An Easy Tzatziki Sauce Recipe
A lifelong love for Mediterranean cuisine has taught me to love spooning light, cooling Greek tzatziki sauce over everything from gyros to zucchini fritters to grilled lamb. The tangy, cool simple yogurt sauce makes the perfect partner for heavy or meaty dishes.
Traditional Greek tzatziki calls for strained yogurt, but my easy tzatziki recipe takes a short cut and uses thick Greek yogurt, which is already strained (that’s why it’s thick!) and ready to go. Whatever you’re planning to eat it with, my speedy, easy tzatziki recipe is ready to be your new go-to. For a delicious vegan dip, try muhammara.
What Is Tzatiki?
Many Mediterranean countries have some sort of cucumber-and-yogurt sauce in their cuisine, and tzatziki sauce is one of the most well-known! Perfect for serving along with all of your favorite vegetables for dipping, tzatziki (pronounced tsah-see-key) is the most classic of all Greek dipping sauces. Cooling and creamy, tzatziki is all about a refreshing combination of grated cucumber and tangy yogurt, plus plenty of garlic.
Featured Reader Comment
This is soooo yummy! I would note to people to squeeze the cucumber dry with paper towels after shredding so your tzatziki doesn't get too watery. I made a homemade Za'atar which was really easy and it's all spices I had on hand. I've never used Za'atar in my tzatziki, but I will from now on! Really delicious, thank you! - Tracy
Tzatziki Sauce Ingredients
- Greek yogurt: I prefer to use full-fat, but low-fat is OK. Make sure you grab plain yogurt! Nothing sweetened or flavored.
- Cucumber: A regular cucumber works fine here
- Dried dill
- Garlic: This really must be fresh garlic, not the jarred stuff.
- Lemon
- Salt, pepper and za’atar: Za’atar is a delicious Middle Eastern spice blend that typically features za’atar leaves, sumac, sesame and has a really unique tangy-earthy-herbal character. Use it if you have it, and if you like it.
How To Make Tzatziki Sauce
- Start at least an hour before you want to eat! Tzatziki needs to sit in the fridge for about an hour so that the fresh garlic can work its magic on the cucumber and yogurt base, so start early.
- Prep, prep, prep. Homemade tzatziki is all in the prep. You’ll use a box grater to grate a cucumber (honestly, a pretty fun way to spend a few minutes, or a great task to outsource to an eager kid!) then…
- Strain the grated cucumber. Put the grated cucumber in a colander and let it sit in the sink or over a bowl for ten minutes (or more), and squeeze it from time to time to get the water out. Watery tzatziki happens when you skip this step — don’t skip straining the cucumber.
- Mince the garlic with your super-sharp knife.
- Juice the lemon. You could use a fancy citrus juicer if you’ve got one, but we love a manual one (the kind you use for cocktails).
- Stir all of the ingredients together, and let the dip sit in the fridge until you’re ready to dig in.
- Serve it up! Serve tzatziki as a dip with a fresh vegetable platter for a simple, healthy appetizer, or go truly classic and serve it with greek chicken gyros — tzatziki is a must-have if you’re making gyros. You could double up on the cucumber and serve it with cucumber salad, or as a refreshing compliment to a chickpea salad, too.
How To Store Leftover Tzatziki Sauce + Tips
- Yes, you can make tzatziki ahead of time! Your homemade tzatziki sauce should stay good for about 4 days in the refrigerator, and you actually need to let it sit in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.
- No, you can’t freeze it. Cucumbers and yogurt don’t like the freezer.
- Don’t substitute anything for the Greek yogurt. It’s OK to use low fat Greek yogurt in a pinch (though full fat will taste better.) Unfortunately, no substitutes work here. Cucumbers and yogurt are the heart of tzatziki and really can’t be subbed.
More Greek Inspired Recipes To Try
Today, Tzatziki Sauce, Tomorrow The World!
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