Tzatziki Sauce Recipe

Tzatziki (pronounced “tsat-SEE-kee”) is a creamy cucumber, garlic, and yogurt sauce from Greece, and it’s absolutely DELICOUS. If you’ve never tried this Greek yogurt sauce, then you’re in for a treat! It’s easy to make homemade Tzatziki sauce, and you’ll love it on everything from halloumi skewers to mezze platters to sandwiches.

Run, don’t walk, to the grocery store for the 6 ingredients you’ll need for classic Tzatziki. Your fridge will never be the same!

Table of Contents

Why You’ll Love It

• Rounds out so many meals – If you’re eating something spicy and need a cooling counterpoint? Tzatziki. Looking for a sauce for your pita sandwich? Tzatziki. Dipper for, say, halloumi skewers?? Tzatziki!
• Super easy to make ahead of time – Just keep it in your fridge for a delicious addition to any meal.

Tzatziki Sauce Recipe Ingredients

• Greek yogurt – I like to use full-fat Greek yogurt. You’ll want plain unsweetened yogurt.
• Cucumber – I like to use English cucumbers because they’re reliably mild-tasting and you don’t need to peel them first. But any cucumber can do – if the peel is hard and/or the cucumber is seedy, I recommend removing those first.
• Salt & pepper
• Lemon juice – from one juicy lemon
• Fresh herbs – dill and mint. I highly recommend fresh but totally understand it’s not always possible to find fresh herbs. If you need to swap in dry herbs, I recommend 1/2 teaspoon of each.

Adaptations/Variations

Vegan/Dairy-Free Tzatziki Sauce – Swap in your favorite plain vegan yogurt substitute. Kite Hill makes a great one!

How to Make It

The key to making great Tzatziki sauce is to drain the excess water out of your cucumber. I know it’s an extra step, but trust me – you want creamy Tzatziki, not watery Tzatziki.

To make it:

1. Line a colander with cheesecloth or paper towels. Perch it over a bowl or set it in the sink, toss the cucumber with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, then place it in the colander and let it drain for several minutes.
2. Then it’s time to mix all of the ingredients together. Add the Greek yogurt, drained cucumber, garlic, lemon juice, herbs, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Taste and add more salt and pepper if you like.
3. Serve and savor!

Jump to the full, printable recipe

I hope this Tzatziki Sauce recipe finds a permanent place in your sauce recipe rotation! It’s so simple to make from scratch – I promise you won’t regret it.

Tzatziki Sauce

How to make the famous Greek sauce from scratch – it’s easy! This fresh, herby, garlicky, creamy sauce is hugely popular for a reason. And it’s even better when it’s homemade!

• 2 cups plain Greek yogurt (16 ounces)
• 1 small English cucumber (1/2 pound; can sub another type of cucumber – if the peel is hard and it’s seedy, I recommend removing both before grating)
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (divided)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 medium clove garlic (finely minced or grated)
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh mint
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• Line a colander with cheesecloth or paper towels and perch over a large bowl. Finely grate the cucumber using the small side of a grater. Toss the cucumber with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, then place in the lined colander. Let the cucumber to drain for about 30 minutes.

• In a medium bowl, add the Greek yogurt. Gently squeeze the grated, salted cucumber to discard any remaining liquid and add to the yogurt. Stir in the garlic, lemon juice, dill, peppermint, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired.

• Place Tzatziki sauce in an airtight container and refrigerate for at least an hour to allow the flavors to meld. Keeps 3-4 days in the fridge.

Calories: 30kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 0.2g, Saturated Fat: 0.1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.02g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.02g, Trans Fat: 0.002g, Cholesterol: 2mg, Sodium: 190mg, Potassium: 108mg, Fiber: 0.2g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 58IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 51mg, Iron: 0.2mg

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