Christine @ Good & PlatedEnjoy this creamy lemony-dill yogurt sauce as an accompaniment to fish or as a dip with some raw vegetables.
I love condiments. My husband might say I’m a bit of a condiment hoarder (especially since he is firmly anti-condiment). For me, most dishes are not complete if they don’t have a sauce or topping to give the meal a little “something extra.”
Lemon and dill are a classic flavor pairing for fish. This particular lemon dill yogurt sauce grew out of my desire to create something to serve with my family’s favorite Salmon Sweet Potato Cakes. Yes, the salmon cakes are delicious on their own, but the tangy-ness of this sauce combined with the sweetness of the sweet potato takes the dish to another level.
Aside from the fresh lemon, all the ingredients are something that most people have on hand in their kitchen and pantry so it’s easy to whip together. It’s rare that I have leftovers of this sauce when I make it, but if you do, it also makes for a great snack dip alongside some raw vegetables like celery, carrots or cherry tomatoes.
For my fellow condiment lovers out there, definitely give this one a try!
Lemon Dill Yogurt Sauce Ingredients
- Lemon zest and juice: The star of the sauce! You’ll want to use fresh lemon zest and juice. The oils in the lemon zest are what give it the lemony flavor while the juice gives the sauce acidity and brightens the taste.
- Plain Greek Yogurt: The base of the sauce, you’ll want to use unsweetened plain yogurt, preferably full fat or low-fat (non-fat varieties won’t have the same creamy mouth feel).
- Mayonnaise: A little bit of mayonnaise adds some additional fat which helps boost the creaminess and flavor, especially if you are using a low-fat greek yogurt.
- Dill Weed: Dill weed is another name for dried dill and it adds a fresh flavor to the sauce. The recipe uses dill weed because it’s easier to keep on hand in my pantry, but you can use fresh dill if you like (see FAQs section for more details).
- Honey: Honey is used to balance out the tartness of the yogurt and the acidity of the lemon juice.
Useful Tools
- Microplane: I love using my microplane for zesting lemon, but there are other options (see FAQs section below).
Recipe FAQs
You definitely can! I would use 2-3 tsp of finely chopped fresh dill in place of the dried.
Another great option would be parsley, though I’d recommend using 2-3 teaspoons of finely chopped fresh parsley instead of the dried variety.
I personally love using my microplane, but you can also use a zester or the fine grate side of a cheese grater. If none of those tools are available you can also use a vegetable peeler to peel off some of the lemon rind (just be careful not to remove too much pith) and then finely chop it.
Yes, though the sauce may not be as creamy, it will still taste good.
I think honey adds a nice complexity to the flavors, but maple syrup would be another good option.
I often serve it with Salmon, but white fish such as Halibut or Cod, would also be great option.
Related Recipes
Looking for ways to use this Lemon Dill Yogurt Sauce? I love serving it with my Easy Salmon Sweet Potato Cakes recipe.
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Lemon Dill Yogurt Sauce
Enjoy this creamy lemon and dill flavored yogurt sauce as an accompaniment to grilled fish or as a dip with raw vegetables.
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 3/4 cup 1x
Ingredients
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dill weed
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
Mix: Add ingredients to a bowl and mix until completely combined.
Notes
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Sauce
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 59
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 38 mg
- Fat: 4.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 2.2 g
- Protein: 2.2 g
- Cholesterol: 5 mg