Grill/Barbecue

Kevin Gillespie's Barbecue Chicken with Alabama White Barbecue Sauce

by:
June 24, 2014
5
6 Ratings
Kevin Gillespie's Barbecue Chicken with Alabama White Barbecue Sauce
Photo by James Ransom
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

The struggle of barbecued chicken has always been in getting it to cook through without going dry or burnt first. This recipe from Top Chef Kevin Gillespie combines classic barbecue techniques (Robert C. Baker's Cornell Chicken plus Big Bob Gibson's Alabama-style white barbecue sauce), ensuring the chicken will stay juicy and flavorful despite any of our own failings. If you're nervous about food safety, you can try doctoring up prepared mayo for the sauce to serve on the side, but otherwise you should be clear with this recipe, as long as you've handled the chicken and eggs safely (buy good eggs, keep the sauce in the fridge until you're ready to use it, make sure to cook the chicken -- including the last round of basting -- through to 165° F). But really, after the marinade and basting have done their work -- the extra sauce is a nice, but unnecessary, bonus. Adapted slightly from Fire in My Belly: Real Cooking (Andrews McMeel, 2012). —Genius Recipes

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • For the Chicken
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons poultry seasoning (or make your own -- we used 1 1/2 teaspoons each of dried marjoram, oregano, thyme, and rosemary, plus 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg)
  • 2 tablespoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or 3 1/2 teaspoons fine salt)
  • 1 cup grapeseed oil
  • 6 chicken leg/thigh quarters
  • 1 1/2 cups Alabama White Barbecue Sauce (recipe follows)
  • For the Alabama White Barbecue Sauce
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or 1 1/8 teaspoons fine salt)
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
  • 1 cup grapeseed oil
Directions
  1. For the Chicken
  2. In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, blend the egg yolks, vinegar, water, poultry seasoning, and salt until the yolks fluff a little, about 30 seconds. With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the oil; the mixture will blend, emulsify, and resemble mayonnaise. You will hear the sound change to a whop, whop; it should take about 1 minute. Spoon the marinade into a large zip-top bag, add the chicken pieces, and massage until the chicken is completely covered with the marinade. Zip the top closed, pressing out any air as you seal the bag. Set the bag in a bowl in the refrigerator overnight or for up to 24 hours.
  3. Pour 3/4 cup of the Alabama White Barbecue Sauce into a bowl to use for basting. Heat a grill for indirect medium-high heat. On a gas grill, just leave one side of the grill unlit. On a wood or charcoal grill, rake the coals to one side. Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat completely dry. Scrape the grill clean and coat with oil. Place the chicken, skin side down, over the unheated part of the grill and cover with an aluminum pan or tent with foil. After 10 minutes, flip the chicken pieces, moving them to a hotter part of the grill, but still over indirect heat. Cover again with the pan or foil. After 10 more minutes, baste the chicken with the sauce, flip so the skin side is down, and baste again. Cover with the pan or foil, cook for another 10 minutes, and then baste, flip, and cover one last time, for a total cooking time of 40 minutes, or until the chicken -- including the last round of basting -- reaches 165° F. Discard the basting sauce. Remove the chicken from the grill and rest, tented with foil or a foil pan, for 10 minutes. Serve with the remaining sauce on the side.
  1. For the Alabama White Barbecue Sauce
  2. In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine the egg yolks, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, garlic powder, cayenne, and black pepper and process until the yolks fluff a little, about 30 seconds. With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the oil; the mixture will bend and emulsify but won't be as thick as the marinade used for the barbecue chicken. You will again hear the sound change to a whop, whop; it should take about a minute.
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Genius Recipes

Recipe by: Genius Recipes

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45 Reviews

Julia S.
Julia S. July 18, 2023
I made this for dinner tonight, and everyone enjoyed it. We are on vacation and don't have a food processor available, but I had no trouble making the marinade and sauce in a blender instead. I only marinated the chicken for 10 hours, rather than overnight, but it was still very tender and flavorful.
 
staceymanela
staceymanela July 11, 2022
I enjoyed this recipe a lot. I followed it precisely and it came out very moist and delicious. I added a dash of sugar to the reserved sauce to tame the acidity slightly for my guests. It was hit and everyone asked for the recipe. I served with a roasted vegetable salad with shallot vinaigrette, white beans and Samin Nosrat's tahdig: https://food52.com/recipes/82660-persian-ish-rice-samin-nosrat-recipe It was a perfect summer meal!
 
mlsjazz
mlsjazz June 13, 2022
For those non-fans of dark meat chicken… Could boneless, skinless chicken breasts be used instead?
 
Rose
Rose June 12, 2022
I have a question--why grapeseed oil? Is is a flavor enhancer, a high-temperature oil, or? Just wondering, since it's not something I normally have in my pantry.
 
kathryn J.
kathryn J. September 2, 2022
My guess is that grapeseed oil is very neutral - without a strong taste on its own. This sauce and marinade is just seasoned mayonnaise and I suppose they want the seasoning to shine through, rather than a strongly flavoured oil. I'm sure you could use any oil that stock your pantry with.
 
Suzy
Suzy July 7, 2018
Oh yum! If I want to pre-make the marinade & sauce, how long will they keep in the fridge? I'm thinking 3 days to a week, depending on the freshness of my ingredients & heartiness of my gut! :-)
 
Leslie
Leslie May 23, 2018
Is grapeseed oil necessary for taste, etc. or is it recommended just for it's high smoke point? Would the recipe taste the same with another oil, and if so, what would you recommend? Thanks.
 
Kristen M.
Kristen M. May 23, 2018
Any neutral-flavored oil (safflower, vegetable, canola, you name it) or even a lighter olive oil would work just fine.
 
David P.
David P. August 24, 2017
This looks very much like the Cornell BBQ sauce invented during the 1950s by Dr. Robert Baker of Cornell University, about 30 years before Kevin Gillespie was born
 
joelle
joelle August 4, 2016
Despite being a vegetarian, I'm a big fan of Kevin Gillespie. In addition to looking exactly like my brother, he has some terrific vegetable recipes -- especially for a guy with a pig tattoo! I made the marinade and sauce, which my friends put on their grilled chicken, and I used the sauce on my grilled tofu and vegetables.

This is a funny recipe; when I tasted the sauce while making it, I wasn't feeling very confident about the final product. However, once the tangy, creamy sauce makes its way to the plate and pairs with the charred bits of grilled meat or vegetables, it really shines.
 
Jill F.
Jill F. July 5, 2016
I used a whole fryer, cut into pieces. It was outstanding! I marinated it more than 24 hours, and the flavor was so delicious. I will make this all summer! I cannot wait to have the leftovers for dinner tonight.
 
Susan S.
Susan S. July 3, 2016
Made this a couple months ago and died a death. SO DAMN GOOD. It's on tap for our Fourth Feast tomorrow, likely to become an annual tradition. Thank you, Chef Kevin!
 
CristyLeeNYC
CristyLeeNYC June 24, 2016
This was fantastic! I butchered a whole chicken (have 2 in the group who *think* they don't like dark meat), marinated for a bit over 24 hours, but kept everything else the same. BBQ technique was spot on, was told even white meat was (forgive me) "moist." Don't skip the sauce!
 
kantcould
kantcould September 2, 2015
I was born and raised in Alabama and have eaten my share of bbq. But I have never once heard the term "Alabama White Barbecue Sauce". Both the marinade and the sauce are basically mayonnaise so why not just start out with Hellman's (or Duke's in Alabama) and doctor it to spec.. Saves a lotta time and effort. Personally, I like my bbq with a red-eye sauce.
 
nancy
nancy September 2, 2015
There is a clickable link to the white barbeque sauce recipe at the bottom of the ingredients list. It's yummy! I would also use it on fish, with french fries, and on veggies. It tasted great with broccoli! The chicken rub looks good, although we haven't yet tried it. Looks slightly similar to a jerk rub that we love and use regularly.

For those of you looking for the Electric Pressure Cooker Recipes, I believe it is located at this link: http://bestelectricpressurecooker.net/electric-pressure-cooker-recipes/
 
frank
frank August 27, 2015
This was made famous by Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in Decatur, Alabama. They sell it in bottles but don't buy it. Here is a good copy-cat. (with no egg)

http://amazingribs.com/recipes/chicken_turkey_duck/big_bob_gibsons_white_sauce.html

It has a little more heat than the original but it is really good!
 
Ro R.
Ro R. May 30, 2023
Thank you for the link for this variation. I haven't tried it yet, but it looks simpler, and I've never before seen a website that will adjust the recipe proportions automatically for output desired. Genius.
 
rldougherty
rldougherty May 4, 2015
I made this last summer for a party. I might have been too busy to come back and comment, but I made it tonight. I only marinated it for about 8 hours. The chicken was outstanding. A storm suddenly blew in while my coals were getting ready, and despite on and off rain and high wind, this chicken came out just perfect. My guests seemed pleasantly surprised by white barbecue sauce. Love this recipe and the method!
 
Angela P.
Angela P. April 20, 2015
Oh this was magical! Going into my standby rotation for sure.
 
TheSlyRaven
TheSlyRaven November 29, 2014
How necessary is it to char the sauce? I'd like to use the white bbq sauce recipe to dress wings, but I just want to toss them after they're already fully cooked.
 
Kristen M.
Kristen M. November 30, 2014
The egg won't be fully cooked if you don't cook them in the sauce on the grill -- if you're concerned about food safety, you might want to use a white sauce that doesn't call for raw eggs, like this: https://food52.com/recipes/21937-alabama-style-chicken-kebabs
 
Mr B.
Mr B. January 18, 2015
Try using pasteurized eggs... no bacterial worries, eh?
 
MaryDD
MaryDD August 19, 2014
Do you think 8-10 hours is enough to get the value of the marinade? As in, throw chicken in marinade early morning, bbq same night? Or does it need to be more like 16-20?
 
Kristen M.
Kristen M. August 19, 2014
8-10 hours would still be very good!
 
Susan D.
Susan D. July 13, 2014
Chicken was delicious! A bit salty for me so I will use less next time.
 
amyeik
amyeik July 10, 2014
Just made this tonight - delicious! The marinade was slightly less thick than expected, but not strikingly so. The basting sauce was perfectly thick. I felt like a pretty impressive grill master after this, so thank you Kevin G. and Genius Recipes! And, I kept the extra sauce to try with potatoes tomorrow - great suggestion.
 
mgeller604
mgeller604 July 9, 2014
Made this tonight for a dinner party and it was delicious! Everyone loved the sauce as well. The marinade was thinner than the recipe led me to believe, but it worked its magic on the chicken. Will definitely make this again.
 
s_bermingham
s_bermingham July 9, 2014
How would you cook this in the oven?
 
Frances
Frances July 10, 2014
I just cooked it as you would any other piece of chicken. I didn't baste and I didn't cover it.
 
LiquidSmoke
LiquidSmoke July 7, 2014
Made this tonight. Chicken incredibly moist and sauce is to die for. However, as others say, the marinade is definitely thinner than mayo so the instruction comment that the marinade "resembles thick mayonnaise," was not so for me. I cooked this on a charcoal grill using Cooks Illustrated doubled banked fire method. Took way to long to cook. Next go round I will make this using boneless breasts and thighs for faster cooking and excuse to enjoy the fantastic sauce.
 
WhatsEating
WhatsEating July 5, 2014
Just made this on a gas grill. My seasonings were marjoram, rosemary, a little herbes de provence, paprika and nutmeg. Incredibly tender and flavorful chicken! You're right about the extra sauce - nice but not necessary. I'm looking forward to making this again for friends!
 
Eric W.
Eric W. July 2, 2014
The barbecue sauce has a nice tang that works as a warm potato salad dressing. I roasted small potatoes on the grill with grapeseed oil. People cut them on their plate and poured the sauce over the top. It was a hit.
 
Kristen M.
Kristen M. July 2, 2014
Brilliant.
 
Julie A.
Julie A. June 29, 2014
Can't wait to try this. A few years ago, we were on a mission in our little RV to try all the major styles of BBQ in the U.S. We sampled 'cue in Santa Maria, CA; KC, MO; Memphis; North and South Carolinas (we're still talking about the mustard BBQ sauce from SC); various spots around TX; and Big Bob Gibson's white BBQ sauce in Alabama. That white BBQ sauce was the only disappointment in the whole lot; the bottled sauce (with "Refrigerate After Opening" on its label) was sitting on every table, room temp. If there's anything less appetizing than that, I don't know what is. Eager to try this fresh recipe to see what all the fuss was about.
 
Julie A.
Julie A. July 9, 2014
We did make this on the Fourth of July and the chicken was fabulous! We made the sauce and completely forgot about it, as the chicken was perfect on its own. I like Eric W's idea of using it on roasted potatoes, though. Next time!
 
Brooke B.
Brooke B. June 29, 2014
I'm making this for a blog post, but have noticed the barbecue sauce isn't quite white. It's more of a yellow-y, pea green color. Where did I go wrong?? Or could it just be that my grapeseed oil has a more vibrant color than most? I'm still planning to BBQ the chicken as directed...hopefully it works out because this sounds so delicious!
 
Kristen M.
Kristen M. June 29, 2014
The marinade will be green-tinted from the poultry seasoning, and the "white sauce" for basting and serving will be a little pinkish from the cayenne -- totally normal!
 
Gunnie
Gunnie June 28, 2014
Couldn't get the mayo to thicken. ?
 
Frances
Frances June 28, 2014
I found that the first batch in which the chicken marinades didn't thicken that well (at least not like euro mayo) either, but I just went with it. Was still yummy.
 
Kristen M.
Kristen M. June 30, 2014
Yes, both will be more like a thick sauce -- neither should be as a prepared mayonnaise.
 
Frances
Frances June 28, 2014
I made this in the oven due to extremely inclement weather in South eastern Australia this week! Very yummy and can't wait to try on the barbie when it gets warmer.
 
Robin
Robin June 26, 2014
Tandoori chicken, marinated in yogurt, spices, oil and lemon juice is another marinade that will insure juicy chicken on the grill.
 
Robin
Robin June 26, 2014
Another way to retain moisture in barbecued chicken is to marinate in yogurt with Indian spices like in recipes for tandoori chicken. There is usually some lemon juice and oil in the marinade as well.
 
Candi
Candi June 25, 2014
Do you think I can use a blender instead of a food processor? (vitamix)
 
Kristen M.
Kristen M. June 25, 2014
Yes, definitely!