Tzatziki Sauce

Prep 10 mins
Total 10 mins
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This tzatziki sauce recipe is easy to make and tastes amazing! You only need a few ingredients to make an authentic Greek yogurt sauce with cucumbers.

Easy Greek Tzatziki Sauce

Everyone loves Tzatziki, but they don’t realize how easy it is to make at home! Homemade sauces are a favorite of mine because they give that extra touch to a dish. A few others you may want to check out are my favorite steak sauce and honey mustard sauce!

One of the best things about Tzatziki is that it is more than a dip. It can also be used as a healthy alternative to mayonnaise or ranch dressing for sandwiches and wraps Once you learn how to make Tzatziki, you will want to have it around all the time. It’s so good!

A small bowl of Greek cucumber dip on a wooden board surrounded by radishes and cucumber spears

What Is Tzatziki Sauce?

Tzatziki sauce is a creamy yogurt sauce from Greece. Traditionally it’s made with goat’s milk or sheep’s milk, but in the US Greek yogurt is the go-to substitute.

“Tzatziki” is often misspelled as tzatiki sauce, taziki sauce, tzaziki recipe, tzatsiki, tatsiki and tatziki. So you see any of those variations, they are all likely referring to the same thing.

For this recipe, Greek yogurt, cucumber, fresh lemon juice, dill and garlic come together to make a thick sauce that pairs perfectly with just about anything. It’s served chilled, so it’s kept refrigerated until it is time to use it. 

Tzatziki Pronunciation:

The best way for an English speaker to pronounce tzatziki is “tsah-see-key.” Emphasize the “tsah” part and pronounce it like the end of the word “pizza.” You can hear the pronunciation here.

Tzatziki Ingredients

Recipe Ingredients

Here is a quick look at what you’ll need to make tzatziki sauce. For specific amounts be sure to scroll down to the recipe card.

  • Cucumber – No need to peel since it will be grated before adding to the sauce. Be sure to drain it well.
  • Full-fat Greek yogurt – You can also use low fat, but I find that full fat yogurt adds more body to the dip.
  • Garlic cloves – Mince them finely.
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Lemon juice
  • Dill
  • Salt – I recommend using Kosher salt.
Cucumber dip in a bowl with a spoon

How To Make Tzatziki Sauce

Ready to make some creamy, tangy tzatziki? Here’s how to do it:

  • Grate and drain the cucumber. Use a box grater or food processor to finely grate the whole cucumber. Drain the shredded cucumber with a piece of cheesecloth, or a tea towel.
  • Add remaining ingredients. Combine the shredded and drained cucumber with Greek yogurt, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, dill and salt in a large bowl and mix together.
  • Chill. Cover and refrigerate the sauce overnight, or for at least 2 hours.
  • Serve! This sauce is served chilled.

Pro Tip: The most important part of making Tzatziki is that your cucumber is well-drained. If it isn’t, your sauce will be too watery.

A close up of a wooden bowl of Tzatziki Sauce surrounded by carrots, celery, pita chips and cucumber spears

How to Use Tzatziki Sauce

Tzatziki is traditionally served as a spread with gyros, or as a dipping sauce for pita bread or kabobs. Here are some other ways you can use Tzatziki sauce:

  • As a vegetable dip: Serve it with toasted pita chips, raw veggies, cheese, crackers.
  • In sandwiches: Instead of mayo (or in addition to!), or inside a falafel sandwich made with pita bread. On top of Chicken Gyros is a classic combo!
  • Drizzled over grilled veggies & cooked meats: I love using it with chicken souvlaki and baked chicken.
  • Flavor enhancer: You can use it to flavor just about any kind of meat. I have also been known to use it with baked potatoes!

What is your favorite way to use tzatziki?

A bowl of Greek Tzatziki Sauce surrounded by carrots, celery, pita bread and other foods for dipping

How To Store

  • Fridge: Store your prepared Tzatziki dip in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You may notice a little separation after a day or two in the refrigerator. If you do, give the sauce a good stir and it should even itself out.
  • Freezer: I don’t recommend freezing cucumber sauce for later use. In my experience the sauce does not freeze well, because the cucumbers tend to get mushy from freezing and thawing.

Let me know what you think of this amazing Tzatziki sauce by leaving me a review or comment below!

Yield: 6 servings

Tzatziki Sauce (Greek Cucumber Sauce)

A pita chip is being dipped into a bowl of Tzatziki that is surrounded by vegetables

This authentic Greek Tzatziki Sauce is a delicious cucumber and yogurt sauce that tastes amazing on almost anything. It's so easy to make using just a few simple ingredients!

Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 large cucumber, unpeeled
  • 2 cups plain full-fat Greek yogurt
  • 2 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon fresh dill, minced
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Using a box grater or food processor, grate the whole cucumber and use cheesecloth (or a tea towel) to squeeze out the extra liquid in the shredded cucumber.
  2. Combine the shredded and drained cucumber, yogurt, garlic, olive ol, lemon juice and salt together in a large bowl.
  3. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 2 hours.
  4. Serve chilled with pita bread, vegetables, or gyros. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1 serving

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 122Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 292mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 0gSugar: 4gProtein: 7g

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Comments

15 Responses
  1. Mary

    I added a little more garlic because we like a ton of bite in ours. Otherwise I think the proportions of this recipe were perfect. Really made our Chicken Gyros delicious. 

  2. Peggy Sayre

    I love this sauce and now, thanks to you I know how to make it! Thanks. Can’t wait to get the rest of the ingredients I need.

  3. Guiltfreeme

    I love this sauce, after Greek vacation, I became obsessed with it, but never thought to repeat it. Thank you for your recipe and idea!

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Welcome!

Jessica
I'm a trial & error, self taught, sugar addict who thankfully learned how to survive in the kitchen! I am also a wife, mama of 3.
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