Tzatziki Sauce is a rich, creamy, and refreshing Greek Yogurt Sauce loaded with flavors of cucumber and herbs. It is usually made with Greek yogurt, cucumber, lemon juice, olive oil, and fresh herbs like dill and mint leaves.
This Homemade Greek Yogurt Sauce is one of the healthy, easy-to-make, and best sauces to make your meal refreshing. You can serve it as a dip with pita bread, falafel, crackers, kebabs, raw or grilled veggies, and grilled, roasted & baked meats. You can also use it in your gyros, greek salad, shawarma, sandwiches, and burgers to elevate the flavor.
The recipe I have shared here shows you how to make Tzatziki Sauce with easy step-by-step instructions for you to try and enjoy at home. I have also shared a detailed video below to make the process simple and clear.
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What is Tzatziki Sauce?
Tzatziki Sauce is a rich, creamy, and refreshing Greek Yogurt Sauce loaded with flavors of cucumber and herbs. It is usually made with Greek yogurt, cucumber, lemon juice, olive oil, and fresh herbs like dill and mint leaves.
This Homemade Greek Yogurt Sauce usually tastes great as a dip with pita bread, falafel, crackers, kebabs, raw or grilled veggies, and grilled meats. It is also usually spread in gyros, shawarma, sandwiches, and burgers.
Even though this Greek Yogurt Sauce is popular in Greek Cuisine, you could also find it in Middle Eastern and other Mediterranean cuisines as well. It is served as a dip on a Meze platter. A similar type of yogurt sauce in Indian cuisine is called Raita, which is served as a popular dip along with biryanis and pulaos.
What does it Taste Like?
You may ask how does this Tzatziki Sauce taste like and what the special flavors it has are. This sauce is a soft, creamy, and subtle sour flavor of yogurt and lemon that is also filled with refreshing flavors of cucumber, dill, and mint leaves. Not to mention the garlicky and grassy, buttery flavor profile of the olive oil.
The flavor of this Tzatziki Sauce can elevate many meals to the next level. Whether it is a snack like raw veggies, salt crackers, falafel, or pita chips or to enjoy your favorite chunks of grilled meats, this cucumber dip goes well with everything. Spreading a few dollops of this sauce in gyros, pita wraps, sandwiches, and burgers makes your meal delectable.
Not only that, Greek Yogurt the base for this sauce is a good source of probiotics that are good for your gut health. It makes your digestion smooth and keeps the gut clean. It is also a good source of proteins and vitamins that is good for your overall health.
So without further delay let's jump into the recipe.
Ingredients
The ingredients you will need to make this Tzatziki Sauce is minimal pantry basics that you might already have in your kitchen cabinet. If not, they are all easily available in most grocery stores around. So let's check out what are they below.
- Greek Yogurt - Full-fat or no-fat Greek Yogurt both work well for this recipe. But you can also use regular whole milk yogurt as well. If you are using it, then make sure to strain the yogurt with cheesecloth for at least 15 minutes to achieve the thick consistency
- Cucumber - I have used half cucumber here and you can also use 1 cucumber for the below-mentioned yogurt quantity
- Garlic and Lemon Juice - delivers a garlicky and tangy flavor to your yogurt sauce
- Herbs - I have used only dill leaves here but you can also use mint leaves for extra freshness
- Olive Oil - Delivers the grassy and butter flavor notes to your dip
- Seasoning - basic seasoning ingredients like ground black pepper and salt
For a detailed ingredients list, please check out the recipe card below.
How to make Tzatziki Sauce at Home?
The recipe I have shared here is a Greek classic Tzatziki Sauce, a yogurt cucumber dip. As a sauce, it requires only minimal ingredients like fresh aromatics and herbs which does not require cooking. And it goes well with veggies, and grilled or roasted meats like lamb, beef, and chicken.
Following are the high-level instructions to make this recipe but for detailed step-by-step instructions with photos and video, please check out the recipe card below.
- Grate Cucumber - Take a half cucumber and grate it using a vegetable grater (Note: Use the bigger shredding hole to grate the cucumber)
- Strain the Cucumber - Using a cheesecloth or strainer, strain all the liquid from the grated cucumber and reserve it for later use
- Add - Mince the garlic cloves, and dill leaves. Add them into a glass or mixing bowl along with the strained cucumber
- Combine - Now add the thick Greek Yogurt, ground black pepper, olive oil, and salt. Mix everything well. Now the delicious Tzatziki Sauce is ready for you to enjoy
Tips
- Strain Cucumber - Straining the cucumber using a strainer or cheesecloth helps to remove all the water and moisture from the veggie. This helps to retain the consistency of the yogurt sauce for longer. If the water is not strained properly then the yogurt sauce may turn watery
- Use thick Strained Yogurt - Even though the authentic recipe calls for thick goat yogurt, here I have used Greek Yogurt(full fat) which has a similar thickness and creamy texture. However, you can also use regular whole-milk yogurt to make this Greek Dip. But make sure to strain the yogurt with cheesecloth for at least 15 minutes to achieve the thick consistency
- Elevate the flavor with herbs - Adding fresh dill leaves delivers the best flavor to your sauce. Additionally, you could also add fresh mint leaves to elevate the aroma and taste
- Essential Fat - Olive oil is one of the essential oil used in Greek cuisine which also delivers the unique grassy, and buttery flavor profile to this Greek cucumber dip
Storage Suggestions
This Tzatziki Sauce stores well in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days in a closed airtight container. However, I would recommend limiting it to 2 days for enjoying the fresh flavor and taste.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this Tzatziki Sauce as a dipping sauce with falafel, roasted vegetables, like roasted carrots, roasted broccoli, roasted asparagus, raw veggies, or roasted chicken, lamb, and other meats of your choice. You could also spread this Greek Sauce in gyros, pita wraps, sandwiches, and burgers with simple salads like tabbouleh, couscous, or chickpea salads.
Related Recipes
You could also find similar sauce recipes below and more at dips & condiments recipes.
Tzatziki Sauce Recipe Video
I have also shared a detailed video of this Tzatziki Sauce Recipe below that I hope will help you to make the best Greek Cucumber Sauce at home. You could also find this recipe in a story format.
📖 Recipe
Tzatziki
Ingredients
- ½ Cucumber, grated and strained
- 2 cups Greek Yogurt, full fat
- 2 tbsp Dill, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- ¼ tsp Ground Black Pepper
- 5 cloves Garlic , minced
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
- Salt, as needed
Instructions
To make Tzatziki Sauce
- Take a half cucumber and grate it using a vegetable grater (Note: Use the bigger shredding hole to grate the cucumber)
- Using a cheesecloth or strainer, strain all the liquid from the grated cucumber and reserve it for later use
- Mince the garlic cloves, and dill leaves. Add them into a glass or mixing bowl along with the strained cucumber
- Now add the thick Greek Yogurt, lemon juice, ground black pepper, olive oil, and salt. Mix everything well. Now the delicious Tzatziki Sauce is ready for you to enjoy
To Serve
- Serve this Tzatziki Sauce with gyros, pita bread, falafel, roasted vegetables, raw veggies, sandwiches, or roasted chicken
Video
Notes
- Strain Cucumber - Straining the cucumber using a strainer or cheesecloth helps to remove all the water and moisture from the veggie. This helps to retain the consistency of the yogurt sauce for longer. If the water is not strained properly then the yogurt sauce may turn watery
- Use thick Strained Yogurt - Even though the authentic recipe calls for thick goat yogurt, here I have used Greek Yogurt(full fat) which has a similar thickness and creamy texture. However, you can also use regular whole-milk yogurt to make this Greek Dip. But make sure to strain the yogurt with cheesecloth for at least 15 minutes to achieve the thick consistency
- Elevate the flavor with herbs - Adding fresh dill leaves delivers the best flavor to your sauce. Additionally, you could also add fresh mint leaves to elevate the aroma and taste
- Essential Fat - Olive oil is one of the essential oil used in Greek cuisine which also delivers the unique grassy, and buttery flavor profile to this Greek cucumber dip
Nutrition
FAQ
Tzatziki Sauce is a rich, creamy, and refreshing Greek Yogurt Sauce loaded with flavors of cucumber and herbs. It is usually made with Greek yogurt, cucumber, lemon juice, olive oil, and fresh herbs like dill and mint leaves.
This Homemade Greek Yogurt Sauce is usually served as a dip with pita bread, falafel, crackers, kebabs, raw or grilled veggies, and grilled meats. It is also usually spread in gyros, shawarma, sandwiches, and burgers.
Greek Yogurt the base for this sauce is filled with probiotics which are good for your gut health. It makes your digestion smooth and keeps the gut clean. It is also a good source of proteins and vitamins that is good for your overall health.
The tzatziki sauce is also used in Gyros so it is also called gyro sauce. The dip is usually spread along with grilled lamb or beef and then wrapped in pita bread.
Serve this Tzatziki Sauce as a dipping sauce with falafel, roasted vegetables, like roasted carrots, roasted broccoli, roasted asparagus, raw veggies, or roasted chicken, lamb, and other meats of your choice. You could also spread this Greek Sauce in gyros, pita wraps, sandwiches, and burgers with simple salads like tabbouleh, couscous, or chickpea salads.
I hope you enjoyed the recipe I shared here and I would love to hear from you about how it turned out for you. Please let me know.
If you have any other questions, feel free to post them in the comment section below and I will try to get back to you as soon as possible.
Happy Cooking!
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