Ultra versatile cheat sauces ready in minutes! Creamy white sauce and spicy red sauce that’s perfect for meal prep, easy dinners, wraps, and chicken over rice.
If you’ve ever loved the addictive flavours on a shawarma plate, gyro, or chicken over rice, you know it’s really all about the sauces. These two — the creamy white sauce and fiery red sauce — are one of my favourite homemade sauces! Not only are they easy to make at home, they’re quick, versatile recipes you can whip up in under 10 minutes.
I like to call them my “kitchen cheat sauces” because once they’re made, they elevate everything: roasted (or air fried) chicken, grilled veggies, wraps, fries, even rice bowls.
They’re perfect for meal prep or for keeping on hand when you need a quick dinner with maximum flavour.
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What Are the White Sauce and Red Sauce?
The white sauce and red sauce you often see drizzled over shawarma or chicken over rice plates have become iconic staples in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean street food.
- The white sauce is a creamy, garlicky, slightly tangy sauce that balances richness with brightness. It complements the bold spices of roasted meat beautifully.
- The red sauce is a spicy, smoky chili sauce made from dried red chilies, garlic, olive oil, and spices like paprika and cumin. It adds (a lot of ) heat, depth, and that signature street-cart flavour punch that keeps you coming back for more. It took me the longest while to experiment with this recipe, and this is the one I’m finally happy with!
Why You’ll Love These Sauces
Key Ingredients
White Sauce
- Mayonnaise – for that dreamy, creamy base! Any mayo will work, but I love using kewpie mayo for this.
- Plain yogurt — creates a slight tanginess.
- Garlic & oregano — the aromatics that give it punch.
- Vinegar + lemon juice — brightens the flavours and balances the richness! And no, it will not be ‘too sour’.
- Optional: sugar — to help balance out flavours.
- Optional: MSG — For that true ‘street cart’ flavour. Chicken bouillon powder works too. If you’re using kewpie mayo however, I would not add msg as it already contains MSG.
Red Sauce
- Dried red chilies — the backbone of that smoky, spicy flavour. I used the same spur dried chillies I use to make my sambals, but any will work such as fresno, serrano, chile de arbol. I recommend using a mild to medium heat chilli. There are dried bird’s eye chillies too, these will pack an insane punch (if you’re up for it!).
- Garlic & olive oil — adds richness and depth.
- Vinegar & lemon juice — balances the heat with brightness.
- Spices: smoked paprika & cumin — give that authentic street-style warmth.
- Optional: bird’s eye chili — for extra kick, if you like it extra hot.
Key Steps for making White Sauce and Red Sauce
1. White Sauce
- Mix Ingredients: In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, yogurt, grated garlic, oregano, black pepper, vinegar, lemon juice, and optional sugar or MSG.
- Taste & Adjust: Check the seasoning — add a little more salt, lemon juice, or sugar if needed to balance tanginess and richness.
- Chill: Transfer to a squeeze bottle or clean jar. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the flavours meld.
2. Red Sauce
- Soak Chilies: Remove stems from dried red chilies and soak them in hot water for 15–20 minutes until soft. Option to reserve a few tablespoons of soaking water.
- Blend: Combine soaked chilies, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, spices (paprika, cumin, salt, sugar), optional bird’s eye chili, and lemon juice. Blend into a paste.
- Gradually add reserved soaking water or just warm water to achieve your desired consistency. It should be thick but liquid enough to easily drizzle.
- Taste & Adjust: Adjust heat (by adding bird’s eye chillies), tang (by adding lemon juice), or sweetness (by adding sugar) to your liking.
- Chill: Transfer to a squeeze bottle or clean jar and refrigerate to let flavours develop further.
Let them rest.
Both sauces taste even better after a day or two as the flavours deepen.
How to Serve
- Drizzle over your Chicken Shawarma Rice Bowl for the ultimate flavour boost.
- Serve alongside roasted/air fried/pan-fried/grilled meats, roasted veggies, or rice bowls.
- Use as a dip for pita, or falafel or even nuggets or fries! it’s addictively good.
Tips & Tricks
How to Store White Sauce and Red Sauce
Storage
- Store in a squeeze bottle! Is it really a sauce if it’s not in a squeeze bottle?
- Alternatively, airtight jars or containers with a tight-fitting lid will work too, albeit less fun.
- For both the white and red sauces, flavours develop more overnight!
Storing
- Fridge: Store both sauces in the fridge for up to 1–2 weeks (although in my experience they last way longer than that!).
- No reheating needed: They’re ready straight from the fridge.
Let them rest.
These sauces are my go-to for chicken over rice, wraps, shawarmas like my Chicken Shawarma Rice Bowl — see how I use them in that recipe here!
Creamy White Sauce and Red Sauce
4
servings20
minutes0
minutesUltra versatile cheat sauces ready in minutes! Creamy white sauce and spicy red sauce that’s perfect for meal prep, easy dinners, wraps, and chicken over rice.
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Ingredients
- White Sauce
1 cup (240 ml) mayonnaise
1 cup (240 ml) yogurt
1 tsp (1 g) dried oregano
0.5 tsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp (30 ml) vinegar (white or apple cider)
1 garlic clove, grated
juice of ½ lemon
0.5 tsp salt, adjust to taste
0.5 tsp sugar (optional, to balance acidity)
¼ tsp MSG (optional)
2 tbsp warm water (optional, for consistency)
- Red Sauce
1 cup (about 30 stalks) dried red chilies, stems removed, loosely packed
1 -2 bird’s eye chilies (optional, for additional heat)
4 cloves garlic
4 tbsp ( 60 ml) olive oil
3 tbsp (45 ml) vinegar (white or apple cider)
0.5 cup (120 ml) warm water (adjust for consistency)
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
0.5 tsp salt, to taste
1 tsp sugar
juice of ½ lemon (optional, for brightness)
Directions
- White Sauce
- In a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, yogurt, oregano, black pepper, minced garlic, vinegar, and lemon juice.
- Whisk until smooth and well combined.
- Taste and adjust: add more salt, lemon, or sugar as needed. Gradually add warm water to adjust consistency. It should be a pourable consistency.
- Chill for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
- Transfer to a squeeze bottle or an airtight jar or container. Keeps in the fridge for 1–2 weeks.
- Red Sauce
- Rinse dried chilies briefly and soak in hot water for 15–20 minutes until soft. Reserve 2–3 tbsp soaking water.
- In a blender or food processor, combine soaked chilies, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, cumin, salt, sugar, optional bird’s eye chilies, and lemon juice.
- Blend until smooth and thick. Add reserved soaking water or warm water, 1 tbsp at a time, to reach a spoonable consistency.
- Taste and adjust: add more chilies for heat, sugar for sweetness, or lemon juice for brightness.
- Transfer to a squeeze bottle or an airtight jar or container. Store in the fridge.
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