Hickory-Smoked Chicken with Alabama White Sauce

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Deep hickory smoke meets a tangy, peppery Alabama white sauce for classic Southern barbecue flavor.
• Two-stage cook gives juicy meat and lacquered, lightly crisp skin.
• Make-ahead friendly: the sauce keeps for days and the chicken can be brined overnight.
• Simple sides—dill pickles and soft potato rolls—turn it into an effortless feast.

Grocery List

• Produce: 1 lemon, fresh dill or parsley (optional)
• Dairy: Unsalted butter (optional, for rolls)
• Pantry: Bone-in chicken pieces, mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, prepared horseradish, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, kosher salt, black pepper, white pepper (optional), garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, smoked paprika, light brown sugar (optional), neutral oil, dill pickle chips, soft potato rolls, hickory wood chunks or chips, honey or sugar

Full Ingredients

Chicken and Seasoning

• 3.5–4 lb bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (mix of thighs, drumsticks, and/or split bone-in breasts)
• Dry brine (optional but recommended): 1 tbsp kosher salt
• Rub (no added salt if you dry-brined): 2 tsp smoked paprika, 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp cayenne, 1 tbsp light brown sugar (optional), 1 tsp baking powder (optional, helps skin crisp), 1 tbsp neutral oil
• If skipping the dry brine: add 1 tsp kosher salt to the rub above

Alabama White Sauce

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp prepared horseradish
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground white pepper (optional)
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp sugar or honey
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 1–2 tbsp water, as needed to thin to a spoonable consistency

For Smoking & Serving

• 2–3 hickory wood chunks (or 1–1.5 cups chips), unsoaked
• Dill pickle chips or spears, about 1 cup
• 8 soft potato rolls
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened (optional)
• Chopped fresh dill or parsley, for garnish (optional)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Dry-brine the chicken (optional but worth it)

Place the chicken on a rack set over a sheet pan. Sprinkle evenly with 1 tbsp kosher salt. Refrigerate uncovered for 8–24 hours. This seasons the meat and helps the skin dry for better texture. If you skip this step, you’ll add salt to the rub later.

Step 2: Make the Alabama white sauce

In a bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, horseradish, Dijon, Worcestershire, black pepper, white pepper (if using), kosher salt, sugar or honey, garlic powder, and cayenne. Thin with 1–2 tbsp water until it’s creamy but pourable. Divide into two bowls: one for dunking during cooking and one clean bowl for serving at the table. Cover and refrigerate while you cook (at least 30 minutes helps the flavors meld).

Step 3: Preheat the smoker

Heat your smoker to 275°F. Add 2–3 hickory chunks (or a packet of chips) once the fire is clean and producing thin, bluish smoke. Set up for indirect heat. If using a gas grill, light one side to maintain 275°F and place a foil packet of hickory chips over the lit burner; cook the chicken on the unlit side.

Step 4: Season the chicken

Pat the chicken very dry. In a small bowl, combine the smoked paprika, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, light brown sugar (if using), and baking powder (if using). Toss chicken with 1 tbsp oil, then sprinkle on the rub to coat evenly. If you skipped the dry brine, add 1 tsp kosher salt to the rub before applying.

Step 5: Smoke low and slow

Arrange chicken skin-side up in the smoker. Insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of a breast and a thigh, avoiding bone. Smoke at 275°F for 75–90 minutes, maintaining thin, clean smoke. Target internal temperatures of 150–155°F in breasts and about 170°F in thighs/drumsticks at this stage.

Step 6: Dunk in white sauce and set the glaze

Working quickly, dunk each piece into the “dunking” bowl of Alabama white sauce to coat completely, letting excess drip back. Return chicken to the smoker. Increase temperature to 325°F and cook 15 minutes more until the sauce looks glossy and set and internal temps read 160°F in breasts and 175°F in thighs/drumsticks. Do not reuse the dunking sauce at the table.

Step 7: Rest and serve

Transfer chicken to a platter and rest 10 minutes. Garnish with chopped dill or parsley if desired. Serve with the clean bowl of white sauce for drizzling, dill pickles, and warm potato rolls (buttered if you like). The tangy sauce, smoky chicken, and pillowy rolls make perfect sandwiches.

Pro Tips

• Keep smoke clean: aim for thin, blue smoke; thick white smoke can taste bitter.
• Dry-brine uncovered for the best skin and most even seasoning; the optional baking powder also encourages crisper skin.
• Divide your sauce into two bowls to avoid cross-contamination. Only the clean bowl goes to the table.
• If your smoker won’t climb to 325°F, finish the sauced chicken over medium-high heat on a grill or under a broiler for 2–3 minutes to set the glaze.
• Use a thermometer. Pull at 160°F (breast) and 175°F (thigh/drum) for juicy, safe results.

Variations

• Spatchcocked chicken: Use a 3.5–4 lb whole chicken, backbone removed and flattened. Smoke at 275°F for 70–90 minutes to 150–155°F in breasts, dunk, then finish at 325°F to 160°F/175°F.
• Extra-spicy white sauce: Double the horseradish to 2 tbsp and increase cayenne to 1/2 tsp; add a dash of hot sauce.
• Wood swap: Try pecan or apple for a sweeter, gentler smoke if you find hickory too robust.

Storage & Make-Ahead

The white sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead; store chilled in an airtight container (do not store any sauce that touched raw or cooked chicken). Leftover smoked chicken keeps 3–4 days refrigerated or up to 3 months frozen. Reheat gently in a 300°F oven covered until warm, then briefly at 400°F (5–8 minutes) to refresh the skin. For sandwiches, slice cold or rewarm and pile onto potato rolls with pickles and a drizzle of fresh sauce.

Nutrition (per serving)

Approximate, for 1/6 of recipe with about 2 tbsp sauce (without rolls or pickles): 590 calories; 38 g fat; 8 g carbohydrates; 48 g protein; 900 mg sodium. Add 120–160 calories for a potato roll and minimal calories for pickles.