Updated 3/29/25
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Our homemade tzatziki sauce recipe is a creamy yogurt and cucumber dip made with strained yogurt, grated cucumber, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and fresh herbs. It’s great as a healthy dip, sauce for grilled meat, or spread for wraps and sandwiches. It’s thick, rich, and creamy, and it’s flavored with garlic, lemon, and dill. Its taste is amazing!
Who doesn’t love tzatziki sauce? I adore Mediterranean food and food from the middle east—fresh, healthy, and full of vibrant flavors. It’s the kind of food you can truly feel good about eating!
Surprisingly, I never tried it growing up. My family wasn’t familiar with Mediterranean cuisine, and back then, Orange County didn’t have many restaurants serving it. That all changed when I met my husband, who was raised on Mediterranean food. His family introduced me to it, and I was instantly hooked.
His mom was an incredible cook, and I eagerly learned everything I could from her. I devoured cookbooks, experimented with new recipes, and to this day, I can’t get enough! If Mediterranean food isn’t part of your regular rotation, you’re missing out on something truly delicious.
Tzatziki is traditionally served with Greek souvlaki—grilled meat on a skewer, wrapped in warm pita with fresh veggies. While variations of the sauce exist throughout the Mediterranean, tzatziki originates from Greece and was originally made with thick yogurt from goat’s or sheep’s milk. This is why it tastes so good with literally all Greek food! Today, most versions use cow’s milk Greek yogurt. Like any iconic dish, every Greek grandmother has her own recipe, each with slight variations—but all are equally delicious!
How To Use Tzatziki Sauce Recipe
Homemade Tzatziki sauce is really easy to make. Seriously, I’m addicted to this stuff! It has a ton of uses in literally every type and ethnicity of food. Because it’s equally useful as a cool, tangy, refreshing sauce or dip, once you try it, I think you’ll be surprised by its versatility…
Serving it with homemade chicken gyros, Greek chicken, falafel, falafel burgers, mix it into salad dressings, or Greek salad is, obviously, a no-brainer, but it’s also great as a condiment or sauce over almost any type of grilled beef shish kabobs, fish, lamb, chicken, or even veggies. It’s fabulous served with our sheet pan Mediterranean vegetables! It adds lots of extra tangy flavor to these dishes and also some extra moisture. This can be a lifesaver if you accidentally overcook your meat.
One of my favorite dishes to serve it with is lollipop lamb chops. It’s a great, quick, protein-packed snack. Dip a few slices of fresh pita bread, pita chips, or fresh-cut veggies in it. Tzatziki sauce also contributes calcium and probiotics.
It’s a great, flavorful substitute to slather on a sandwich instead of mayonnaise. All the delicious dill, lemon, and garlic are nowhere to be found in plain old mayo!
Homemade Versus Commercial
Oh, please, please don’t even compare the two. Yes, you can buy premade Tzatziki at most grocery stores or even Trader Joe’s. As with most commercially made versus homemade recipes, this homemade version blows the commercial one out of the water. Even Trader Joe’s product doesn’t measure up, and believe me, I’m a huge fan of good old TJs!
I promise, this Tzatziki sauce recipe is so, so, so much better! It’s much thicker and creamier. The cucumber, which is a significant ingredient, tastes so much better fresh. You won’t believe it!
Tzatziki Sauce Recipe Ingredients
- Greek Yogurt: The base of Tzatziki is plain, unflavored yogurt. Traditionally, it is always made with the full-fat version. Making your own gives you the flexibility to use whichever you like. See more notes below regarding yogurt.
- You can use nonfat, low-fat, or whole-milk yogurt. I use all types depending on what I’m using the Tzatziki for. Clearly, nonfat will make the most calorie-friendly. Whole milk yogurt makes the richest Tzatziki sauce and is the one I personally prefer to make most often.
- Most authentic recipes called for “strained yogurt.” This refers to yogurt that has been strained to remove some of the whey, which results in a thicker consistency. Here in the US, it’s what we know as Greek-style yogurt. I don’t endorse it here but usually use the Fage brand.
- When this sauce is made in Greece, it is made with yogurt that is thicker than the standard Greek yogurts commercially available in the US. Personally, I’m totally fine making this recipe with a good-quality Greek-style yogurt.
- If you want to use a thicker version, you can start this recipe with plain “regular” yogurt, then strain it yourself. Doing it this way allows you to control how much liquid is removed or left in. The longer you strain it, the thicker it will become. It can be strained to the point it becomes the consistency of a cream cheese. When it is strained to this point, it is generally referred to as yogurt cheese. If you’re straining your yogurt for this recipe, don’t strain it to the point where it becomes a cheese; that’s too thick.
- Cucumber: The cucumber can be shredded on the large holes of a box grater, a food processor, or diced. It comes down to a matter of preference on the size issue. Shredded is the most authentic way to prepare it. The diced pieces give the sauce a heavier texture than the shredded. The larger the dice, the heavier the texture. The finer the shred, the finer the texture. Personally, I prefer to grate my cucumbers. The most important point I want to make regarding the cucumber is that it absolutely must be salted, allowed to sit, and then squeezed dry. If you don’t do this, you will have a very watery Tzatziki. Please don’t skip these steps. Here’s how to do it:
- Shred the cucumbers.
- Place the cucumbers into a sieve, sprinkle with salt, stir, and let sit 20-30 minutes.
- Wring out the cucumbers with a clean, dry dish towel.
- Garlic: Traditional recipes call for the garlic to be pressed into a paste. This allows the garlic to blend perfectly into the sauce and also infuse its flavor thoroughly. Making a garlic paste is easy, just follow the few steps I’ve listed below: Here’s how to make a garlic paste from fresh garlic:
- Mince the peeled garlic cloves and arrange them in a neat pile.
- Sprinkle the top of the garlic with some table salt.
- Hold the blunt edge of your knife with both hands and drag the sharp edge across the surface of the garlic, holding the blade at a slight angle so it flattens and smashes the garlic. Continue this process for a few minutes until the garlic becomes a paste.
- Salt + Black Pepper: These are our base seasonings. If the S + P is off, the whole recipe tastes off! We use regular table salt, not kosher salt and start with a generous pinch of pepper.
- Dill: You really need fresh dill for this recipe. You can also add a little fresh mint.
- Lemon Juice: Again, fresh is best.
Tzatziki Sauce Recipe Tips
Add Mint: I often see restaurants top an order of tzatziki with a drizzle of olive oil and a bit of crushed dried mint. It’s a wonderful addition.
Make It Ahead: I highly recommend making this recipe the day before you want to serve it and storing it overnight in the fridge. The time in the fridge allows the garlic paste to completely infuse and, more importantly, mellow out. If you serve it the same day you make it, the garlic can have a much harsher bite.
In this post, I’ve tried to give you all the facts that I’ve collected over the many, many years so that you can make this sauce authentically. My main purpose in doing so is to give you a strong foundation from which you can make the world’s best tzatziki sauce recipe customized for you and your family.
Does Tzatziki Sauce Have Sour Cream? A tzatziki recipe with sour cream is not authentic. I must be opinionated and unyielding on this point. Please forgive my hubris! It’s just not right.
Lemon Zest: No, it’s not authentically added. However, it is a lovely, albeit nontraditional, addition. I have to say I like it, though!
The Herbs—The herbs traditionally used in Tzatziki sauce are a hotly debated issue. Many people believe that authentic Tzatziki sauce contains no herbs at all. Some say it should have only dill, while others say both dill and mint must be included.
- Hubby’s original family Tzatziki recipe only uses dill—his family used about 1 tablespoon. This is the only place I personally deviate from their original recipe. I love dill, so I add 3 full tablespoons of fresh, chopped dill.
Paleo Version: For a lower-calorie or maybe paleo-friendly version, substitute the pita with sliced veggies or Romaine leaves. By the way, dipping the Romaine leaves in the Tzatziki and sprinkling with chopped tomatoes is one of my hubby’s all-time favorite snacks. He eats paleo most of the time to manage his ideal surfing weight! How cute is that!?!?
Storing + Freezing + Make Ahead
- How Long Can You Keep This In The Refrigerator? Storage is simple. Leftovers can last for up to 3-4 days in an airtight container.
- Can You Freeze This? No.
- Make-Ahead Tips: This is a perfect make-ahead recipe because it should be refrigerated overnight for best results. The chill time mellows and marries all the flavors.
- Food Safety: If you’d like more info on food safety, check out this link.
How To Make Tzatziki Sauce Recipe
- Scrape out all the cucumber seeds.
- Shred the cucumber with a box grater.
- Sprinkle the cucumber with salt. Let it stand for 30 minutes.
- Spread the squeezed cucumber in a line on a clean kitchen towel or doubled piece of cheesecloth to remove excess moisture. Some people will suggest using paper towels, but I don’t think they’re up to the job!
- Wring out as much liquid as possible.
- Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight. Stir well before serving.
***See the full instructions below.
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Tzatziki Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 ounces plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 English cucumber
- 4 large cloves fresh garlic
- salt
- pinch up to a 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons fresh dill finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Peel the cucumber and cut it in half lengthwise. Using a teaspoon, scrape out all the seeds. Shred the cucumber with a box grater into a fine mesh sieve. sprinkle the cucumber with 1 teaspoon salt and stir. Let stand 30 minutes. Press on the shredded cucumber with the back of a large spoon to remove some of the excess liquid. Spread the cucumber in a line down on a clean kitchen towel. Twists each end of the towel in opposing directions and wring out as much liquid as possible. Place cucumber in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add yogurt to the bowl.
- Press the garlic (4 cloves) into a paste (follow the instructions above in the recipe notes). Add garlic paste to mixing bowl.
- Add 1 teaspoon of salt, black pepper, chopped dill (3 tablespoons), and lemon juice (1 tablespoon) and stir well until mixture is evenly combined. Cover bowl and refrigerate overnight. Before serving, stir well and adjust salt and pepper.
Notes
- General: I highly recommend making this recipe the day before you want to serve it and storing it overnight in the fridge. The time in the fridge allows the garlic paste to completely infuse and more importantly mellow out. If you serve it the same day you make it the garlic can have a much harsher bite.
- The Yogurt - The base of Tzatziki is plain, unflavored yogurt. Traditionally, it is always made with the full-fat version. Making your own gives you the flexibility to use whichever you like.
- You can use nonfat, low-fat or whole-milk yogurt. I use all types depending on what I'm using the Tzatziki for. Clearly, nonfat will make the most calorie-friendly Tzatziki. The whole milk yogurt makes the richest Tzatzikik sauce and is the one I personally prefer to make most often.
- Most authentic recipes called for "strained yogurt." This refers to a yogurt that has been strained to remove some of the whey, which results in a thicker consistency. Here in the US, it's what we know as Greek-style yogurt. No endorsement here, but I usually use Fage brand.
- When this sauce is made in Greece, it is made with yogurt that is thicker than the standard Greek yogurts commercially available to us in the US. Personally, I'm totally fine making this recipe with a good quality Greek-style yogurt.
- If you want to use a thicker version you can start this recipe with plain "regular" yogurt if you'd like, then strain it yourself. Doing it this way allows you to control how much liquid is removed or left in. The longer you strain it, the thicker it will become. It can be strained to the point it becomes the consistency of a cream cheese. When it is strained to this point it is generally referred to as yogurt cheese. If you're straining your own yogurt for this recipe, don't strain it to the point where it becomes a cheese, that's too thick.
- The Cucumber - The cucumber can be shredded or diced. It really comes down to a matter of preference on the size issue. Shredded is the most authentic way to prepare it. The diced pieces give the sauce a heavier texture than the shredded do. The larger the dice, the heavier the texture. The finer the shred the finer the texture.
- The most important point I want to make in regard to the cucumber is that it absolutely must be salted, allowed to sit then squeezed dry. If you don't do this you will have a very watery Tzatziki. Please don't skip these steps. Here's how to do it:
-
-
- Shred the cucumbers.
- Place the cucumbers into a sieve, sprinkle with salt, stir, and let sit 20-30 minutes.
- Wring out the cucumbers with a clean dry dish towel.
-
-
- Here's how to make a garlic paste from fresh garlic:
- Mince the peeled garlic cloves and arrange them in a neat pile.
- Sprinkle the top of the garlic with some table salt.
- Hold the blunt edge of your knife with both hands and drag the shape edge of the knife across the surface of the garlic, holding the blade at a slight angle so it flattens and smashes the garlic. Continue this process for a few minutes until the garlic becomes a paste.
- Here's how to make a garlic paste from fresh garlic:
-
- Hubby's original family Tzatziki recipe has only dill in it. His family only used about 1 tablespoon. This is the only place I personally deviate from their original recipe. I love dill. I add 3 full tablespoons of fresh, chopped dill.
Nutrition
Source: Gonna Want Seconds
I haven’t tried this recipe but I will in the very near future, and I noticed that in the comments section some people complained about the strength of the ‘Taste” and the suggestion to refrigerate overnight makes perfect sense to meld all the flavors and if it still needs a spike,
I’ve been using Badias’s Garlic and Parsley for a burst of flavor and it works very well in all my dishes. as far as Cukes go, I use English cukes for Bread n’ Butter pickles, Cuke salads, and in Sushi Rolls, and Tartar dishes and I think Kirby Cukes might have a bit more flavor for this Tzatziki sauce, I’m trying both
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What a fantastic post. All the tips, hints, and recipe ideas are great! Thanks! Going to Costco this weekend…having your sandwich Sunday! Pinned. Yummy recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Mary. Enjoy!!! 🙂