5-Minute Lemon Yogurt Sauce
This tangy, bright lemon yogurt sauce takes just five minutes to make! If you can mix two things together, you can make this easy sauce. It has a creamy, cool texture and pops of acidity from the lemon. Serve it with meat, fish, rice and grains, or vegetables!You hardly need measurements to make this recipe — what I've provided here are guidelines at best. You should absolutely adjust the flavors and consistency to suit your needs. This is an easy, low-lift, low-effort, simple condiment to round out your meal. Don't stress out about it. When it tastes good to you, it's done!
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole fat plain greek yogurt
- ½ lemon zest and juice (about 1½ tablespoons of lemon juice)
- ½ teaspoon diamond crystal kosher salt (use half as much of another brand)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Combine greek yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and whisk well until combined. Greek yogurt is quite thick, so start whisking in small, vigorous circles, gradually adding more yogurt from the side as you go until it is smooth and creamy.
- Adjust to taste: For a thinner sauce that you can drizzle over a soup, add more lemon juice to thin it out. For a thicker sauce with a more sour cream-like texture for dolloping onto nachos or spooning into a burrito, add more yogurt. To increase the lemon flavor without thinning out the sauce, add more lemon zest. Add more salt or pepper to balance out any natural sweetness from the yogurt or lemon.
- This lemon yogurt sauce is best served immediately. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days.
The more lemon juice you use in your lemon yogurt sauce, the quicker the mixture will curdle and separate. A very thin, drizzle-able lemon yogurt sauce with lots of lemon juice in it is best eaten same-day.
RECIPE NOTES
- Always zest the lemon before you juice it! Don't zest too deep into the skin; the pith (the white part of the peel under the skin) is very bitter!
- Some separation will naturally occur while stored in the fridge, stir to combine before serving.
- Look for the single-serving cups of Greek yogurt at the grocery store. There's usually enough room at the top of the container that you can mix everything in it without having to wash another bowl.
- You can also mix this using an immersion blender, mini blender, hand mixer, or mini food processor if you have wrist or joint issues.