What Sauce Is On Arby's Gyros?

There are plenty of surprising facts about Arby's roast beef. But, aside from particularly astounding discoveries (like when someone once found a finger in their Arby's sandwich), there's one piece of information hiding in plain sight — that the joint sells more than just Classic Roast Beef. What a doozy, right? Arby's has become so well-known for such prominent offerings as the Beef 'N' Cheddar and the Smokehouse Brisket the world often forgets there's a whole lot more to the menu. Just take a look at its long-standing Greek Gyro, one of Arby's best high-protein meals, which is largely characterized by a special condiment simply referred to as "gyro sauce."

This gyro sauce tops the Greek feast (which is made up of gyro meat and seasoning, shredded lettuce, red onion, and tomato, all wrapped in a warm pita) and ties all these ingredients together with its creamy texture and a refreshing, tangy flavor. As vague as Arby's name is for the condiment, it's simply the restaurant's own take on the usual tzatziki sauce you'd find on any other classic Greek gyro. While there are a few differences between the two, all in all, they have a similar flavor profile.

Though most widely known for its use on gyros, authentic tzatziki sauce has a light and herbaceous flavor that can be used in a number of ways, whether it's to put a Greek spin on coleslaw or to upgrade your chicken salad with a Mediterranean-style twist. It's composed of just a few simple ingredients: Greek yogurt, grated cucumber, and garlic. You might also find other additions like dill or mint and lemon juice.

Arby's tzatziki gyro sauce recipe has a lot of overlap with the traditional version. For example, it contains cucumbers, garlic, and lemon juice to give it that same bright taste. What chiefly separates the two variations is that the fast food chain does away with the typical Greek yogurt base and instead uses buttermilk, egg yolks, and nonfat dry milk, amongst other ingredients. Buttermilk is incorporated as an alternative dairy product and gives off a tang comparable to Greek yogurt due to its acidic taste. This swap is the most notable difference between traditional tzatziki and Arby's rendition, save for a few preservatives the chain uses that you won't find in your cupboard at home. Otherwise, both work exceptionally well as a sauce for gyros and even as a dip for veggies.