Thick & Creamy Yogurt-Cucumber Tzatziki Sauce

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The most delicious recipe for thick and creamy Tzatziki sauce is made in just 5 minutes with yogurt, cucumber, sour cream, garlic, lemon, and fresh herbs!

A simple Greek condiment to perk up almost any food, from grilled lamb to pita sandwiches and gyros.

An overhead photo of yogurt dip with cucumber, dill, lemon, and garlic, served with vegetables and pita bread.

This is the best recipe for Greek yogurt cucumber sauce around, just like your yiayia used to make! It's creamy and thick without straining the yogurt or making your own from scratch.

Table of Contents

1) What is Tzatziki?

2) ❤️ Why You'll Love this Greek Recipe

3) 🛒 Ingredients and Notes

4) 🔪 How to Make Tzatziki Sauce with Sour Cream

5) 👩‍🍳 Expert Tips

6) 💡Top tip

7) 🍽️ How to Use Tzatziki Sauce?

8) 🗄️ Storage Instructions

9) ❓ Frequently Asked Questions

10) Thick & Creamy Yogurt Cucumber Tzatziki Sauce

What is Tzatziki?

Tough to say, easy to make, tzatziki is a refreshing, healthy Greek yogurt-cucumber sauce with dill and garlic that can be used as an appetizer (also known as a meze in the Mediterranean).

We love using this sauce as a condiment, dip, spread, and salad!

The sauce is traditionally made with sheep or goat yogurt (we use regular Greek style) and grated cucumbers mixed with garlic and fresh herbs, such as dill weed or mint, to give it flavor!

Other variations of this cucumber dipping sauce (under slightly different names) are found across other Mediterranean, Balkan, and Middle Eastern countries.

❤️ Why You'll Love this Greek Recipe

This homemade tzatziki is delicious and healthy. Win-win!
It's excellent for any game day, but it shines when you're hosting a Super Bowl party!
Fast and easy to make!
It's rich, creamy, and perfect for bringing to potlucks and backyard BBQs.
It's so versatile and a real crowd-pleaser!

🛒 Ingredients and Notes

Ingredients for tzatziki dip with cucumber, yogurt, sour cream, lemon, and dill on the counter.

Yogurt (yoghurt) - It's best to use Greek whole-milk yogurt. It's already strained, thicker and higher in protein. Regular plain yogurt contains more moisture, so you will need to strain it through a cheesecloth if you have to use it.
Sour cream - a must for the classic Greek-style tzatziki sauce! Best to use full fat, but low-fat or non-fat will also work.
Cucumber - English (seedless cucumber) or mini (Persian cucumber) are best for this yogurt sauce. *See tips below if you have to use a regular one.
Lemon - can be substituted with white vinegar.
Garlic - use as much or as little as you tolerate. Mince it fine, or make a paste using the side of a large knife.
Dill weed - Fresh dill makes all the difference. I wouldn't recommend dried dill unless you want to sprinkle it on top for some color. You can also substitute dill with fresh mint.

🔪 How to Make Tzatziki Sauce with Sour Cream

Sour cream makes the tzatziki sauce extra thick and creamy, and it's super easy and quick to make in just a few steps:

Preparing the Cucumbers

Two photos showing grating and squeezing of the cucumber.

Grate the cucumber - Use the large holes of your grater for some nice texture.
Strain the grated cucumber - Place grated cucumber in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Let stand for 15 minutes. Gently squeeze to drain the juices.

Making the Tzatziki

Mixing cucumber, garlic, lemon juice, dill, and sour cream with yogurt and oil.

3.Mix it all together - Combine yogurt with sour cream, olive oil, cucumbers, lemon juice, garlic, and dill. Mix until combined and season with salt and pepper to taste.

📝 NOTE: Looking for the FULL recipe to print? Find the complete list of ingredients and detailed instructions in the recipe card below.

👩‍🍳 Expert Tips

You can add a tablespoon of fine feta cheese crumbles to the sauce for an even better flavor and texture!
You can serve the sauce right away, but it's best to let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to meld. The garlic will be less intense the longer you chill the sauce.
Do not skip the salting step - it may result in extra liquid from the cucumbers seeping out, causing the tzatziki to separate.
You don't need to peel the English cucumber, but I usually remove half of its skin and still have plenty of green specks.
If you're using regular cucumber, peel all the skin (it tends to be bitter), cut it in half, and remove the seeds before grating.
Instead of grating, you can dice the cuke for a satisfying crunch.

💡Top tip

Tzatziki tastes even better the next day, so consider making it in advance.

🍽️ How to Use Tzatziki Sauce?

This creamy and thick tzatziki sauce is excellent on gyros, souvlaki, meatballs, burgers, chicken, pork, and fish.
Try it with French fries. My daughter can't get enough of that combo!
Mix in a bit of crumbled feta or blue cheese and serve with buffalo wings or my Dry-Rubbed Crispy Baked Chicken Wings.
Replace sour cream with this creamy yogurt sauce to take your baked potato or potato skins up a notch.
Serve as a dipping sauce for pita or naan bread, crackers, and fresh or grilled vegetables.
It is excellent as a salad dressing too! Add some water to thin it out to quickly drizzle it over your fresh greens (add some leftover roasted or rotisserie chicken for a complete meal!)
Add cold water to get thinner consistency, and serve as a chilled soup.

🗄️ Storage Instructions

Store the sauce in an airtight container. It is best to place 1-2 sheets of paper towels on top before closing it with the lid - it will absorb any extra moisture.
Refrigerate for up to 3-4 days.

Overhead photo of the sauce or dip with pita bread and fresh vegetables.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my tzatziki sauce bitter?

A large (older) regular cucumber with thick skin and lots of seeds tends to be bitter. If you can't find English, seedless, or mini cucumbers whose skin is tender, find a smaller/younger cucumber and remove all its skin and seeds before grating.

What to do if my Tzatziki separates while in the fridge?

Just give it a good stir before diving in!

Is Tzatziki healthy?

Packed with essential nutrients, this powerhouse yogurt sauce contains protein and minerals like magnesium, potassium, and calcium that contribute to your well-being.

You'll also get a healthy dose of probiotics which can help keep digestion running smoothly while supporting inflammation control and immune function!

A person dipping pita wedge into the bowl with Greek dip.

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