Some sauces just make a meal and this Yogurt Dill Sauce is one of those recipes you'll find yourself putting on everything! It takes 5 minutes and just a handful of ingredients. Creamy, zesty, and packed with fresh lemon and dill flavor, it's the kind of simple recipe that'll quietly become a staple in your kitchen.
As a dietitian, anytime I have a couple extra minutes to 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 step of having to chop and get rid of excess water from cucumbers.
What works about this recipe is the tanginess and creamy consistency of the yogurt combined with the slightly sweet lemon and grassy dill. It's an example of how just a few ingredients used in the right ratios can work so well to add extra flavor to your favorite dishes!
I like to use it for a Greek Chicken Meatball Bowl with tender turkey meatballs, lemon garlic rice, and tomato cucumber salad. It pairs great with oven-baked chicken and roasted sweet potatoes, beets, or cauliflower and carrots. You can even or to serve in a small bowl with raw veggies or fresh pita bread for a snack or appetizer.
If you like this recipe, you may also enjoy my Lemon Yogurt Sauce with Tahini, homemade herby ranch, cilantro lime sauce with yogurt, or homemade za'atar hummus.
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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 measurements.
- Plain Greek Yogurt - Greek yogurt is a creamy base for this dip and provides protein and calcium. For a thicker dip, use full fat Greek yogurt. Use fat free yogurt if you want to cut back on calories and saturated fats. It will still be creamy and flavorful! 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) which is slightly less tangy.
- Fresh Dill - fresh dill adds tons of fresh flavor and some antioxidants. You can use dried dill if you're in a pinch. If using dried, use one third of the amount.
- Lemon Juice - fresh lemon juice brings a slightly sweet flavor to this homemade dill dip. The citric acid in lemon juice acts as a natural preservative and contains vitamin C.
- Garlic Powder - garlic is an easy way to add flavor. I like using garlic powder because it's concentrated and distributes evenly throughout the dip. Feel free to use fresh garlic instead. If doing so, I suggest to grate the garlic.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil - an easy way to add healthy fats and mellow out the strong flavors of the yogurt and dill.
- 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 photos I hope are helpful. Check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full recipe.
- Step 1: Chop the fresh dill. If using fresh garlic, grate the 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 some time once a week to make homemade sauces that you can use on various dishes like this creamy yogurt dill sauce. Making a tasty sauce is a great way to add flavor and get even the pickiest eater to enjoy healthy meals. 😊
Variations of Yogurt Dill Sauce
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.
- Spicy - Make this a spicy dip by adding red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper or chili powder. If you want a spicy yogurt sauce, you could also make my sriracha yogurt sauce.
- 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 that's slightly sweeter.
- Yogurt Mint Sauce - turn it into a minty yogurt dressing by replacing the fresh dill with fresh mint leaves.
Ideas for Serving 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.
- 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 sweet potato slices, honey thyme carrots or roasted beets.
- 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 oven-baked chicken, smoked paprika salmon, lamb or beef kabobs. It also works great with gluten-free turkey meatballs, greek turkey burgers, roasted chickpeas, zucchini fritters, or your favorite plant-protein.
Storage for Yogurt Dill Sauce
- Refrigerator - Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. A mason jar works perfectly. Or grab these single serve dressing containers for on-the-go. Perfect for meal prep.
Expert Tips
- 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 full-fat Greek yogurt, you may need to add an extra 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
While healthy means something different to everyone, this is a nutrient-rich option. Greek yogurt provides protein, calcium and phosphorus. Fresh herbs like dill provide vitamin C, vitamin K, and some antioxidants.
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.
Related
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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
📖 Recipe
Creamy Yogurt Dill Sauce with Lemon, Easy Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup plain Greek Yogurt
- ¼ cup fresh dill, loosely packed
- 1-2 tablespoon lemon juice (start with 1 tablespoon and add more to taste)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder (or 2 cloves fresh garlic, grated)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt (more to taste)
- ½ tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Chop the fresh dill. Add the ingredients to a bowl.
- 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!
Notes
- 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 full-fat Greek yogurt, you may need to add an extra 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.
- Refrigerator - Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. A mason jar works perfectly. Or grab these single serve dressing containers for on-the-go. Perfect for meal prep.
Melanie Sherman
Simple, and tasty. I dehydrated my homegrown dill and used it in my sauce. Gonna try to heat it up for a "tarter sauce" for my Branzino tonight.
Mallory
Hi Melanie, thank you so much for taking time to leave a rating and review on the recipe!! I'm so happy you enjoyed it and using homegrown dill sounds soooo good! This would go amazing with Branzino...that's a great idea for serving! Thank you again and I hope you have a wonderful day. -Mallory