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.

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.

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.
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.
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 — remove seeds

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.

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.

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Full Recipe Instructions

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

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Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Prep Time: 10

Time to drain cucumber: 15

Total Time: 25

Scale: 6 servings

Recipe Created By: Krissy Allori

Kitchen Tools

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.
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.

Notes

Too sour? Add more salt.

Too salty? Add more lemon juice.

Too bland? Add more garlic and/or dill.

NUTRITION INFORMATION

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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!