Slow Cooker Chicken Sandwiches with Alabama White Sauce
Made with slow-cooked, juicy chicken and a tangy, creamy, homemade white BBQ sauce, these Slow Cooker Chicken Sandwiches with Alabama White Sauce are the ultimate easy-to-make recipe. Perfect for busy weeknights, entertaining at parties, or feeding a crowd at sporting events, these sandwiches are sure to be a fan favorite!
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After falling in love with white BBQ sauce at a local restaurant, I wanted to recreate it at home, and this recipe for Slow Cooker Chicken Sandwiches with Alabama White Sauce is what came of it!
While great any time of year, my family has been eating these sandwiches on repeat all summer long! Slow cookers are great for not heating up the house!
There are many variations of Alabama white sauce, each with their own flavor profile, thickness, spiciness, and tang.
Below are the ingredients used for how I make my version of the sauce.
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Ingredients needed for this recipe (scroll down to recipe card for complete recipe):
- Chicken breasts
- Butter
- Liquid smoke
- Broth
- Worcestershire
- Mayo
- Horseradish
- Apple cider vinegar
- Brown sugar
- Spices (onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, smoked paprika, salt, cayenne)
📍The full recipe with exact ingredient amounts and instructions is on the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
What is Alabama White BBQ Sauce?
According to AL.com (Alabama’s own website), Bob Gibson, the founder of Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q, used his white sauce to keep his smoked chicken moist and prevent it from drying out.
Apparently, Bob Gibson loved vinegary sauces and this white sauce paired well with his smoked chicken.
While each recipe varies, it is usually made with mayo, vinegar, spices, and a touch of sugar.
This delicious sauce is tangy from the vinegar, creamy from mayo, slightly spicy from both horseradish and cayenne, a little peppery, and has just a touch of sweetness from brown sugar.
Because Bob Gibson, the creator of white BBQ sauce, used his sauce to coat smoked chicken, I wanted to create a “smoky” chicken to pair with the sauce.
This slow cooker chicken gets its smoky flavor from smoked paprika and liquid smoke.
How to serve Chicken Sandwiches with Alabama White Sauce:
You can serve this slow cooker chicken as a sandwich on your favorite roll or hamburger bun topped with Alabama white sauce.
Some great toppings for these sandwiches are:
- Garlic Dill Pickles
- Coleslaw
- Bacon
- Spicy Pickled Red Onions
- Sliced cheese
Alternatively, you can serve this BBQ-style with a slice of white bread and serve with pickles and sauce on the side.
How to store slow cooker chicken and Alabama white sauce:
Store the chicken and Alabama white sauce separately. Both the chicken and the sauce can be stored in air-tight containers for up to 4 days.
The chicken can be frozen in freezer-safe containers, but the white sauce cannot.
Looking for more sandwich recipes? Here are some favorites:
- Slow Cooker Italian Beef Sandwiches
- Cajun Egg Salad
- Ultimate Corned Beef Bagel Sandwich (shown below)
- Dill Pickle Tuna Salad
NOTES:
- This recipe includes my version of Alabama white sauce. I am not claiming it to be authentic to the original, just a delicious sauce for these chicken sandwiches.
- If you do not like spicy food, feel free to omit the cayenne pepper and horseradish.
- I developed this recipe with chicken breasts, but feel free to use a combination of breasts and thighs or all thighs.
- I have only made this with the Stubb’s liquid smoke that is linked in the recipe card.
Flavorful Eats is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Slow Cooker Chicken Sandwiches with Alabama White Sauce
Equipment
- 5 quart slow cooker
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 3 tbsp. butter sliced
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/8 tsp. black pepper
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp. liquid smoke
- 8 hamburger buns or rolls
Alabama White Sauce
- 1.25 cup mayo
- 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp. prepared horseradish
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp. brown sugar
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 3/4 tsp. black pepper
Instructions
- Place the chicken in your slow cooker and top with slices of butter. Sprinkle the onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, smoked paprika, and salt over the chicken.
- In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup combine the liquid smoke, Worcestershire sauce, and chicken broth, then pour it over the chicken. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or until a meat thermometer reaches 165°.
- While the chicken cooks, make the Alabama white sauce by combining all of the sauce ingredients (mayo, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, horseradish, cayenne, onion powder, garlic powder, brown sugar, sea salt, and pepper). Mix well, then refrigerate.
- When the chicken is fully cooked, leave all the juices in the slow cooker and shred the chicken. Add the chicken back to the slow cooker with the juices and combine.
- To make sandwiches, add shredded chicken to hamburger buns and top with Alabama white sauce and your favorite toppings. Some great toppings are: coleslaw, dill pickles, pickled red onions, sliced cheese, pickled jalapenos. Enjoy!
Notes
- This recipe includes my version of Alabama white sauce. I am not claiming it to be authentic to the original, just a delicious sauce for these chicken sandwiches.
- If you do not like spicy food, feel free to omit the cayenne pepper and horseradish.
- I developed this recipe with chicken breasts, but feel free to use a combination of breasts and thighs or all thighs.
- I have only made this with the Stubb's liquid smoke that is linked in the recipe card.
- The recipe makes 1 2/3 cup of Alabama white sauce
Did you make this recipe? Rate it and let me know in the comments below! ♥
My family and I have been LOVING these sandwiches! I hope you enjoy my recipe as much as we do!