Alabama White Sauce Lamb Sliders (Printable Format)
Tender pulled lamb with tangy white sauce and crisp slaw on soft buns — Southern comfort in every bite.
# What You Need:
→ Pulled Lamb
01 - 2.5 lbs boneless lamb shoulder
02 - 2 tbsp olive oil
03 - 2 tsp kosher salt
04 - 1 tsp black pepper
05 - 1 tbsp smoked paprika
06 - 2 tsp garlic powder
07 - 1 tsp ground cumin
08 - 1 cup chicken or lamb stock
→ Alabama White Sauce
09 - ½ cup mayonnaise
10 - ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
11 - 1 tbsp prepared horseradish
12 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
13 - 1 tsp lemon juice
14 - ½ tsp garlic powder
15 - ½ tsp onion powder
16 - ½ tsp black pepper
17 - ½ tsp salt
→ Slaw
18 - 2 cups shredded green cabbage
19 - ½ cup shredded carrot
20 - 2 tbsp mayonnaise
21 - 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
22 - Salt and pepper to taste
→ Assembly
23 - 8 soft slider buns
24 - Pickled red onions (optional)
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 300°F.
02 - In a small bowl, combine smoked paprika, garlic powder, cumin, kosher salt, and black pepper. Rub the spice mixture evenly over the entire surface of the lamb shoulder.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Sear the lamb shoulder on all sides until deeply browned, approximately 3 to 4 minutes per side.
04 - Pour the stock into the pot around the lamb. Cover tightly with a lid and transfer to the preheated oven. Roast for 3 hours or until the lamb is fork-tender and shreds apart effortlessly.
05 - While the lamb braises, whisk together mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, prepared horseradish, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and salt in a medium bowl until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
06 - Toss shredded cabbage and carrot with mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper in a bowl until evenly coated. Refrigerate until serving.
07 - Remove the lamb from the oven and shred the meat directly in the pot using two forks, mixing it with the accumulated cooking juices. Drizzle with Alabama White Sauce and toss to coat evenly.
08 - Layer the sauced pulled lamb onto the bottom half of each slider bun. Top with slaw and pickled red onions if desired. Drizzle with additional white sauce, cap with the top bun, and serve immediately.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The white sauce is unlike anything you have had on barbecue, tangy and creamy with a horseradish kick that makes you close your eyes on the first bite.
- Lamb shoulder shreds into the most impossibly tender strands that soak up every bit of seasoning and juice.
- These sliders are the kind of food that makes a casual Saturday feel like a bona fide celebration.
02 -
- If you open the oven lid before the three hours are up you will release all the steam that is keeping the lamb moist and you will regret it when the meat turns out dry.
- The white sauce tastes significantly better after sitting in the fridge for at least an hour, so make it first and let it rest while the lamb cooks.
03 -
- Let the seared lamb rest for five minutes before returning it to the pot with the stock because carrying over too much residual heat can cause the braising liquid to boil and toughen the meat fibers.
- Toast the slider buns cut side down in a dry skillet for about thirty seconds before assembling because that slight golden crispness creates a barrier that keeps the bun from turning soggy under the sauce.