My garlic yogurt sauce recipe is light, creamy, tangy, and refreshing. Made with simple ingredients, use it as a dip, dressing, and more! 

Need a simple sauce recipe to instantly elevate protein, veggies, or tortilla chips? Look no further! My yogurt garlic sauce uses a handful of simple ingredients and takes seconds to make. The result is a tangy, fresh-tasting sauce that could make cardboard palatable. Okay, maybe that’s a bit much, but still…

This is actually a sauce I’ve been making for over ten years now – it started as my go-to dip for lamb kabobs, but now it’s become a family staple that we use on everything from fries to grilled vegetables. When I traveled through Greece during my semester break from culinary school, I noticed variations of this sauce served with everything from gyros meat to grilled branzino. That trip really inspired me to play around with the flavors at home, and it’s one of those sauces people always ask me for the recipe. 

Table of Contents

1. Ingredients needed
2. How to make garlic yogurt sauce
3. Arman’s recipe tips
4. Storage instructions
5. Frequently asked questions
6. Garlic Yogurt Sauce (Recipe Card)
7. More mouthwatering sauce recipes to try

Why I love this yogurt garlic sauce recipe

• Simple. No fancy kitchen gear, no niche ingredients, nada. All you need is a bowl and kitchen staples. 
• Perfect texture. It’s silky smooth with a subtle crunch from the chopped gherkins. 
• Quick. Make it in seconds and have it on hand whenever you need it. 
• Versatile. Use it as a dip, salad dressing, or on lamb burgers (see below!). There are NO wrong answers!

Ingredients needed

• Dill. Using fresh dill is key in this recipe. Remove any yellow or brown leaves before chopping. 
• Gherkins. AKA pickled baby cucumbers. They have a zing that cuts through the flavor of fresh dill wonderfully. 
• Garlic powder. I also tested this with fresh garlic, but found that garlic powder provided a smoother, more balanced flavor without overpowering the yogurt.
• Yogurt. I used plain yogurt. For a thicker, creamier sauce, use unsweetened Greek yogurt. 
• Sour cream or mayonnaise. I am a big fan of sour cream and its thick, creamy consistency. If you don’t want extra tanginess, substitute it for mayonnaise.
• Salt and black pepper. Just a pinch. 

How to make garlic yogurt sauce

I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Arman’s recipe tips

• Make a silky smooth sauce. I like the sauce’s consistency as is, but if you want it super smooth, blend it in a blender or food processor before serving.
• Adjust the consistency. Use low-fat yogurt for a thinner, lighter sauce. You can also thin it out by adding a teaspoon of lemon juice or extra virgin olive oil. 
• Let it rest. When I was testing this for a burger topping in my air fryer cookbook, I found that letting it sit overnight deepens the flavor even more. It’s one of those sauces that gets better as it rests.
• Finely chop the pickles. So they mix easily into the sauce.

Storage instructions

To store: The remaining sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Stir it before serving, as there will be some separation. Yogurt-based sauces don’t freeze well. So, I don’t recommend freezing this sauce.

Frequently asked questions

More mouthwatering sauce recipes to try

• Hot honey
• Potsticker sauce
• Bulgogi sauce
• Peanut sauce

Originally published June 2023