Lemon yogurt sauce prepared from scratch with a few ingredients.
This sauce has multiple uses and can be served with a variety of meals and cuisines.
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📕 What is this Sauce?
I created this sauce because I wanted a lemon flavored yogurt sauce.
It's tart and enhanced with bright citrus notes, making it a great accompaniment as a dip with meat and seafood main course meals.
You won't need special equipment, such as a mini food processor, to make this sauce. Just grab a small bowl and a whisk or spoon.
Thin or thick, the lemon yogurt sauce is sure to enhance one of your meals if used the right way. I share flavor ideas and ways to serve up this yogurt sauce further below.
🧅 Ingredients
Here is a quick overview of the ingredients that you need to make this sauce from scratch.
The detailed US and metric measurements can be found further below in the recipe card.
- Yogurt – I recommend getting thick yogurt such as plain Greek yogurt, skyr or hung curd. You can also use homemade french yogurt, but your sauce might turn out too liquid.
- Lemon Juice – freshly squeezed juice.
- Salt
- Black Pepper
🔪 How to make it?
This is a summary of the steps that you have to take to make this yogurt lemon sauce. The detailed recipe to print is further below.
Step 1
Add yogurt to a small mixing bowl. (I use the same bowl to serve the sauce up as a dip).
Step 2
Pour in lemon juice, salt and black pepper.
Step 3
Whisk it all together to a well combined sauce.
🫙 Flavor Variations
Make this yogurt sauce your own by adding any of the following ingredients:
- Dill – Dried or fresh dill with lemon go hand in hand, especially if you plan to use this sauce with fish and seafood. I also like dill yogurt sauce with veggies.
- Oregano or Marjoram – Add some fresh or dried marjoram or oregano to your sauce. This combination works well if you use this sauce with poultry.
- Mint – Make this sauce with chopped fresh mint and serve it up with middle eastern, North African, central Asian or North Indian kebab meats.
- Parsley – Add freshly chopped flat or curled parsley to your sauce. This version of this sauce makes for a good supplement to seafood, vegetables, and most meats.
- Cilantro – For a Mexican or Indian touch, add freshly chopped cilantro.
- Curry Powder – Trust me, curry powder will make this yogurt sauce interesting.
- Lime Juice – Switch lemon juice for lime juice and your sauce will taste very differently.
- Lemon Zest – An optional addition or your choice instead of lemon juice if you would rather not add tartness to your yogurt sauce.
💡 Tips
To make this sauce less tart and creamier, add a ⅓ amount of table cream or Crème fraîche to the sauce.
Plain yogurt can make this sauce thinner, if that is the consistency that you are looking for.
🍴 Serving Ideas
This is a super versatile sauce, and you can use it with most meats, seafoods and vegetables, and with Western, Middle Eastern, North African, Central Asian and Indian foods.
I just love this sauce as a dip with Mediterranean dishes such as kebabs or souvlaki or also with Indian tandoori oven meals such as chicken tikka. Also a Döner will taste so much better with this sauce.
Middle eastern falafel, kibbeh and lamb meatballs just taste better with a lemon yogurt sauce.
Another idea is to enjoy this sauce as a dip (I add my Hummus without Tahini to that) with seafoods such as fried prawns, cooked crab, BBQ fish, fish sticks and baked salmon.
As you can see from my pictures, I also enjoy it with imitation crab sticks and fresh raw vegetables such as carrots, peppers, and cucumbers.
For lunch, you can also choose to drizzle this sauce over your salad with some fresh herbs to use it like a salad dressing.
Oh, and feel free to drizzle some olive oil over your lemon yogurt sauce, to serve it just like a labneh dip.
🍱 Storing
Store your sauce or leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days in your fridge.
I like to use small IKEA rectangular containers which come with a bamboo lid or a plastic clip lid.
Keep the best before date on your yogurt in mind when you make this sauce to store for later.
💭 FAQs
Greek Tzatziki is traditionally made with sheep or goat hung curd, cucumber, garlic cloves and fresh herbs.
Yes, the yogurt will curdle a bit, and therefore I recommend getting thick strained yogurt such as Greek yogurt to reduce the curdling effect.
📖 Recipe
Lemon Yogurt Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- ¾ cup Yogurt thick greek style preferred *see Notes
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
- pinch Salt
- pinch Black Pepper Ground
Instructions
- Place yogurt with lemon juice, salt, and pepper into a bowl.¾ cup Yogurt, 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice, pinch Salt, pinch Black Pepper Ground
- Combine and whisk together all ingredients.
- Keep in the fridge covered until further use. Serve up with meats, seafood, or veggies as a dip.
Looks so cool and refreshing! Perfect for summer.
I cant live without greek yoghurt in my house so I am always on the look out for more recipes. I have never added cream to yoghurt though so nice to learn something new.
Oh my mind is wondering on what I would enjoy this lovely dip on! I bet some of my hubby's delicious bbq, like some wood smoked fish, this dip would ROCK complimented with it! YUM, Hugs, Terra
This lemon yogurt dip looks so enticing in its simplicity. I know it takes no time to whisk together and yet I more often then not I don't bother doing it. Thanks for the inspiration.:)
Yum! This looks perfect to go with the soya kebabs 🙂
Wow,
What a yummy sauce. I could also dip some potato chips in it. Tangy and yum!
oh for sure chips/fries you name it!
The dip does sounds yummy. Great summer treat 🙂
Great dip!! I was waiting for this one 🙂 Now can't wait for your mysterious dish.
Love yogurt based dips for kebabs..never tried it with strawberry - very interesting combo 🙂
Hi Shema =) those are not strawberries ^.^ but vegetarian tikka with Soya kebabs. =)
This sounds interesting, and so delicious...lemon and yogurt go so well and your recipe is perfect for this time of the year! Thanks for sharing and have a great weekend!
Thank you so much Sandra, I appreciate your kind words!
such a refreshing dip and perfect for summer dipping using all the delicious fruits in season.
oh yes refreshing but it's less meant for fruits, well I would serve it with savory appetizers or with a main course. =)
Helene, I must try it and very quickly. Such a simple recipe but so unusual... I don't think I have ever seen a lemon yogurt dip. Excellent idea!
Really? Oh wow then I want to know asap how you liked it Sissi =)
Nice post! I am really bored of eating (and offering) that "hari chutney dip" or coriander chutney dip with Indian snacks. This dip looks healthy and light. Loved this idea, Helene!
That was my thought too last year and in general I like to have a few different dips to try during snack time etc. Thank you dear Purabi =)
Bet the cream makes it even more luscious!! Yum 🙂
Exactly it gives it more firmness and makes it of course more creamy.
This would be great for all kinds of things, veggies, falafel etc... I love it!
Completly true, you can use it with falafel, veggies etc as you mentioned Sylvie. =)
What a great dip! Love the flavor of lemon - this sound terrific. Are you doing something tandoori next? I love the great red color of tandoori paste!
Yes you got it right. A Tandoori dish is coming up next. =) Great guess John!
Looks really cool and refreshing, perfect with a vindaloo although the top pic looks more like a tandoori? Yummy 🙂
Janie x
hm I am not sure if the dip would make sense with a vindaloo sauce. Vindaloo is already quite on the heavier side. But maybe I should try your suggestion at least to see how it comes, would be for sure interesting. Thank you Janie!
Can't do without my yogurt dip...love it with my parathas, breads, cutlets and all that is savory! Never tried cream in the dip..need to make it soon.
Yes I feel the same way Sanjeeta! =D
Are those strawberries that you are dipping? Love the meal suggestion - the veggie kabobs with this dip! What a great dip for grilled vegetables.
nop not strawberries. =P
thank you MJ!
This dip looks so refreshing!
Can't wait to see the mystery indian dish!
Cheers
CCU
Yes exactly, it has refreshing properties and cooling ones as well. Good for the heat. =)