Tzatziki Sauce

This easy homemade tzatziki sauce has just 6 ingredients and can be made in half an hour or less. It's a delicious condiment for crispy chicken cutlets or served as a ranch dressing alternative for dipping veggies! I love having a batch of this in the fridge for parties or quick snacks (or to go nuts with a Mediterranean charcuterie board!).

Tzatziki sauce is delicious and amazing and versatile. Tzatziki is a traditional Greek/Turkish condiment, and this version uses Greek yogurt as the base. I've had variations with sour cream and even feta cheese, but this is my favorite way to eat it.

I'd suggest pairing homemade tzatziki with Greek chicken and veggies, but it can be used in gyros, thinned out on salads, or as a dip for your favorite pita. It is tangy and flavorful - everything you want in a dip!

Ingredients

The ingredients are simple here! Salt, sugar, yogurt, mint, and cucumber. I have seen this made with other herbs such as fresh dill, dried dill, or parsley. Lemon juice or white vinegar are sometimes used for acid, and I love those versions as well. HOWEVER, I wanted this to be a really simple tzatziki without a lot of fussing around, so I kept the ingredient list really short.

Ingredient Notes

• On the yogurt, I absolutely think that full-fat Greek yogurt is the way to go here. It has much more flavor and stays thicker + not as watery after the dip is made.
• If you don't like fresh mint, you can skip it or use the same amount of fresh dill or fresh parsley.
• To avoid any big chunks of garlic in the dip, I use a zester to make a paste out of the garlic so that it stirs evenly into the yogurt.
• You can use any kind of cucumber you like here. If you don't have a small cucumber like the one in the image, use about 4 inches of any kind of cucumber and follow the same method for draining the excess liquid from he cucumber.

Pro tip for leftover yogurt: If you buy a large container of Greek yogurt and don't know what to do with it, you can serve it to kids as MAGIC YOGURT with a drizzle of honey and sprinkles on top. Maybe some fruit if you're feeling bold. This wasn't my idea, but it works really well with my kids and has less sugar than most yogurt containers + is better for the environment.

Recipe Instructions

Removing Excess Water From Cucumber

Another way we keep the tzatziki from becoming watery is by removing as much of the water as we can from the cucumber. To do this, grate the cucumber, sprinkle it with salt, and let it sit in a small strainer or on paper towels for about 15 minutes.

After the rest of the ingredients are prepped and the cucumber has been sitting for a bit, use a spoon to press out as much liquid as you can from the cucumber.

Stir together all of the tzatziki ingredients, then taste and add a bit more salt and/or sugar if you'd like. This depends on how tangy the yogurt you use is; but if there is a sharp yogurt-y tang, add a bit more salt and sugar, just a pinch or two at a time until the dip is mild and balanced.

Not that at this point you may not taste the garlic a ton, but don't panic. The garlic will get a lot stronger as the dip sits, so no need to add more. Promise.

Serving Suggestions:

NOW. A delicious, creamy, gluten free dip that is excellent for tailgating, as a gyro sauce, or anywhere else you might want a ranch-but-not-ranch type of dip.

I love using this as a dip, but I also love it with main courses!

• As part of a grain bowl, spooned over everything.
• Served next to grilled chicken.
• Spooned onto cast iron skillet salmon.
• On a big-ass Greek charcuterie board, aka your weekend plan henceforth.

Mainly, tzatziki is delicious and goes with all the things. I hope you love this; make a big batch soon!

Recipe

Tzatziki Sauce

Lindsay Howerton-Hastings

Creamy Greek yogurt sauce with cucumber that goes with just about everything! Homemade tzatziki is the best!

5 from 8 ratings

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Course Sauce/Condiment

Cuisine Greek

Servings 1 ½ cups dip

Equipment

• ▢
  Box Grater
• ▢
  Measuring Cups And Spoons
• ▢
  Zester

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 small pickling or Persian cucumber
• ▢ 1 cup Greek yogurt preferably full fat
• ▢ 1 clove garlic very finely minced or grated
• ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon sugar
• ▢ 2 tablespoons fresh chopped mint leaves

Instructions

 

• Using a box grater, grate the cucumber and place in a small strainer or on paper towels. Sprinkle lightly with salt and let sit for about 15 minutes to drain, then proceed with the following steps.
• Use a spoon to press as much excess water as possible out of the grated cucumber. Mix the drained cucumber with the yogurt, garlic, salt, sugar, and mint.
• Taste the tzatziki, and add more salt or sugar if you’d like. Serve with pita and chicken for dipping.

Notes

Taking the time to drain the cucumber a bit prevents the tzatziki from getting too watery as it sits. Allow time for this step if you can!

To puree the garlic, I grate it on a zester (such as a Microplane) so that it mixes evenly into the tzatziki.

The reason Greek yogurt is recommended is that it is creamier and more flavorful than low fat or fat free yogurt. Other types of plain yogurt will work in this dip, but full fat Greek yogurt will yield a result that is closest to restaurant-style Tzatziki.

This dip can be made up to 4 days in advance and kept in the fridge.

Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!

More Easy Greek Recipes to Go with Tzatziki