This smoked chicken starts with whole birds cut into halves, seasoned generously with Rub Yer Meat BBQ Rub, and smoked at 300°F until the skin is browned and the chicken is tender.

Then comes the part that makes the whole thing different.

The finished chicken gets coated in a cold Alabama white sauce made with mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, horseradish, mustard, lemon, brown sugar, cayenne, and black pepper.

Smoky chicken.

Cool, tangy sauce.

It works considerably better than it should. 

What Is Alabama White Sauce?

Alabama white sauce lives in a completely different neighborhood from the tomato-based BBQ sauces most people are used to.

Mayonnaise forms the base, but vinegar and lemon juice thin it out and give it plenty of acidity. Horseradish, Dijon mustard, cayenne, and black pepper add enough bite to keep the sauce from feeling heavy.

There's also a little brown sugar in the mix, but this isn't really a sweet BBQ sauce.

It's creamy, tangy, peppery, and sharp.

And when it hits smoky chicken seasoned with Rub Yer Meat, all that acidity cuts through the richness of the meat and skin.

Why Smoke the Chicken at 300°F?

Chicken doesn't need to spend all afternoon crawling along at 225°F.

Cooking at 300°F still gives the chicken plenty of time to pick up smoke, while the higher temperature does a better job rendering the fat underneath the skin.

That's particularly helpful when you're cooking chicken halves.

You still get that unmistakable smoked flavor, but you're cooking hot enough to develop better color and texture on the outside.

Chicken Halves Make This Easy

Cutting a whole chicken into halves gives you a lot of control during the cook.

After removing the backbone and breastbone, splitting the bird completely down the middle creates two pieces that are easy to season, arrange on the smoker, rotate if necessary, and dip into the white sauce when they're finished.

Smoked Chicken with Alabama White Sauce Recipe

Yield: Approximately 6 servings
Smoker Temperature: 300°F
Cooking Method: Smoking
Target Internal Temperature: 175°F
Estimated Cook Time: Cook to temperature; timing will vary with chicken size

Ingredients

For the Smoked Chicken

• 1–2 whole chickens
• Rub Yer Meat BBQ Rub, as needed

For the Alabama White Sauce

• 3 cups mayonnaise
• 1 1/4 cups apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons prepared horseradish
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 1/2 teaspoons cayenne powder
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• Kosher salt, to taste

Instructions

1. Remove the Backbone

Place the chicken breast-side down on a cutting board.

Using a sharp knife or sturdy kitchen shears, cut along both sides of the backbone and remove it.

Repeat with the second chicken if you're cooking two.

2. Split the Chicken Into Halves

Turn the chicken over and remove the breastbone.

Cut completely through the center of the chicken to separate it into two halves.

3. Season With Rub Yer Meat

Pat the chicken halves dry.

Season every side generously with Rub Yer Meat BBQ Rub, making sure to get good coverage on both the skin and underside of the chicken.

4. Preheat the Smoker

Preheat your smoker to 300°F.

Once the cooker is stable and producing clean smoke, you're ready for the chicken.

5. Smoke the Chicken

Place the chicken halves directly onto the smoker grates with space between each piece for heat and smoke to circulate.

Smoke at 300°F until the chicken is deeply browned and approaching its final internal temperature.

6. Make the Alabama White Sauce

While the chicken cooks, combine the mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, horseradish, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, cayenne, black pepper, and kosher salt in a bowl.

Whisk until completely smooth.

7. Chill the Sauce

Cover the sauce and refrigerate it until the chicken is ready.

The sauce is served cold, so don't leave it sitting next to the smoker waiting for its big moment.

8. Check the Chicken

Begin checking the thickest portions of the chicken with an instant-read thermometer as it nears completion.

Continue smoking until the chicken reaches approximately 165°F internally.

Cook to temperature rather than relying on a specific time.

9. Rest Briefly

Remove the chicken halves from the smoker and let them rest briefly.

Meanwhile, pour some of the chilled Alabama white sauce into a container large enough to dip the chicken.

Keep a separate portion of sauce clean for serving.

10. Dip the Chicken

Take each chicken half and dip it into the Alabama white sauce, coating the exterior generously.

Let the excess sauce drip away before moving the chicken to your serving platter.

If dipping an entire chicken half feels a little aggressive, you can also brush or spoon the sauce generously over the top.

But the dip looks considerably more fun.

11. Serve

Serve the chicken while it's still warm, with additional Alabama white sauce on the side.

That combination of smoky Rub Yer Meat seasoning and cold, tangy white sauce is the whole reason we're here.

Keep Some Sauce Separate

This one is worth saying twice.

Before dipping cooked chicken into your bowl of Alabama white sauce, set aside a separate portion for serving.

That way you have clean sauce for anyone who wants a little extra at the table.

And they probably will.

Smoke, Tang, and a Whole Lot of White Sauce

The fun part about this recipe is how different the two halves of it feel.

The chicken itself is straightforward BBQ: smoke, good seasoning, rendered skin, and Rub Yer Meat.

Then Alabama white sauce shows up with vinegar, horseradish, mustard, lemon, and mayonnaise and takes the whole thing somewhere else.

Sometimes the best thing you can do to smoked meat is leave the bottle of traditional BBQ sauce in the refrigerator.

Rub yer meat. Smoke the chicken. Dip responsibly.