Creamy Yogurt Dill Sauce with Lemon, Easy Recipe

This simple Yogurt Dill Sauce has a creamy texture and a lemon dill flavor! It's made with just a handful of ingredients, takes 5 minutes, and the combination of yogurt, fresh lemon, and fresh herbs has a zesty & tangy flavor that goes great with so many different dishes!

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overhead view of yogurt dill sauce in a glass bowl with a lemon in the background.

As a dietitian, anytime I can make my own sauces and dressings, I do. And this creamy dill yogurt sauce is too easy not to! It's similar to a traditional tzatziki sauce, but without the hassle of having to chop and get rid of excess water from cucumbers.

The great thing is that you can use it as a healthy alternative to sour cream based dips next time you want to add a bit of extra flavor to your favorite dishes. The tanginess of the yogurt and brightness of the lemon and dill make this Greek yogurt dill dip recipe a wonderful pairing in the Greek Chicken Meatball Bowl or to serve in a small bowl with raw veggies or fresh pita bread!

If you like this recipe, you may also enjoy my Lemon Yogurt Sauce with Tahini or my Homemade Za'atar Hummus. All of these sauces pair great with Greek Chicken Meatballs, Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl or Roasted Carrots & Cauliflower with Crispy Roasted Chickpeas and Turkey Meatballs.

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Key Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
How to Make Dill Yogurt Sauce
Dietitian Tip
Variations
How to Serve Yogurt Dill Sauce
Storage for Yogurt Dill Sauce
Expert Tips
FAQ
Related
Perfect for Pairing
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Key Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

This Yogurt Dill Sauce recipe is made with simple ingredients. Below are some ingredient notes. Check the recipe card at the bottom for the full list of ingredients.

Plain Greek Yogurt - use full fat Greek yogurt if you prefer a thicker dip or thicker sauce. Or use fat free yogurt if you want to cut back on calories and saturated fats. Be sure to use plain yogurt and not sweetened yogurt for this recipe. If you don't like the taste of Greek yogurt, you could substitute with Skyr (Icelandic yogurt), regular yogurt, or your favorite plant-based yogurt if you prefer.
Fresh Dill - fresh dill adds tons of fresh flavor and also provides some antioxidants. You can use dried dill for this lemon dill sauce if you're in a pinch. If using dried, use one third of the amount.
Lemon Juice - fresh lemon juice brings a tangy flavor to this homemade dill dip. And the citric acid in lemon juice also acts as a natural preservative. It also contains vitamin C which is important for immune health.
Garlic Powder - garlic powder is an easy way to add flavor! Feel free to use fresh garlic instead.
Kosher Salt & Black Pepper - to tie everything together.

How to Make Dill Yogurt Sauce

Below are the instructions for how to make this easy recipe with some visuals that I hope are helpful! Don't forget to check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full recipe.

Ingredients for yogurt dill sauce in a small bowl.

Step 1: Chop the fresh dill and grate or finely mince the garlic if using a fresh clove of garlic. Add the ingredients to a bowl.

Step 2: Give everything a good stir. Taste and add a little bit more salt or lemon juice if needed.

Hint: if you prefer a more smooth consistency, you can blend the ingredients in a blender or food processor instead!

Dietitian Tip

Choose half an hour one day a week to make homemade sauces like this creamy yogurt dill sauce that you can use on various dishes. Making a tasty sauce is a great way to get even the pickiest eater to enjoy vegetables. 😊 And meal prep doesn't HAVE to happen on Sunday. I often meal prep on Thursday to have meals ready on busy weekend days!

Variations

One of the great things about making this easy dill sauce recipe is you can adjust the flavors to your liking. Below are some ideas but feel free to get creative!

Dairy-Free - replace the Greek yogurt in this delicious sauce with a dairy-free or vegan yogurt. You can find coconut yogurt, cashew yogurt, or almond milk yogurt at most grocery stores.
Yogurt Mint Sauce - turn it into a minty yogurt dressing by replacing the fresh dill with fresh mint leaves.
Spicy - Make this a spicy dip by adding cayenne pepper, chili powder, or red pepper flakes.
Fancy - take it up a notch by topping it with flavorful feta cheese, fresh parsley, and lemon zest.
Double Citrus - replace half the lemon juice with lime juice or orange juice for a unique twist!

overhead view of greek chicken meatball bowl with yogurt dill sauce.

How to Serve Yogurt Dill Sauce

Once you've made a batch of this versatile sauce you can use it the next day or throughout the week in different ways. Below are some ideas but feel free to get creative.

On a Salad - Use it as a salad dressing for a salad made with flavorful tomatoes, kale, red onion, and your other favorite veggies.
In a Greek Meatball Bowl - One of my favorite ways to use dill yogurt sauce is to add it to a Greek Chicken Meatball Bowl with cucumber tomato salad and rice! It's next level delicious!
An Addition to Mediterranean-Inspired Dishes - serve with a Mediterranean Quinoa Salad or an easy Chickpea Cucumber Salad.
As a Delicious Dip with Raw Veggies - make an easy basic crudité platter by cutting up fresh veggies and serving them with this yogurt dip.
On Roasted Vegetables - enjoy this creamy sauce with Roasted Carrots and Cauliflower. It goes great with root vegetables like potatoes or turnips or with other cruciferous veggies including broccoli, roasted cabbage steaks, or brussels sprouts.
On a Mezze Platter - Serve it up on a mezze platter with fattoush salad and fresh hummus paired with pita bread or pita chips.
In a Sandwich - It’s the perfect addition to a falafel or Greek meatball sandwich. Use the yogurt dill sauce as your dressing - it adds so much flavor!
As an Accompaniment - Serve it with meat like chicken, salmon, lamb or beef kabobs, these GF Turkey Meatballs, greek turkey burgers, zucchini fritters, or your favorite plant-protein.

Storage for Yogurt Dill Sauce

Refrigerator - Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-5 days. A mason jar works perfectly. Or grab these single serve dressing containers for on-the-go. Perfect for meal prep.

Expert Tips

Choose a Greek yogurt without added sugars. Greek yogurt does have some natural sugar but look at the nutritional information under "added sugars" and make sure it says "0 grams"
I suggest using fresh dill for best flavor! Rinse and thoroughly dry your dill. Then remove the thick stems and chop the dill. Dill releases it's flavor quickly so a rough chop is all you need. To make it even easier, use kitchen scissors!
If using fresh garlic, I suggest to grate the garlic clove. It helps the flavor spread more evenly.
If using full-fat Greek yogurt, you may need to add a touch of extra-virgin olive oil or water to thin it out to the consistency you prefer.
When using leftovers, give it a quick stir after removing it from the fridge.

FAQ

Is this Yogurt Dill Sauce healthy?

While healthy means something different to everyone, this is a nutrient-rich option. Greek yogurt provides protein, calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin B12. Fresh herbs like dill provide vitamin C, vitamin K, and some antioxidants.

Can I use low fat Greek yogurt?

Absolutely! you can use whichever fat percentage you prefer. Keep in mind that the less fat a Greek yogurt has, the thinner the consistency will be. Full fat yogurt made with whole milk will provide a thicker sauce, and nonfat or low-fat will make a thinner sauce.

Looking for other dietitian recipes like this? Try these:

Perfect for Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with Yogurt Dill Sauce:

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! I would love to hear from you! If you made this recipe, please leave me a review below or tag me in a photo or story on Instagram. Your reviews help support me and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you know and love. 🙂 IG: @mallorythedietitian

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