This creamy Minted Yogurt and Jammy Onion Dip is one of those recipes from my restaurant days I’d never forget. I made it every single day for a summer in New York City.
Not at home but at work, tucked into the back corner of the kitchen at ABC Kitchen, portioning it out by the quart for the veggie burger pita pocket that regulars would order on repeat. It was one of those recipes that seemed almost too simple to be that good. House-made yogurt, mint, caramelized jammy onions; one of the quickest recipes I was responsible for, but customers would ask for extra on the side more than almost anything else on the menu. I took my “quality assurance” very seriously, which is my way of saying I gave myself an extra large spoonful straight from the container more than once a shift.
This is the dip that taught me that the best food doesn’t need to be complicated to be unforgettable. That’s the whole philosophy behind the restaurant I’m building toward, too: nothing fussy, just food worth showing up for.
Here’s how you make it at home.
Creamy Minted Yogurt and Jammy Onion Dip
Why You’ll Love This Minted Yogurt Dip
This isn’t your average yogurt dip. A few reasons it earns a permanent spot in your recipe rotations.
It’s restaurant-tested. I didn’t walk out with the written recipe, but after making this dip nearly every day for a summer, I could probably make it in my sleep. This is my own version, rebuilt from memory and muscle memory. And it tastes identical to the one that customers were requesting extra on the side of. I do think mine is probably a tad thicker than the real one but that is why this is written as a “dip”. If you want a thinner consistency you can add a few tablespoons of liquid like milk or buttermilk.
The onions do the work. Slow-caramelized down into a jammy, sweet spread before they ever hit the yogurt. This is what separates this from a five-minute tzatziki knockoff.
It gets better with time. The flavors actually deepen in the fridge, so it’s a genuine make-ahead recipe, that makes hosting feel effortless.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This recipe’s short on ingredients but big on flavor, which is exactly the point. Good yogurt, fresh mint, and those slow-caramelized onions carry the whole dish, so don’t skimp on quality where it counts.
How to Chiffonade Mint
Chiffonade sounds fancy, but it’s just a fast way to cut herbs into thin ribbons. Stack your mint leaves like a stack of pancakes, then roll them tightly like cinnamon rolls, and slice thin strips across the roll.
What to Serve with Minted Yogurt Dip
- These pair perfectly with my Pita Bread Recipe
- Grilled meats or my Ground Beef Kebabs, where the cool mint cuts through the char
- Spread thin on a sandwich or wrap in place of regular mayo or aioli
Minted Yogurt and Jammy Onion Dip
Ingredients
Sweet Red Onion Jam
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 large red onion thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar or 1½ tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Yogurt Sauce
- 1½ cups full-fat Greek yogurt
- cooled sweet red onion jam
- 2 tablespoons fresh mint finely chiffonaded
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
Jam the Onion Slices
- Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat.
- Add the sliced onions and salt. Saute until the onions are very soft and caramelized
- Stir in the brown sugar and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the apple cider vinegar and continue cooking for 8–10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the vinegar has reduced and the onions are thick, glossy, and jam-like.
- Season with black pepper and allow the onion jam to cool completely.
Make the Yogurt Sauce
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper until smooth and creamy.
- Fold in the cooled red onion jam, leaving ribbons of jam throughout the yogurt rather than fully mixing it in.
- Gently fold in the fresh mint chiffonade.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
At the end of the day, this is the kind of recipe that looks fancy but comes together with almost no effort, which is exactly the kind of trick worth having in your back pocket. Make it ahead, let the fridge do some of the work for you, and show up to your next gathering with something that tastes like you spent way more time on it than you actually did. Give it a try, and let me know in the comments what you served it with.
