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    Home » Recipes » Dips, Salsa, & Sauces

    Tzatziki Sauce

    Published: January 31, 2022 · Updated: January 31, 2022 · By: Krissy · 31 Comments
    This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

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    Homemade Tzatziki sauce is flavorful and delicious. This recipe is so easy to make and tastes incredible!

    This is the best tzatziki recipe I've ever enjoyed. I've never found anything at the grocery store that even compares. This tasty dip can be used in so many ways. I love to serve it with falafel or on a gyro, but it is often our favorite dip to make for dipping veggies and crackers.

    bowl of homemade Tzatziki

    Why this recipe is so great:

    This is one of those super simple recipes that not only tastes great, but it's packed with protein and fresh ingredients.

    • Simple: Only five wholesome ingredients (well, six if you count salt) come together to create this creamy, satisfying, flavor packed sauce.
    • Versatile: Every time I make it, I find different recipes that are only complimented by the addition of tzatziki. Although this is an recipe which people typically think should only go with Greek food, it's a fantastic dip for vegetables or crackers, or spread on sandwiches.
    • Healthy: Fresh vegetables and herbs with protein packed Greek yogurt is not only delicious but it's quite satisfying.

    Ingredients needed:

    Exact quantities are listed in the recipe card below, but here is a summary.

    • Cucumber - I prefer to use a large English cucumber
    • Greek yogurt - I used to buy plain full fat yogurt but have switched to nonfat and it is unbelievably creamy and delicious
    • Lemon juice - one good sized lemon will due
    • Garlic - minced super fine
    • Fresh dill - there's simply nothing better
    • Salt - needed to balance out the tart from the lemon and yogurt
    ingredients to make homemade Tzatziki sauce

    How to make Tzatziki sauce:

    Full ingredient list and detailed step by step instructions are listed in the recipe card below, but here is a summary.

    1. Prepare the cucumber. Cut the ends off, slice it in half lengthwise, and scoop the seeds out. Grate the entire cucumber (I find the food processor is easy) and then toss it with the salt.
    2. Remove excess moisture. You'll set this mixture in a strainer for about 15 minutes to allow some of the moisture to escape. Before adding the cucumber to the remaining ingredients, you'll squeeze out as much moisture as possible.
    3. Mix! The final step is simply to mix all of the ingredients together and you're done! Of course, give it a taste and add more of anything that it needs.
    • removing seeds and pulp from cucumber
      remove seeds
    • grating cucumber for Tzatziki sauce recipe
      grate cucumber
    • adding salt to grated cucumber
      toss with salt
    • straining liquid out of cucumber
      allow to drain
    • combining ingredients to make Tzatziki
      combine ingredients
    • making homemade Greek yogurt Tzatziki sauce
      mix well

    What to serve it with:

    The recipe people generally think of when they see tzatziki is falafel or a gyro. I mean, when you dine at a Greek or Mediterranean restaurant, you're pretty much guaranteed to enjoy this sauce.

    But Tzatziki sauce is incredibly versatile. The consistency is more similar to a dip, in my opinion. I've used tzatziki sauce with:

    • All kinds of meat including beef, lamb, pork, chicken and seafood. It is seriously fantastic when served with any of these.
    • Chips, vegetable sticks, and warm pita bread. It makes a great dip that is much healthier than so many other options out there.
    • Baked potato topping. Skip the sour cream and replace it with tzatiki for extra protein.
    • On top of burgers and sandwiches. This is where that garlic punch really stands out.
    dipping falafel in Tzatziki sauce

    Storage recommendations:

    Because there is so much cucumber in this recipe, it shortens the shelf life when compared to plain Greek yogurt. Any kind of vegetable will naturally release moisture over time, so I think this dip is best when consumed immediately or within the first few days.

    Tzatziki will last longer than that, but you'll have to give it a good stir before enjoying and the consistency will likely change.

    Tzatziki sauce with lemon and dill

    If you’ve made this or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out. I love hearing from my readers!

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    Full Recipe Instructions

    Tzatziki sauce

    Tzatziki

    Tzatziki sauce can either be boring and bland or it can be flavorful and delicious. This recipe is so easy to make and tastes incredible! Just a few simple ingredients as well as tips and tricks to get the best consistency. You will love this delicious dip recipe.
    4.98 from 39 votes
    Print Pin Rate SaveSaved! Add to Collection Go to Collections
    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: Mediterranean
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Time to drain cucumber: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Scale: 6 servings
    Recipe Created By: Krissy Allori

    Kitchen Tools

    • Mixing Bowls
    • strainer

    Ingredients

    • 1 large cucumber
    • 1 to 2 teaspoons kosher salt (start with one and add more to taste)
    • 2 cups Plain Greek yogurt
    • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
    • 2 cloves garlic (minced)
    • 1 tablespoon fresh dill (minced)

    Instructions

    • Prepare cucumber: Cut the ends off the cucumber. Slice the cucumber in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Grate remaining cucumber and toss with salt in bowl. Set salted grated cucumber in strainer over bowl or in sink and let stand for at least 15 minutes. Squeeze to remove as much liquid as possible and discard liquid. Ideally you want about 1 cup of grated cucumber for the Tzatziki.
      straining liquid out of cucumber
    • Mix sauce: Combine drained grated cucumber with remaining ingredients in large bowl. Mix to combine, taste, and add additional salt, lemon juice, or dill, if desired.
      combining ingredients to make Tzatziki

    Notes

    Too sour? Add more salt.
    Too salty? Add more lemon juice.
    Too bland? Add more garlic and/or dill.

    NUTRITION INFORMATION

    Calories: 47kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 7g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 800mg | Potassium: 157mg | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 35IU | Vitamin C: 3.7mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 0.1mg
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    This recipe was originally published in September 2018 and has been updated with helpful information, ingredient and process photos, as well as recipe tips. Don't worry - the recipe hasn't changed!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sal

      May 29, 2023 at 7:32 am

      Can I use plain yogurt instead of Greek?. I don’t have greek yogurt:(.

      Reply
      • Krissy

        May 30, 2023 at 9:46 am

        You can. Greek yogurt has a very thick consistency, though.

        Reply
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