Lemon Sour Cream Sauce
Fresh, creamy and slightly tangy, this lemon sour cream sauce can instantly transform your baked veggies, potatoes and even your favorite meats. It comes together in minutes, and you'll just need a few pantry staples to put it together.
Just like my Schug sauce, this one has those bright, herbaceous flavors from the dill, that makes it SO good!
I like to think that there's a perfect sauce for every meal. And that's exactly why I love trying out homemade sauces, dips and spreads- everything from the classic homemade BBQ sauce and lemon caper sauce to the unique, fruity Amba sauce and Biber Salçası, a beautiful Turkish red pepper sauce.
This dill sour cream sauce though, is somewhere in the middle. It's fresh, flavorful and yet, feels different to the taste buds, which is exactly what I wanted!
Quick Look
- 🔪Prep time: 5 min.
- ⏲️Cook time: 0 min.
- 👪 Servings: 4.
- 📋Main ingredients: Sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic, dill, lemon, salt and pepper.
- ♨️Cooking method: Combine sour cream and mayonnaise 🡢 add lemon juice, lemon zest, minced garlic and seasonings 🡢 mix and finish up with chopped dill.
- ⭐Difficulty: Very easy.
- 🥣Serving ideas: Spoon some of the sauce over your grilled fish or roasted veggies.
Jump to:
What's So Great About the Recipe?
- The rich, creamy sauce has a nice bit of freshness and a slight citrusy tang which makes it absolutely addictive.
- It's got a super versatile flavor and texture that makes it a total winner- regardless of what you're pairing it with.
- Just like my cowboy butter dipping sauce, you can prep it a couple of days ahead of time if you're making it for a get-together.
Recipe Ingredients
Sour cream: Use full fat sour cream for that rich and luxurious texture. Low fat sour cream can make the sauce too runny.
Mayonnaise: I also used some classic mayonnaise. You can skip this or just use some Greek yogurt instead.
Garlic: Nothing beats fresh garlic. Just a couple of cloves can add a nice bit of savory flavor to the sauce. Use air fried roasted garlic for a smoky touch!
Lemon: Freshly squeezed lemon juice (and the zest) adds some acidity and citrusy flavor to the sauce.
Dill: You'll also need some chopped up fresh dill for that bit of texture and flavor.
Seasonings: Just some salt and pepper. For extra citrusy deliciousness, you can also use some homemade lemon pepper seasoning.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Swap the dill for chives or scallion greens or other herbs of your choice to bring some variation to the sauce.
- For an extra depth of flavor, add some yellow mustard into the sauce. I like to use my homemade hot mustard here sometimes.
- Onion powder can also be a great addition to the sauce, and can lend it a nice bit of sweetness.
- To make vegan lemon sour cream sauce, swap the mayonnaise with vegan mayonnaise and use any plant based sour cream for the base.
- You can also use flavored salt like garlic parsley salt or herb salt or even some jalapeno salt if you want to add deeper flavor to the sauce.
How to Make Lemon Sour Cream Sauce
Step 1: In a bowl, combine the sour cream and mayonnaise.
Step 2: Add the seasonings, minced garlic and lemon zest.
Step 3: Now squeeze in the juice of half the lemon. Mix.
Step 4: Finish up with chopped fresh dill.
💭Top Tip
Use a sharp knife to finely chop and smash the fresh garlic, or use a garlic press to get that nice bit of chunkiness.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- If the sauce seems too thick, you can add a splash of milk or half and half to thin it out.
- To lend the sauce a spicy kick, you can add a pinch of cayenne or red pepper flakes into the mix. I love adding some jalapeno flakes whenever I have them at hand.
- If you don't have fresh lemon, bottled lemon juice can work too.
- Add a pinch of mixed herb seasoning to the sauce to add some more herby deliciousness.
How to Serve Lemon Sour Cream Sauce?
Serve this lemon sour cream sauce as a dip with your baked veggie sticks, French fries or even potato wedges. I love using it as a spread for my sandwiches, burgers and wraps- especially with my homemade chicken deli meat.
If you've turned it into a slightly runny sauce, you can spoon it over some grilled fish or meat too! The sauce can also jazz up any simple rice bowl. I've always enjoyed it with my Air Fryer buffalo chicken tenders and it was such a treat!
Troubleshooting and FAQs
You can store the leftover sour cream sauce in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Use an airtight container or a glass jar to store it, and use a clean and dry spoon to spoon it out whenever you want to.
More Wicked Sauces to Try
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried this lemon sour cream sauce or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Lemon Sour Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2-3 garlic
- 1 tablespoon dill chopped
- ½ lemon juiced and zested
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the sour cream and mayonnaise.
- Add the seasonings, minced garlic and lemon zest.
- Now squeeze in the juice of half the lemon. Mix.
- Finish up with chopped fresh dill.
Notes
- If the sauce seems too thick, you can add a splash of milk or half and half to thin it out.
- To lend the sauce a spicy kick, you can add a pinch of cayenne or red pepper flakes into the mix. I love adding some jalapeno flakes whenever I have them at hand.
- If you don't have fresh lemon, bottled lemon juice can work too.
- To lend it a bit of extra flavor and smoky deliciousness, swap the garlic for some Air Fryer roasted garlic.
