BEST Tzatziki Sauce Recipe
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Creamy and light, yet full of flavor, this Tzatziki Sauce Recipe is easy to make in just five minutes and makes a delicious dip or topping for chicken gyros, pita sandwiches, salads, and more!
Looking for ways to use this Greek-inspired tzatziki sauce? Try my Greek Chicken Power Bowls, Grilled Chicken Souvlaki, and Greek Beef Meatballs.
You know what’s the best part about tzatziki sauce? Eating it of course! You know what’s the worst part of it? Spelling it! I’ll tell ya what, no matter how many times I write the word “tzatziki,” (and it’s a lot more than the average person for sure) I get it wrong.
Luckily, I don’t have to spell it to eat it! Make this a couple times and you won’t even need to look up the recipe, it’s that easy. So delicious, you’ll want to put it not only on Mediterranean-inspired dishes, but as a dressing on salads, wraps, and more.
Why This Recipe Works
Simple ingredients – Greek yogurt, cucumbers, garlic, dill, salt and pepper and olive oil. That’s it! You probably have most, if not all of these ingredients on hand right now!
Fresh – Lots of things taste good. But not many things taste fresh like this Greek tzatziki does. It’s the yogurt, cucumbers, and dill that really make this sauce so much better than store-bought.
Easy to make ahead – If you want to have this easy tzatziki sauce on hand for all the dipping and saucing you have coming up, you can easily make this ahead of time and keep it in an airtight container (I love a good Mason jar with a screw-on lid) in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Versatile – Not only can you pour this homemade tzatziki sauce on top of all the meats and veggies, but you can also make it thinner or thicker depending on your preferences (eating by the spoonful maybe?) – more on that below.
Ingredients
English cucumber – Peel and finely grate the English cucumber. English cucumbers are best because they contain very few seeds.
Greek yogurt – I use plain, full-fat Greek yogurt because it’s thick, rich, and creamy. You could also substitute sour cream to use instead. Or you could do half and half, Greek yogurt and sour cream.
Garlic – Mince your own garlic or use the pre-minced garlic in a jar – that works great too.
Fresh baby dill – Chop up some fresh dill for this Tzatziki sauce. Fresh herbs make all the difference!
Lemon juice – fresh sqeezed is best but you can use bottled if that’s all you have.
Olive oil – I use extra virgin olive oil. Use a good brand, you can really taste the difference!
Here’s How You Make It
I almost could just skip the directions part of this easy tzatziki recipe, it’s that easy!
- You’ll start by draining the cucumbers. First, peel the cucumber, then grate it with a brox grater. Wrap the grated cucumber in paper towels and squeeze out the excess water over the sink.
- Mix together the Greek yogurt, grated cucumber, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and dill. (For a smoother, dressing-like sauce, use a food processor. This works great if you want to serve it over a Greek salad!)
- Taste and adjust flavorings as needed.
- Cover and put in the fridge till you’re ready to it.
- Serve with pita bread, pita chips, veggies, chicken, beef, or anything else your heart desires.
Yep! That’s all!
Frequently Asked Questions
This homemade tzatziki sauce is my recipe forthe Greek tzatziki sauce that is served in Greece as an accompaniment to lots of their dishes. In fact, you can find it throughout the Mediterranean.
It’s a sauce with a base of creamy Greek yogurt. To the yogurt, you add salty, tart elements like cucumbers, garlic, dill, salt, and pepper. It’s used over chicken, beef, and lamb, and can also be used as a dressing for salads or other veggies.
Oh I serve this easy tzatziki sauce with everything! It’s especially good with chicken and beef, (like my Easy Chicken Gyros and Beef Souvlaki Kebabs with Tzatziki Sauce.) But it also goes great over a bowl or on top of a delicious salad. (For a salad recipe, check out my Greek Avocado Chicken Salad.)
I also use it as a dip for veggie trays, for bread, for pizza, for my wraps, for just about anything. There really is no limit to how you can eat this sauce.
In addition to tzatziki sauce, hummus is another dip you’ve probably seen a lot in the Mediterranean foods aisle or read about in cookbooks or have eaten often with chicken, beef, pork, and just about everything that you can eat this tzatziki with.
But which one is more nutritious? Well, tzatziki has protein from the Greek yogurt, but so does hummus from its chickpea base.
Hummus also contains tahini, olive oil, and lemon juice, all of which have health benefits like fiber, heart-healthy fat, and a lower risk of stroke and heart disease.
On the other hand, tzatziki contains less calories, and fat. It also provides heart-healthy benefits from the garlic.
Basically, they are both very healthy options! If you’re going for purely less calories, then tzatziki would be the best pick. But otherwise, they are just about equally healthy for you, and, even healthier when you make them for yourself rather than going for the store-bought brand.
Expert Tips
- For the best, most flavorful tzatziki, I recommend using full-fat plain Greek yogurt. I have used reduced fat and non-fat with good results, but my favorite is definitely the full-fat option for best flavor!
- For a thicker tzatziki sauce, squeeze out the excess liquid from the grated cucumber by wrapping it in paper towels over the sink and wringing before adding to the tzatziki sauce mixture.
- This easy tzatziki sauce will last in the fridge up to 5 days. I don’t recommend freezing it.
- If you love the flavor of lemon, you can add a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice to this sauce as you are mixing it together. My recommendation is to try it without first, then add a little at a time until you reach your desired flavors.
More Amazing Greek-Inspired Recipes
- Mediterranean Chicken with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
- Greek Tortellini Pasta Salad
- Greek Chicken Souvlaki
- Steak Gyros
- Creamy Red Pepper Pasta
- Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Did you try this super easy and delicious Chicken Gyro recipe? YAY! Please rate the recipe below!
Tzatziki Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 english cucumber, peeled and finely grated, see note
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt, see note
- 3 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh baby dill
- 1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper, or to taste
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Stir together Greek yogurt, grated cucumber, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, dill, salt, and pepper.
- Taste, add salt and pepper if needed.
- Cover and chill until ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Rally enjoyed the flavor of this rcipe
Really enjoyed the flavor of this r pie and the quick way it comes together. I did not have English cucumber and just used a small regular cucumber. I made a half batch. I also used dill weed I stand of fresh and bottled lemon juice. Thank you for the recipe.
I substituted 1 tsp dry dill for the tbsp of fresh dill and then let it rest in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving. This is an outstanding Tzatziki recipe which stands up to any authentic greek restaurants version. This is now my go to recipe though I’ve no doubt fresh dill would make it even better. Thank you for sharing:>)
Glad you enjoy this recipe!
This recipe was so easy and delicious. Thank you!
I’m glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Would dried dill work ok? Fresh herbs can be pricy and hard to find this time of year.
That should work but I would only use 1 teaspoon of dried dill as it is more potent than fresh
I added some fresh mint to the I addedI added some fresh mint to the dip! that was a great addition fory
taste bids dip. It was fantastic!
I substituted 3/4 C sour cream and 1/4 C Mayo for the the yogurt due to mine being expired; used all the other ingredients as stated. The tzatziki sauce turned out great!!!
Added 1/2 t ranch dressing mix in place of most of the salt… Great recipe!
What a great modification! I’m glad it turned out well! 🙂
Delicious
This recipe is fabulous! We just look for different ways (any excuse!) to eat it
Haha that’s great! 🙂