Halal White Sauce Recipe (Halal Guys Style, 5 Minutes)

Halal white sauce is the creamy, tangy sauce poured over chicken and rice at New York halal carts. It is a cold mix of mayonnaise and yogurt with vinegar, lemon, garlic powder and black pepper. It takes 5 minutes to stir together, with no cooking.

This recipe makes about 1 1/2 cups, enough for 6 platters. Below you will also find a Halal Guys-style version and a version without yogurt.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (240 g) halal-compliant mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup (120 g) plain whole-milk yogurt
• 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 to 3 tablespoons cold water, as needed

Mayonnaise and yogurt. Mayonnaise gives the thick, rich base. Yogurt adds tang and makes it lighter. Greek yogurt works too and gives a thicker sauce, so add a little more water.

Vinegar and lemon. These give the sharp taste you know from the carts. Start with the amounts above, then add more if you like it tangier.

Halal check. The sauce has no meat, but read the labels. Pick a mayonnaise and a yogurt marked halal, or with no gelatin or animal enzymes you avoid.

How to Make Halal White Sauce

1. Mix the base. Put the mayonnaise and yogurt in a medium bowl. Whisk for 30 to 45 seconds, until smooth with no streaks.
2. Add the flavor. Whisk in the vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, garlic powder, parsley, salt and pepper until the sugar and salt dissolve.
3. Thin it. Add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time. Use 1 tablespoon for a spoonable sauce, or 2 to 3 for a thin drizzle.
4. Chill. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours. The garlic and pepper soften as it rests. Stir, taste, and add salt or lemon if needed.

Want it in a squeeze bottle like the carts? Thin it with 2 to 3 tablespoons of water, then pour it in with a small funnel.

What Is the White Sauce on Halal Food?

Most carts simply call it “white sauce.” It is a creamy, cold sauce based on mayonnaise, often mixed with yogurt or sour cream. Vinegar, lemon, black pepper and a pinch of sugar give it a tangy, slightly sweet taste.

It is not tzatziki. Tzatziki is yogurt with cucumber, garlic and dill, and it has no mayonnaise. It is not ranch either. Ranch uses buttermilk and lots of herbs. White sauce is thicker, with more pepper and vinegar.

On a cart platter it goes on with a hot red sauce. If you want the red one too, thin some harissa with a little water and lemon juice. Use it with care, because it is very spicy.

Halal Guys-Style White Sauce

The famous cart sauce tastes mostly of mayonnaise, with extra tang and plenty of black pepper. Many home cooks get close with a simple mayo-forward mix. This is a copycat, not the official recipe.

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 to 2 tablespoons water

Whisk everything together and chill for 1 hour before serving. It should taste a little tangier than plain mayonnaise, with visible pepper.

Swaps: No Yogurt, Dairy-Free, Lighter

Without Yogurt

Use the same amount of sour cream for a similar tang. Or skip it and use the Halal Guys-style version above, which is all mayonnaise.

Dairy-Free

Use a dairy-free plain yogurt. Regular mayonnaise has egg but no milk, so it is already dairy-free. For an egg-free sauce, use egg-free mayonnaise as well.

Lighter

Use half mayonnaise and half Greek yogurt. The sauce gets tangier and thicker, so add a little more water.

What to Serve It With

• Chicken and rice: the classic cart platter with spiced chicken, yellow rice, lettuce and tomato.
• Gyros and shawarma: spread it inside the pita or drizzle it on top.
• Falafel: use it instead of tahini sauce.
• Salads and bowls: thin it a little and use it as a dressing.
• Fries and roasted vegetables: as a dip.

Plan about 2 to 4 tablespoons per platter.

Storage

Keep the sauce in a sealed jar or squeeze bottle in the fridge for up to 4 days. Stir or shake before using. Do not leave it out for more than 2 hours, because it has mayonnaise and yogurt. Do not freeze it. It separates and turns grainy when it thaws.

Troubleshooting

Too Thin?

Whisk in mayonnaise or Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Too Thick?

Whisk in cold water, 1 teaspoon at a time.

It Separated?

Whisk hard for 30 seconds. If it stays thin, whisk in 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise.

Too Tangy?

Add a pinch of sugar and a spoon of mayonnaise, then taste again.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the White Sauce at Halal Carts Called?

Most carts just call it white sauce. Some people call it halal sauce or halal cart sauce.

Is Halal White Sauce the Same as Tzatziki?

No. Tzatziki has cucumber and no mayonnaise. Halal white sauce is mostly mayonnaise with vinegar, lemon and black pepper.

Does Halal White Sauce Have Dairy?

This version does, because of the yogurt. Mayonnaise has egg but no dairy. Use the swaps above for a dairy-free sauce.

Can I Make It Without Yogurt?

Yes. Use sour cream, or make the Halal Guys-style version with mayonnaise only.

Is Halal White Sauce Spicy?

No. It is mild and tangy, with a little bite from black pepper. The heat on a cart platter comes from the red sauce.

How Long Does It Last?

Up to 4 days in a sealed container in the fridge. Do not freeze it.

What Can I Use It On Besides Chicken and Rice?

Gyros, shawarma, falafel, salads, rice bowls, fries and roasted vegetables.

Recipe Card

Yield: about 1 1/2 cups (6 platters)

Prep time: 5 minutes

Chill time: 30 minutes (up to 2 hours)

Total time: 35 minutes

Related Recipes

Make the full cart platter with this halal chicken over rice, which also has a yogurt-marinated halal cart chicken version. For an easy weeknight dinner, the sauce is also good on this crockpot chicken and rice.

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