If you’re looking to level up your Labor Day cookout, Tennessee pitmaster Pat Martin has the recipe you need. His Alabama-style barbecue chicken combines smoky fire, tangy mop sauce, and a creamy white sauce finish that transforms a humble bird into a show-stopper.
This guide breaks down Martin’s method step by step—so you can serve up pit-cooked chicken that tastes straight out of a legendary smokehouse.
Why Alabama-Style Chicken Deserves a Spot on Your Grill
- Alabama white sauce origins: Created at Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in Decatur, Alabama, nearly 100 years ago.
- Signature flavor: A tangy mix of mayonnaise, vinegar, and spices that clings to the chicken and turns glossy over the fire.
- Pitmaster twist: Instead of brushing it on wings or drumsticks, Martin dunks the entire bird in white sauce, then finishes it over the coals for a smoky, glazed crust.
The Reverse Spatchcock Technique
Most barbecue pros spatchcock by removing the backbone. Martin flips that method:
- Split through the breastbone instead of the back.
- Lays the chicken flat, with legs tucked neatly around the breast.
- More even cooking—breast and leg meat finish at the same pace.
This “mistake-turned-method” is Martin’s signature move. It looks tidy on the grill and keeps the chicken exposed to the smoky fire.
Essential Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken (about 3 ½ pounds), brined or dry-brined
- Kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon barbecue rub (Martin uses his Big Hoss Rub)
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup apple juice
- Pat’s Alabama White Sauce (mayonnaise, vinegar, horseradish, black pepper, cayenne)
Step-by-Step: Cooking Pat Martin’s Pit Barbecue Chicken
1. Prep the Bird
- Use kitchen shears to split the chicken through the breastbone.
- Season generously with your barbecue rub.
2. Mix the Mop
- Combine apple cider vinegar and apple juice in a bowl.
- This mixture will be brushed on the chicken throughout cooking.
3. Build Your Fire
- Prepare a bed of coals and let them burn down to medium/medium-low.
- Test with the hand method: hold your palm just above the grate—7–10 seconds means you’re in the right zone.
4. Start Cooking
- Place chicken skin-side down on the grill, cook 5–10 minutes.
- Flip and cook another 5 minutes.
- Pull coals to the perimeter of the grill to form a ring of heat. Add logs or wood slats for steady smoke.
5. Rotate, Flip, and Mop
- Cook at 250°–275°F by flipping and rotating the chicken every 15 minutes.
- Mop with vinegar-apple juice each time.
- Keep the fire fed by shoveling fresh coals from the perimeter inward every 30 minutes.
6. Sauce Dunk and Glaze
- Once chicken reaches 160°F at the leg, dunk it in Alabama white sauce.
- Return to grill, skin-side down, for 10 minutes to let sauce reduce into a glaze.
- Dunk again before resting.
7. Rest and Carve
- Rest the chicken 10 minutes off the heat.
- Carve into pieces and serve with extra white sauce on the side.
Pro Tips for Success
- Patience is everything: This cook takes about 2 hours, so give yourself time.
- Old-school temperature check: Skip the gadgets—Martin swears by the hand test for pit temp.
- Don’t skip the rest: That 10-minute rest allows the sauce to set into a shiny, flavorful crust.
- Wood matters: Hickory or oak give the chicken a deep smoke profile that stands up to the tangy sauce.
Why This Recipe Works
Pat Martin’s Alabama-style pit chicken isn’t just about flavor—it’s about technique. The reverse spatchcock ensures even cooking, the vinegar-apple mop keeps the meat juicy, and the white sauce glaze delivers a tangy punch no bottled barbecue sauce can match.
It’s a little more work than tossing burgers on the grill, but the payoff is massive. This is the kind of chicken that gets remembered long after the cookout.
