This Homemade Tzatziki Sauce is so easy to put together! Made with thick greek yogurt, bright lemon, refreshing cucumber and herbaceous dill. Perfect for dipping, on gyros or as an easy snack!
The first time I had Tzatziki was years and years ago and I’ve never looked back. I simply love it, it’s so refreshing and easy to make! Say goodbye to overpriced store bought versions and hello to your new favorite recipe!
Easy Tzatziki
- Incredibly Easy To Make
- Simple Ingredient List
- Versatile & Delicious
- Healthier Than Most Dips/Sauces
Tzatziki is creamy, flavorful and very simple to make. It’s one of the only sauces I know of that uses cucumbers, which is what makes it really refreshing. Loaded with fresh herbs, garlic, bright lemon, and simple spices, you’re going to want to put this tzatziki on EVERYTHING!
Ingredient Notes
- Cucumber – I used an English cucumber, peeled and grated. An English cucumber is a cucumber that is generally sweeter than regular cucumber and it’s longer and sometimes thinner. Feel free to chop or blend your cucumber for different textures. I prefer grating because I find it creates the perfect consistency.
- Greek Yogurt – You can use regular plain yogurt, but I recommend using Greek yogurt, since it’s a bit thicker and I find that it tastes a lot better too!
- Spices – Cayenne pepper (optional), sea salt, & pepper.
- Garlic – Fresh is best! I usually use 2 small cloves for this recipe, but if you don’t like a strong garlic flavor, use less.
- Lemon Juice – I always prefer freshly squeezed, use what you have on hand.
- Dill – Fresh, chopped. Some people prefer to use mint, but I am dill’s #1 fan!
How To Make Tzatziki Sauce
- Prepare the cucumber: Use a grater to grate the cucumber in a small bowl. Add 1/4 tsp of salt to it and mix, then let it sit for about 10 to 15 minutes. This will help draw out the water from the cucumber, so that we don’t end up with a watery tzatziki sauce. I usually place it in a bowl over paper towels or cheese cloth, then squeeze the liquid out of it, this way you don’t end up with a watery tzatziki.
- Mix everything together: In a medium size bowl, combine the yogurt with the cayenne pepper, minced garlic, lemon juice, dill, salt, pepper and cucumber. Stir everything well and adjust with salt and pepper as necessary.
- Chill then serve: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
FAQs & Expert Tips
FAQs
Tzatziki is a Greek sauce made from yogurt, garlic and cucumbers. Other ingredients such as lemon juice, mint, dill or parsley are sometimes added. I also love it because it really is healthier than most other dips and sauces and that’s because it’s made with Greek yogurt.
Tzatziki works as a dip, a snack, but my favorite is with gyros or falafel! You can truly put this super sauce on anything! It’s that good.
Yes! If you want to prepare this the night before, you can just cover it tightly or transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge overnight!
Tips
- You can use regular plain yogurt, but I recommend using Greek yogurt, since it’s a bit thicker and I find that it tastes a lot better too!
- A lot of people will tell you that they prefer mint over dill, and although I love mint, I really prefer dill in this sauce. Of course, if you want you can use mint instead, or why not use both!
- I also threw in a bit of cayenne pepper just so the sauce has a bit of kick but feel free to skip that.
- I like the thicker texture, and to be able to taste the cucumber! That’s why I choose to grate mine. If you want more of a smooth, less chunky, blended sauce – you can toss all of your ingredients into the food processor.
Storing Leftovers
Tzatziki sauce is best served when it’s prepared. However if you have some leftover sauce, transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate it. It will last in the fridge about 2 days.
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Homemade Tzatziki Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 English cucumber peeled and grated
- 2 cups Greek yogurt
- ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 2 tbsp dill fresh, chopped
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the cucumber: Use a grater to grate the cucumber in a small bowl. Add 1/4 tsp of salt to it and mix, then let it sit for about 10 to 15 minutes. This will help draw out the water from the cucumber, so that we don't end up with a watery tzatziki sauce. I usually place it in a bowl over paper towels or cheese cloth, then squeeze the liquid out of it, this way you don't end up with a watery tzatziki.
- Mix everything together: In a medium size bowl, combine the yogurt with the cayenne pepper, minced garlic, lemon juice, dill, salt, pepper and cucumber. Stir everything well and adjust with salt and pepper as necessary.
- Chill then serve: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
Video
Recipe Notes
- Recipe yields about 3 cups of Tzatziki sauce.
- An English cucumber is a cucumber that is generally sweeter than regular cucumber and it’s longer and sometimes thinner.
- You can use regular plain yogurt, but I recommend using Greek yogurt, since it’s a bit thicker and I find that it tastes a lot better too!
- A lot of people will tell you that they prefer mint over dill, and although I love mint, I really prefer dill in this sauce. Of course, if you want you can use mint instead, or why not use both!
- I also threw in a bit of cayenne pepper just so the sauce has a bit of kick but feel free to skip that.
- I like the thicker texture, and to be able to taste the cucumber! That’s why I choose to grate mine. If you want more of a smooth, less chunky, blended sauce – you can toss all of your ingredients into the food processor.
- Nutrition: Nutritional information is for about 1/3 cup of tzatziki sauce. Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Great recipe. I would hold off on the cayenne until I tasted the garlic if I
were using more than directed. My garlic cloves were large and quite hot.
Maybe as it mellows a little longer it will be fine and I think it might not be so pronounced if mint is used instead of dill which is my preference too.
This recipe was fantastic! I paired it with your recipe for chicken souvlaki and served it on Naan bread with a side of roasted asparagus. Instant hit in our house!
We love everything about that! So happy it was a big hit!
How long is the refrigeration life of the tzatiki sauce once made
It will last about 2 days in the fridge.
What do you have this served with, looks like home made pita bread?Do you have a recipe?
Yes! It’s my no yeast flatbread!
I’ve been making this exact same recipe for over twenty years, including using long English cucumbers. It only takes about 10 minutes!!
What can i substitute to make this non dairy?
Try to find a non-dairy plain yogurt!