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    Home » Mediterranean recipes

    Best Tzatziki Recipe (Greek Cucumber Sauce)

    Published: Sep 15, 2020 · Modified: Feb 19, 2022 by Shadi HasanzadeNemati · This post may contain affiliate links .

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    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This classic tzatziki recipe is made with just a few ingredients and will be ready in only 10 minutes. It's perfect for vegetables, meat, or simply as a dip. Check out our video and step-by-step tutorial.

    Tzatziki is flavored with garlic so please be generous with the garlic. Mix well and taste to make sure it has enough salt and acidity. Serve Greek tzatziki sauce cold.

    One of the important things about Mediterranean recipes and especially Greek recipes is that they are made with fresh and ingredients. Today, I want to talk to you about a classic Greek cucumber and yogurt sauce called tzatziki. You can serve it as a dip alongside other Greek dips and spreads such as skordalia and and melitzanosalata or use it as a sauce on chicken gyro or souvlaki.

    Jump to:
    • What is tzatziki?
    • Is it good for you?
    • The ingredients
    • The secret to the best tzatziki
    • How to make tzatziki
    • Serving suggestions
    • Frequently asked questions
    • Notes and tips
    • More Greek recipes
    • Step-by-Step Recipe

    What is tzatziki?

    Tzatziki (Tsaht-zee-kee) is a Greek sauce found throughout the Mediterranean and the Middle East. This yogurt sauce is known as cacik in Turkish cuisine and has similarities to Iranian mast-o-khiar. It's common to serve it as a dip or spread. Tzatziki is usually made with strained goat or sheep's yogurt, cucumber, salt, herbs such as dill and mint, olive oil, garlic and lemon juice or vinegar.

    Tzatziki sauce is often served in Greek or Mediterranean restaurants as a side dish or mezze alongside main dishes and adds a refreshing note to the flavor profile of the dishes it accompanies, thanks to its blend of cucumber and yogurt. This sauce is usually served cold.

    Is it good for you?

    Nutritionally speaking, this yogurt cucumber sauce is a light addition to meals relative to popular condiments like mayonnaise or ranch. Since it's made with yogurt, tzatziki is also a good source of protein.

    Greek Tzatziki sauce is served in a bowl with pita bread.

    The ingredients

    This is truly the best Greek tzatziki recipe because it's delicious, easy and simple. It has just a few ingredients:

    • Cucumbers: It's best to make this recipe with seedless cucumbers such as English cucumbers or Persian cucumbers. If the cucumber you're using is too seedy, scoop out the seeds using a small spoon. You don't need to peel the cucumbers to make tzatziki at home.
    • Yogurt: I love using Greek yogurt because it's thick and has the perfect consistency for this Mediterranean sauce, but we can use regular yogurt or whole milk yogurt too.
    • Garlic: I like the flavor of garlic to shine in this recipe so I use a few cloves. If you like it more subtle, you can use less garlic. I suggest you avoid using garlic powder.
    • Fresh dill: You can also use dried dill if fresh is not available.
    • Olive oil: I love finishing this recipe with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. It gives such a nice flavor.
    • Lemon: Just a hint of lemon adds so much brightness to this Greek sauce.
    For easy tzatziki sauce you need cucumbers, yogurt, garlic, fresh dill and olive oil.

    The secret to the best tzatziki

    To make tzatziki, you need to grate the cucumbers. As you know, cucumbers have a lot of water in them and they start releasing it once they're grated.

    To prevent your tzatziki from becoming too watery, it's best to squeeze grated cucumber and discard the liquid. By squeezing the grated cucumber, you'll make sure that the Greek tzatziki will have a thick and spreadable consistency.

    Pro tip: You can place the grated cucumber in a cheese cloth and let the liquid drain instead of squeezing it with your hands.

    How to make tzatziki

    • Grate the cucumbers and squeeze them very well. Discard the liquid and put the cucumber in a bowl.
    • To the grated cucumber, add yogurt, minced garlic, fresh dill, olive oil, lemon juice and salt.
    • Mix well until all the ingredients are combined.
    • Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
    grate and squeeze the cucumbers, add olive oil, yogurt, dill and garlic, mix together and serve cold.

    Serving suggestions

    This tzatziki recipe is very simple and you can whip it up in no time. It goes well with with many dishes. Here are some of my serving suggestions:

    • As a part of a mezze platter with hummus, dolmas, vegetables and pita chips.
    • With grilled meat dishes such as garlic chicken, beef shish kabob, keftedes or kofta kebabs.
    • Spread on pita bread to make a gyro or chicken souvlaki wrap.

    Frequently asked questions

    Can I make this ahead of time?

    Yes, you can make this Greek cucumber sauce ahead of time. Cover it and refrigerate for up to one day. To serve, give it a good stir and top with some fresh herbs.

    Can I freeze it?

    I don't recommend freezing tzatziki because it contains dairy. When you freeze dairy sauces, frozen dairy crystals will form in the sauce and once thawed, the sauce will lose it's consistency and flavor.

    Can I make this dairy-free?

    If the non-dairy yogurt you use is thick and tastes like Greek yogurt, you can definitely use a non-dairy variations.

    How do I store it and for how long?

    Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

    Homemade tzatziki sauce is perfect with some fresh pita bread as an appetizer.

    Notes and tips

    • You can add mint in addition to or instead of fresh dill. Herbs make this yogurt and cucumber sauce very tasty.
    • Tzatziki sauce is best served fresh and cold. You can store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for about 3 days. Stir the sauce well before using it.
    • When using fresh garlic, you may find that the taste is too strong. If so, please let it sit in the fridge for a few hours before serving. The longer it sits, the less of a bite the garlic will have.
    • This recipe calls for minced garlic cloves. I don't recommend taking any shortcuts such as using garlic powder, mashed garlic or store-bought minced garlic since they lack some of the flavor of freshly minced garlic.
    Tzatziki sauce is easy and very simple to make. It's a popular Greek cucumber sauce that everyone loves.

    Did you make this recipe? I'd love to hear about it! Please comment and leave a 5-star🌟 rating below. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest or subscribe to our newsletter to get a free e-Cookbook!

    More Greek recipes

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    Step-by-Step Recipe

    Tzatziki Recipe (Greek Cucumber Sauce)

    Shadi HasanzadeNemati
    This classic tzatziki recipe is made with just a few ingredients and will be ready in only 10 minutes. It's perfect for vegetables, meat, or simply as a dip. Check out our video and step-by-step tutorial.
    4.89 from 26 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Total Time 10 mins
    Course Appetizer
    Cuisine Greek, Mediterranean
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 134 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 3 Persian cucumbers
    • 2 cups Greek yogurt
    • 5 cloves garlic minced
    • 3 tablespoon fresh dill chopped
    • 2 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

    Instructions
     

    • Wash and dry the cucumbers. Peel them in stripes and grate them in a large bowl. 
    • Squeeze the grated cucumber in your hand and discard the excess water. 
    • Place the squeezed cucumbers in a bowl and add in yogurt, minced garlic, fresh dill, salt and lemon juice. 
    • Mix well and cool in the fridge for thirty minutes. 
    • Stir well and serve with grilled meat, veggies or pita bread as a dip. 

    Video

    Notes

    • You can use one English cucumber instead of three Persian cucumbers. 
    • Don't use garlic powder or store-bought minced garlic instead of garlic cloves in this recipe. 
    • You can add mint to this Greek sauce in addition to or instead of fresh dill. Herbs make this yogurt and cucumber sauce very tasty.
    • Tzatziki sauce is best served fresh and cold. You can store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for about 2 days. Stir the sauce well before using it.
    • When using fresh garlic, you may feel that the taste is too strong. If so, please let tzatziki sit in the fridge for a few hours before serving. The longer it sits, the less of a bite the garlic will have. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 134kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 11gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 329mgPotassium: 218mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 67IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 124mgIron: 1mg
    Did you make this recipe? Let us know how it was by leaving a comment and a 5-star review!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lima Ekram

      July 29, 2021 at 11:54 am

      5 stars
      Looks absolutely delicious! Cant wait to make it this weekend!

      Reply
    2. Jersey Girl Cooks

      July 29, 2021 at 11:40 am

      5 stars
      This is my favorite sauce for so many things!

      Reply
    3. Angela

      July 29, 2021 at 11:07 am

      5 stars
      This tzatziki recipe is so good and so easy to make! I use it on everything. My kids love it too!

      Reply
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