Short answer
Shawarma sauce is not one sauce but a few: garlic sauce (toum), tahini sauce, yogurt sauce and chili sauce. Chicken usually gets garlic sauce, beef and lamb get tahini, and a spoon of chili adds heat.
Shawarma sauce is usually one of four sauces: garlic sauce called toum, tahini sauce, yogurt sauce and chili sauce. Each shawarma sauce does a different job, with garlic cutting through rich chicken, tahini softening beef, yogurt cooling the spice and chili adding heat. Wraps often get two together.
What sauces go on shawarma?
The main sauces on shawarma are toum (garlic), tahini sauce, yogurt-garlic sauce and a chili or harissa sauce. Some shops also offer amba, a tangy mango pickle sauce, and a red pepper or tomato sauce.
| Sauce | Main ingredients | Taste | Usual pairing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toum | Garlic, oil, lemon, salt | Sharp, garlicky, fluffy | Chicken |
| Tahini sauce | Tahini, lemon, garlic, water | Nutty, creamy, tangy | Beef, lamb, falafel |
| Yogurt sauce | Yogurt, garlic, mint or dill | Cool, mild, tangy | Spiced meat, kebab |
| Chili sauce | Chili, garlic, vinegar or lemon | Hot, sharp | Any |
| Amba | Pickled mango, fenugreek, spices | Sour, tangy, pungent | Beef, falafel |
What is in shawarma garlic sauce (toum)?
Toum is a Lebanese garlic sauce made from crushed garlic, neutral oil, lemon juice and salt, whipped until thick, white and fluffy. It contains no egg, and the name toum simply means garlic in Arabic.
To make toum, the garlic is crushed with salt, then oil is added very slowly, drop by drop at first, while the machine runs. Lemon juice or cold water is added in between to keep the emulsion stable. Raw garlic gives a powerful bite, so a small spoon is enough.
What is tahini sauce?
Tahini sauce is sesame paste thinned with lemon juice, water, garlic and salt until it can be poured. It tastes nutty, slightly bitter and tangy, and it turns pale and creamy when whisked.
The sauce thickens when the water meets the tahini, which is normal. Keep whisking and adding cold water a little at a time. The sauce goes with falafel, beef shawarma, grilled vegetables and roasted cauliflower.
What is yogurt sauce, and how is it different from toum?
Yogurt sauce is plain yogurt mixed with crushed garlic, salt, and often mint or dried herbs, and it is cooler and milder than toum. Toum is oil-based and sharply garlicky, while yogurt sauce is tangy and creamy.
In the Middle East, the cucumber version is eaten as a side salad called laban bi khyar, and in Turkey as cacik. Greek tzatziki is a close relative. A thicker, strained yogurt gives a heavier sauce, and a looser one suits drizzling.
What is the red sauce on shawarma?
The red sauce on shawarma is usually a chili sauce or a harissa-style paste, made from hot peppers, garlic, vinegar or lemon juice and salt. It adds heat and a bright, sour edge.
Names include shatta in the Levant and harissa in North Africa. Heat levels vary a lot from one shop to another, so add a little first. Some wraps use a milder red pepper and tomato spread instead.
Which sauce goes best with which shawarma?
Chicken shawarma usually goes with garlic sauce, beef and lamb with tahini sauce, and falafel with tahini. A spoon of chili sauce works with any of them.
- Chicken: toum, plus pickled cucumber for crunch
- Beef: tahini sauce, parsley and tomato
- Lamb: yogurt sauce with mint, or tahini
- Falafel: tahini sauce and pickled turnip
- Mixed wrap: garlic sauce with chili on the side
These are common pairings, not rules, and shops build their wraps their own way.
How do you make a simple shawarma sauce at home?
A simple shawarma sauce at home is yogurt, garlic, lemon juice and salt stirred together in under five minutes. It works as a cool, tangy sauce for chicken or beef.
- Mix 1 cup plain yogurt with 1 small clove of crushed garlic.
- Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- Stir in 1 tablespoon chopped mint or parsley, if you like.
- Chill for 15 minutes so the flavors blend.
For a tahini version, whisk 1/4 cup tahini with 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 small crushed clove of garlic, a pinch of salt and 3 to 5 tablespoons of cold water until pourable.
What sauces does Heights Falafel list?
The Heights Falafel menu does not list its sauces. The ChowNow ordering page names the sandwiches and plates and their main ingredients, but it does not say which sauce comes with the chicken or beef shawarma.
On the online ordering page as of November 2026, the Chicken Shawarma Sandwich is $10 and the Beef Shawarma Sandwich is $11, described as marinated boneless chicken and marinated, thinly sliced beef. Two related items do appear: the Baba Ghanouj, described as charcoal-grilled eggplant with tahini and garlic, and the Yogurt Salad, described as cucumber, yogurt, garlic and mint, which is $5 as a side. To find out which sauces are used, ask the staff by phone. See the menu and prices and hours and location pages for details.
Why does garlic sauce taste so strong?
Garlic sauce tastes strong because the garlic is raw and crushed very fine, which releases its sharpest compounds. The oil and lemon carry that flavor across the whole sauce.
The strength also changes with time. A freshly made toum is at its harshest, and it mellows in the fridge over a day. Peeling the cloves and removing any green germ in the center reduces the bitterness. Using fewer cloves, or blanching them briefly, makes a gentler sauce.
How long can you keep shawarma sauces?
Garlic sauce keeps about a week in the fridge, tahini sauce about five days, and yogurt sauce three to four days. Keep each in a clean, covered container and stir before use.
| Sauce | Fridge life | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Toum | About 1 week | Thickens when chilled, stays white |
| Tahini sauce | About 5 days | Stir in cold water to loosen |
| Yogurt sauce | 3 to 4 days | Drain off any water that collects |
| Chili sauce | 2 to 3 weeks | Vinegar or lemon preserves it longer |
Smell and look before using, and discard any sauce that smells sour in an unpleasant way, shows mold, or has separated and will not stir back.
Common questions
What is the white sauce on shawarma?
The white sauce is usually either toum, a fluffy garlic and oil sauce, or a yogurt sauce with garlic. Tahini sauce is paler beige. Shops differ, so ask which one is in the wrap if you need to know.
Is toum the same as mayonnaise?
No, though they look alike. Toum is garlic, oil, lemon juice and salt whipped into an emulsion with no egg. Mayonnaise is made from egg yolk and oil. Some shops thin or mix them, so recipes differ.
What can you use instead of shawarma sauce?
Plain yogurt stirred with crushed garlic, lemon and salt is the quickest substitute. Tahini loosened with lemon and water works for beef. A little harissa or hot sauce adds the chili note.
How long does homemade tahini sauce last?
Homemade tahini sauce keeps about five days in a covered jar in the fridge. It thickens as it cools, so stir in a spoonful of cold water to loosen it before serving.
Is shawarma sauce spicy?
Garlic, tahini and yogurt sauces are not spicy, though raw garlic has a sharp bite. Heat comes from the chili or hot sauce that many shops offer on the side or squirt into the wrap.
Before you go, check the Heights Falafel guide for the current hours and the menu.
This article is general information from an independent guide, not from Heights Falafel itself. For the store’s current details see hours and location.