This flavorful Cilantro Yogurt Sauce goes with almost anything! Made with Greek yogurt, cilantro, and jalapeno. This 3 minute recipe makes a creamy sauce that's not too runny. Use it as a marinade; sauce for salads, wraps, or tacos; or as a dip for veggies, chips, or quesadillas. Delicious, bright, and healthy too! (Gluten Free).
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Most online recipes for Cilantro Yogurt Sauce make a thin and runny sauce. I want something thick enough to use as a spread, a dip, and generally for all the things. Also, it's easy to make a sauce thinner, but much harder to make it thicker without compromising flavor! This challenge turned into a slight obsession...and eight sauces later, here we are.
This creamy Greek Yogurt Cilantro sauce is luscious, flavorful, and bright. It also keeps in the fridge for days without losing it's pretty color. Lately I've been spooning it into Halloumi Wraps. But, it's also delicious drizzled over rice bowls, beans, tacos, and even as a salad dressing. You could use it as a marinade for your favorite proteins too.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Easy: All you have to do is toss a handful of ingredients in a food processor (or blender).
- Light: Greek yogurt makes a healthy, creamy base for this sauce. It's a lighter alternative to sour cream.
- Not too runny: Yogurt-based cilantro sauce is often too runny. But, we tested 8 versions of this recipe to ensure it's just the right consistency!
- Versatile: You can use this cilantro yogurt sauce on pretty much anything—like wraps, tacos, salads, roasted veggies, and so much more.
- Meal Prep Friendly: This sauce stays nice and green for days! The yogurt prevents the avocado from browning.
Ingredients (and substitutes)
This creamy Cilantro Yogurt Sauce recipe has just 6 ingredients. Here's what you need:
- Greek Yogurt: Use a thick plain Greek yogurt so the sauce isn't runny.
- Cilantro: Fresh cilantro gives this sauce its bright flavor and color. You can use the leaves and stems.
- Avocado: A bit of avocado helps thicken the yogurt sauce to just the right consistency. You only need one-quarter of the avocado. Use the rest in a wrap, sandwich, tacos, or turn it into the best guacamole.
- Jalapeno: I like to add a bit of jalapeno for heat. Removing the inside of the pepper (white pith, ribs, seeds) helps reduce the spice. You can substitute serrano pepper instead. But, serrano peppers can be up to 10x spicier than jalapenos, so adjust as needed.
- Garlic: Use a small clove of fresh garlic so it's not overpowering. You can substitute garlic powder to taste instead.
Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.
How to make (step-by-step photos)
Here's how to make easy cilantro yogurt sauce in just 3 minutes:
Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.
Tips
I recipe-tested 8 versions of this sauce to get the taste and texture just right! These are my tips for a cilantro yogurt sauce that's creamy—and not too runny.
- Pat cilantro dry: Use water to rinse fresh herbs, like cilantro. It removes dirt and helps it last longer in the fridge. But, it's also important to pat the cilantro dry. Use a clean kitchen towel (or a paper towel) to do this. If you don't dry off the cilantro, it'll make your sauce runny.
- Use cilantro leaves and stems: Since this sauce is blended, you can use the cilantro leaves and stems. Cilantro stems actually have a lot of flavor—and they don't get bitter at the bottom, like parsley. Using all parts of the cilantro saves you time from picking leaves, adds flavor, and reduces waste!
- Avoid using too much cilantro: Too much cilantro makes the sauce runny. So, don't tightly pack the measuring cup.
- Adjusting heat: Use more or less jalapeno depending on how spicy you want the sauce. I recommend removing the ribs and white pith of the pepper, because that's where most of the heat is. If you don't like heat at all, then leave the pepper out entirely!
- How to tell if a jalapeno is spicy: Jalapenos get spicier as they age. Younger—and milder—jalapeno peppers tend to have have smooth skin. Whereas older peppers often have white specks or lines. So, look for these if you want a really spicy jalapeno.
How to use it
You'll want to use this cilantro yogurt sauce on everything! It's creamy, bright, and makes a delicious garnish or dip.
Here are some of our favorite ways to use it:
- Halloumi Wraps: Spread this thick and creamy sauce on a tortilla, then pile it high with toppings.
- Burrito Bowls: Top bowls of rice (or another grain) with Air Fryer Peppers, Smoky Stewed Beans, avocado and shredded cheese. Then drizzle this cilantro sauce over top.
- Tacos: Spoon this sauce over Portobello Mushroom Tacos or Crispy Avocado Tacos.
- Quesadillas: This cilantro sauce is great for dipping crispy Cheese Quesadillas into.
- Eggs: Drizzle this sauce over Soft Boiled Eggs on Toast or fried eggs. Or, serve it on the side of scrambled eggs. It's a delicious, flavor-packed way to spice up your breakfast routine.
- Roasted Veggies: Make veggies more exciting by pairing them with this punchy sauce. Serve with Air Fryer Butternut Squash, Air Fryer Broccolini, or Crispy Smashed Fingerling Potatoes.
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📖 Recipe
Cilantro Yogurt Sauce
This flavorful Cilantro Yogurt Sauce goes with almost anything! Made with Greek yogurt, cilantro, and jalapeno. This 3 minute recipe makes a creamy sauce that's not too runny. Use it as a marinade; sauce for salads, wraps, or tacos; or as a dip for veggies, chips, or quesadillas. Delicious, bright, and healthy too! (Gluten Free).
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt (see note 1)
- ¼ avocado (see note 2)
- ½ cup fresh cilantro (see note 3)
- 1 small clove garlic
- ½ to 1 jalapeno pepper (cored and chopped) (see note 4)
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Combine: To a food processor (or blender), add ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt, ¼ avocado, ½ cup fresh cilantro, 1 small clove garlic, ½ to 1 jalapeno pepper (cored and chopped), and ½ teaspoon fine sea salt. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed (see note 4).
Notes
- Greek Yogurt: Use the thickest Greek yogurt you can get. Full-fat Greek yogurt will have the best taste/texture, but low-fat works too. Runny yogurt will make for a runny sauce.
- Avocado: You need ¼ of an avocado. Keep the rest for another use (like Halloumi Wraps, Guacamole, or salads). You can make this sauce without avocado, but it'll be quite runny. We tested this sauce with more avocado too, but the avocado flavor starts to become pronounced.
- Cilantro: You can use the leaves and tender stems. The measuring cup should be lightly packed, but not tightly packed. If you add too much cilantro, it'll water down the sauce.
- Jalapeno Pepper: Adjust the amount of pepper to taste. Some peppers are spicier than others, so if in doubt, start with less and add more as needed. Coring the pepper refers to removing the inner white pith ("ribs") and seeds, to make it milder. You can substitute serrano pepper— but they're spicier than jalapeno so adjust accordingly. If you don't want any heat, skip the pepper.
- Storage tips: You can store this sauce in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 36kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 207mg | Potassium: 53mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 131IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 0.1mg
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