You have to try making this garlic yogurt sauce at your house this week! It is super simple and really packs a delicious punch. This creamy and aromatic condiment is the perfect accompaniment to grilled meats, fresh salads, sandwiches, and wraps. Whether you’re drizzling it over grilled meats, dipping crispy vegetables, or slathering it on warm pita bread, our garlic yogurt sauce is guaranteed to be the star of every meal.
Why we love this recipe!
- Quick and easy to whip up dip or sauce.
- Great make-ahead option to add flavor to weeknight dinners.
- Perfect to accompany grilled chicken or meats.
- Delicious mayo or salad dressing alternative.
What you will need to make this recipe
This recipe uses ingredients you may already have on hand, such as Greek yogurt, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, and salt. We prefer to gently simmer the fresh minced garlic in the olive oil for a more complex flavor, not just a punch of raw garlic.
- Extra virgin olive oil – Extra virgin olive oil gives a delicious citrussy and peppery flavor to this sauce. If you only have regular olive oil, that will work too.
- Garlic – We like to use freshly minced garlic, using a microplane in this recipe. You can also use store-bought garlic paste.
- Greek yogurt – We like to use a thick full fat Greek yogurt in this sauce for a delicious, creamy sauce. You can also use reduced fat or other natural yogurts, the consistency of the sauce may vary slightly.
- Lemon juice – We prefer to use fresh lemon juice in this recipe for the best flavor.
- Salt
Equipment
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You may need –
Step by step instructions
- Place the minced garlic and olive oil in a small saucepan and then heat over medium-low heat. You want to gently warm the olive oil and garlic to a light sizzle, keep the heat low so it does not brown at all.
- While the garlic is heating, place all the other ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine.
- Once the garlic has gently simmered in the oil for a few minutes and has become very fragrant, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool slightly.
- Add the garlic and olive oil yogurt mixture and stir well to combine.
What to serve it with garlic yogurt sauce
The creamy, tangy flavors of this sauce pair exceptionally well with various Mediterranean and Middle Eastern-inspired cuisines. It’s the perfect accompaniment to grilled meats like chicken kebabs, lamb chops, or juicy beef skewers. You can also drizzle it over fresh salads or use it as a dip for crunchy vegetables like carrots, cucumbers, and bell peppers. The sauce also complements falafel, gyros, and shawarma beautifully.
- Lemon chicken marinade
- Mexican chicken marinade
- Chicken & haloumi burgers
- Chicken wings
- In tuna or chicken salad in place of mayo
- On a wrap or gyros
- As a dip with veggie sticks
Expert tips, suggestions & how to store
- Garlic – You can leave the garlic raw if you prefer a stronger garlic flavor that is more hot and pungent. Just add the olive oil and minced garlic with the other ingredients and mix well.
- Lemon juice – Adjust the amount of lemon juice depending on how sour your yogurt is. Start with one teaspoon, taste, and then add more if you would like.
- Make ahead – This is a great make ahead option, as the flavors will develop as the sauce sits in the fridge.
- Storage – Store this sauce in an airtight container or covered in a bowl for up to a week.
- Serving suggestions – With grilled chicken, beef, or lamb, on a wrap or gyros, as a dip, in place of mayonnaise or sour cream.
- Make it spicy – If you would like the sauce a little spicy, you can add in some chili flakes to cook with the garlic and olive oil.
- Optional – Fresh herbs are a great addition to this sauce. We love to use parsley, coriander, chives, or dill.
Garlic Yogurt Sauce FAQ’a
Yes, garlic and yogurt pair together well in a garlic yogurt sauce or a marinade.
Garlic yogurt is usually made from thick Greek-style yogurt, fresh garlic, salt, lemon juice and olive oil.
This garlic yogurt sauce will keep in the fridge for up to a week.
It is delicious with most grilled meats, meatballs, on wraps or sandwiches, with salads, or as a dip with crudite vegetables.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp garlic, minced
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1-2 tsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Add the olive oil and minced garlic to a small saucepan.
- Place it on the stove and gently heat on medium-low heat. You want the olive oil to gently simmer the garlic.
- Once it has gently heated, allow it to simmer for a few minutes for the garlic to become very fragrant. Keep an eye on the temperature as you do not want it to be brown at all, so keep the temperature low.
- While the garlic is cooking, place the remaining ingredients into a bowl. With the lemon juice, the amount will depend on how sour your yogurt is, so add it to taste.
- Remove the garlic from the heat and allow it to cool for a few minutes.
- Add the garlic and olive oil to the yogurt mixture and stir well to combine.
- It is now ready to serve or can be kept in the fridge to develop the flavor.
Notes
- Garlic – You can leave the garlic raw if you prefer a stronger garlic flavor that is more hot and pungent. Just add the olive oil and minced garlic with the other ingredients and mix well.
- Lemon juice – Adjust the amount of lemon juice depending on how sour your yogurt is. Start with one teaspoon, taste and then add more if you would like.
- Make Ahead – This is a great make ahead option, as the flavors will develop as the sauce sits in the fridge.
- Storage – Store this sauce in a airtight container or covered in a bowl for up to a week.
- Serving suggestions – With grilled chicken, beef or lamb, on a wrap or gyros, as a dip, in place of mayonnaise or sour cream.
- Make it spicy – If you would like the sauce a little spicy, you can add in some chilli flakes to cook with the garlic and olive oil.
- Optional – Fresh herbs are a great addition to this sauce. We love to use parsley, coriander, chives or dill.
Here’s another thing to try……line a strainer with a (new) chux, pour in the yoghurt and sit above a bowl or pot in the refrigerator overnight. Twist the chux gently and squeeze…. discard the whey. Makes your sauce a little thicker.
I like to sprinkle with a little cumin too.
Delicious.
Cheers!