Halal Guys White Sauce Recipe  (2024)

No visit to New York City is complete without stopping for a meal at one of the many Halal “Street Meat” carts, and far and away the most popular of them all is The Halal Guys.

Their food cart is stationed on 53rd street and 6th Ave where tourists and natives alike wait patiently for plates of chicken over yellow rice doused in their famous white sauce.

Creamy, tangy, and utterly delicious, the Halal Guys white sauce recipe is a closely guarded secret, but we think we might have cracked the code!

How to make Halal Guys white sauce

If you’ve never had halal cart-style chicken, the basic concept is taking both chicken breast and chicken thigh, slathering them in a marinade, layering them over a spit, and slow roasting until the meat is juicy and tender.

The chicken is then served over a plate of rice or rolled up in pita bread along with iceberg lettuce, onions, tomatoes, hot sauce, and copious amounts of halal white sauce – the mysterious star of the show.

The Halal Guys recently released an ingredient list for their white sauce containing egg yolk, confirming the use of mayonnaise as part of the base, but the rest is a tightly guarded secret.

It’s suspected that Greek yogurt, vinegar, and lemon juice play a role, along with “natural flavors” and black pepper.

Though we may never know the exact ingredients it’s still worth making on repeat!

This white sauce comes together in under 5 minutes and then rests in the fridge for 30 minutes to thicken.

Best of all, it can be served with so much more than Halal Guys chicken!

Ingredients:

(8-10 servings)

• • ½ cup full-fat mayonnaise
  • ½ cup Greek yogurt
  • 2 tbsp distilled white vinegar
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tsp dried parsley
  • 2 tsp granulated sugar
  • ½ tsp ground red pepper (optional)

Instructions:

This sauce comes together in minutes, but letting it thicken in the fridge for half an hour is the most important step.

For easier use, funnel it into squeeze bottles and drizzle it over your dishes.

Step 1:

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, vinegar, lemon juice, herbs, pepper, garlic, sugar, salt, and red pepper (if using).

Whisk vigorously until the sauce is hom*ogenous and the spices are well incorporated.

Step 2:

Place sauce in the fridge, uncovered, for 30 minutes to thicken.

If it hasn’t thickened sufficiently, add one additional tablespoon of yogurt.

Taste and adjust salt levels if necessary.

Step 3:

Serve and enjoy!

Ingredients substitutions

The great thing about halal white sauce is there is no one-size-fits-all approach to recipes leaving plenty of room for experimentation.

Here are a few substitutions that will work for this recipe.

1. Sour Cream

If you aren’t a fan of Greek yogurt or simply don’t have it on hand, sour cream is an excellent swap.

Sour cream has a similar tanginess and creamy texture, but it isn’t as thick as Greek yogurt.

Let the sauce thicken in the fridge for slightly longer if you’re using sour cream, but you don’t need to go crazy.

2. Lime Juice

There are two acid components in this recipe, and both are necessary.

While it isn’t recommended to cut out the citrus, if you aren’t crazy about lemon, lime juice is a good sub.

Avoid Key limes, as they will make the sauce too sweet.

3. Fresh Herbs

If you prefer using fresh herbs over dried ones, that is not a problem! Fresh herbs work very well in this recipe and are definitely encouraged!

To use fresh herbs, double the quantity (1 tsp dried = 2 tsp fresh) and make sure the herbs are finely chopped before adding to the mixing bowl.

4. White Wine Vinegar

Use white wine vinegar in place of distilled white vinegar if you want a more nuanced and delicate sauce.

What to serve with Halal Guys White Sauce

This sauce was made to go over halal meat, and while the chicken is the most popular choice, there are myriad of meats and vegetables that go well with it.

You’ll want to reach for heavily spiced meats so the sauce isn’t overwhelming, and grilled or roasted preparations are always a good move!

Grilled Chicken Salad

Everyone loves a grilled chicken salad and creamy dressing, and this sauce is a wonderful stand-in for traditional blue cheese or ranch.

Use a hearty green as the base for the salad and spicy grilled chicken!

Lamb

Like chicken, lamb is a heavy hitter in halal food, and the meat is used in many gyro recipes.

This sauce goes well with lamb in any preparation, though it’s traditionally served as a condiment.

If you’re making lamb burgers, use this sauce in place of mayo, or serve it as a dipping sauce to lamb chops.

Coleslaw

Believe it or not, this sauce is an excellent dressing for coleslaw.

The mayo and dairy base along with the acidic component give off a similar effect as coleslaw dressing.

The spices will complement the coleslaw mix and give it an extra, addictive zing.

Steak

The traditional cream sauce with steak is horseradish cream, and while that is a glorious combination of flavors not everyone is a fan of horseradish.

This white sauce not only offers a creamy contrast to the seared crust of a steak, but the acidity will also help cut through some of the fat and centralize the steak’s flavor without competing with it.

Next time you’re craving steak, whip up this sauce.

It may be your new favorite pairing.

Asparagus

Asparagus loves a creamy sauce and this one is perfect for it.

It’s lighter than bearnaise, much easier to make and can be enjoyed with hot or chilled asparagus.

While this will work well with both white and green asparagus, the optimal choice is green asparagus, as it’s more intense and grassy than white asparagus and will stand up better to herbs and spices.

How to store Halal Guys White Sauce

The Halal Guys white sauce is very easy to store and very easy to scale up, so you can make a large batch and set any extra aside for future use.

Store in the fridge

This white sauce will stay good for up to 1 week in the fridge.

If you’ve already transferred the sauce to a squeeze bottle, it can be stored in the bottle with the cap closed.

If you haven’t used a condiment bottle, simply pour the sauce into an airtight container.

The sauce will continue to thicken as it sits in the fridge, so let it come up to room temperature and give it a stir before using.

If it gets too thick, add one tablespoon of water at a time until you’ve reached the desired consistency.

Store in the freezer

This sauce keeps very well in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Pour into a freezer-safe container or bag and eliminate as much air as possible before freezing to prevent ice crystals.

To thaw, place in the fridge 12 to 24 hours before using, or thaw on the counter for 3-4 hours.

The consistency may change slightly once thawed.

If this happens, whisk vigorously in a mixing bowl until the consistency is correct.

Thin out with water one tablespoon at a time if needed.

Do not refreeze.

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