Turkish Garlic Yogurt Sauce with Chili Butter
Cool, tangy Greek yogurt is whipped with fresh garlic and lemon, then crowned with sizzling brown-edged butter infused with Aleppo pepper. Spoon it over dumplings, roasted vegetables, grilled meats, or eggs, or serve it as a dip with warm bread.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 4 min
- Wait
- 20 min
- Total
- 34 min
- Makes
- About 1¾ cups (6 servings of ¼ cup)
Steps
Before you start
- Take the yogurt out of the fridge 20 minutes ahead so it is cool, not icy; this makes it smoother to stir.
- Use full-fat (10%) or at least 5% Greek yogurt. Low-fat yogurt gives a thinner, more sour sauce.
- Measure all the butter ingredients before you heat the pan. The butter goes from foamy to burnt in under a minute.
- Aleppo pepper (pul biber) is mild and slightly fruity. If you use a hotter chili flake, use half the amount.
Temper the yogurt
- Spoon the 2 cups (450 g) Greek yogurt into a medium bowl.
- Stir with a fork or small whisk for about 30 seconds until it is completely smooth and loosened, with no stiff lumps.
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Ready when: Yogurt looks glossy and falls from the spoon in a thick ribbon.
Tip: Do not use an electric mixer; it can thin the yogurt.
Add garlic and seasoning
- Finely grate the 2 garlic cloves on a microplane (or crush with a pinch of the salt using the flat of a knife) so there are no chunks.
- Stir the garlic, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, ½ teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon olive oil into the yogurt until evenly combined.
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Ready when: No visible streaks of oil or lemon; garlic is evenly dispersed.
Tip: Chunks of raw garlic taste harsh. Grate it as finely as you can.
Let the garlic mellow
- Cover the bowl and leave it at room temperature for 20 minutes.
- During this time the garlic flavor blooms and softens into the yogurt.
- Taste, then add a pinch more salt if it tastes flat.
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Ready when: Garlic aroma is noticeable but rounded, not sharp, when tasted.
Spread onto serving dish
- Spoon the yogurt onto a shallow serving plate or into a shallow bowl.
- Use the back of a spoon to make a wide, shallow well in the center for the butter to pool in.
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Ready when: Yogurt is spread about ¾ inch (2 cm) thick with a slight dip in the center.
Melt the butter
- Place the 3 tablespoons (42 g) butter in a small light-colored skillet over medium heat.
- Swirl occasionally for about 2 minutes as it melts and begins to foam.
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Ready when: Butter is fully melted and covered with fine, bubbling foam.
Tip: A light-colored pan lets you see the butter color so it does not burn.
Sizzle the chili
- When the foam begins to subside and the butter smells nutty and turns light golden (about 1½ to 2 minutes more), remove the pan from the heat.
- Immediately stir in the 1½ teaspoons Aleppo pepper, plus the paprika and dried mint if using.
- The spices will sizzle for 10 to 15 seconds and the butter will turn a deep red.
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Ready when: Butter is light golden with a nutty aroma; once spices go in it is brick red and sizzling.
Tip: Take the pan off the heat before adding the spices. Chili flakes burn fast and turn bitter.
Pour and serve
- Pour the hot chili butter immediately over the yogurt, letting it pool in the well and streak across the surface.
- Serve right away while the butter is warm, with warm bread, dumplings, roasted vegetables, or grilled meat.
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Ready when: Butter is glossy red on top of cool white yogurt, with a gentle sizzle at the edges.
Tip: Pouring butter that is too hot can make the yogurt split. Keep the butter just sizzling, never smoking.
Good to know
Tips
- Grate the garlic on a microplane for a smooth, evenly flavored sauce with no raw bites.
- Use a light-colored pan and watch the butter color; golden with a nutty smell is the target, brown specks mean it is going too far.
- Serve the sauce on a wide, shallow plate so there is more surface for the chili butter to pool and swirl.
- For a richer, tangier sauce, stir in 1 tablespoon more olive oil; for a thinner drizzle, loosen with 1 to 2 tablespoons cold water.
Make ahead
"Make the garlic yogurt up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate it covered. Let it stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving. Make the chili butter fresh just before serving for the best sizzle and aroma."
Storage & reheating
"Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Refrigerator: store covered for up to 3 days; the garlic flavor strengthens over time and the butter will firm into red streaks. Freezer: not recommended, as the yogurt becomes grainy. To reheat the butter, warm it gently in a small pan for 15 to 20 seconds and drizzle it over cold yogurt; do not heat the yogurt itself."
Substitutions
- full-fat Greek yogurt → strained plain whole-milk yogurt. Strain regular yogurt through cheesecloth for 1 to 2 hours in the fridge until thick, or the sauce will be runny.
- Aleppo pepper flakes (pul biber) → ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes plus 1 teaspoon sweet paprika. Approximates Aleppo's mild heat and fruity color; red pepper flakes are hotter.
- fresh lemon juice → white wine vinegar. Use 2 teaspoons for a similar tang.
- unsalted butter → extra-virgin olive oil. Use 3 tablespoons (45 ml) warmed gently; the sauce will be dairy-lighter and fruitier, but the nutty browned flavor is lost.