Tzatziki Sauce is a must-have condiment or dip made with yogurt, shredded cucumber, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, and red wine vinegar. Add some herbs for a lively finish and drizzle it over some Air Fryer Falafel or in Chicken Gyros!
What is Tzatziki Sauce?
Sometimes simply called cucumber and yogurt sauce, this creamy Greek condiment is made primarily with yogurt and shredded cucumbers. If you’re wondering what it tastes like, it is incredibly refreshing and light tasting with some tang. It has a mild, cool flavor which makes it the perfect pair to spicy or strongly seasoned mains.
Tzatziki Sauce is very versatile — there are practically endless ways to enjoy it — straight from the bowl to topping various mains.
Quick Tip
How to pronounce tzatziki: tuh·zee·kee (listen to it here).
How To Use Tzatziki Sauce
- Enjoy a spoonful straight from the bowl!
- On some of our favorite Greek-inspired recipes like these Vegetarian Gyros, Greek Ground Turkey, Steak Gyros, or Beef Gyros.
- Enjoy with pita chips or fresh (warmed) pita, and fresh (or grilled) veggies.
- Spread on a sandwich or wrap (like these Chicken Shawarma Wraps).
- Serve with your favorite crackers.
Tzatziki Sauce Ingredients
- Plain Greek yogurt. Authentic Tzatziki Sauce is typically made with goat or sheep’s milk yogurt, but this recipe calls for full-fat Greek yogurt since that is more accessible in grocery stores. It’s important to use a thick and creamy yogurt to prevent a watery sauce and ensure a hearty structure. Our favorite is Greek God’s® plain traditional Greek yogurt (not sponsored).
- English cucumber or Persian cucumbers. Regular cucumbers are too watery and lack flavor.
- Lemon juice and zest. Bottled lemon juice won’t quite cut it here, because the sauce relies on the zest of the lemon. When zesting the lemon, avoid the white pith of the lemon — this is very bitter. Using a microplane (like this one), zest only the very outside yellow part of the lemon.
- Garlic. Use fresh or save some prep time by using pre-minced garlic!
- Olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil is best.
- Red wine vinegar. This adds a nice tang and touch of acidity.
- Fresh herbs. The fresh herbs are optional — if you have access to them, throw ’em in and if not, the sauce is still tasty! We love fresh mint, dill, parsley, or a combination of any of the above in our Tzatziki Sauce.
How To Make Tzatziki Sauce
This Tzatziki Sauce recipe is as simple as wringing the liquid out of the shredded cucumbers and stirring all the ingredients together. Here are our top tips:
- Make the sauce in advance. This homemade Tzatziki becomes more flavorful as it sits in the fridge. And if you’re adding it to a meal, having the sauce ready to go makes dinner assembly that much quicker later on.
- Use full-fat plain yogurt to avoid watery or bland tzatziki. (We love Greek Gods plain Greek yogurt best — not sponsored!)
- Squeeze the liquid out of the cucumber. Cucumber has a very high water content and will water down the sauce or make it bland. Wring out excess liquid a few times with paper towels or cheesecloth before adding to the mix.
- To make Tzatziki sauce vegan use vegan Greek yogurt.
Tzatziki Sauce FAQs
What do you eat with Tzatziki Sauce?
Tzatziki Sauce is especially great with grilled meat — chicken, beef, pork, and lamb. One of the most popular ways to enjoy this condiment is on gyros. We love it as a dip for veggies too!
How long does Tzatziki Sauce last?
Tzatziki will last about 3-4 days in the fridge before it begins to go bad. Give leftovers a good stir before serving! You’ll know Tzatziki is no longer good when it becomes overly watery or develops an off smell.
What is the best Tzatziki Sauce to buy?
You can typically find Tzatziki Sauce at most large grocery chains. Check the refrigerated produce section. I’ve personally never purchased this sauce at the store (we love our homemade recipe that much and it’s that easy!), so instead, here’s a list of top-rated brands to browse through.
Storage
Storage
Creamy Tzatziki Sauce will last about 3-4 days in the fridge before it begins to go bad. Give leftovers a good stir before serving! You’ll know it’s no longer good when it becomes watery or develops an off smell. Unfortunately, the sauce doesn’t freeze well.
More Greek-Inspired Favorites:
- Greek Chicken Wrap with cucumbers and sun-dried tomatoes
- Greek Meatballs with a tasty lemon-herb sauce
- Marinated and grilled Greek Chicken
- Greek Pasta Salad with a bright Greek-inspired vinaigrette
- Greek Quinoa Salad with spinach, avocados, and cucumbers
Tzatziki Sauce
Equipment
- Medium bowl
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cucumbers Persian, English, or mini cucumbers
- 1 large lemon
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt I love Greek Gods!
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1-1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped herbs optional, see note 1
- Serving suggestions see note 2
Instructions
- Grate an unpeeled cucumber with the large holes of a cheese grater. Line a small bowl with a few paper towels (or a clean kitchen towel) and place the grated cucumber on top. Squeeze out as much extra moisture as you can from the cucumber (this keeps the sauce from being watery).
- Once it’s drained, add shredded cucumber to a medium bowl. Zest and juice lemon to get 1/2 teaspoon zest and 1 tablespoon juice. Add to bowl along with the rest of the ingredients. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Stir and cover the bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is the BEST sauce ever!
YAY! SO happy to hear this! Thanks Cate! 🙂
As your sister, me and my husband put this sauce on everything😂Thanks for the recipe!
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks Kaiti! 🙂
Cant wait to make this soon for me can i use coconut yogurt i never had tzatziki sauce before perfect for my snacks