Tzatziki (pronounced “tsat-SEE-kee”) is a creamy cucumber, garlic, and yogurt sauce from Greece, and it’s absolutely DELICOUS. If you’ve never tried this Greek yogurt sauce, then you’re in for a treat! It’s easy to make homemade Tzatziki sauce, and you’ll love it on everything from halloumi skewers to mezze platters to sandwiches.
Run, don’t walk, to the grocery store for the 6 ingredients you’ll need for classic Tzatziki. Your fridge will never be the same!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love It
- Rounds out so many meals – If you’re eating something spicy and need a cooling counterpoint? Tzatziki. Looking for a sauce for your pita sandwich? Tzatziki. Dipper for, say, halloumi skewers?? Tzatziki!
- Super easy to make ahead of time – Just keep it in your fridge for a delicious addition to any meal.
Tzatziki Sauce Recipe Ingredients
- Greek yogurt – I like to use full-fat Greek yogurt. You’ll want plain unsweetened yogurt.
- Cucumber – I like to use English cucumbers because they’re reliably mild-tasting and you don’t need to peel them first. But any cucumber can do – if the peel is hard and/or the cucumber is seedy, I recommend removing those first.
- Salt & pepper
- Lemon juice – from one juicy lemon
- Fresh herbs – dill and mint. I highly recommend fresh but totally understand it’s not always possible to find fresh herbs. If you need to swap in dry herbs, I recommend 1/2 teaspoon of each.
Adaptations/Variations
Vegan/Dairy-Free Tzatziki Sauce – Swap in your favorite plain vegan yogurt substitute. Kite Hill makes a great one!
How to Make It
The key to making great Tzatziki sauce is to drain the excess water out of your cucumber. I know it’s an extra step, but trust me – you want creamy Tzatziki, not watery Tzatziki.
To make it:
- Line a colander with cheesecloth or paper towels. Perch it over a bowl or set it in the sink, toss the cucumber with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, then place it in the colander and let it drain for several minutes.
- Then it’s time to mix all of the ingredients together. Add the Greek yogurt, drained cucumber, garlic, lemon juice, herbs, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Taste and add more salt and pepper if you like.
- Serve and savor!
Jump to the full, printable recipe
I hope this Tzatziki Sauce recipe finds a permanent place in your sauce recipe rotation! It’s so simple to make from scratch – I promise you won’t regret it.
Tzatziki Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 cups plain Greek yogurt (16 ounces)
- 1 small English cucumber (1/2 pound; can sub another type of cucumber – if the peel is hard and it's seedy, I recommend removing both before grating)
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (divided)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 medium clove garlic (finely minced or grated)
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh mint
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Line a colander with cheesecloth or paper towels and perch over a large bowl. Finely grate the cucumber using the small side of a grater. Toss the cucumber with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, then place in the lined colander. Let the cucumber to drain for about 30 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, add the Greek yogurt. Gently squeeze the grated, salted cucumber to discard any remaining liquid and add to the yogurt. Stir in the garlic, lemon juice, dill, peppermint, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired.
- Place Tzatziki sauce in an airtight container and refrigerate for at least an hour to allow the flavors to meld. Keeps 3-4 days in the fridge.
Hi! I’m Karen – I’m a real person with real recipes. No A.I. here! Since 2009, every recipe on Kitchen Treaty is thoroughly tested and loved before I hit “publish.” I’m a home cook, certified plant-based pro, and mom. I’m a vegetarian married to a carnivore, and my goal is to coexist deliciously.
