How to Make Tzatziki

Learn How to Make Tzatziki sauce with this quick and easy homemade tzatziki recipe.  It’s perfect to serve with grilled salmon, wraps, pita chips and vegetables or your favorite Mediterranean dish.

This creamy cucumber tzatziki recipe is a versatile dip that is quick and easy to make and its loaded with flavor.

Tzatziki Sauce Recipe

This easy tzatziki sauce recipe calls for just 7 ingredients and it comes together in a pinch! 

• Greek Yogurt – We use full fat Greek yogurt for a fuller richer flavor, but you could use low fat if you like. If you use regular yogurt, the tzatziki will be too runny.
• Cucumber – Use English cucumber for this recipe, grated or finely minced. English cucumbers are seedless and have a thin skin so they don’t need to be peeled.  If you use garden cucumbers, you’ll want to peel them and scrape the seeds away before adding to the yogurt.
• Garlic – We use fresh garlic which adds a lot of flavor to the mix. Use 1-2 cloves for a mild flavored tzatziki, or 3-4 cloves for a more robust garlic flavor.
• Lemon juice – A little lemon juice adds a nice fresh perky flavor to the sauce
• Fresh dill – Use fresh dill if you can, it has fresh and perkier flavor than dried
• Seasoning. Use sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Extra-virgin olive oil – We give the tzatziki a good drizzle of olive oil just before serving.

Find printable recipe with measurements below.

How To Make It

This tzatziki sauce comes together in about 10 minutes start-to-finish. 

1. Greek yogurt.  We use a strained Greek yogurt for this recipe.  Place the yogurt in a cheese cloth or paper towels and squeeze out all the excess moisture.  
2. Grate and strain cucumber.  Using a box grater or finer hand-held grater and grate the cucumber. Place the grated cucumber on a cheese cloth or a paper towel and squeeze out all the liquid over a bowl or the sink. It’s key to remove as much moisture from the cucumbers as possible.
3. Blend ingredients. Add the strained yogurt, cucumber, minced garlic, dill and lemon juice to a large bowl.  Using a fork stir to blend the ingredients until well incorporated.
4. Seasoning. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
5. Refrigerate. Refrigerate for 30-60 minutes before serving.

What Is Tzatziki Sauce

Tzatziki (pronounced tuh-ZEE-kee) is a popular yogurt based dip (or sauce) that’s often served with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes. It’s flavorful and creamy with a slightly tangy and garlicky flavor. Tzatziki is rich with protein and healthy fat and makes a healthier choice for serving as a dip (with fresh veggies) rather than a higher calorie dip made with mayonnaise or sour cream. 

How To Store It

Keep tzatziki in an air-tight container in the refrigerator where it’ll last up to 5 days. Give it a good stir just before serving.

Serving Suggestions

This creamy tzatziki is a perfect sauce to serve with a variety of meals and healthy snacks.

• Mediterranean dishes: Serve as a dipping sauce to Chicken Shawarma and Chickpea Patties 
• Greek Dishes: Slather it on Grilled Turkey Burgers and add a dollop to this Greek Chicken Bowl
• Vegetables: Serve as a dipping sauce for these Cheesy Quinoa Broccoli Patties,  Baked Zucchini Chips and Oven Roasted French Fries
• Fish: It makes a great sauce to serve with grilled salmon
• Baked potatoes: Serve baked potatoes with tzatziki sauce rather than high calorie sour cream
• Wraps and pitas: Use it to prepare wraps and pitas with for extra flavor and creaminess
• Appetizer platters: Serve with baked pita chips, crackers, raw vegetables, olives and hummus

Looking For More Easy Sauces And Salsa Recipes To Make

• Artichoke Dipping Sauce
• Garlic Butter Sauce
• Lemon Dill Sauce
• Classic Burger Sauce
• Homemade Ranch Dressing
• Basil Pesto
• Heart Healthy Avocado Mayonnaise
• Easy Homemade Salsa Verde

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Print

Yield: Serves 8

How to Make Tzatziki

Prep Time 10 minutes

Additional Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Learn How to Make Tzatziki sauce with this quick and easy homemade tzatziki recipe.  It's perfect to serve with grilled salmon, wraps, pita chips and vegetables or your favorite Mediterranean dish.

Ingredients

• 2 cups plain full-fat Greek yogurt, strained
• 1 English cucumber (1 cup), grated and strained
• 2 cloves garlic, grated or finely minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped
• 1/2 lemon juiced (2 tablespoons)
• 1-2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Strain yogurt using cheesecloth or paper towels to remove excess moisture.
2. Grate the cucumber and place in a cheesecloth or paper towel and squeeze out the excess moisture over a bowl or the sink.
3. Add the strained yogurt, cucumber, minced garlic, dill and lemon juice to a medium size bowl.  Using a fork stir to blend the ingredients until well incorporated.
4. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
5. Refrigerate for 30-60 minutes before serving.
6. Drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil before serving.
7. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 61Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 93mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 0gSugar: 3gProtein: 5g

theharvestkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate information, however, this nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. The nutritional information provided comes from online sources and calculations. See full disclaimer on About page.