Mint Sauce

To spruce up roasted lamb or chicken, try drizzling this herb-infused mint sauce over your main course. It’ll add aromatic flavors to your dish, brightening up any dinner. You only need a few fridge and pantry staples to create this recipe: mint, water, apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. Then you can spoon it on top of all kinds of meals.

Mint Sauce Ingredients

• Mint: This recipe relies on mint because the herb has bright, aromatic flavors.
• Sauce ingredients: To create the sauce, we combine the mint with boiling water, apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper.

Directions

Step 1: Assemble the sauce

Place the mint leaves in a small bowl. Stir in the water, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper until the sugar is dissolved.

Cover and let it steep for 20 minutes. Serve immediately with lamb or your preferred dish.

Mint Sauce Recipe Variations

• Swap the vinegar: You can use white, champagne, or white balsamic vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar.
• Make it spicy: Chop up some serranos or jalapeños and add them to this recipe.
• Use dried mint: While we prefer fresh mint because it adds brighter flavors to this sauce, you can also use dried mint.

How to Store Mint Sauce

We recommend packing this mint sauce in an airtight container. It’ll last in the fridge for three to four days.

Can you make this mint sauce recipe ahead of time?

Make this  sauce a few days before your big dinner. Cook it, store it in the fridge for three to four days and then reheat it when you’re ready to serve your main course.

Can you freeze this sauce?

If you have leftover mint sauce, we recommend storing it in an airtight container or freezer-friendly bag. You can freeze it for two to three months, then reheat it when you’re ready to use.

Mint Sauce Recipe Tips

Why is mint sauce served with lamb?

There are several theories why this sauce is served with lamb. One is that it disguised the gamey taste of lamb during Medieval times. Another theory is that Queen Elizabeth I decreed that lamb could only be served with bitter herbs (like mint) to curb people from eating it too much in an effort to help the wool industry. Once sugar became more popular, mint sauce was less bitter and made the ideal partner for lamb.

Can I use a different herb for this sauce?

While we recommend mint for this recipe, you can use a few different herbs; keep in mind the taste will differ. You can add rosemary, thyme or fennel.

What can I do with leftover sauce?

You can top all types of meals with this recipe — from mains to sides. Pour it on sauteed peas or sliced cucumbers. Additionally, it’ll taste delicious poured on roasted chicken or fish.