A simple shawarma sauce that is creamy and delicious. This sauce is great in sandwiches, over salads, and perfect for dipping veggies.

If you love shawarmas then you have tasted this creamy, garlicky, sauce. Most of the time the sauce that is used in shops is made with mostly mayo and tends to leave me with a heavy feeling afterwards. Using yogurt as a base and adding just the right amount of mayo with some fresh lemon juice creates the most delicious shawarma sauce that you will ever taste.

Ingredients for Shawarma Sauce
- plain yogurt (feel free to use Greek yogurt instead)
- mayonnaise
- lemon juice
- fresh garlic
Optional: tahini, mint, sumac
What to serve the sauce with
This sauce goes well with everything. Once you make it you will use it in many ways. Here are a few:
- use it as a spread in sandwiches
- use it as a dip for veggies, pita chips, or fries
- use it as a burger sauce
- use it as a salad dressing
- serve it with Lebanese cauliflower
How long does Shawarma Sauce last in the refrigerator?
Store the shawarma sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. I will honestly say that it has never lasted more than a few days in my home but, there are 7 of us so, do let me know if yours makes it to day 14. 😆
Optional Flavorings
This sauce is perfect as is but, you can switch it up to create many new flavor combinations. Here are a few ideas. Feel free to share your favorites with me in the comments section.
- Add some sriracha to spice up the sauce
- add some harissa for a warm and smoky twist
- add some finely chopped fresh mint or dill for more freshness
- substitute some of the yogurt with sour cream for richness
- add some sumac for color and a tangy kick
- add some tahini paste for richness
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The Best Shawarma White Sauce
A simple shawarma sauce that is creamy and delicious. This sauce is great in sandwiches, over salads, and perfect for dipping veggies.
Ingredients
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove, grated
Instructions
Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together until smooth. Taste and add some salt and pepper if desired.
Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.




Sounds divine – I’ll add just a smidgeon of either finely chopped mint or dill. Yum!
Must I add yoghurt and lemon juice. Can’t I just do with pepper, salt, mayonnaise and garlic. Can I also add little ketchup and freshyo yoghurt
The yogurt and lemon juice make it lighter and more vibrant. But, feel free to leave it out if you’d like 🙂
I will make it
Good
Yes ok
It’s look tasty
The original ones does not contain Mayonnaise at all, just either regular Yoghurt or Greek Yoghurt 🙂 For a better protein option with basically same flavor, go for “Skyr” 🙂
What is the best way to thin this sauce out so that it can be poured over a salad?
Add some water to it and olive oil 🙂 I would also add more lemon juice and use plain yogurt, not Greek yogurt.
Can I add ketchup and chilli sauce to mine? Would it come out nice?
Sounds good
This recipe sounds delicious as I copied the ingredients I am going to try it today, we all love sauce so now I can make it all the time as we are five family members in the home, thank you very much for sharing, much appreciated, I am always looking for new recipes and ideas to make cooking fun and exciting.
I hope that you enjoy it! My family loves this recipe 🙂
this is delicious. I have tried and failed to make toum so many times. Its not toum but it is so easy to make and still tastes really good. i added extra garlic cloves and some garlic powder as i wanted it good and garlicky like Toum. it also tastes great on tacos and nachos (im not able to eat salsa so adds a nice flavour to everything
I like it so much
Can this be heated to put on hot food?
can the shawarma sauce be made with other Ingredients for vegan recipes
can we add some mayonnaises to it?
Yes of course!
This is trash. it’s too much mayo relative to yogurt, and it needs way more garlic.
I am allergic to garlic (I know I know) but I am. What about more parsley or mint and lemon? I can have a little garlic so I was thinking of adding a little harissa ? Using yogurt , I am very excited. I have eaten it in middle eastern restaurants but never made it myself. So here goes.
That sounds like a great plan! You can definitely substitute with extra parsley, mint, and lemon to boost the flavor. Harissa will add a nice kick and depth, too! I think the yogurt will provide that creamy tang that balances everything. Let me know how it turns out—I’m sure it will be fantastic!
Simple, tasty, and quick! Love this 4 ingredient recipe!
Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed it—sometimes the simplest recipes are the best, right? Four ingredients, full of flavor, and on the table fast… that’s a win all around!
Delicious! I was missing the fabulous Mediterranean restaurants and their signature dishes from my previous residency. I prepared the one pan shawarma chicken and rice with this white sauce. The house smelled amazing! My daughter and son-in-law couldn’t wait to eat. Rave reviews from my family and I loved it!
I am grateful to you for sharing your recipes. Thank you!
I added a bit of sugar (1/4-1/2 tsp) and it rounded everything out beautifully. I used bottled lemon juice, bottled minced garlic, and paprika for colour. Great, simple recipe. Will use again
I made this because it sounded similar to the garlic sauce I got at a kebab place where I’d get the shawarma fries. It tastes great! I’m hoping it just gets even better with time in the fridge with all that garlic! Mmmm
This has come out very thin