Learn how to make tzatziki sauce in 10 minutes or less! This authentic tzatziki recipe, made with cucumber, yogurt, and garlic, comes straight from the Greek island of Paros, and a few tips make all the difference.
Tzatziki Recipe That Will Make Yiayia Smile!
Of all the Greek recipes on this site, including Greek salad and the ever-so-comforting moussaka, tzatziki sauce is the one I go to most often.
A few years ago, I came across a real-deal, authentic tzatziki sauce recipe from the Greek island of Paros where Stella Leonetti served it regularly in her restaurant called Rafeletti. My friend Cheryl Sternman Rule featured it in her book Yogurt Culture, and I stayed pretty close to the original recipe, except I’ve pared it down for a smaller crowd.
Tzatziki is easy to make and incredibly versatile. I serve it as a snack with pita chips and fresh veggies or use it as a sauce to spoon over gyros, kebabs, or to jazz up dinner bowls! Really, it goes with almost anything. If you have not tried this creamy Greek yogurt sauce before, you are in for a treat!
What is Tzatziki?
Tzatziki is a creamy cucumber yogurt sauce made from simple ingredients, including strained yogurt (or Greek yogurt), cucumbers, olive oil, garlic, and sometimes fresh herbs such as dill or mint. Traditionally, it is made from strained sheep or goat’s milk yogurt, but a full-fat Greek yogurt works just fine.
This recipe takes about 10 minutes or less to make, and it starts with grated cucumbers, which you need to drain very well, and mix with the yogurt, garlic, and herbs, if using. Tzatziki tastes slightly tangy, garlicky, and cool due to the use of cucumber and fresh herbs.
Once you learn how to make it, you’ll be using it in all sorts of ways to elevate your meals or to simply serve as part of a mezze spread!
Tzatziki Sauce Ingredients
- English cucumber: I like to use English cucumbers here because they are seedless and tend to be sweeter, plus the skin is thin, so you don’t have to fully peel them. If you end up using regular cucumbers with the waxy skin, be sure to peel them completely, and you’ll want to scoop out and discard the large seeds, which would make the dip runny.
- Kosher salt enhances the flavors of the other ingredients to make them pop.
- Garlic: I like a garlicky dip. So I use 4 to 5 minced garlic cloves. If you want a milder-tasting cucumber yogurt sauce, start with 1 or 2 minced garlic cloves.
- Distilled white vinegar: You only need about 1 teaspoon here. It brightens the dip and adds a slight sharpness to cut through the creamy flavor.
- Extra virgin olive oil adds a rich savory note.
- Plain Greek Yogurt: This is the foundation of tzatziki. Use 2 cups plain full-fat or reduced-fat Greek yogurt. Do not use regular plain yogurt as the dip will be too runny. The yogurt you need here must be strained yogurt. Need to avoid dairy? Try this Vegan Tzatziki recipe, which is made with cashews.
- Ground white or black pepper (optional)
- Chopped fresh dill or mint (optional)
How to Make Tzatziki
Here’s the step-by-step tutorial for how to make this tzatziki recipe.
- Grate the cucumbers. Grate the cucumbers using a box grater or a food processor (my favorite way) for a shortcut. Add the cucumbers with a pinch of kosher salt to the food processor and run the processor until the cucumbers are finely grated.
- Drain the grated cucumbers (VERY IMPORTANT). Once grated, transfer the cucumbers to a clean cheesecloth or a flour sack towel, and squeeze out all the liquid.
- Mix the sauce. In a large bowl, combine the grated or minced garlic with the white vinegar and a little olive oil and mix. Add the drained cucumber mixture to a large bowl, Greek yogurt, kosher salt, a pinch of white or black pepper, and chopped dill or mint (if using). Stir to combine.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes and up to 2 hours before serving or serve immediately, if you can’t wait! Enjoy it with fresh veggies and pita or pita chips! Drizzle a little olive oil on top.
What to Serve With Tzatziki
Creamy cucumber tzatziki is one of the most versatile dips you can make! At the very least, serve it with some carrots, bell peppers, and other fresh veggies of your choice, but you can use it in many more ways.
In Greece, it’s commonly served with gyros, pork souvlaki, and chicken souvlaki. But it’s a wonderful and adaptable sauce for almost any dish.
Try it on pan-seared salmon, lamb rack, all sorts of kebabs, including vegetable skewers, or even to top your baked potato! I love adding it to dinner bowls with keftedes (meatballs) and a salad! I even use it to drizzle onto Greek Meatloaf wrapped in Grape Leaves! It also works as a sandwich spread. It’s great to pair with spicy recipes where you want a cooling counterpoint.
Hungry for more? Check out my Greek Recipes Collection.
How to Store Leftover Tzatziki
It’s best to store tzatziki in the fridge in a tightly covered glass container. Use it within 2 to 4 days.
More Greek Recipes to Love
Ingredients
- 3/4 English cucumber, partially peeled (striped)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 4 to 5 garlic cloves, peeled, finely grated or minced (you start with 1 to 2 garlic cloves if you don't want it to be too strong)
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Early Harvest Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 cups plain Greek yogurt
- Handful of chopped fresh dill or mint (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
- Warm pita bread for serving
- Sliced vegetables for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the cucumbers. Manually grate the cucumbers with a box grater to finely grate the cucumbers as I do in this recipe. Toss the grated cucumbers with 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Spoon the grated cucumber into a cheesecloth or a double thickness napkin and squeeze dry. There will be a lot of liquid.
- Combine the garlic mixture. In one large mixing bowl, place the garlic with the remaining 1/2 tsp salt, white vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil. Mix to combine.
- Add the cucumber. Add the grated cucumber, yogurt, and a pinch of white or black pepper to the bowl with the garlic mixture, along with the fresh herbs, if using. Stir to combine. (I did not use fresh herbs in the video.)
- Refrigerate. Cover and refrigerate for a bit (anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple of hours before serving). This will help thicken the sauce and give it the best texture, while allowing the flavors to meld.
- Serve. When ready to serve, stir the tzatziki sauce to refresh and transfer to a serving bowl, drizzle with more extra virgin olive oil, if you like. Serve with your favorite veggies, pita chips, or wedges.
Video
Notes
- This recipe makes a generous 2 cups of sauce (or up to 32 tablespoons). The serving size is based on 1 tablespoon.
- This recipe is adapted from Yogurt Culture. It is my quick version, and it’s been cut down to suit a smaller family.
- This is a very garlicky dip; if you prefer, start with a smaller amount of garlic and incorporate more as needed.
- To Store: It’s best to store tzatziki in the fridge in a tightly covered glass container. Use within 4 days.
- Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients, including the olive oil and spices used in this recipe.
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*This post first appeared on The Mediterranean Dish in 2016 and has been updated with new information and media for readers’ benefit.
Sounds amazing! I am running to the store for English cucumbers. Can I use plain yogurt or should I stick with Greek?
Hey, Mia…so sorry, I just saw this question. It works with either kind of yogurt, but Greek yogurt produces better results.
Hi Suzy,
How long will the Tzatziki sauce keep in the refridgerator?
Cheers,
Leesa.
Leesa, I would say 2-3 days or so refrigerated in a tight-lid container. It can be longer, just try a tiny taste and stir before serving.
Really good recipe Suzy, thank you for the submission!! I used dehydrated garlic (to act as a thickener), garlic-infused EVOO, a 1/2 T of lemon juice instead of vinegar, and added about 1 tsp of dried dill; as my husband loves it 🙂 Really good on gyros and as a lower-calorie option than sour cream for a veggie dip (raw or blanched is our preference).
Wonderful, Tanya! Like the changes you made. Sounds delicious!
oh Suzy, I so enjoy opening your emails arriving in my inbox!
I forgot where I placed your tzatziki recipe, so I’m back to re-write it
it’s my favorite
thanks for all the fabulous recipes!
deborah 🙂
Hi Deborah! Thanks so much! I love this Tzatziki recipe as well…we make it often around here. Thanks for taking the time to write!
I just whipped this up and it looks and smells amazing! Tried a nibble and I think its gonna need more garlic, but then again Im a confirmed garlic junkie. Thanks for the recipe!
Awesome, Alec! I have to say, you’re the first person to point out the need for more garlic in this sauce…but I’m a garlic lover too! 🙂 Enjoy!
This sounds so flavorful and nice and cool for a summer snack w/ veggies. The book sounds interesting. I’d love to check it out.
Tzatiziki is one of my favorite recipes to make. Your recipe looks delicious. The book sounds great. I really like the history of things and it sounds like Cheryl has provided a lot of depth.
Love all of that flavor!! Though I’ve never made it, I’ve enjoyed tzatziki many times – I definitely need to give this a try.
I like yogurt with olive oil and pita!
My daughter is on a modified ketogenic diet – one of her favorite breakfasts is Greek yogurt with fresh berries, cream, mct oil and flax seed. I thought it would be terribly plain but with a good quality yogurt I was amazed at how good and how filling it was.
Quality yogurt makes a big difference, doesn’t it? Thanks so much for stopping in Laurie.
I was so happy to see that you are using the right ingredients for tzatziki! As a Greek, I often come across recipes for tzatziki with ingredients that don’t belong there 🙂
Great photos too!
Hi Marilena…thanks so much for sharing. Tzatziki is one of those you don’t want to mess with. It is perfect the classic, old fashioned way, right?
I’m have to admit I’m boring. I make my own Greek yogurt and generally add fruit and a handful of nuts or addit to a smoothie, but I will definitely be trying this recipe.
Patti, thanks for sharing! Sometimes, simple is best! Hope you give this one a try.
I love yogurt with fresh fruit and some ground flax seeds sprinkled on top.
I serve taztziki sauce with grilled shrimp that I marinate in olive oil, smoky paprika, turmeric, and finely minced garlic.
This taztziki recipe will get a work out this summer!
Great blog, Suzi!
Catherine, your grilled shrimp sounds like a recipe I was just working on that I shared on Facebook live! I love turmeric…and lots of garlic of course! Thanks for sharing!
Looks delish!! One of my favorite things to dip into or slather on a sandwich or chicken slouvaki. I love yogurt but would love to learn more. Your website and recipes are fantastic!
Right on Sandara! Enjoy!!!
I love, love, love tzatziki sauce, it’s my favorite way to eat yogurt!
Well, then you’re in the right place today! Thanks for stopping in Christina! Enjoy!
My primary diet is Paleo, though I allow myself one day weekly to eat otherwise. I mainly cook Mediterranean dishes on those days because it is still very healthy food but allows yogurt and cheese! Today I used this recipe to make the Tzatziki for my homemade gyro salad. I have to say, it may very well be the best Tzatziki sauce I’ve ever made! Thank you for sharing this and your other recipes with the rest of us. 🙂
Jesse, welcome to The Mediterranean Dish! So glad you found the Tzatziki recipe…it’s a favorite of mine as well. I put it on everything!!!