Jamie Oliver Mint Sauce Recipe

Jamie Oliver Mint Sauce is one of the best and easiest homemade mint sauce recipes ever. The recipe only requires mint, vinegar, oil, and some seasonings and takes about 10 minutes if prepared properly. You can store it in the fridge for 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months. This sauce is for perfect lamb dishes or any roasted meat. If you love mint, check out our mint jelly recipe.

What Is Mint Sauce 

Mint sauce is a type of cold sauce that is made with fresh or frozen mint, vinegar, garlic, vegetable oil, salt, and pepper. The mint sauce is traditionally served with lamb shoulder, such as a rack of lamb, lamb legs, or lamb chops. However, now people love it and start using it with other dishes like cooked chicken cooked salmon, or as a dipping sauce for kebabs or other meat skewers.

What Is The Best Mint For Mint Sauce?

Spearmint is the best choice for making mint sauce. The reason why spearmint is a good choice is because it has a balanced, sweet flavor that isn’t too overpowering. 

Mint Sauce Ingredients

• ½ Cup Fresh or Frozen Mint
• ⅔ Cup Vegetable Oil
• 1 Clove Garlic Minced
• 1 Tablespoon White Wine Vinegar
• ¼ Teaspoon Each Salt & Pepper Or To Taste

How To Make Mint Sauce With Fresh Mint

1. Place mint, oil, garlic, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a food processor and pulse 3-4 times or just until smoothly chopped. If you don’t want to make the sauce too smooth, simply pulse for only 2 minutes. 
2. Pour the mint sauce into a glass jar and then place it in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours before serving. 
3. Serve your cold mint sauce with your favorite dishes, such as a rack of lamb or lamb chops.

How To Make Mint Sauce With Frozen Mint

If you have frozen mint, you don’t need to thaw it to make mint sauce. Just place it with the other ingredients such as oil, vinegar, and seasonings in the food processor and pulse until smoothly chopped. Then, pour the mixture into a jar and place it in the fridge.

How Long Does Mint Sauce Last In Fridge?

The mint sauce can last in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. To store it properly, pour the sauce into a well-closed glass jar and place it in the fridge.

Can You Freeze Mint Sauce 

Yes, frozen mint freezes well and it can last about 3 months in the freezer. To Freeze mint sauce correctly, divide the sauce into small servings and pour each one into a freezer-safe bag, leaving some space for expansion. Write the freezing date on the bags so you don’t forget it. Next, place the bags in the freezer.

To thaw frozen mint sauce, simply transfer it to the fridge and leave it overnight. It should be completely defrosted by the next minute. Alternatively, you can leave it in a water bath, and it can be thawed in 3-4 hours.

How Can You Tell If Mint Sauce Is Bad?

You can tell that your homemade mint sauce has gone bad when it changes color and has a strong, unpleasant smell. Typically, bad mint sauce will darken in color and emit a distinct foul odor.

7 Best Ways To Use Mint Sauce

Here are some ideas on how to use your homemade mint sauce:

• Serve It With Lamb: Pair your mint sauce with lamb dishes like lamb chops, rack of lamb, or boneless leg of lamb. The mint sauce goes well with almost any roasted lamb dish.
• Serve It With Cooked Chicken: Drizzle mint sauce over Baked chicken legs or chicken breasts. You can also bake a whole chicken and pour some mint sauce on top while serving.
• Serve It With Salmon: Mint sauce goes well with baked or grilled salmon.
• Serve It With Pasta: Serve your mint sauce with cooked pasta, similar to pesto pasta.
• Serve It With Kebab: If you have kebab skewers, especially lamb kebabs, try serving them with mint sauce on top.
• Serve It With Meatballs: Mint sauce pairs well with meatballs, such as Swedish meatballs or pork meatballs.
• Use It As A Dip: Use mint sauce as a dipping sauce for French fries, chicken wings, or meat tacos.

What To Put In Mint Sauce

1. Yogurt: Add about 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt (sugar-free yogurt) to your mint sauce. Mix it well to make the sauce creamy and give it a smoother texture.
2. Cilantro: Add 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro to your mint sauce. This will provide the sauce with a robust flavor that pairs well with chicken dishes.
3. Cucumber: Chop half a cucumber thinly and add it to your mint sauce along with yogurt and the other mint sauce ingredients. Then, pulse it in a food processor until it becomes a dipping sauce.
4. Cranberry: Add approximately 1/4 cup of cranberries to your mint sauce while mixing it in the food processor. This addition will give the sauce a sweet flavor, making it a good match for turkey meat.

How Do You Thicken Mint Sauce?

If your sauce is too thin, you can add more mint leaves to the mixture. Blend or process it again until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency. 

It is important to note that if you are using fresh mint and have washed it, ensure that you dry it properly using a paper towel or kitchen cloth to remove excess water before using it. 

Mint Sauce Calories And Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 163
• Carbohydrates: 1g
• Protein: 1g
• Fat: 18g
• Saturated Fat: 2g
• Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g
• Monounsaturated Fat: 13g
• Sodium: 4mg
• Potassium: 39mg
• Fiber: 1g
• Sugar: 1g
• Vitamin A: 435IU
• Vitamin C: 6mg
• Calcium: 13mg
• Iron: 1mg

FAQs

Can You Use Mint Sauce As A Marinade 

Yes, mint sauce can be used as a marinade for lamb or any other meat. Simply place the meat and mint sauce in marinade bags and let it sit for at least 3-4 hours to allow the meat to absorb the flavors from the sauce.

Can You Make Mint Sauce With Dried Mint 

Yes, you can prepare mint sauce using dried mint. Instead of using fresh mint, you will need approximately 1/2 cup of dried mint. Follow the recipe instructions as usual, substituting the dried mint for fresh mint and the remaining recipe steps remain the same.

Can You Freeze Mint For Mint Sauce?

Yes, you can freeze mint for later use in mint sauce. To freeze mint, start by washing and drying the leaves thoroughly. Next, place the mint leaves in sealed freezer bags, removing as much air as possible before sealing. Properly stored, mint leaves can remain frozen for several 3 months.