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Inspired by my numerous visits to Greece, this tzatziki is the real deal! With just a few simple ingredients, it’s ready in about 5 minutes. And with hundreds of 5-star reviews, you can be certain everyone will be devouring it the second you put it on the table!
save this recipe!What is Tzatziki Sauce?
Tzatziki is a Greek yogurt-based sauce made with cucumber, garlic, and fresh herbs. It’s a staple of Greek and Mediterranean cuisine, where it pulls triple duty as a dip, a condiment, and a sauce.
Tzatziki is one of those magical sauces that instantly makes everything better. Whether you’re dipping warm pita, drizzling it over falafel, or spooning it onto a Mediterranean grain bowl, this cool, creamy sauce is the perfect contrast to bold, savory flavors.
It looks simple, and it is, but the details that separate a watery, bland tzatziki from a thick, flavorful one are easy to miss. The two that matter most are squeezing the moisture out of the cucumber before mixing and using full-fat Greek yogurt as the base. Skip either step and the finished sauce is thin and flat rather than creamy and scoopable.
Why You’ll Love This Tzatziki Sauce Recipe
After testing this recipe more times than I can count across different yogurt brands, cucumber varieties, and acid levels, here’s what makes this version worth keeping on repeat:
- Ready in five minutes with no cooking required
- Tastes even better the next day as the flavors settle
- Only 40 calories per serving
Reader rating
“I made this and O.M.G! It is absolutely delicious! The possibilities are endless with what you can do with this. I made the Roasted Chickpea Gyros and THAT is going to be a staple. Plus, you can use this as a dip, sauce, and spread for veggies, sandwiches, and so much more.” —Ashley
Tzatziki Ingredients
This is just an overview–jump to the recipe card for measurements!
- Greek Yogurt: Greek yogurt is higher in protein than traditional yogurt and has a more tart flavor perfect for tzatziki. →For an even richer tztaziki, you can use sour cream instead of yogurt! It can be used 1:1 for the yogurt, or you can simply replace some of the yogurt with sour cream.
- Cucumber: You can opt to grate or dice the cucumber (I prefer grated)! We’ll sprinkle this with salt before mixing everything up to help draw moisture from the cucumber!
- An Acid: Either fresh lemon juice or white vinegar balance things out with a pop of sour.
- Garlic: The recipe calls for 2 cloves, but the garlic-lovers can measure this with their hearts. (Just please…don’t use pre-minced).
- Dill: Fresh dill is an absolute must for making tzatziki! Fresh mint is often also added, and can be tossed in as well if you want a more refreshing flavor.
Sarah’s Secrets
I get a lot of questions about how to prepare the cucumber. Should you peel it? Should you remove the seeds? The answer: It’s up to you! I typically leave the skin on and seeds in, partially because I want this to be a quick tzatziki recipe (and those steps take time!), but also because they contain fiber and nutrients.
How to Use Homemade Tzatziki Sauce
Tzatziki pulls triple duty as a dip, a sauce, and a spread. It’s the natural finish for anything Greek or Mediterranean. Spoon it over Mediterranean roasted vegetables, use it as the sauce for roasted chickpea gyros, or tuck it into veggie wraps in place of hummus for a tangier result.
How to Store Tzatziki
Store tzatziki in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. Give it a stir before serving since the cucumber releases a small amount of liquid as it sits.
The flavor actually improves after the first day as the garlic mellows and the dill blooms into the yogurt, so making it ahead is worth it!
Tzatziki does not freeze well. The yogurt separates on thawing and the texture doesn’t recover, so stick to making it fresh or keeping it refrigerated.
Your healthy back pocket sauce
This sauce became a favorite of mine while I was studying nutrition, because not only is it packed with flavor, but it’s also healthy!
To really know if tzatziki is healthy, you’ve got to look at its main ingredient – Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt is a healthy nutrition powerhouse, containing more protein than its traditional yogurt counterpart. Add to that the fiber-packed cucumber and antioxidant-heavy lemon juice and you have yourself a healthy tzatziki sauce!
Homemade Tzatziki Sauce Recipe (5 Minutes)
Ingredients
- 2 cups plain Greek yogurt, 480 g
- 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
- Thicken Yogurt (optional): For a thicker consistency, you can strain the yogurt by lining a mesh sieve with cheesecloth or paper towels, then spooning in the yogurt. Strain for 30 minutes to 3 hours.
- Cucumber: Meanwhile, transfer diced or shredded cucumber to a mesh sieve or colander and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Let sit for a few minutes while you measure everything else for the tzatziki, then use a rubber spatula to press out excess moisture.
- Mix: Mix together yogurt, cucumber, dill, garlic, and lemon.
- Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Let chill in the fridge until ready to enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
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Try it with…
Tzatziki is great as a veggie or bread dip, but it can also be used in a number of Mediterranean inspired recipes!
- Roasted Chickpea Gyros are my go-to for busy weeknights. The tzatziki balances out the spicy chickpeas!
- Mediterranean Roasted Veggies are a colorful side I love to serve with a bowl of tzatziki.
- My Oven Baked Falafel is the ultimate vessel to enjoy tzatziki with.
- Over Chickpea Fritters with Shredded Veggies (a reader-favorite!)
P.S. for a fun twist on this classic tzatziki, try my homemade tzatziki with feta cheese!
Can’t wait to try it.
Let me know how it goes, Sherry! 🙂
Made this just now along with the roasted chickpea gyros! So delicious! You can enjoy this with just about anything, 🙂
I always make extra so I can put it on salads and use it as a dip for the whole week 🙂 Plus the flavors get better after a day or two. So happy to hear you liked it!
I made these over the weekend and they were fabulous! I used smoked spanish paprika, so the chickpeas had a nice smokey flavor. I will definitely make these again.
Oh sounds delicious! I bet the smokey flavor paired well with the tzatziki. So happy you enjoyed it!
NOT MY USUAL KIND OF MEAL, BUT HAVE BEEN WNATING TO TRY GYROS. EVEN HUBBY LIKED THEM! VERY GOOD AND INTERESTING FLAVOR
Happy to hear, Laurie! 🙂
Making these tonight with the roasted chick pea Gyros and fresh pitas 🙂 the only thing that rubs me wrong is the suggestion to buy low-fat yogurt- noted that it’s good for you, as if the whole milk version is a less healthy choice. Not true! To each their own but from my own research I choose to buy the whole milk yogurt. This tzaziki will be delicious regardless and I look forward to the meal!
Hi Casey, thanks so much for dropping by and I hope your gyros turned out tasty! Regarding the fat content of the yogurt, I tend to go for low fat yogurts as the whole milk yogurts are high in saturated fat, but the other macros aren’t actually all that affected. Let’s look at the nutrition for Fage’s Total yogurt:
1 cup of full fat yogurt has 220 calories, 11 g fat, 9 g carbs, and 20 g protein.
1 cup 0% fat yogurt has 130 calories, 0 g fat, 9 g carbs, and 23 g protein.
While I’m not the type to go replacing everything with a low fat alternative (low fat mayonnaise should be against the law it’s so awful), looking at the macros and comparing the ingredients leads me to choose the low fat yogurts.
But yes, to each their own! This recipe is great with whichever variety of Greek yogurt suits you! 🙂
Hi how long can I store this until it starts going bad?
Hi Jessica, I try to eat mine within 5 to 7 or so days. (But the flavor is BEST on the second day, after all the flavors have really blended together)
I buy the giant tub of Fage 0% at Costco, and just recently got on a cottage cheese and fruit kick instead, so I had lots of yogurt on hand. Hubby LOVES tzatziki, and usually buys that at Costco as well. Long story short, I thought we had plenty, and after we came home from Costco, realized I was wrong. Whipped this up and it’s TITS! So delicious and much tastier than the one we thought we liked. Stupid easy too! Thanks so much:)
Hahah so happy to hear, Joelle! If you’re like me you probably put it on EVERYTHING, so the batches never last long 😉 Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting!
Made this for dinner, the whole family loved it. Since I have meat eaters I cooked a turkey tenderloin and sliced it up, just as delicious without.
So happy to hear, Shaila! Did you put the tzatziki on the turkey as well? Sounds like that would be a good flavor combo as well!
We did and it was just as delicious!
Amaziiiing, and so easy to do once you find the cheesecloth! (used a triangular gauze I had hidden in my medikit and worked perfectly)
Haha I love your outside the box thinking, Dani! I usually use a paper towel if I don’t have cheesecloth, but medical gauze works well too! 🙂
I had to substitute lemon for lime (note *it does not take quite as much) because that’s what I had on hand. My husband was skeptical about it, but he really liked it!!