Greek Tzatziki Sauce (Yogurt-Cucumber Dip)

The most delicious recipe for Tzatziki sauce 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.

Served as a dip or spread, you won’t regret trying this one out. I promise you'll like it.

This is the best tzatziki recipe around, just like your yiayia used to make! It's creamy and thick without having to strain the yogurt or make your own from scratch.

What is Tzatziki?

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

You can use it as a dip, a spread for pita sandwiches, or along with grilled meat.

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 sauce (under slightly different names) are found across the other Mediterranean, Balkan, and Middle Eastern countries.

Please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the complete list of ingredients and detailed instructions. However, there's important stuff to know before you scroll down.

📃Why it Works

• I like that this creamy cucumber sauce is a perfect side with grilled meats, especially lamb, fresh vegetables, pita bread, or crackers. It's a dip, it's a condiment, it's a sauce, and it's a salad too!
• Even more: dilute leftovers with cold water and have a salad dressing. Add more water to make chilled cucumber soup - perfect for hot summer days.
• This tasty sauce is excellent for any game day, but it shines when you're hosting a Super Bowl party.
• This Greek sauce is rich, creamy, and perfect for bringing to potlucks and backyard BBQs!
• It's so versatile and a real crowd-pleaser!

🛒Ingredients and Notes

• 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.

🔪 Step by Step Instructions

1. Grate the cucumber - Use the large holes of your grater for some nice texture.
2. 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.
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.

👩‍🍳Top Tips

• You can add a tablespoon of fine feta cheese crumbles to the sauce for an even better flavor!
• You can serve the sauce right away, but it's best to let it rest in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours for the flavors to meld. The garlic will be less intense the longer you chill the sauce.
• 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.

What goes with Greek Tzatziki?

• This creamy and thick tzatziki sauce is excellent on gyros, souvlaki, grilled meat, and Greek meatball sandwiches.
• Try it with French fries. My daughter can't get enough of that combo!
• 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 cold cucumber soup.

❓FAQs

😋 Other Amazing Recipes to Try

• Cucumber and Sour Cream Salad
• Greek-Style Tortellini Skillet
• Greek Pastitsio
• Greek Frappe

Liked this recipe? Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section. Your feedback is always appreciated! Stay in touch through Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook! Don't forget to sign up for my email list below too!

Greek Tzatziki Sauce - Yogurt and Cucumber Dip

Delicious Greek sauce made with yogurt, cucumber, garlic, and dill is easy and quick and makes the best summer BBQ condiment.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Appetizer, Condiment, dip

Cuisine: Greek

Diet: Vegetarian

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 69kcal

Author: Jas

Equipment

• ▢
  Grater
• ▢
  fine sieve
• ▢
  small bowl

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 cups plain Greek yogurt
• ▢ ½ cup sour cream
• ▢ 1 small English cucumber peeled (optional) and grated
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ▢ 1 teaspoon olive oil
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh chopped dill
• ▢ Salt and black pepper to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Grate the cucumber using a box grater with large holes. Place it in a colander and sprinkle with some salt. Let stand in a sink or over a bowl for 15 minutes.
• Gently squeeze the grated cucumber to drain its remaining juices.
• With a whisk, blend yogurt with sour cream and olive oil. Add cucumbers, lemon juice, garlic, and dill. Mix until combined.
• Add salt and pepper to taste or use All Purpose Greek Seasoning to season the sauce.
• Chill and garnish with a sprig of fresh dill just before serving. Enjoy!

Recipe Video

Expert Tips

• If you can't find Greek-style yogurt and must use regular, you might want to strain it using cheesecloth as it contains more moisture, making your sauce too thin. 
• You can add a tablespoon of fine feta cheese crumbles to the sauce for an even better flavor!
• You can serve the sauce right away, but it's best to let it rest in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours for the flavors to meld. Plus, the garlic will be less intense the longer you chill the sauce.
• 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. 
• See the post above for serving ideas.
• Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used.

 

Storage:

Store the sauce in an airtight container in a refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 69kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 60mg | Potassium: 145mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 123IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 1mg

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