I love Greek food, and after much trial and error, this is the best tzatziki recipe I’ve come up with! Refreshing cucumber, creamy Greek yogurt, and zingy lemon make it the perfect condiment for just about everything.

Greece is pretty far up there in my list of favorite countries, and this is probably largely due to it being the home of the best sauce known to man, TZATZIKI! And while I’d like to begin a business of importing Greek tzatziki to then redistribute across all of America so everyone might bask in its glory, I will instead just give you the secrets to the World’s Best Tzatziki recipe.

What yogurt do you use for tzatziki?

You start with some good, plain Greek yogurt (2 cups). We’ll strain the moisture from the yogurt. Now there’s the fancy way of doing this, by placing the yogurt in a cheesecloth and letting the water drip from that, but if you’re like me, you don’t own cheesecloth. I don’t think that’s one of those things that 22 year olds are obligated to own yet. So I used the one strainer I do have…my coffee filter I plopped the yogurt into a paper coffee filter, soon realizing the wet paper wouldn’t be strong enough to hold the yogurt, then set the whole yogurt in paper filter contraption into the actual coffee filter (I’d suggest a good wash first, unless you’d like to experiment with some real unique flavor combinations). Set the yogurt straining contraption aside and move on to the cucumber.

Do you peel cucumber to make tzatziki?

Short answer: you don’t have to! To make the World’s Best Tzatziki recipe you’ll need a cup of cucumber (1 big or 2 small, you can guestimate). If yours has seeds, get those outa there before anything. I shredded my cucumber in the food processor, but you can also finely dice it. I also left the peel on, more nutrients and fiber! Once you’ve got the cucumber all shredded or diced, you’re going to strain the moisture out of this too. No need to get as involved as with the yogurt (and good thing because I’ve only got one coffee pot). Just sprinkle with a touch of salt then lay the cucumber out flat on a few layers of paper towels and let sit while you prepare the other ingredients. The salt helps to draw out more moisture. If need be, you can wring it to get those final drops out.

How do you make Greek tzatziki?

After you have your thick Greek yogurt and shredded cucumber, the rest is pretty simple. Finely chop 1 tablespoons of dill, mince 2 cloves of garlic, and measure out 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or white wine vinegar. You can let the yogurt sit for a few hours, or half an hour if you’re like me and want tzatziki NOW!  Mix it all together and voila!

4.5 from 14 votes

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World's Best Tzatziki

This is the best tzatziki recipe! Refreshing cucumber, creamy Greek yogurt, and zingy lemon make it the perfect condiment for just about everything.

Course Appetizers, Dips, Sauces, and Salsas

Cuisine Greek

Keyword tzatziki, yogurt sauce

Diet Gluten-Free, Low Carb, Raw, Vegetarian

Occasion 4th of July, Game Day

Time 15 minutes or less

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Servings 3 cups

Calories 40 kcal

Author Live Eat Learn

Ingredients

• 2 cups plain Greek yogurt 480 g, can use dairy-free
• 1 cup shredded or diced cucumber 200 g
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice or white wine vinegar 30 mL
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 Tbsp chopped dill
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Thicken yogurt: Strain yogurt using a cheesecloth or coffee filter for 30 minutes to 3 hours to remove excess moisture (you can skip this step if you're in a hurry).

2. Prep cucumber: Meanwhile, sprinkle salt onto shredded or diced cucumber and lay on paper towel to draw out moisture.

3. Mix: Mix together yogurt, cucumber, dill, garlic, and lemon. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Notes

• Add a touch of extra-virgin olive oil for flavor and shine.
• Serve with pita, veggies, on Roasted Chickpea Gyros, or really anything!
• The flavors become less tangy as you let them sit, so your tzatziki might just be best the next day. The gift that keeps on giving.

Nutrition Facts

World's Best Tzatziki

Amount Per Serving (0.25 cups)

Calories 40 Calories from Fat 22

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 2.4g 4%

Saturated Fat 1.5g 8%

Cholesterol 8mg 3%

Sodium 50mg 2%

Potassium 103mg 3%

Total Carbohydrates 3.2g 1%

Dietary Fiber 0.1g 0%

Sugars 2.7g

Protein 1.7g 3%

Calcium 5%

Iron 1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Products I use in the World’s Best Tzatziki Recipe