Best Yogurt Sauce Recipes

TZATZIKI SAUCE-- GREEK CUCUMBER/YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• Peel cucumbers and dice. Put them in a colander and sprinkle with the tablespoon of salt (draws water out). Cover with a plate and sit something heavy on top. Let sit for 30 minute Drain well and wipe dry with a paper towel.
• In food processor or blender, add cucumbers, garlic, lemon juice, dill and/or mint, and a few grinds of black pepper. Process until well blended, then stir into yogurt. Taste before adding any extra salt, then salt if needed. Place in refrigerator for at least two hours before serving so flavors can blend.
• This will keep for a few days in the refrigerator, but you will need to drain off any water and stir each time you use it.
• ** If you can't find the thicker Greek Yogurt Cheese, you can use regular, plain yogurt that is either full fat or low fat. To thicken, spoon yogurt into cheese cloth that has been quadrupled. Draw the corners of the cloth up and tie together. Suspend above a bowl for 2 hours so that water can drip out. The consistency of the yogurt should be like that of sour cream.
• You can skip this draining process, if you want, but you will have a moderately messier, runnier result.

TZATZIKI SAUCE (YOGURT AND CUCUMBER DIP)

Steps:

• Line a colander with two layers of cheesecloth and place it over a medium bowl. Place the yogurt on the cheesecloth and cover the colander with plastic wrap. Allow yogurt to drain overnight.
• Lay grated cucumber on a plate lined with paper towel; allow to drain 1 to 2 hours.
• Combine the drained yogurt, cucumber, garlic, parsley, mint, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

GRILLED CHICKEN WINGS WITH SPICY CHIPOTLE HOT SAUCE AND BLUE CHEESE-YOGURT DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat grill to high. Toss wings in a few tablespoons of oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on the grill in single layers and grill until golden brown on both sides and just cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes per side.
• Whisk together the vinegar, Dijon mustard, chipotle puree, honey, and oil in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Melt butter in a large skillet or a large pot on the grates of the grill. Add the hot sauce mixture and bring to a boil. Whisk in the ancho chile powder and season with salt, to taste. Add the wings and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve with Blue Cheese-Yogurt Dip.
• Combine all ingredients in a bowl and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

EASY GREEK YOGURT CUCUMBER SAUCE

Steps:

• Stir together the yogurt, sour cream, vinegar, lemon juice, cucumber, green onion, garlic, feta cheese, oregano, lemon zest, salt, and pepper in a bowl; cover and chill 8 hours or overnight before serving.

GRILLED LEG OF LAMB WITH SPICY LIME YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• Pat lamb dry with paper towels and place it on a rimmed baking sheet. In a bowl, combine oil, herbs, orange zest and juice, the minced garlic cloves, salt and pepper. Rub mixture all over lamb. Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate at room temperature for 2 hours, or overnight in the refrigerator.
• Meanwhile, prepare the sauce: Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and add more salt if you like.
• Heat the grill. Wipe lamb with paper towels, removing most of the rub, then grill until a digital thermometer reads 120 degrees for rare or 130 for medium (about 6 to 15 minutes per side, depending on how you like your meat and how thick the lamb is). If the meat starts to char before it's done, move it to a cooler part of the grill to finish cooking. Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing and serving with the yogurt sauce.

TZATZIKI SAUCE -YOGURT AND CUCUMBER DIP

Steps:

• Line a colander with two layers of cheesecloth and place it over a bowl. Place yogurt on the cheesecloth and cover the colander with plastic wrap. Allow yogurt to drain, 8 hours to overnight.
• Place grated cucumber in a fine mesh strainer; allow to drain 1 to 2 hours.
• Mix yogurt, cucumber, dill, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Refrigerate for flavors to blend, at least 2 hours.

GARLIC-CURRY CHICKEN THIGHS WITH YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• Mix garlic, oil, curry powder, 1 cup yogurt, 2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 cup water in a large bowl. Working in batches, add chicken thighs and turn to coat, using your hands to rub marinade under skin of each thigh. Transfer to a resealable plastic bag and chill at least 3 hours or up to overnight.
• Position a rack in upper third of oven and preheat to 425°F. Transfer marinated chicken, skin side up, to a 13x9" baking dish. Roast chicken until skin is browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of chicken registers 165°F, about 35 minutes. If chicken skin starts to burn, move pan to a lower rack to finish cooking.
• Transfer chicken to a serving platter, reserving pan juices. Whisk lemon juice, 1/4 cup pan juices, remaining 1 cup yogurt, and remaining 1/2 tsp. salt in a medium bowl. If sauce is too thick, add more pan juices. Serve sauce alongside chicken.
• Do Ahead
• Chicken can marinate up to 1 day before cooking. Keep chilled.

FALAFEL IN PITA WITH YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• In medium skillet over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons oil and sweat onion and peppers 2 to 3 minutes then garlic and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.
• In a food processor, pulse together chick peas, red chili flakes, ground cumin, the egg, salt and black pepper to form a coarse consistency. Then add flour, parsley, and cilantro. Pulse until mixture starts pulling from the sides of the food processor.
• Remove mixture to a large bowl and mix in the onion mixture. Chill falafel until ready to cook.
• Roll falafel dough into 1-inch rounds. Then form rounds into an oblong quenelle shape, like a football.
• In a thick-bottomed skillet heat 1/2 inch of canola oil over medium heat to 350 degrees F. Cook falafel balls a few at a time, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Be sure to turn them so they do not burn or stick to the bottom of the pan. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt while still hot.
• Open the pita bread to make pockets. Place 3 to 4 falafels inside. Stuff with lettuce tomato and cucumbers and drizzle sauce generously on the inside. Serve immediately.
• Mix the yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, cilantro, parsley and cumin together in a small bowl. Add salt to taste. Chill until ready to use.

SALMON CAKES WITH LEMON-CAPER YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• Salmon: Put a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Drizzle the salmon with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Grill until the flesh is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork, about 6 to 8 minutes on each side. Set aside to cool for 20 minutes.
• Patties: Using a fork, flake the salmon into 1/2-inch pieces and put into a medium bowl. Add the egg, chives, 1/2 of the crushed crackers, the corn, mustard, mayonnaise, capers, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Mix gently until just combined. Form the mixture into 2 1/2-inch diameter patties, about 3/4 inches thick. (If the mixture is too dry to form into patties, add extra mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon at a time,) Carefully coat the patties in the remaining crushed crackers and refrigerate for 1 hour. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil and butter over medium heat. Add the patties and cook until golden and crispy, about 7 to 8 minutes each side. Drain on paper towels.
• Sauce: In a small bowl, mix together the yogurt, capers, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Arrange the salmon cakes on a platter and serve alongside the sauce.

PAN-SEARED SALMON WITH LEMON-DILL YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• In a medium bowl combine the yogurt, dill, lemon zest, and olive oil. Mix well and set aside.
• In a large saute pan, melt butter and sear salmon fillets on medium-high heat, flesh side down, for about 3 minutes. Turn the fillets over and cook for about 3 more minutes. Place fish on a warm serving plate.
• Heat canola oil; saute garlic until fragrant. Add vegetables; saute until heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste
• To serve, arrange vegetables around fish fillets and spoon yogurt sauce over fish. Serve warm.

LAMB PATTIES WITH FRIED ONIONS AND TAHINI-YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• Put lamb in a medium bowl. Add 1 teaspoon salt, some black pepper, the cumin, coriander, oregano, cinnamon, scallions, cilantro, mint and garlic. Mix well with wet hands, kneading the mixture to distribute seasoning. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour so the seasoning penetrates. (Alternatively, season meat and refrigerate overnight.)
• Make the sauce: In a small bowl, put tahini, lemon juice, garlic and cayenne. Stir well to dissolve the tahini. Then stir in yogurt, and mix well. Taste and add salt, to taste.
• Heat olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-high. When oil is wavy, add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until they are crisp and well browned, edging toward burned, about 10 to 12 minutes. Lower heat if browning too quickly. Add a little more oil, if pan looks dry. Season lightly with salt. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.
• Light a charcoal grill for a medium hot bed of coals. (Alternatively, use a medium-hot gas or electric grill, a cast-iron pan or griddle, or a broiler.)
• With wet hands, knead lamb mixture once more, then form into 4 (8-ounce) oval patties (or 6 5-ounce patties), about 1-inch thick. Set aside until the fire is ready. Place the grill about 1 inch from the coals.
• Cook patties about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare, 130 degrees. After flipping, cook until red juices appear on the top of the patties. For medium, 140 degrees, cook longer, about 5 minutes per side. In either case, let them rest on a warm plate for 5 minutes before serving, to keep in juices. They will continue cooking a bit as they rest.
• Top each burger with fried onions. Serve with tahini-yogurt sauce and warm pita, if desired.

LAMB SOUVLAKI WITH YOGURT-GARLIC SAUCE

Steps:

• For souvlaki, mix first 5 ingredients to make a marinade and set aside. Distribute lamb, bell peppers, onion and tomatoes among 8 skewers. Place in a large shallow pan with marinade. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours, rotating skewers once. Heat a gas grill to medium, or use a charcoal grill and allow the coals to turn a light-ash color. Coat grill with cooking spray. Grill until lamb is medium rare and lightly charred, 5 to 8 minutes. Rotate to cook evenly. To cook in oven, broil on metal skewers 6 minutes, rotating until evenly browned. Grill or toast pitas. For sauce, puree cucumbers and a pinch of salt in a food processor. Place in a fine-screen colander and squeeze out the juice. Reserve juice and discard pulp. Whisk cucumber and lemon juices in a bowl with yogurt. Mix in garlic; season with salt and pepper. Serve with pitas and skewers.

KIBBEH WITH YOGURT-GARLIC SAUCE (LEBANON)

Steps:

• To make the outer shells, place the bulgur wheat in a bowl and cover with water. Let sit for 20 minutes then drain in a strainer, pressing to extract the excess liquid.
• In a large bowl, blend the beef, onions, cumin, salt, and pepper to a paste. Add the strained bulgur wheat and mix well. Process again, in batches, in a food processor until smooth and pliable enough to work like a dough, adding a little ice water if needed.
• To make the stuffing, in a large skillet, cook the meat, stirring, over medium-high heat until browned, about 4 minutes. Add the onions, salt, allspice, pepper, and cinnamon, and cook, stirring, until tender, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the pine nuts. Let sit until cool enough to handle.
• To make the final dish, with wet hands, shape the raw meat-bulgur mixture into egg-sized balls. Make a hole down the center of each ball with an index finger to make a deep cup with a pointed bottom. Stuff each ball with about 1 tablespoon of the stuffing. Press down on the sides and top to enclose the filling and reshape into a smooth egg with a pointed top. Repeat with the remaining ingredients, wetting your hands frequently.
• Preheat the oil to 360 degrees F.
• In batches, add the kibbeh balls to the hot oil and cook until golden brown and the meat is cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve hot or at room temperature, with the Yogurt-Garlic Sauce for dipping.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the yogurt until smooth and creamy. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk to combine.

LAMB KöFTE WITH YOGURT SAUCE AND MUHAMMARA

Steps:

• For yogurt sauce:
• Stir all ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Cover and chill.
• For Köfte:
• Line large rimmed baking sheet with plastic wrap. Gently mix lamb and next 8 ingredients in large bowl. Using moistened hands and scant 2 tablespoonfuls for each, roll meat mixture into 1 1/2-inch meatballs. Arrange on sheet.
• Preheat oven to 300°F. Place large sheet of foil on work surface. Heat large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add flatbreads to skillet 1 at a time; cook until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Enclose in foil; place in oven to keep warm.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions; sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Sauté until golden brown, about 8 minutes.
• Transfer onions to 1 side of large rimmed baking sheet; place in oven to keep warm.
• Add 1 tablespoon oil to same skillet; heat over medium-high heat. Sauté half of meatballs until just cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer to baking sheet in oven. Repeat with remaining meatballs, adding oil to skillet if dry. Reserve skillet.
• For muhammara:
• Add roasted peppers to reserved skillet; stir 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup water and 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses. Bring to simmer, scraping up browned bits. Cook until reduced to 2/3 cup, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Mix in parsley. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and more pomegranate molasses, if desired. Transfer to small bowl.
• Arrange onions and meatballs on platter. Serve with warm breads, yogurt sauce, and muhammara.
• Available at some supermarkets, natural foods stores, and Middle Eastern markets.
• ** A thick pomegranate syrup; available at some supermarkets, at Middle Eastern markets, and from adrianascaravan.com.

CILANTRO-YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine onion, cilantro, yogurt, mint, coriander, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice in a medium bowl. Season sauce with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired.
• DO AHEAD: Sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

YOGURT GARLIC SAUCE

Steps:

• Mash garlic to a paste with salt using a mortar and pestle (or mince and mash with a heavy knife). Stir together garlic paste, yogurt, and lemon juice.

KEBAB SHOP YOGURT GARLIC SAUCE

Steps:

• Simply mix all the ingredients together and season with salt and pepper - add a splash of water if you want to make it a drizzly consistency. The mint is optional but goes nicely with lamb. The sauce can be made the day before.

BOBBY FLAY'S HOT WINGS WITH BLUE CHEESE-YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• Make the sauce: Combine the yogurt, blue cheese, red onion, cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
• Make the wings: Heat 2 inches of peanut oil in a large high-sided pan until a deep-fry thermometer registers 375 degrees F.
• Stir together the flour, salt and pepper to taste, 1 tablespoon ancho chili powder and the garlic powder in a shallow bowl. Season the wings with salt and pepper and add in batches to the flour mixture to lightly coat. Tap off the excess flour, add the wings to the oil in batches and fry until golden brown and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel-lined plate.
• Bring the vinegar, chipotle puree, the remaining 2 tablespoons ancho chili powder and the New Mexico chili powder to a simmer in a large high-sided saute pan over medium heat. Remove from the heat and whisk in the mustard, 1 teaspoon salt, the honey and butter until smooth. Add the wings and toss to coat. Garnish with cilantro, if desired, and serve with the jicama sticks and blue cheese sauce.

WARM GREEK PITA SANDWICHES WITH TURKEY AND CUCUMBER-YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to middle position. Heat oven to 300 degrees.
• In a small bowl, mix sour cream, yogurt, cucumber, vinegar, 1 minced garlic clove, and salt and pepper to taste; set aside.
• Place pitas in oven; bake until warm and pliable, 7 minutes. Cut in half. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Carefully add onion; saute until spotty brown but still crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Add turkey, oregano and remaining minced garlic; continue to saute until heated through, another 2 minutes.
• Serve, letting guests fill their own pitas with lettuce first, followed by turkey, tomatoes and cucumber sauce.

YOGURT MINT SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, and stir well to combine. Sauce can be made up to 1 day ahead; store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Serve chilled or at room temperature.