Easy Lemon Yogurt Sauce - The Recipe Well (2024)

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ByLaura Lawless, BASc Published Last updated

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This healthy, flavourful lemon yogurt sauce is a great accompaniment to spicy curries, fritters, grilled chicken or fish. You need just a handful of ingredients and 5 minutes to prep!

Try it out on this easy Chickpea Spinach Curry!

Easy Lemon Yogurt Sauce - The Recipe Well (1)

Need something to cool the spiciness of a curry or top grilled kabobs? I’ve got you covered with this delicious lemon yogurt sauce. It’s super easy to whip up at the last minute with ingredients you probably already have in your fridge and pantry, though I do recommend making it before the rest of your meal so that it has time to let the flavours blend.

Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make it:

  • Plain yogurt – I used a 2.9% fat variety for a creamier texture versus fat free. You could also use Greek yogurt for a higher protein option, though I do like the runnier texture of regular yogurt for this recipe.
  • Lemon juice – be sure to use freshly squeezed juice for the best results. You need the zest from a lemon anyway!
  • Lemon zest – this turns up the lemon flavour a notch. If you decide you want more lemon flavour, I suggest adding more lemon juice rather than more zest. The zest can overpower.
  • Garlic – I used one large clove. Grate it on a microplane or use a garlic press to help the flavour distribute more evenly.
  • Cumin – for flavour
  • Sea salt – adjust the amount to your taste
  • Fresh parsley – optional garnish, but adds nice colour and freshness to your meal!

How to make it

Mix all the ingredients in a medium bowl until well combined.

Taste and adjust the flavours (see my tips in the recipe card below).

Chill covered in the fridge for 30 minutes to let the flavours blend. So easy!

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What to serve with lemon yogurt sauce

This sauce pairs well with spicy curries, fritters, fried appetizers, grilled meats and fish. Here are some suggestions!

Easy Lemon Yogurt Sauce - The Recipe Well (4)

More sauce recipes

  • Basil Cashew Pesto
  • Butternut Squash Sauce
  • Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip

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Easy Lemon Yogurt Sauce - The Recipe Well (5)

Lemon Yogurt Sauce

Laura Lawless, BASc

This healthy, flavourful lemon yogurt sauce is a great accompaniment to spicy curries, fritters and grilled meats. Just 5 minutes of prep!

5 from 12 votes

Click stars to rate now! ↑

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Servings 12

Calories 20

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 0 minutes mins

Total Time 5 minutes mins

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, mix all the ingredients together. Taste, then adjust the amount of lemon juice, garlic and/or salt to suit your preference.

  • Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavours to blend. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator and eat within 4 days.

Notes

  1. How to adjust the flavours: if you need more overall flavour, add salt. If you want a stronger lemon flavour, add more lemon juice. And if you want more bite, add a bit more garlic.
  2. Nutrition is estimated using a 2-tablespoon serving size.

Nutrition Estimate

Calories: 20kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 111mg | Potassium: 53mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 33IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 1mg

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Hey, I’m Laura!

Creator of The Recipe Well

If you’re looking for easy meals and Instant Pot recipes, you’re in the right place! I use my nutrition degree to create simple, approachable recipes that will help you find your happy place in the kitchen.

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Easy Lemon Yogurt Sauce - The Recipe Well (2024)

FAQs

What does adding lemon juice to yogurt do? ›

Fresh Lemon Juice - Lemon juice has a fairly mild lemon flavor — mostly what it adds to this sauce is a fresh, acidic flavor and a subtle lemon flavor. It also helps thin the Greek yogurt into a smooth sauce.

Does lemon make yogurt curdle? ›

Protein curdling is a fascinating process that occurs when proteins coagulate in a liquid, forming curds. Lemon juice is an effective acidic agent that can induce protein curdling in dairy products, creating a unique texture and flavor.

How do you make yogurt sauce thicker? ›

Here are three techniques to stabilize yogurt in sauce.
  1. You can thicken the recipe by adding cornstarch (or flour) before adding yogurt.
  2. You can mix cornstarch with yogurt before adding it to the recipe. ...
  3. You can also add yogurt directly to a recipe such as the sauce for Beef Stroganoff, for example.

How do you make a lemon juice and yogurt face mask? ›

Combine one tablespoon of full-fat Greek yogurt with juice of half a lemon. Mix them together well and apply on a cleansed and dry face. Leave it on for 30 minutes and then rinse with water.

What happens when you add vinegar to yogurt? ›

All you need to do is add a few tablespoons of lemon juice or vinegar to the yogurt and stir it until the yogurt has thickened. The acid in the lemon juice or vinegar will cause the yogurt to thicken and separate, just like sour cream would.

What are the ingredients in too good lemon yogurt? ›

Cultured Grade A Ultra-filtered Non Fat Milk, Cultured Grade A Reduced Fat Milk, Water, Meyer Lemon Puree, Less Than 1%: Tapioca Starch, Locust Bean Gum, Natural Flavors, Stevia Leaf Reb M, Sea Salt, Vitamin D3, Citric Acid. Active Yogurt Cultures L.

How do you add lemon to dairy without curdling? ›

Avoid Strong Acids

If your sauce or soup contains an acidic ingredient like wine, tomatoes, or lemon juice, the milk is more likely to curdle. To counteract the effect of the acid, you can use a starch along with the acid.

Can I eat yogurt and lemon together? ›

There is no evidence to suggest that eating curd (yogurt) with lemon is harmful. In fact, both curd and lemon have their own health benefits when consumed in moderation. Curd is a good source of protein, calcium, and probiotics, which can promote healthy digestion and boost the immune system.

How do you add lemon juice to cream without curdling? ›

Like someone else said, curdling is more of an acidity issue so don't add the cream directly to anything like lemon juice or vinegar. If you must add both to a recipe, add the acid first, let it get distributed throughout your dish so it's essentially diluted, and then add the cream while stirring.

What does the cornstarch do in the yogurt sauce? ›

Cooking, however, causes yogurt made with cow's milk to curdle, and stabilizers such as cornstarch or egg white are required to prevent this.

How do you add yogurt to sauce without curdling? ›

How to prevent yogurt in sauces to curdle?
  1. Make the sauce on low heat. ...
  2. Use high fat yogurt. ...
  3. When whipping yogurt to add as a sauce, first drain out as much whey as you can, and use the curds only. ...
  4. Do not stir the sauce in the cooking process too vigorously.
Oct 30, 2020

Can you make yogurt with milk and lemon juice? ›

For curdling, I added 1/4 tsp lemon juice to 2 oz boiled milk in the sauce pan and continued stirring on heat until curdled. Use methods 3 and 4 to make small quantity yogurt which can then be used as starter yogurt for the next batch.

What happens if you put lemon and curd on your face? ›

Lemon's antibacterial properties help reduce the appearance of blemishes to maintain flawless skin. It also has bleaching qualities which will lighten and brighten your skin. Add 1 tsp of lemon juice to a tablespoon of curd. Apply it on your face and let it sit for 15-20 minutes.

What does turmeric and lemon do to your face? ›

Turmeric face mask with lemon juice

Lemon is an active agent in eliminating excess oil from the skin, and along with gram flour, it acts as a gentle exfoliant. Add turmeric to the mixture and you have a face pack that controls oil, works on acne, exfoliates and soothes the skin, preventing further infections.

What does lemon juice do to dairy? ›

So when lemon juice which contains citric acid is added to milk, the positive hydrogen gets attracted towards the negative micelles and they are neutralized. Thus, all the micelles will now come close together and aggregate together to form a gelatinous material called curd.

What does citric acid do in yogurt? ›

Acidity regulatorThis consists of citric acid (aka E330) and its sodium salt, sodium citrate, which together prevent the pH of the yogurt from changing and becoming too acidic. Citric acid is the natural acid found in citrus fruits.

What happens if you add lemon juice to milk? ›

Lemon juice will cause milk to curdle. It's a very useful effect if you want make cheese.

Is yogurt and lemon good for dark spots? ›

Yogurt and Lemon Juice

Apply some lemon juice on to dark spots and let it dry. Add some yogurt on top of the dried lemon juice to cover the spots. Leave on for 10 minutes and then wash off. Apply daily, and the yogurt will help to cleanse the skin with natural enzymes, as well as improving skin texture.

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