This Mint Yogurt Sauce is cool, tangy, and quick to make. I serve it with grilled meat, roasted vegetables, and other rich or spicy dishes. Fresh mint brings a bright, herbal flavor, while garlic and lemon keep the yogurt lively. It comes together in under 10 minutes and uses 5 ingredients.
The perfect accompaniment for my Middle Eastern Pulled Lamb, Beef Kofta Kebabs and Chicken Shish Tawook. I have you covered with many more pairing ideas below!
Mint Yogurt Sauce: Recipe at a Glance
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
0 mins
Total Time
10 mins
Servings
5 Servings
Calories*
28 kcal
Difficulty
Easy
Main Ingredients
Greek yogurt, fresh mint, dried mint, lemon juice and garlic.
Technique
Combine all the ingredients and rest in the fridge.
*Calories are estimated
Table of Contents
Why My Recipe Works
- So fast to make! It takes just a few minutes to stir together, then a short rest in the fridge helps the flavors come together.
- Perfect pairings. I’ve made this recipe dozens of times. It pairs with grilled meats, roasted vegetables, pita, and grain bowls, and can also be served as a dip or used as a salad dressing.
- Tested and reliable. Groceries can be expensive! All my Sauce Recipes are tested by me, my team or recipe testers before posting.
Ingredients
Minimal ingredients make this sauce a quick and easy addition to your dinner table! Here is what you will need:
- Yogurt: My go-to for any yogurt sauce or dip is tangy Greek yogurt. It is thick and will help the finished sauce keep a nice, thick consistency. Choose the fat percentage that suits you. This sauce is similar to other yogurt-based sauces and dips like Greek Tzatziki Sauce, Mast-o-Khiar (Persian Yogurt Dip), Cacik (Turkish yogurt dip) and Levantine cucumber yogurt dip. Make sure to also try my Feta Yogurt Cucumber Dip.
- Fresh Herbs: For this recipe, it’s mint all the way! Fresh mint gives the dip an herby, sweet flavor. If you don’t have mint, you can use parsley or fresh cilantro. It’ll be a different sauce altogether but still delicious.
- Dried Herbs. The addition of dried mint amps up the minty flavor of this sauce. If you don’t have dried mint, you can use a little dried oregano. Try my Mast-o Khiar (Persian Cucumber Dip) recipe which also featured dried mint.
- Acid: Lemon juice pairs perfectly with mint and yogurt. It brings a classic Mediterranean touch. But lime juice would also work well.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make This Mint Yogurt Sauce Recipe
Step 1. Combine. To a small bowl, combine the yogurt, fresh mint, dried mint, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
Step 2. Rest and Adjust Seasoning. Let the yogurt and mint sauce rest in the fridge for 15 minutes, taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
Pairing and Menu Ideas
Yogurt has always been an accompaniment to Middle Eastern and Levantine recipes. It helps cut through the fat and adds a refreshing touch to spicy or heavy meals. Mint is also a classic Levantine herb so this sauce will pair nicely with a range of Levantine recipes on my website, including Musakhan (Palestinian Sumac Chicken) and Musakhan Rolls.
I love serving this mint yogurt sauce with lemon and garlic with lamb. Try it with my Middle Eastern Pulled Lamb, Pistachio-Crusted Rack of Lamb, Qidreh (Palestinian Spiced Lamb and Rice), Grilled North African Lamb Chops and Greek Lamb Chops.
It is also a great side to serve with grilled beef and chicken, so try it with my Chicken Shish Tawook, Beef Kafta Kebabs, Kabob Koobideh (Persian Beef Skewers) and Persian Joojeh Kabob (Saffron Chicken).
You also serve it as a mint yogurt dip with fresh vegetables (crudité). Serve it alongside some Lebanese Pita Bread. It can even be used as a simple salad dressing or drizzled over my Mediterranean Shrimp Rice Bowls.
Expert Tips
- Start with less dried mint. Its flavor can vary by brand and age, and it can become quite prominent. Start with 1 teaspoon, then add more after the sauce rests if you want a stronger mint flavor.
- Grate or mince the garlic finely. Raw garlic has a strong flavor, which can grow more pronounced as the sauce sits. Use one clove for a milder sauce.
- Make it Vegan. Use a vegan yogurt substitute like coconut yogurt.
- Make it in a food processor. If you’re short on time, just put all the ingredients in a small food processor and pulse.
- This recipe is featured in my What to Serve with Shish Kabobs and my ultimate 17 Homemade Condiments posts.
Mint Yogurt Sauce Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can make this sauce a few hours before you serve it. I don’t recommend you make it too far in advance though, as it could get watery and separate the longer it sits.
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container. Use within 2-3 days. If it separates, just give it a good stir.
I would avoid freezing this sauce. Yogurt doesn’t freeze well. It can separate or become grainy.
It is similar, but not quite the same. Raita is a yogurt-based condiment that can include vegetables, herbs, or spices and is used as a side with dishes like biryani and pulao.
Other Sauces and Condiments
Condiments
Condiments
Condiments
Ideas and Roundups
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Mint Yogurt Sauce (with Garlic and Lemon)
Ingredients
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoon Fresh mint – Finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 1-2 teaspoon Dried mint
- 1-2 Garlic cloves – Minced
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine. In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, chopped fresh mint leaves, dried mint, minced garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
- Rest and Adjust Seasoning. Let the sauce rest in the fridge for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
Notes
- Yogurt: My go-to for any yogurt sauce or dip is tangy whole-milk Greek yogurt. It is thick and will help the finished sauce keep a nice thick consistency. Choose the fat percentage that suits you.
- Fresh herbs. Fresh mint gives the dip an herby, sweet flavor. If you don’t have mint, you can use parsley or fresh coriander leaves. It’ll be a different sauce altogether but still delicious.
- Dried herbs. The addition of dried mint amps up the minty flavor of this sauce. If you don’t have dried mint, you can use a little dried oregano.
- Acid: Lemon juice pairs perfectly with mint and yogurt. It brings a classic Mediterranean touch. But you can use lime juice if that’s what you have.
- Chop the fresh mint finely. This distributes it through the yogurt and makes the sauce easier to scoop and drizzle.
- Grate or mince the garlic finely. Raw garlic has a strong flavor, which can grow more pronounced as the sauce sits. Use one clove for a milder sauce.
- Let the sauce rest before serving. Even 15 minutes in the fridge helps the garlic and mint infuse the yogurt.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
The only change I made to suit my tastes is to halve the dried mint, 2 tsps would have been far too much. I would suggest starting with 1 tsp of dried mint, taste, and if needed add more. Otherwise great recipe. Thanks.