Virginia White Sauce (Salsa) – The Country Cook

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A Norfolk city favorite, this Virginia White Sauce is a thick and creamy sauce that became a popular dip at a favorite local Mexican restaurant!

A LOCAL RECIPE FOR WHITE SALSA

This is a very niche recipe for a small select group of people who have heard of it. Virginia White Sauce (or White Salsa) is a regional condiment very specific to the Tidewater area of ​​Virginia – more specifically in Norfolk (my hometown). It was created by a local Mexican restaurant owner (Willie Jenkins at El Toro) who was looking to create a salad dressing for his guests. This is the recipe he came up with; however, guests started using it to dip their tortilla chips in and the rest is history! I am sharing his original recipe below. It can be tailored to your tastes (most people like to thin it out a bit.)

a hand holding a tortilla chip and dipping it into white sauce in a small clear bowl.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

This seems a bit thick, how do I make it thinner?

I wanted to keep with the original recipe that was given and it is pretty thick. All you have to do is add a splash of milk and whisk. Keep adding the milk little by little until you get the consistency you enjoy.

Can I use mayonnaise instead of Miracle Whip?

I’ll be honest, I am not a fan of Miracle Whip but it really does work with this recipe. The little extra tang from the Miracle Whip adds to the other flavors. If you want to stay true to the original recipe, you must use Miracle Whip. However, you can use mayonnaise if you insist. I would use Duke’s mayonnaise if you can find it since it has more of the tang to it similar to that of Miracle Whip.

What can this be used for?

As I said above, it’s intended use was for a salad dressing. So, you could certainly use it on salads. Also as a dip for tortilla chips and even a dip for fresh veggies! You could also thin in out with a bit of milk (to make it more of a drizzle) and use it on your favorite pulled pork or chicken.

Could I use fresh garlic?

Personally, I am a huge fan of heavy garlic flavors. You could substitute the garlic powder with a teaspoon of minced garlic.

Is this spicy hot?

It does have a mild kick to it. If you are adverse to spice, you can leave out the crushed red peppers or perhaps cut it in half.

How do you store leftovers?

Leftovers should be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 8 days.

overhead shot of Virginia white sauce in small glass bowl surrounded by yellow corn tortilla chips.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)

  • dried oregano
  • garlic powder
  • ground cumin
  • crushed red pepper
  • milk
  • Miracle Whip
Miracle Whip, oregano, garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes, cumin and milk.

HOW TO MAKE VIRGINIA WHITE SAUCE (SALSA):

In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, mix together the spices.

spices added to a clear glass bowl.

Then whisk in the milk until combined.

milk added to spices in a bowl.

Finally whisk in the Miracle Whip.

miracle whip added to milk and spices in a bowl.

Cover with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for at least 48 hours. This is very important to give the flavors time to marry together. It won’t taste the same if you don’t give it time to chill.

plastic wrap covering a bowl of white salsa.

Serve with tortilla chips!

a tortilla chip shown dipped into the white sauce in a clear glass bowl.

CRAVING MORE RECIPES?

Virginia White Sauce recipe.

Virginia White Sauce (Salsa)

A Norfolk native favorite, this Virginia White Sauce is a thick and creamy sauce that became a popular dip at a favorite local Mexican restaurant!

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Courses: Appetizers

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Virginia White Salsa, Virginia White Sauce, White Salsa, White Sauce

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Chill Time: 2 days

Total Time: 2 days 5 minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 65kcal

Author: Brandie @ The Country Cook

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Instructions

  • In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, mix together the spices.

  • Then whisk in the milk until combined.

  • Finally whisk in the Miracle Whip.

  • Cover with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for at least 48 hours. This is very important to give the flavors time to marry together. It won’t taste the same if you don’t give it time to chill.

  • Serve with tortilla chips.

Notes

  • 1 teaspoon of minced garlic can be used instead of garlic powder if you enjoy a garlic “kick”.
  • Miracle Whip is part of the original recipe and keeps it authentic. Mayonnaise can be substituted but Duke’s mayonnaise is my recommended brand.
  • This original recipe makes a thicker sauce. To thin it out, add a little milk at a time until it reaches your desired thickness.
  • This sauce gets better if it has plenty of time to “marinate.” It really does seem to get better the longer it sits. The original recipe calls for 48 hours but I would recommend you at least try to give it overnight in the refrigerator at a minimum.
  • If you don’t like any spice, leave out the red pepper flakes.

Nutrition

Calories: 65kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 1g | Dish: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.04g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 514mg | Potassium: 69mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 140IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 0.3mg

Nutritional Disclaimer

“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values ​​are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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