Once you make this creamy dill sauce recipe, you’ll have your new go-to sauce to pair with fresh salmon, chicken, prawns, and veggies! This creamy sauce will take your meals to a whole new level. Enjoy this simple but flavourful recipe made in one small saucepan with whipping cream, capers, mayonnaise, white onions, and fresh dill.
These simple ingredients are the perfect combination for a creamy sauce. I love pairing this beautiful creamy dill sauce with a simple salmon recipe, but it would be so good with chicken, veggies, prawns, or really any seafood dish! Serve with white rice or Greek rice, oven-roasted potatoes, or Greek roasted vegetables for a full and satisfying meal.
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- If you’re looking for more sauce ideas, you may be interested in these popular Greek sauces like tzatziki sauce with sour cream, authentic tzatziki, or tirokafteri.
- Creamy dill mayo sauce has a smooth and luxurious flavour that adds richness to every dish!
- This sauce is easy to prepare and quick to make and can be customized to suit your taste preferences. Adjust the amount of dill, add spices, or experiment with different ratios of mayo and whipping cream to create a sauce that is perfect for you.
RECIPE TIPS
- Don’t allow the whipping cream to come to a boil. The sauce should be on very low heat before adding in the butter, mayonnaise, and whipping cream. If the temperature gets too hot, the sauce may curdle. If the sauce comes to a boil, immediately remove it from the heat.
- If you’d like the sauce thicker, reduce the amount of whipping cream. If you don’t want to use mayonnaise, you could substitute tangy sour cream or use a combination of both sour cream and mayonnaise.
- Since there’s acidity (lemon juice) and dairy in this lemon dill sauce recipe, it’s best to reheat this sauce slowly. If you’re reheating it in the microwave, then place the sauce in the microwave on low for 10-15 seconds. Stir and then, if needed, reheat in shorter intervals. If reheating on the stovetop, keep the heat on low and gradually heat the sauce until it’s warmed through. If the sauce gets too hot too quickly, then the sauce could separate.
- Use room-temperature wine, mayo, butter, and whipping cream to prevent the dill sauce from separating.
- I made this recipe the other day, and I didn’t have white wine, so I substituted a dry rosé instead. And it still tasted delicious! If you don’t want to add in wine, you could add water with a little bit of Better than Bouillon seasoned vegetable base. Allow the liquid to cook with the onions, garlic, and capers until the liquid mostly evaporates.
INGREDIENT NOTES
Mayonnaise: Full-fat mayonnaise is best for this recipe. The sauce is meant to be creamy and indulgent, but if you’d like to make a lighter sauce, you could try it with reduced-fat mayonnaise.
Butter: Unsalted or salted will work for this recipe. If using salted butter, taste the sauce before adding more salt. I’ve also tried this recipe with Earth Balance vegan butter, and it works great if you’re looking for a dairy-free alternative.
Whipping cream: It should be at room temperature before it’s added to the sauce. Whipping cream adds creaminess and thins out this sauce. You could also use heavy cream. Whole milk, 2% milk, or skim milk won’t produce as creamy of a sauce. If you’re looking for a dairy-free option, you could substitute unsweetened or plain oat milk creamer instead of whipping cream. I haven’t tried it yet, but I think it would still be delicious!
Yellow or white onions: Sauté the diced onions until translucent. Onions add sweetness and more depth to this sauce.
Fresh dill: Fresh dill will make all of the difference. Fresh herbs provide so much flavour to sauces compared to dried herbs. I wouldn’t recommend substituting dried dill for this recipe.
Lemon zest or fresh lemon juice: Adds a little brightness to this sauce and enhances the flavours! You can use just the lemon juice or add in a little bit of the lemon zest too! Just be sure to add the citrus at the end, and only a small amount so that the sauce doesn’t become bitter.
Olive oil: Adds depth and earthy flavour, plus the olive oil thins out the sauce and is used when sauteéing the onions and garlic.
Capers: You can use any brand that you like. I love the saltiness and texture of capers in this sauce, but if you don’t like capers, no worries! You can omit them.
White wine: You could substitute a dry rosé instead of white wine. You could also mix water with a little bit of vegetable base instead of using wine. However, you will need to add 1/3 cup of liquid to the onions, garlic, and capers. Allow the water or liquid to absorb slightly before continuing on with the next steps.
HOW TO MAKE CREAMY DILL SAUCE: STEP BY STEP
STEP 1: Sauté the onions and garlic. Heat the olive oil over medium-low heat, and then add in the diced onions and minced garlic. Stir and keep the heat on low so that the onions and garlic don’t burn. Sauté on medium-low heat for 8-10 minutes or until the onions are fragrant and translucent. Stir often so that the onions and garlic don’t burn.
STEP 2: Combine ingredients. Add in the capers, brine and red chilli flakes. Stir and simmer on medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Add in the white wine, fresh diced dill, and brown sugar. Simmer the sauce for another 5 minutes until the liquid is mostly absorbed or evaporated. Stir often and leave the saucepan uncovered throughout the cooking process.
STEP 3: Add in the dairy. Reduce the heat to low. This is important before adding in the dairy so that the sauce doesn’t curdle. Add in the butter and mayonnaise. Then slowly add in the whipping cream. Stir frequently, and simmer on very low heat for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and add in the lemon zest or lemon juice. At this point, you can do a little taste test and sprinkle in salt and black pepper if needed.
How Long Can Dill Cream Sauce Last In The Fridge?
You can make this sauce a day or two ahead of time. Allow the sauce to cool, and then cover it with plastic wrap or store the sauce in an airtight container for best results. This sauce will last for up to four days in the fridge. Because there is dairy in the sauce, there may be a little bit of separation. If that’s the case, remove it from the fridge and give the sauce a good stir before serving. While you can enjoy this sauce cold, I believe it is best when warmed up.
How To Reheat Dill Cream Sauce?
To reheat this delicious sauce, combine the leftover sauce with a tablespoon or two of whipping cream or whole milk in a small saucepan. The key when reheating this sauce is to reheat the sauce slowly to prevent the sauce from curdling. You can also reheat this creamy dill sauce in the microwave in 10-15 second intervals on a low setting.
Can You Freeze Dill Cream Sauce?
You can freeze this sauce, but there may be some separation when de-thawing because of the dairy in the sauce. If you need to prep this sauce ahead of time, I recommend making it a day or two ahead of time and storing it in the fridge instead of freezing it.
- Oven Baked Salmon With Creamy Dill Mayo
- What To Serve With Salmon Patties
- Crispy Halloumi Burger Recipe With Dill Mayo
Creamy Lemon Dill Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup diced white or yellow onion about 1 small onion
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic 2-3 peeled garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons of capers
- 1 tablespoon of the caper brine juice from the capers
- red pepper flakes optional
- 1/3 cup dry white wine room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons diced fresh dill
- 1/4 cup unsalted or salted butter softened
- 1/3 cup full fat mayonnaise room temperature
- 1/3 cup whipping cream room temperature
- Zest of half a lemon or 1 teaspoon lemon juice adjust to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon salt or seasoning salt
Instructions
- Sauté the onions and garlic. Heat the olive oil over medium-low heat, and then add in the diced onions and minced garlic. Stir and keep the heat on low so that the onions and garlic don't burn. Sauté on medium-low heat for 8-10 minutes or until the onions are fragrant and translucent. Stir often so that the onions and garlic don't burn.
- Combine ingredients. Add in the capers, brine and red chilli flakes. Stir and simmer on medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Add in the white wine, fresh diced dill, and brown sugar. Simmer the sauce for another 5 minutes. Stir often and leave the saucepan uncovered throughout the cooking process.
- Add in the dairy. Reduce the heat to very low or even turn off the element. This is important so that the sauce doesn't curdle when adding in the dairy. Add in the butter and mayonnaise. Mix together until the butter is melted. Then slowly pour in the whipping cream. Stir frequently and simmer on very low heat for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat and add in the lemon zest. At this point, you can do a little taste test and sprinkle in more salt or black pepper if needed.
Notes
- Keep the heat very, very low when adding in the butter, mayonnaise, and whipping cream. Do not let the sauce come to a boil, or it may separate and curdle.
- This sauce will need 1/3 cup of liquid from the wine to soften the onions and thin out the sauce. If you'd like to omit the wine, then you can add water mixed with a little bit of vegetable base, vegetable stock, or just water. Allow the liquid to mostly evaporate before continuing with the next steps of the recipe.
Nutrition
Date Published: June 18, 2023
The Best Creamy Lemon Dill Sauce Recipe
VIEW THE COMMENTS