At its core, Alabama-style BBQ sauce consists of mayonnaise, vinegar, and spices. Although it boasts an acidic tang like other styles of sauce, its mayo-forward recipe gives the condiment a richer flavor and custardy quality. Drawing inspiration from the pearly sauce, mayonnaise can bring dimensions of flavor to one-dimensional BBQ sauces. Along with imparting nuances of umami, sweetness, and tang, the fatty mayonnaise also amplifies richness. In fact, this decadence even cuts through the BBQ sauce's intense zestiness to better balance flavors. But, that's not all. Mayonnaise also improve textures, resulting in a BBQ sauce that's lusciously smooth and full-bodied.

Regardless of whether you're using homemade or store-bought condiments, the simplest way to give any BBQ sauce an Alabama-inspired spin is by combining equal amounts of sauce with mayonnaise, and whisking until smooth. Alternatively, you can play with ratios until you achieve flavors and textures you prefer. In fact, you can also customize the upgraded BBQ sauce further.

When it comes to selecting which BBQ sauce makes the best base, sweetly tangy tomato-based sauces are always a good choice against velvety mayo. Whether you opt for something spicy, honeyed, smoky, or umami-rich is up to you. Likewise, even bottles of vinegar-forward sauces or mustard-based BBQ sauces can benefit from a dollop of fatty mayo. Speaking of which, classic (ideally, full-fat) mayonnaise will produce the creamiest and dreamiest results. But, you can also experiment with savory Kewpie mayo, jalapeño flavored options, or even garlic aioli.

Despite that combining mayonnaise and BBQ sauce will create a lip-smackingly tasty sauce, that doesn't mean complexity can't still be increased with a few extras. For instance, lean on condiments like mustard for punch or sriracha for spice. Otherwise, introduce an unexpected addition like coffee or cocoa powder. If all else fails, spices like a dash of onion powder or sprinkle of smoked paprika, much like a handful of herbs, can give the revamped sauce a pick-me-up. 

As for how to use mayo-laced BBQ sauce, its applications are endless. Perfect for dunking and dipping anything from chicken tenders to sweet potato fries, the condiment is equally delicious when spread on burgers or served with grilled chicken. It even makes a fabulous dressing for coleslaws and potato salads. The question is, how will you put the flavorful Alabama-inspired BBQ sauce to good use?