This creamy mint yogurt sauce is the perfect cool and refreshing counterpoint to grilled or roasted red meats, seafood, and vegetables.
Just like my tzatziki or my tahini sauce, some of the best Mediterranean sauces are the simplest.
This cooling sauce, a quick mix of creamy Greek yogurt and fresh chopped mint with a little garlic, is a back-pocket recipe I can whip up at a moment’s notice that adds so much to a Mediterranean meal.
The cooling essence of the mint blooms in the similarly refreshing tanginess of the yogurt; I find it’s an easy way to brighten up almost any plate. I first shared this recipe in my second cookbook, Simply Dinner, as an accompaniment for Saffron-Marinated Lamb Lollipops.
It’s a wonderfully easy way to add Mediterranean flavor to lamb, beef, or chicken!
Mint Yogurt Sauce Ingredients
This ingredient list is a short one! Here’s everything you need to mix up a creamy sauce you’ll want to put on everything.
- Mint: Fresh mint gives the sauce its bright, cooling flavor. Look for vibrant green leaves with no dark spots. I keep dried mint in my spice drawer for Turkish manti, but I’m afraid this is an instance where dried just doesn’t carry the same cooling punch as the fresh leaves.
- Greek yogurt: Thick and tangy plain Greek yogurt is the creamy base. I like using whole-milk Greek yogurt for extra richness, but any kind will work.
- Garlic: Just one clove adds a nice savory bite. Grating it into a paste with a microplane helps it blend smoothly into the yogurt.
- Kosher salt: A pinch of salt brings all the flavors together and enhances the tang of the yogurt.
- Freshly ground black pepper: Adds a gentle heat and depth that rounds out the coolness of the mint.
How to Make Yogurt Mint Sauce
Mixing up this creamy sauce takes only a minute. If you’re serving it at a dinner party or a holiday meal, do mix it up ahead of time. This sauce is even better after a short rest in the fridge; it gives the mint and garlic time to infuse their flavor into the yogurt.
- Prep the mint. Finely chop 3/4 cup packed fresh mint leaves.
- Mix the sauce. In a small bowl, combine 1 cup plain Greek yogurt, 1 large finely grated or minced garlic, the chopped mint, and a big pinch each of salt and black pepper (about 1/2 teaspoon each). Whisk to combine and refrigerate.
What to Serve with Mint Yogurt Sauce
This refreshing sauce is one of my favorite accompaniments for lamb, especially my Saffron-Marinated Lamb Lollipops, and it’s a perfect fit for Roast Leg of Lamb with tender potatoes. I also think it would be an excellent accompaniment to a holiday meal of roast beef, or a weeknight dinner of sheet pan beef kofta.
It’s also brilliant paired with any well-spiced meats or fish, like my harissa honey chicken or air fryer salmon. And the creaminess works well with fiery chermoula on these cauliflower steaks.
Have leftovers? Use it as a dip for fresh vegetables or drizzle it over Greek Lamb Burgers. Thin the mixture with a little olive oil and lemon juice to use it like a creamy salad dressing.
More Yogurt Sauce Recipes
Meat and Poultry
Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Thighs with Dill Yogurt Sauce
Fish and Seafood
Crispy Salmon Bites with Harissa-Yogurt Sauce
Fish and Seafood
Salmon Sandwich with Yogurt-Dill Sauce
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Minty Yogurt Sauce
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup packed fresh mint leaves
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 large garlic clove, minced or grated into a paste
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling (optional)
Instructions
- Prep the mint. Finely chop the fresh mint leaves.
- Mix the sauce. In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, garlic, the chopped mint, and a big pinch each of salt and black pepper (about 1/2 teaspoon each). Whisk to combine and refrigerate until needed.
Notes
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