Alabama Style Chicken Sandwich
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This Alabama chicken sandwich is a way to make use of leftover grilled, rotisserie, or smoked chicken for a quick, tasty lunch or dinner! I realize it’s a big claim, but this is one of my all-time favorite sandwiches. The shredded poultry is coated in tangy Alabama white sauce, topped with dill pickles, and spooned onto a fluffy bun in 10 minutes or less.
In true Alabama style, this zesty Southern chicken sandwich is topped with crisp pickles and served on a toasted bun (I use buttery brioche buns from the market). With that combination of textures and flavors, you can’t stop after just one. Good thing the serving size for this chicken sandwich recipe leaves room for two! It also makes some seriously delicious sliders for gameday or a potluck.
For an Alabama chicken sandwich, it has to be Alabama white sauce. I love it on a grilled spatchcock chicken, shredded chicken sandwich, and sometimes I’ll even throw it in when I’m making a chicken salad sandwich — just an easy way to add a little zest to an everyday recipe!
Table of Contents
Feel free to top your sandwiches with onions, tomatoes, lettuce, and any of your BBQ sandwich favorites.
My favorite way to prepare this recipe is by keeping it simple by making my BBQ spatchcocked chicken, basted with white BBQ sauce, the day before, dill pickles and a toasted brioche bun. I’m doubling down on flavor!
Shred that chicken
Truth be told, I have the easiest time using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. You’ll have perfectly shredded poultry in 30 seconds! Drop the cooked rotisserie chicken meat in the bowl and, using the paddle attachment, turn it on and BAM! Shredded chicken in 30 seconds.
Otherwise, you can shred by hand with two forks or a pair of meat-shredding claws.
(Be sure to check the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and quantities)
- Shredded Cooked Chicken – Have any leftover chicken breast or rotisserie from last night’s dinner? Shred it for this chicken sandwich recipe! Even if the leftover meat is a little dry, the shredded chicken sandwich will be smothered with plenty of sauce.
- Hamburger Buns – Slather them with a little butter before toasting. Regular hamburger buns or potato buns are well and good, but have you ever had an Alabama chicken sandwich on a brioche bun? Those dense, buttery buns are just slightly sweet and hold up really well even when piled high with saucy shredded meat.
- Alabama White Sauce – This sauce is what truly makes a Southern chicken sandwich — creamy, zesty, and undeniably rich. As always, I prefer making my condiments at home. You can really control the heat and tang when you assemble the sauce yourself. Otherwise, it isn’t too hard to find a white BBQ sauce at the grocery store.
- Dill Pickle Slices – Craving a little more heat? Use these spicy dill pickles or pickled jalapenos! Feel free to use bread and butter if you’re a sweet pickle fan.
- Shred & Season. Add the shredded meat to a bowl and top with the Alabama white sauce. Toss to coat the meat with the white BBQ sauce and set aside while toasting the buns.
- Toast the Buns. Heat a skillet on medium-high heat. Lightly butter both sides of a hamburger bun and place in the pan. Toast for just a minute or so per side, just long enough to get a little texture and golden color. Repeat for all of the buns you’ll need for serving.
- Assemble the Sandwiches. Assemble each shredded chicken sandwich by scooping 1 cup of the saucy meat and 4 dill pickle slices onto each.
- Serve your Southern chicken sandwich within 30 minutes of toasting and topping the buns for the best texture.
Recommended Tools
- Saucepan – I always think it’s worth quickly toasting hamburger buns for this Alabama chicken sandwich — or any other sandwich!
Storing and Reheating
Leftovers from this chicken sandwich recipe are especially delicious because the meat takes on more and more of the flavor from the white BBQ sauce as it sits in the fridge.
The longevity of your Alabama-style shredded poultry will depend on when the meat itself was prepared. Cooked poultry is safe to eat for up to 4 days, according to the USDA.
You can safely freeze shredded poultry (without the sauce) for up to 4 months! Just thaw it in the fridge before tossing in the sauce.
As far as leftovers go, you can make an Alabama chicken sandwich with the meat hot or cold. If you like it cold, just scoop it onto a freshly toasted bun and enjoy! If you prefer it hot, just reheat it briefly in the microwave before scooping and serving.
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It’s a creamy mayonnaise-based barbecue sauce seasoned with vinegar, mustard, cayenne, and horseradish. It has a bit of a kick but isn’t too spicy and is a fantastically rich, moist sauce that’s perfect for smoked, grilled, or slow-cooked meat and or vegetables.
You can certainly shred and freeze the meat, but not after the sauce is added.
Mayonnaise doesn’t freeze well at all. It’s safe to eat, but the emulsification breaks down and the ingredients separate once frozen and thawed.
Suffice it to say, it’s not the creamy white sauce it was before freezing!
Warm, freshly cooked meat is easier to shred than cold, leftover meat. You can quickly make shredded chicken by boiling a few breasts for 8 or 10 minutes, letting them cool until easy to handle, and shredding.
I have the easiest time using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. You’ll have perfectly shredded poultry in 30 seconds!
Otherwise, you can shred by hand with two forks or a pair of meat-shredding claws.
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Alabama Style Chicken Sandwich
Ingredients
- 8 hamburger buns (See Note 1)
- 8 cups shredded cooked chicken (See Note 2)
- 1 cup Alabama White Sauce
- 32 dill pickle slices
- butter for toasted buns
Instructions
- In a bowl add the shredded chicken and Alabama White Sauce. Toss to coat and set aside.
- Toast the hamburger buns until golden brown. Spread butter on (optional).
- Place 1 cup of the chicken mixture on the bottom of a bun, top with 4 dill pickle slices and place top bun half on top.
- Serve 2 sandwiches per person.
Video
Notes
- Regular hamburger buns are fine, BUT I highly recommend brioche buns. They are buttery, dense and hold up well slathered with all of the Alabama White Sauce.
- I like to use a rotisserie chicken OR my BBQ Spatchcocked chicken that has been basted with the Alabama White Sauce while smoking and shred it.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Thank you for reposting with the recipe link… This looks absolutely delicious! I appreciate all you do for us.
Thanks so much for following along Barbara!
Do you serve this warm or cold?
Either works, but typically after the chicken gets shredded and tossed with the Alabama White Sauce it is room temp or you could chill the mixture, too.
The best chicken sandwich ever! Love how simple it is to make and how tasty it is toO!
This is absolutely amazing! Packed full of delicious flavors!
So glad you enjoyed this one Toni, it’s one of my all time favorite sandwiches, too. 🙂
Yum!!! This shredded chicken sandwich is such a great dinner idea. Love it.
Thanks Erin! Lunch, dinner or even use the chicken with crackers to snack on. So good!
Best looking sandwich I have ever seen!
Now that’s a big compliment, thanks so much Amanda! I love it because you can make a ton before and feed a crowd with a make it yourself line up of all the goodies. So tasty!
This looks so delicious! My husband is going to love this sandwich!
It’s one of my all time favorites Beth. Thanks so much!
Love, love, love this sandwich. One of my all time favorites!!
Oh Boy…does this ever sound good. I can’t wait to give your chicken sandwiches a try.
Thanks Karen! It’s a great way to use up any leftover chicken and makes one tasty sandwich. 🙂
Well this looks entirely delicious! Just added your white sauce and this amazing sandwich on my to-try list!
Even for a quick way, just pick up a rotisserie chicken and lunch or dinner in minutes! 🙂