Tzatziki (pronounced tuh-zee-kee) is a creamy sauce made with yogurt, cucumber, fresh herbs, and garlic. It’s often associated with Greek food, but similar sauces are served throughout the Mediterranean and Middle East. I love to serve it as a sauce, spread, or dip for homemade pita and veggies. If this is your first time making it, tzatziki sauce is easy. You don’t need much time or fancy equipment. I love this sauce so much that I’ve also shared this feta tzatziki and this creamy cucumber salad with a dressing inspired by authentic Greek tzatziki.
Key Ingredients
Cucumber: I use thin-skinned cucumbers, such as hothouse, English, or Persian cucumbers. I don’t peel them, and since they are usually seedless, I don’t need to remove any seeds. Yogurt: I use full-fat plain Greek yogurt when making homemade tzatziki sauce. Icelandic-style yogurt will work well, too (you are just looking for a thicker-style yogurt). If you can only find thinner yogurt, add it to cheesecloth and strain it for a few hours, like we do when making homemade labneh. Garlic: The amount of garlic you use is up to you. I use 2 medium cloves, which gives the sauce a strong garlic flavor. Reduce or increase the garlic in your sauce, depending on how much you want to taste it. Olive oil: Adds flavor and a little richness to our sauce. Lemon: I love fresh lemon juice in my tzatziki sauce. It really brings all the ingredients together. Fresh herbs: I’ll never pass up an opportunity to add some fresh herbs, and I absolutely love them in tzatziki. I love fresh dill and fresh mint.
How to Make Tzatziki Sauce
You’ll start by grating your cucumber. I use my box grater, which takes less than a minute, or you can use the grater attachment for your food processor. Sprinkle salt over the grated cucumber and leave it for 5 minutes. Salting cucumbers like this helps to season them, bump up their “cucumbery” flavor, and pull out excess water, which would inevitably make our sauce too runny. After 5 minutes, place the cucumber in a clean dishcloth or cheesecloth and wring it out. We want the cucumber’s flavor in our tzatziki, but we don’t want all the water that comes with it. By the way, the cucumber water is delicious, so don’t throw it away. I add it to soups, grains, or salad dressings. Now, stir the cucumber into the other tzatziki ingredients and let them sit for at least 10 minutes so the flavors meld, making our tzatziki taste incredible.
What to Serve with Tzatziki Sauce
Tzatziki sauce can be served in so many different ways. It can be served alongside other dips like our hummus or baba ganoush with this easy flatbread or homemade pita bread. I also love it with seafood and chicken. Next time you make this lemon dill baked salmon, add a dollop of tzatziki (it will be so good!). Or, try it with our juicy skillet chicken breasts. You can also add it to sandwiches and burgers. I love a dollop of tzatziki on these juicy turkey burgers and our homemade veggie burgers! You can also serve it with raw or roasted veggies or this Greek salad! 2 cups plain Greek yogurt 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 to 2 medium cloves garlic, minced, depending on how much you love garlic 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice or more to taste 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint and/or dill Salt and fresh ground black pepper 2Gather up the corners of the dishcloth and squeeze as much liquid from the grated cucumber as possible. Discard the liquid or save it for another use. 3In a medium bowl, combine the squeezed cucumber with yogurt, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, fresh herbs, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of pepper. 4Set aside for at least 10 minutes, then serve.
