Alabama white-sauce chicken

Smoked quarters, then a peppery mayo-vinegar sauce that goes on at the end — never in the cooker.

Made it?

On the fire

Start the clock

Guests

On the fire (lb)

Plate

6 lb on the fire · ~3.9 lb to the table · 8 plates at 8 oz

1 hr 50 min on the clock6 lb · method clock (hours, not pounds)

Cooker

Oven at the same temp if weather wins — you lose smoke, not doneness.

Wood

Weather

About 2 lb of pellets, plus 2 lb extra. Do not start a packer on the last scoop in the bag.

Change the guests — we tell you what to buy. Change the pounds if that’s what’s in the bag.

1 hr 50 min · 25 min hands-on · pull 185°F · rest 10 min

6 lb on the fire · ~3.9 lb to the table · 8 plates at 8 oz

1
Salt the quarters, uncovered, at least an hour. Mix mayo, vinegar, pepper, horseradish, and garlic for the white sauce. Chill it.
2
Dust the chicken with pepper and paprika. Smoke at 275°F until the thigh hits 175–180°F, about 90–110 minutes.
3
Brush a thin coat of white sauce. Raise heat to 375°F for 10 minutes to set it, or move over indirect heat. Pull thighs at 185°F.
4
Rest 10 minutes. Serve with more sauce at the table. The sauce is the dish — do not bury it in barbecue sauce.

Leg quarters → A spatchcocked bird, or wings. Same sauce. Breast still pulls at 157; sauce the dark meat harder.
Hickory → Pecan or apple. White sauce was born next to hickory coals. Fruitwood is milder, still right.
Mayonnaise sauce → Greek yogurt for a lighter dip. It will taste different. Keep the vinegar and a lot of black pepper or it is just ranch.

Grilled quarters
No smoker. Two-zone, indirect to 175, sauce, 5 minutes more. Char the skin over direct at the end if you want.
Sandwich
Leftovers. Pull the meat, toss with white sauce, pickles, soft bun. Do not reheat the sauce in a pan — it breaks.
Half-bird Big Bob
A whole split chicken. Smoke halves skin up. Sauce at the end. Pull breast and thigh on their own numbers.

On the plate

With this dish, try making vinegar slaw.
Anytime. Better after an hour in the fridge. Cabbage, carrot, cider vinegar, a pinch of sugar, salt, pepper. No mayo if the meat is already rich.
20 min
With this dish, try making potato salad.
While the meat rests. Waxy potatoes, salt in the water, mustard-mayo, pickle, celery. Fold when the potatoes are still warm.
45 min
With this dish, try making skillet mac.
In the oven while a roast rests, or the last stretch of a smoke. A real béchamel, cheddar, a breadcrumb top. Do not start it at the same time as a packer and expect timing to match.
40 min