Tzatziki- Cucumber Yogurt Sauce

What is Tzatziki?

Tzatziki is a yogurt, garlic and cucumber dip that goes well with Greek dishes, like souvlaki, or calamari. It's fresh, crisp, tart, and creamy all at once.

A staple at Greek restaurants, it brings a cucumber coolness to anything deep-fried or spicy, and it makes a lovely dip for bread, especially pita, crackers, or veggies.

It is also a delicious accompaniment to this yummy Turkey Souvlaki dish, spread on a warm pita and piled with roasted peppers.

What's To Love?

• This creamy sauce is so quick and easy it is to put together. Tzatziki is one of the fastest and easiest sauces to make.
• Creamy Greek yogurt, cucumber, lemon, fresh dill and garlic add freshness and cool to grilled meats, spicy foods, and so much more.
• This delicious Greek sauce is so versatile. Of course it's great with Greek food like souvlaki and Greek Meatballs, but you can also use it as a dip for veggies or pita chips or bread, spread it on sandwiches, burgers, or tacos.

Ingredients You Need

• Greek Yogurt You can use either low-fat or full-fat Greek yogurt. Traditionally, tzatziki is made with strained goat's milk yogurt or sheep's milk yogurt. Here in North America, Greek yogurt is about as close as you can get, since it is already strained. For best results, don't use regular plain yogurt for this recipe; your sauce will be runny.
• Cucumber Use a fresh, crisp cucumber. Long English cucumbers are best because they have fewer and smaller seeds than a standard pickling cucumber and there's no need to peel.
• Garlic You can peel and mince the cloves, or buy already minced garlic in a jar.
• Fresh Dill You can use fresh mint or any other fresh herbs instead if you prefer it.
• Olive Oil Extra virgin olive oil is the best choice for this homemade tzatziki recipe.
• Lemon Juice Freshly squeezed, of course. If you don't have a lemon, or prefer not to use fresh lemon juice, substitute white wine vinegar or distilled white vinegar in the same amount.

How to Make Tzatziki

It's so simple!

1. Grate the cucumber and squeeze out as much water as you can.

2. Add the remaining ingredients.

3. Stir to combine.

Helpful Tips

• Grate cucumber using a box grater, or use a food processor.
• To avoid a runny sauce, it's important to remove as much liquid as possible from the cucumber after it's grated. You can do this by grating over a sieve, then pressing the excess water out with a spoon. You can also wrap the grated cucumber in paper towels or cheesecloth, then gently squeeze over the sink until most of the excess moisture is removed.
• Although English cucumbers are easy to use because you don't need to peel them, you can use garden cucumbers if that's what you have. Just be sure to peel them if the skin is tough.
• You can enjoy your homemade tzatziki sauce right away, however, it does taste best after chilling in the fridge for at least an hour.
• Store your delicious Greek yogurt sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Serving Suggestions

Use this homemade tzatziki sauce recipe as a dip for pita bread, fresh vegetables or crackers. It's great for dipping Air Fryer Rutabaga Fries or Baked Zucchini Fritters . You can also enjoy this yogurt sauce on souvlaki, or Greek Meatballs (Keftedes) Or replace the vinaigrette on this Greek Pasta Salad Recipe with tzatziki for a creamier version.

But don't stop with traditional uses! Tzatziki is delicious with grilled chicken. It perfectly compliments Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs, and is a delicious balance on spicier chicken dishes like Buffalo Chicken Thighs, Grilled Harissa Chicken Drumsticks, or Grilled Jerk Chicken Drumsticks.

Try tzatziki on tacos like Coconut Shrimp Tacos, or fish (we love it with Blackened Cod).

Common Questions

More Homemade Sauces to Try

• Honey Teriyaki Sauce
• Homemade Tartar Sauce Recipe
• Chimichurri Sauce
• Harissa Paste - Moroccan Hot Sauce
• Sweet and Smoky Barbecue Sauce
• Asian Plum Sauce