Your shopping list is shorter than your attention span during a work meeting. You need plain Greek yogurt (the full-fat kind—we’re not doing cardio today), a cucumber, garlic, fresh dill, lemon juice, and olive oil. That’s it. No weird ingredients from the back of your pantry that expired in 2019.
Pro tip: if you use sour cream instead of yogurt, you’ll make a different sauce that’s still delicious. It’s like showing up to a costume party as a pirate instead of a ninja—still fun, just different. Nobody’s judging you.
I once forgot the dill and used dried mint instead. My husband said it tasted “like a Christmas tree that got in a fight with a yogurt.” Don’t do that. Stick to dill.
White sauce recipe | Chicken over rice sauce | Gyro white sauce
The Cucumber Conundrum
Here’s where most people mess up: they don’t drain the cucumber. A wet cucumber will turn your sauce into a watery mess, like a sad milkshake that lost its will to live. Grate that cucumber, then squeeze it in a paper towel until it cries mercy.
Think of it this way: you’re not torturing the cucumber—you’re preparing it for greatness. The drier the shreds, the thicker your sauce. And we like thick sauces. Thick sauces mean business. They don’t run away from your pita.
If you’re feeling extra lazy (which is me, every day), buy pre-minced garlic and pre-chopped dill. Your Greek ancestors might roll in their tombs, but your taste buds won’t know the difference. Sacrifices must be made for convenience.
