Cilantro Yogurt Sauce

Name: Cilantro Yogurt Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 2 cups fresh cilantro; 1 cup 2% Greek yogurt; 1 garlic clove (peeled); 1 tablespoon lime juice; ½ teaspoon Kosher salt; ½ teaspoon cumin; 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Yumna Jawad
September 18, 2020 Updated June 4, 2021

4.99 from 94 votes

This herbed yogurt sauce is a refreshing condiment for summertime grilling. Add it to grilled shrimp or throw it in salads for a bright and fresh flavor!

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This cilantro yogurt sauce is one that is so versatile, you can throw it on salads, eat with grilled shrimp, toss with pasta or even use it to marinade chicken. It’s zesty, tangy and so flavorful!

Cilantro yogurt sauce in a small bowl with spoon for serving

Ingredients to make cilantro yogurt sauce

Cilantro: This is where all the green comes from and gives the yogurt sauce a wonderful flavor! You can also substitute half the amount for parsley, dill, mint or basil.
Greek yogurt: It makes the sauce tangy and fresh without using heavy cream. I recommend 2% Greek yogurt which has more fat and moisture and won’t separate after mixing.
Lime juice: For more tanginess
Olive oil: To emulsify the sauce and avoid it breaking after storage.
Garlic, salt and cumin : For flavoring the sauce. Feel free to add in other spices and black pepper.

How do you make cilantro yogurt sauce

Throw all the ingredients together in a food processor or blender. If you have a food processor, I recommend leaving the olive oil until the end to drizzle it in. It creates a more emulsified texture that won’t separate after storarage.

Blend everything together until you don’t see any more chunks of the herbs or garlic. And you’ll get a gorgeous green sauce ready to be used anywhere!

Tips for making cilantro yogurt sauce

Leave the stems on the cilantro. You can remove some of the really thick and woodsy stems, but leave the finer ones on because that’s were most of the flavor is!
Add some heat. I recommend adding some jalapeño peppers to the sauce if you want to make it more spicy. You can also add crushed pepper flakes.
Taste the sauce before serving. You can add in an extra bit of salt or lime juice to get it just how you like.
Make it without a food processor if you don’t have one. It’s easiest to make this sauce in a food processor, but you can just chop the cilantro finely by hand and use a whisk to combine the ingredients.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it keep?

Store the sauce in an airtight container or sealable jar and it will keep well for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.

Can you make it vegan?

You can easily make this sauce dairy-free by using a plant based yogurt. Soy, cashew and vegan Greek-style yogurt all work really well and result in a creamy dressing.

How do you use it?

This sauce can be used as a dip, a dressing or as a marinade! It’s great served with sliced veggies and chips for an easy appetizer, or used as a marinade for chicken breasts before oven baking or grilling. It’s an easy way to liven up everyday salads, so be sure to make a double batch!

FInal cilantro yogurt sauce in a small serving bowl

More sauce recipes:

If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feel good Cilantro Yogurt Sauce recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!

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