My father brought this recipe back from a road trip down south and it's been our family secret ever since.

My father brought this recipe back from a rambling road trip down South sometime in the late seventies, when gas was cheap and he had more curiosity than sense. He stopped at a little roadside joint in Alabama, the kind with a hand-painted sign and smoke curling up from an old pit out back. The owner took a shine to him and slipped him the basics of their tangy white barbecue sauce, swearing him to secrecy. Daddy brought it home to our Midwest kitchen, and over the years we pared it down to three simple ingredients that capture that same bright, peppery, creamy flavor. This oven-baked Alabama white sauce chicken is weeknight-easy but still feels special, with tender thighs baked right on a foil-lined sheet pan and smothered in a tangy mayonnaise-based sauce that caramelizes just a touch around the edges.

I like to serve this chicken just like Daddy remembered it: with simple sides that don’t fight the sauce. Warm potato salad, coleslaw, or buttered corn on the cob all sit nicely next to that tangy, creamy chicken. A pan of baked beans or roasted potatoes works well if you want something heartier, and a few pickle slices or a simple cucumber salad add a nice crunch. Sop up the extra sauce on the baking sheet with soft dinner rolls or a slice of white bread, the way those little Southern barbecue shacks always did.

Servings: 4

2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 6–8 pieces)

Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup, then lightly grease the foil or spray it with cooking spray so the chicken doesn’t stick.

Pat the chicken thighs dry on all sides with paper towels. This helps the sauce cling and keeps the chicken from steaming instead of baking.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and apple cider vinegar until smooth and creamy. Stir in the salt, black pepper, and garlic powder if using. The sauce should be tangy, pourable, and well seasoned—taste and adjust with a pinch more salt or pepper if you like.

Spoon a little of the white sauce into a separate small bowl for brushing on later, so you don’t double-dip into the main bowl with raw chicken. Set this small bowl aside.

Place the chicken thighs on the prepared baking sheet, skin side up, leaving a little space between each piece. Using a spoon or brush, coat each thigh generously with the main bowl of white sauce, making sure to cover the tops and sides. You don’t need to sauce the underside.

Bake the chicken in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Carefully pull the pan out and use the reserved small bowl of sauce to brush another light layer over the tops of the thighs.

Return the chicken to the oven and continue baking for another 15–20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through (internal temperature reaches 175°F–185°F for thighs) and the edges of the sauce look slightly golden and set. The sauce will stay creamy and pale overall, with just a bit of browning here and there.

If you like a little extra color, turn the oven to broil on high for 2–3 minutes at the end, watching closely so the sauce doesn’t burn. You’re looking for a few golden spots on the chicken skin and sauce.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the chicken rest for 5–10 minutes right on the foil-lined pan. The juices will settle, and the sauce will cling nicely to the thighs. Serve warm, scraping up any extra tangy white sauce from the foil to spoon over the chicken on the plate.

Daddy’s original scribbled notes only called for mayonnaise, vinegar, and black pepper, so you can absolutely keep it to those three if you want to stay true to that first Alabama stop. If you prefer a touch of sweetness, whisk 1–2 teaspoons of sugar or honey into the sauce. For more heat, add a pinch of cayenne or a dash of hot sauce. You can also use this same method with bone-in chicken drumsticks or leg quarters; just add extra baking time until the meat is fully cooked. If you’re feeding folks who don’t care for skin, use boneless, skinless thighs and reduce the cooking time by about 10 minutes, watching so they don’t dry out. Leftovers reheat nicely in a low oven, covered loosely with foil, or can be shredded and tucked into sandwiches with a little extra sauce on the side. If you’d like a slightly lighter version, replace a few tablespoons of the mayonnaise with plain yogurt, though it will taste a bit tangier and less traditional. However you adapt it, keep the heart of the recipe the same: a simple, peppery, tangy white sauce and good chicken baked until tender.