Tzatziki Sauce Recipe
There’s a reason why Greek Tzatziki is so popular. This creamy Tzatziki Sauce is great with chicken, grilled vegetables, in gyros with Pita Bread, or as a fresh veggie dip. It’s also great as a salad dressing.
In the summer months when our garden cucumbers are booming, we are all about our favorite cucumber recipes. Fresh dishes like Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad and Creamy Cucumber Salad are on our regular rotation. Tzatziki is definitely on our ‘favorites’ list.
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Years ago we took a trip to Seattle Washington where my cousin Alla served us a Mediterranean menu that rocked my Ukrainian taste buds and we felled in love with this tzatziki sauce.
This sauce tied everything together. I pretty much drowned my chicken and smothered everything on my plate with it. I then proceeded to down everything way too fast because it all tasted so good! Did I also acquire the Moroccan Chicken and Grilled Veggie Skewers recipes? Do you even have to ask?
Tzatziki Sauce Video Tutorial
I hope this Tzatziki Sauce recipe becomes a new favorite sauce for you. If you enjoyed this video, please subscribe to our Youtube Channel, and don’t forget to click the bell icon so you get a notification when we post a new video.
What is Tzatziki Sauce?
Tzaziki is a Greek cucumber yogurt dip. It’s a healthy sauce you can serve with chicken, grilled veggies, pita chips, gyros, and as a raw veggie dip. My cousin Alla is a fabulous cook and I’m blessed to be able to glean from her kitchen wisdom.
Homemade Tzatziki is also a healthy sauce with just 57 calories in a generous 1/4 cup serving. Try this once and you will love the fresh flavors.
Tzatziki Sauce Ingredients
- Cucumber – we used half of an English cucumber, but 3-4 small Persian cucumbers will also work.
- Greek Yogurt – should be cold right out of the refrigerator and you can use full fat or fat-free.
- Garlic – add this to taste as it can get stronger as the flavors meld in the refrigerator. We love garlic so we use 4 cloves and you can either grate garlic or use a garlic press.
- Dill – we have used fresh chopped dill or frozen dill for making tzatziki.
- Lemon juice – fresh squeezed is best. Do not use lemon juice from concentrate. 1 1/2 Tbsp is the juice of 1/2 lemon.
- Salt and Pepper – add this to taste as a little goes a long way.
How to Make Tzatziki Sauce
- Cucumber Prep – peel and finely dice the cucumbers. You can also grate on the large holes of a box grater but we prefer the texture of diced cucumber. Set cucumber over a bowl lined with a cheesecloth, or over a fine-mesh sieve. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt, stir and set aside to soften and release juice.
- Make the Sauce – in a large mixing bowl combine the remaining ingredients: yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, dill, olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Strain Cucumbers – Use the cheesecloth to squeeze out as much juice as you can from your chopped cucumber. Discard the liquid and add cucumber to the bowl mixing bowl.
- Stir and Refrigerate – stir all of the ingredients together then cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight. It stores well for 3-5 days in the fridge.
Pro Tip: Getting rid of excess cucumber juice is important so that your tzatziki sauce isn’t watery the next day. You’ll be amazed how much liquid you can strain off. Cheesecloth is the most effective way, but you can also squeeze by the fistful over a strainer.
Serve With
Tzatziki is one of the most versatile sauces. It’s great with:
- Roast Chicken
- Moroccan Chicken
- Grilled Vegetables
- Pita Chips
- Gyros wrapped in Pita Bread
- Fresh Vegetables (as a dip)
Common Questions
Tzatziki is pronounced “tuh·zee·kee”
Use either fresh lemon juice or substitute with white vinegar, adding it to taste (start with 1 tsp and go up from there). Do not use lemon juice from concentrate.
Mint is a traditional flavoring sometimes added to tzatziki. Add fresh or dried mint to taste.
Add the garlic to taste, keeping in mind that fresh homegrown garlic can taste much stronger and spicier than store-bought garlic. I love adding the full 4 cloves of garlic to give the sauce extra flavor.
Traditional tzatziki does not include dill so you can omit it, but it does add more flavor to use dill.
This is one of those recipes you’ll want to print and keep to make over and over. We’ve perfected this Tzatziki Sauce over the years and I hope it becomes a new favorite for you.
More Greek Recipes
Tzatziki Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 English cucumber
- 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
- 16 oz Cold plain Greek yogurt , (2 cups, either full fat or fat-free will work)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, Juice of 1/2 lemon; please squeeze a real lemon
- 3 to 4 garlic cloves, peeled and grated
- 1/3 cup chopped dill
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
- 1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste
Instructions
Prep the Cucumber:
- Peel and finely dice the cucumber, or you can grate on the large holes of a box grater if preferred. Transfer to a bowl lined with a cheesecloth* and sprinkle cucumbers with 1/2 tsp salt and give them a light stir. Set aside for the cucumbers to release their juice while you prep the remaining ingredients.
How to Make Tzatziki Sauce:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine plain Greek yogurt, lemon juice, grated garlic cloves, chopped dill, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, or season to taste.
- Use the cheesecloth to squeeze out as much juice as you can from your chopped cucumber. You'll be surprised how much juice comes out. Discard the juice and add squeezed cucumber to your mixing bowl.
- Stir everything to combine and season to taste with more salt and pepper if desired. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until ready to serve. I love serving drizzled with a little more extra virgin olive oil.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
The original Tzatziki recipe was first posted in 2013. We updated the photos, added a video, and found a better way to strain the cucumbers to get as much juice out as possible. Also adding the extra virgin olive oil made this such a luxurious sauce. It’s our best version yet!
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Made homemade gyros and of course your Tzatziki Sauce. Let me just say, The sauce…. THE SAUCE!!!!! It was delicious! Thank you Natasha 😊
So glad to hear that, Brenda! Thank you for sharing.
if you deseed the cucumber it gets rid of the watery mess that happens. I do this with my cucumber salads too. Just cut long ways and scoop out seeds. Great recipe and I love your blog and food ideas/recipes!!
Thanks for your good comments and for sharing that with us!
This is by far the best I have ever had. I’ve made it 2 weeks in a row. Everyone loved it! Your recipes are always my go too.
Thank you so much for your great comment and feedback!
You can add 1 tablespoon fresh chopped mint or half teaspoon dried mint.
It’s heaven🙂
Ooh interesting! Thank you for sharing.
Can you tell me if this could be frozen? I have so many cucumbers I am picking that I know I will be making lots of sauce. Don’t want a drop to go to waste! Thanks
Hi Kathy, I have not tested that to advise but it may work. If you do freeze it, it will more than likely not have the same consistency as when you first made it.
Hi Natasha! This recipe is yummy, too!
But I also want to request a recipe for Avocado Toast. I made this one for brunch today: 2 slices marble rye (or pumpernickel( bread toasted. 2 ripe avocado chopped. 1 small cucumber diced. Red onion to taste. 1 cup chopped tomato. 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice. Very good quality Feta cheese crumbled. Kalamata olives to taste. Good quality olive oil to drizzle. Chop avocado. tomato, cucumber and red onion. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and oregano. Add lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil and toss to coat. Toast bread. Spoon avocado mixture generously over toast Add Feta cheese and kalamata olives (or black olives). Drizzle with olive oil. Yum!
Hi Sharon. Thank you for sharing. I have a recipe for open faced avocado sandwiches, HERE. They are versatile and can be made with different toppings.
Hello Natasha…from Greece.. 🙏🇬🇷😊 Well… Your recipe is right on… but.. Vinegar is what many of us use instead of fresh lemon juice… Just sayin’.. 😉😁😁😁😎
Thank u for u. And for oozIng with love and talent for what you do here.
Thanks for sharing, Anna. Feel free to substitute with vinegar if that’s what you like. I think both versions are good!
I haven’t tried this recipe yet. I’m Greek and have been eating tzatziki my entire life but we make it with sour cream and few different ingredients. I will definitely try it this way, it a more healthier recipe.
I hope you love this recipe, Katerina. 🙂
Hi Natasha, I love all your recipes! This sauce idyone I’m definitely going to try. I sent it to all 4 of my daughters who are also loving your recipes. Thank you so much for the varieties!!
You are very welcome, I hope they love it too!
I did not like the sauce in the restaurant, but this one is the best I have ever eaten
That’s wonderful, Rosa! Thank you for the review, so glad you enjoyed this sauce. It is amazing, love it!
I made this sauce and it’s the best. I am wondering how long it preserve in the fridge
Hi Rosa, you could keep the tzatziki sauce covered and refrigerated 3-5 days, depending on freshness of cucumber and dill.
I made this it was great My daughter was in her glory made it with chicken kabobs. Thank you.
Sounds amazing! Thanks for the review, Diana.
Natasha any way you have a Falafel recipe from scratch? This is something I have been trying to figure out and anything you come up with is golden!
Hi Jordan. No, I do not have a recipe for this one.
OOOOH that’s where I’ve seen this snack from! My uncle made this from this exact website and I wondered why it looked familiar! It tasted amazing!
Hello Rose, nice to know that you have enjoyed this recipe!
Will Sour cream do? somethings are getting hard to find like Greek yogurt.
Hi Deborah, I have not experimented with that but it should work! Here is what one of our readers wrote ” I added a couple tablespoons of sour cream to soften the bitterness too. Made it perfect!” I hope that helps!
Easy and delicious! Coffee filters work well for squeezing excess juice out of cucumbers.
Sounds great, Dawn! So glad you love this recipe.
Was in a pinch, and had everything except for the cucumber (no time to go). Believe it or not, this tasted amazing even without it! Thank you for always having the recipes I need, in a pinch or not.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
My daughter worked for a greek restaurant and loved their fresh tzatziki. We have been looking for a recipe that comes close. Happily i have to say she loves your recipe!! It is now in our family favorites recipe book!!
I’m so glad my recipe was a hit!
Hi Natasha.
Being Greek, this the same exact way I makeTzatziki. Love the stuff. Great with everything especially ground lamb burgers, seasoned, with lettuce, tomatoes and Tzatziki on top.
Good to know that you use the same recipe, Linda. So true, it is delicious on a lot of different food!
I haven’t made this yet. I usually make a recipe as stated the first time so I know what it’s supposed to taste like unless I know that I don’t like a the taste of an ingredient (like rosemary). There after I experiment to fit my tastes or because I don’t have something. As Rachel Ray says, you won’t see what we’re doing in our home kitchens and we all have different tastes.
I grew up in Louisville KY, home of Benedictine spread–a cucumber cream cheese spread with the main flavor being the cucumber. I think you could do a tzatziki spread from your recipe by using cream cheese instead of yogurt. I may have to try it after I try your tzatziki sauce as is.
Thanks, Judy. Yes, feel free to try this recipe and tweak it a bit according to your personal preference. I hope you like it!
That spread made with cream cheese sounds so good, and I’ll put it on my list to try! Tzatziki is a favorite condiment flavor of mine. Thanks for sharing!
Add some fresh mint.
Do you remove the cucumber seeds for this recipe?
Hi Karen, we do not!
I’m a weirdo and don’t care for raw garlic in toppings/sauces. Could roasted garlic work in tzatziki?
Hi Tracy, I haven’t tried this with roasted garlic to truly say that it will work. If you experiment, I would love to know how you like this recipe!
Hello Natasha,
I love this recipe. I will give it a try. I was wondering if you a Gyro recipe. I would love to make Tzatziki sauce with Gyro sandwiches.
Hi Nahla, I don’t have a recipe for that yet but thanks for the idea and suggestion.
Thank you for the Tzatziki recipe, now if only a Doner Kebab recipe would appear maybe using Chicken thighs instead of Lamb,
Hmmmmmmmmmmmm!
This tzatziki reminds me of one of my favorite greek restaurants sauce that they make in house, and it was so good! I love it!
I love how recipes like this Tzatziki sauce can bring back memories. That’s awesome!
I love this stuff! So easy to make and super fresh tasting.
Hi April, I’m so glad you love this recipe.
I’ve tried making a different recipe for this before but it wasn’t what I was looking for! THIS recipe is what I was looking for. SO SO good, thank you!
Hi Jessica! I’m glad you discovered this recipe! It’s our absolute favorite, and I’m so happy you also enjoyed that!
I am obsessed with this tzatziki sauce! I eat it with everything… grilled proteins, raw veggies for a snack, chips, it is awesome!!!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
Im thinkin tzatziki and pita chips
Yum! So so good together! Thank you for sharing that!
As an Italian who does not understand the phrase, “too much garlic,” there’s too much garlic in this! I brought this for work lunch and thank god most everyone is working from home, although I think you can smell my breath over the phone! Thank god I keep a toothbrush in my desk, although it’s hardly helping. This is great recipe but I’d cut the garlic by 3/4.
Hi Kelsie, fresher garlic can be more potent and also if you let it meld and refrigerate for a bit, it does mellow out. I am a garlic lover myself but you can cut it down if you prefer.
Wonderful recipe! Can eat it with a spoon for breakfast.
For all the talk of how to extract the excess water from the cucumber, I find a couple layers of some good paper towels and a little patients is all that’s need. Press or squeeze. Let it sit. Repeat with fresh towels and you’re good to go.
If you’re a garlic lover, go crazy. You can actually elevate it to tasting a bit “Spicy” if you double the garlic and let it simmer in the fridge over night.
Two big thumbs up for Natasha’s Kitchen
Thank you for sharing those tips and tricks with us. That’s so great.
Hi Natasha, i just want to say that I love your blog/recipes…you made me a better cook and my husband loves it…thank you so much… A very happy me
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me! I’m all smiles
Made this today to go with my chicken gyro! It’s soo delicious! Thank you for this tzatziki sauce it’s perfect!!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Alena! Thank you for the wonderful review!
This was so delicious. It hasn’t even set yet and it’s so good. Thank you!!
You’re welcome!! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe & thank you for sharing your great review!
Do you happen to have a good recipe for chicken gyros?
Hi Tammy, I don’t currently but this sauce would be perfect for chicken gyros!
I would love to find a good recipe for gyros to have with the tzatziki! Thank you!
Thank you for that suggestion!
Can you freeze this tzatziki sauce?
Hi Kate, I have not tested that to advise but it may work. If you do freeze it, it will more than likely not have the same consistency as when you first made it.
Just in case anyone else was confused… I’m 99% positive that’s not an English cucumber 🤣 they’re long a skinny & have more meat less seedy soft middle that’s why they’re used in this recipe BUT a regular garden cucumber works just fine but that’s why you had to squeeze the water 😉 – not it really matters i just didn’t want anyone to be confused by the pictures 🙂
Hi Bonnie, I’m aware of that & thank you for sharing that. When I took the photos, I was testing it that time with a plain cucumber, but I thought English cucumber was better so that is what I put in the ingredients list.
Question for clarification: what does “pressing” the garlic entail? It looks chopped in the photo… There also seems to be celery in the photo. That does not belong in the recipe itself, right? Thanks!
Hi Marilyn, we use a garlic press for the garlic and there is no celery. It is cucumber which probably looks like celery when it’s diced. I hope you love the tzatziki sauce!
Hi Natasha. I love your recipes. I want to try this, but I really don’t like Greek yogurt. Can I use sour cream? Is there a difference in flavor between seedless and regular cukes? I have 3 regular cukes in my fridge now.
Hi Virginia! I have not experimented with that but it should work! Here is what one of our readers wrote ” I added a couple tablespoons of sour cream to soften the bitterness too. Made it perfect!” I hope that helps!
Does it have to be Greek yogurt, or can it be non-Greek?
Hi Skye, I have used Chobani and the Kirkland signature yogurt from Costco.
1/2 English cucumber, peeled
2 cups Cold plain Greek yogurt
3-4 cloves garlic, pressed
2 Tbsp dry mint
2 Tbsp nice vinegar (preference in white)
3 Tbsp vergine olive oil
2 pinch salt.
Feel free with the quantities, do not be afraid.
The secret is the olive oil the vinegar and the mint.
Tip:box grater with course shred, will help you to shredded the cucumber. Squeeze the cucumber with your hands.
If you do not use cucumber (for extra smooth texture) you must add more vinegar olive oil and dry mint.
Kisses and Hugs from Greece.
Do not forget to visit us.
Georgios.
Thank you so much for sharing your tzatziki recipe!
Love this additional idea. Thanks!
Georgios: Thank you so much! Tried both recipes, and your’s was amazing! Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Katrina
George, Is it “Rice” or “nice” vinegar?
I’m not George, but probably white vinegar.
You can omit the vinegar & cucumber & try a dill pickle instead.
Absolutely yummy!
This looks and sounds great!
Sadly, I don’t have any dill or mint. what can I substitute for dill/mint in this tzatziki-sauce-recipe?
Hi Tracie, I haven’t tried it without dill. If you try making it without dill, let me know how it turns out. One of our readers mentioned they omitted the dill and it was “just okay” flavor wise.
I couldn’t find a good substitute in my kitchen last night so I used it without dill. It was still good even without it AND I’ll pick up some dill to add to it today cause I just know it will be fantastic with the dill! It’s a signature ingredient after all.
This is delicious! You said to add salt, I think it was a young lady by the name of Yelena that commented that she put the salt of her cucumber & that is excellent because the salt will remove excess liquid directly from the cuke. Love the flavor & this is delicious on so many foods. I always enjoy your reipes & the comments from other people. I’ve cooked a good many years, I’m 81, & I love hearing so many great ideas of all of you young people! I love getting new ideas, & no one is too old to learn something new! Thank for such delicious recipes in your blog and thank you to all of you fantastic youngsters with your great tips & ideas. May all of you have a fantastic 2019!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me :). Happy New Year, Margo!
You rock it mam!
Chop the cuke the day before and leave to strain under pressure overnight in the fridge. Make the recipe the next day. Helps to avoid too much moisture.
Thank you so for sharing that with us!!
I made this test directed except are used one entire English cucumber. I grated it and put it in a sieve and pushed the grated cucumber against the sieve to to remove excess water. It worked great! I let it set while I assembled the other ingredients. After everything was mixed, I added about it to teaspoons to a tablespoon of olive oil. FYI I used fresh dill from the produce department. It comes in a quarter ounce package which was just the right amount after dicing. This stuff is the bomb! We love it,!
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review 🙂
Great recipe!!
The two things I do different are:
I use 1 1/2 English cucumbers, grate them, and squeeze out the liquid, then let them sit in a colander over a bowl. I also add salt to this step, and cover the grated cuces with a paper tower to to absorb more of the water.
I do this for about 30 minutes.
After mixing everything, I also add a bit of EVOO to the Tzatziki, mix it in, and let sit for at least an hour in the fridge for all the flavors to meld.
AMAZING!!
Thank you for sharing this with us, Yelena! I imagine our readers will find this useful!
Yelena is recommending 1.5 cucumbers, from my interpretation. Do you think that will work? I think you are only recommending 0.5 cucumbers?
Hi Maria, without trying it that way, it is difficult to make that recommendation. We always make it per the recipe with good results.
OK, good. I will do 0.5 cucumbers. Thanks for the quick response! 🙂
Hi Natasha, is the lemon a must? My hubby is allergic to citrus 🙁
Hi Olga, I haven’t tried anything else but probably the next best thing would be adding a teaspoon of white vinegar, or adding it to taste.
Hi Natasha,
Do you have a recipe for chicken gyros?
Hi Tammy. At this time we do not. But definitely a great idea!
Is the goal to reduce the cuke to pulp? What should the texture be after draining and sqeezing. Don’t want my masterpiece tzatziki ruined by too much juice, or too little. Thanks for helping.
Hi Shar, we love to have some texture in it still which is why we finely dice rather than putting it through a food processor which would turn it into pulp. The more juice you can get out, the better and it will keep better in the fridge.
The recipe is great, however, I think there is a typo with the amount of dill you are supposed to use. 1/3 of a cup is A LOT of dill, especially for a tzatziki sauce.
Hi Juliana, we do use this amount. You could add it to taste and would definitely want to scale it back if using dried dill.
How long does this keep in the refrigerator?
Hi Dawn, you could keep the tzatziki sauce covered and refrigerated 3-5 days, depending on freshness of cucumber and dill.
never lasts that long 🙂 gets eaten!
Looks like a double batch is in order!
This was delicious! I found your recipes not to long ago, and currently get new recipes by email alerts. They are always so good. You are right up there with my other favorite chefs, Ree Drummond and Ina Garten.
I’m happy to hear how much you’re enjoying the recipes Lauren! Thanks for following and sharing your excellent review!
Too much garlic. Overwhelmed other flavors.
Also Greek chef I studied under added 1/4 cup of sour cream. Smoothed out the flavors.
Hi Mary, if you let it rest a little bit, the garlic does mellow out so if your garlic was more potent, refrigerate for a few hours and that should tone it down. We do love garlic though! 😉
“strained of its* juices” (“it’s” is a contraction for “it is,” whereas “its” is the possessive. Just FYI.
Thanks for catching that Ann, it’s been corrected! 🙂
OH for cryin’ out loud.
Just finished making your Tzatziki sauce…..a home run ! I like mine spicy so I used some homemade cucumber (spicy) chutney mixed into a small portion of your finished product . Another home run ! I can’t wait for dinner tonight , I’m sure glade I found your sight .
I’m glad you found my site too Mark! I hope you enjoy my other recipes as much as you like this one. Thanks for following and sharing your great review!
I used this recipe to compliment a lamb leg roast. I doubled the lemon juice to make it more tart. Fantastic recipe.
Yum, I bet that was delicious! Thanks for sharing your great review Jeff!
How long does this sauce last for? If put in a tubber ware?
Hi Ella, I think you could keep covered and refrigerated 3-5 days, depending on freshness of cucumber and dill.
I think it was the yogurt and lemon that made me not care so much for this recipe. The tzatziki sauce I usually get on gyros does not taste like this. My sister liked it though. It is not that it is a bad recipe, because it is not, lots of people like it. It just does not taste similar to the sauce you get on gyros when you go out to eat. Keep that in mind before trying the recipe
Hi Darla, this is the more classic way to make tzatziki sauce from my research, but tzatziki is definitely made a variety of different ways 🙂
The difference between this recipe and store bought stuff is that this is *fresh* and the store bought stuff is full of chemicals and preservatives. It’s like trying to compare apples and oranges. It’s like saying that a homemade fresh hamburger doesn’t taste like a Big Mac. Absurd!
This was the first recipe that came up and it looks like a great one! Headed to the farmers market now. Thanks! It has been a few years since I made this. Hope they have fresh dill! When I made it before I salted the cucumber and let it drain with a coffee filter, I was surprised at how much liquid drained out!
Please let me know what you think of the recipe Linda!
I made this today and the mash potatoes pancakes and we put the tzatziki on top and it was sooo amazing 😋 thank you for sharing I’m so excited I found your recipes I wanna try every thing on your web site your so talented. 😊
My pleasure! I’m happy to hear how much you enjoy the recipe. Thanks for following and sharing your excellent review with other readers!
how serves are there
i love it!!
Hi Shalond, it makes about 3 cups (I usually share the serving size in the print-friendly recipe towards the bottom of the post).
Chicken,veggies and sauce sound delicious! Could you please tell me the pronunciation of”Tzatziki”?
Hi Elizabeth, type “pronounce tzatziki” into google and you should have an audio link in the top results.
perhaps if you seeded it which I what I do, then you won’t have so much juice and you get a meatier tzatziki. Also, why would frozen dill (ew) be okay but you ask to use a fresh lemon…. I don’t use lemon that much so if I can’t use the whole thing I don’t buy them, they are expensive and I use the organic lemon juice….. Just a suggestion
Hi Roberta, it can be difficult to get fresh dill year round in some areas and it does work well. Have you tried freezing dill? It freezes really well. We always grow tons of it and use it in recipes and especially soups all winter long.
Really Roberta??
Lmao 😂 really??
can I substitute dried dill?
Marjorie, it’s best to use fresh or frozen dill. Parsley would work great as well 😀
How long will this sauce last in the refrigerator? Excited to try it!
Hi Morgan, I really haven’t tested the limits on this because it typically disappears by day 2 :), but generally, if your cucumbers are in good shape, you can store up to a week.
I love this recipe, although I personally use less dill. Thanks!
Thank you for the nice review Mike 😬
Thank you for sharing this recipe, it was delicious!
My pleasure Nancy! I’m glad you like it! 🙂
I love this Tzatziki recipe. It’s better than store bought and as good as the great Greek restaurant we frequent. Thank you for publishing it.
My pleasure Denise! I’m glad you like it so much! Thanks for sharing your great review!
If you use the seedless cucumbers (the long skinny ones called English) you don’t need to worry about seeds or getting rid of excess water. I make tzatziki all the time and it’s so easy if you use the right cukes. And so delicious and good for you! Making some today.
Thank you for sharing your tip with other readers Linda! 🙂
Another way to reduce the moisture of the cucumber is to clean the seedy area out first. Nothing good comes from this part and it’s mostly water and seeds. Second, put a light dusting of salt on the diced cucumber and put it on a paper towel. This draws out a lot of moisture. Most of the salt also goes with the water, so the remaining product has very little sodium in it. But if you want to make it even more so, you can rinse the cucumber in a strainer, then let it drain again. Rinsing it does not make the cucumber reabsorb the water any more than rinsing a piece of jerky would turn it back into steak.
I love your tips and thank you for sharing! That is similar to my method with zucchini fritters but I hadn’t considered it here.
Nice! Like your use of ‘tsp’ & ‘Tbps’ I also Capitalize the ingredient names to make it easier to follow on my Tablet. Save my recipes as Txt files on Dropbox, so that comments / changes are easy to do. Ciao, Grumpie
Hi Nik, thank you! I’m glad you like that. We started doing that awhile back to reduce the chance of errors when readers are making recipes. 🙂
instead of ranch dressing
i would use it with pizza
Yum! Great suggestion Sue!
Is there a way to thicken it up if it goes to watery. I guess I could use it as a salad dressing. I will follow the recipe a little better my second time. It tastes awesome.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the flavor!! The best way to prevent it from being watery is to squeeze the cucumber thoroughly. It’s difficult to remove liquid once it is all mixed together…
While you are correct that getting the water out first is ideal, there are several ways to remove it if it goes watery. The best way in my opinion is to add a little chia seed to it. Chis will absorb the water and take on a very similar texture so nothing changes very much. 10 minutes and it’s fixed. It’s also a nice super food additive. Second, there are some modified tapioca starches that will assist and will work in cold sauces. Ultratex 8 is my preference when going the starch route. It’s a great “fix” on anything too watery.
Thank you so much for sharing – those tips are brilliant and I always have chia on hand. Thanks Steve! 🙂
Thanks Natasha,
Your Tzatziki Sauce was great over Basmati Rice, Chicken and Dill Souvlaki. Served with flatbread. I’m learning how to cook. My wife says I’m much more adventurous than her. I cut my middle finger slicing the cucumber. But it was worth it. I wish I’d read Dimitris’ cheese grater suggestion. I’ll keep coming back. Jack
You’re welcome Jack! I’m so glad you enjoy the recipe! Thanks for following and sharing your awesome review!
Roughly how many cups did the half cucumber make? All I have are mini cucumbers. Thanks
Hi Camyl, I didn’t measure it that way so I can’t say for sure but probably about 1 1/2 cups before it was squeezed. I think 3 mini cucumbers would do well 🙂
Love the stuff.
Tip for the cucumber – try using a cheese grater (large holes) and grate it from end to end. Easier than chopping, slices it thin so it’s easy to strain and also gives it a bit of a different texture.
I also like to top it with a splash of olive oil.
That’s a great suggestion! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Fabulous. My first attempt at homemade tzatziki. Instead of squeezing the cukes, I just carefully scooped out all the seeds and diced very finely–no wateriness so far! This is so much easier–is there a reason you don’t do it that way? Curious. (Maybe I’ll find out.) 🙂
It’s the way I learned how to do it, so I didn’t question it. lol. 🙂 Thank you for sharing!! 🙂 I’ll have to try your method also 😉
Fantastic sauce! I’m on an anti-inflammatory diet and this sauce is the perfect compliment to hummus, pita, olives and tomatoes for lunch.
I’m so glad you love the taste and the benefits of this recipe! Thank you for sharing Ray 🙂
I bought a presidents choice brand tzatziki and not very thrilled with it…. am thinking of adding some frozen (thawed and drained) spinach to it. any other suggestions.
Hi Jane, I’ve never tried that brand of tzatziki and have never added spinach to it. Sorry, I can’t really recommend something I’ve never tried. I wish I could be more helpful with that.
If you are using lemon squeezer to get the lemon juice do it before the cucumber.
Save the rind (important). Place the cucumber in the squeezer in batches and for each batch place the rind on top,then squeeze. It really does a nice job of removing the juice from the cucumber, but if you try this without the rind it will not work. (the squeezers are built to allow for the thickness of the rind)
Thank you for the tip 😁.
Since my favorite Greek yogurt (Fage 2%) comes in a 32 oz container, I doubled the recipe, and even added a little more garlic, dill and salt than called for. Took me back to the summer of 2013 in Athens, when I literally lived on this stuff. Simply divine.
Jennifer, I’m so glad you liked the recipe 😀. Thank you for sharing that with us.
Initially i googled the recipe
I was pleasantly surprised.
Taste is fabulous.
The family devoured it.
I have now printed to save and keep for the future.
I give it 10 out of 10
Helen, thank you for such a nice review, I’m so glad you liked it 😀.
How long will the dip last? 5 days?
Hi 🙂 I think you could stretch it to 5 days. It depends on how fresh your cucumber and dill are when you make it.
I also like a smoother consistency, so put it all in the food processor and then also added 2 tablespoons of sour cream… a bit more calories, but worth it.
I love your idea of adding sour cream. I will have to try it that way!
Hi Taylor, I have found that it mellows out as it stands.
Absolutely delicious recipe, just made it for the second time. (No dill in the house this time so tried substituting with some dried tarragon, seems to have worked out pretty well.)
We’ve found that grating the cucumber rather than chopping it results in a really nice texture when it’s been squeezed out and mixed in.
Hi Hector, I’m so glad you liked the recipe and thank you for sharing your tip! 🙂
I agree! I always grate the cucumber. Also, I thoroughly mix in a bit of salt and let it stand for 10-15 minutes before squeezing out the liquid using a clean cloth napkin. It’s amazing how much liquid drains away!
Just made this today. It turned out great. I followed the recipe at first, but it was a little too “lumpy” for me. I threw it all in my ninja and smoothed it out, and it’s just the way I like it. Thank you for the delicious recipe.
Hi Eddy! I’m so glad you liked it! Yes, it does depend how small you dice up those cucumbers. Thanks for sharing the blender tip! 🙂
Holy dill Batman!!! the first time I make any recipe I always follow it exactly. I used one third cup of dill. It was way too much!!! I had to take half of my yogurt out in order for me to make the ratio to taste more than just DILL. Next time I’ll cut the portion in half
Hi Amelia, are you sensitive to the flavor of dill? 1/3 cup chopped dill should not be overwhelming to this sauce and is pretty normal for tzatziki.
Delicious! I made it tonight for my family and they love it. 🙂
I’m so happy you and your family loved it! 🙂 That’s awesome and thanks for sharing that with me 🙂
I chop the cukes vs dice, put them in a fine strainer and lightly sprinkle salt. This draws out the moisture. I chop vs dice because I often use this as a cold salad vs a sauce. 🙂 Add just a smidge of finely diced mint and it is a refreshing side.
That sounds lovely. Thank you so much for sharing your method!
if i do not have dill, will it change the flavor a lot? i have mint and basil now.
Joey, I haven’t tried it with either one of those. Usually it’s made with dill. If you try making it without dill, let me know how it turns out.
Dear Natasha,
I end up not using either. I followed your recipe less the dill. Taste okay~ 🙂
Thanks!
I am going to be making this sauce to go with my oven baked falafel. I do not have any fresh lemons but I do have a bottle of lemon juice. I read the review and your comments from Raven, what amount would you suggest from the bottled lemon juice?
Can I use limes instead of lemon? I tend to have fresh limes over lemon, simply because they are cheaper.
Laura, I don’t think limes would work well in Tzatziki sauce or at least I haven’t seen it done before. I highly recommend using fresh lemon juice but if you must use it, start with half of the amount and add more to taste. Hope this helps 😃.
Made this and served with dinner. Turned out awesome!!!!
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review 😀
Just made this sauce and it is delish! Plan on making a lot more to put on my salads.
I’m so glad you liked it, thank you for writing in 😁.
I plan on trying this recipe tonight cause I love the one I get from the Greek International market in Boston when I visit. Im all out so I have to make my own and have not found a place in florida that does it as good as that one. I eat on pita but I have become obsessed with putting it on pretzels! Its the best!
Nicole, I would love to hear how it turns out😁.
Superb!!
Easy, fresh, testy and yummiii
Just made it and me and my wife love it!! Thank you Natasha <3!!
Thank you so much for the awesome review! 🙂
I followed the recipe to the T, and both my roommate and I loved it. It got better and better the next couple of days. We put it on just about everything we ate! Great recipe!
Ryan, thank you for such a great review, I’m glad that both of you loved it 😁.
There is WAYYY to much dill not 1/3 cup !!!! Like 3tsp. Then add if needed .. Maybe a little less lemon juice as well the 1/2 extra is too much I think.
Think this recipe needs to be fixed . was kinda upset making it.
You’re the first person that I recall to mention that about the dill. Are you using dried dill? If so, yes, you do want to reduce the amount. Also, regarding the lemon juice. If you are using fresh lemon juice rather than bottled, it shouldn’t be too much and I think it would be bland without it, but everyone has different tastes and that can easily be modified up or down.
Excellent recipe, followed completely and used as a burger topping. Everyone raved about it and plan to use again in the future.
Will, thank you for such a nice review and I really like your idea to use Tzatziki sauce as a burger topping. 😀
This was so good. The store was sold of fresh dill so i used dried and it was still delicious. Thank you.
That’s so great to know that it works with dried dill, especially in winter months. It also works with frozen dill. My mom grows alot of dill so we rinse, dry, chop and store it in the freezer loosely packed in ziploc bags or sour cream containers 🙂
Made this Tzatziki because I couldnt find ingredients for my Mom’s recipe. Have to admit that I LOVE this recipe. Thank you for sharing. Both me and my boyfriend are big doener fans and this sauce was perfect for it. I added a little milk to it… 😀
That’s quite a compliment! Thank you so much 🙂
Fantastic, easy recipe. I added a few shakes of paprika for a little heat.
Hmmmm anything to add a little heat sounds like a good idea to me! Thanks for sharing your awesome review! 🙂
Excellent sauce! Thanks for the recipe. Used it with chicken souvlakis tonight and it was tasty!
Debbie, thank you for the nice review and you are welcome 😁.
Very easy recipe and delicious!! First time making the sauce. Thank you.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it! : )
Yummmmmyyyyyyyyyyy!! I love tzatziki and this one is just perfect!! It would be amazing in a gyro!
Viktoriya, thank you for such a great review. I’m glad you love the recipe :D.
Good stuff!!! I grate cucumbers instead of dicing. I’m a lazy cook. But works well and makes it easy to get rid of juice as well
Thanks for the tip Luda, I would like to try your version next time :).
how long does the tzatziki keep in the fridge?
I haven’t tested it longer than two days but I think it would be best within the first two days of making it.
I am definitely making this sauce to go with some lamb chop see made yesterday! This looks delicious!
Let me know how it turns out, it sounds delicious :).
I’m so happy I found your recipe! It tastes so much better than store bought. I use the sauce instead of mayonaise to make a healthy version of chicken salad.
That is really a brilliant idea!! Thank you so much for sharing! What else do you put into your chicken salad?
Natasha, I just made your tzatziki. I was really stoked to find a recipe on your website, and made it as soon as I had a chance to pick up the ingredients. One quick question, though. What do you think about adding some mint (fresh or dried) to the recipe. I’ve always found mint to be a good addition to Mediterranean cuisine.
I’m having a hard time imagining this with mint. It might be too potent for this recipe. If you did try it, let me know what you thought of it. Thanks Andy 🙂
Love your recipes, love your blog. That being said, (and it it sooooo true). the cucumber you have pictured is NOT an English cucumber, it’s a plain old, run of the mill American garden cuke. Is this the one you used? What do you think of stirring in a tablespoon of sour cream to soften that bitter plain yougurt sauce someone else mentioned?
Yes, I’m aware of that. When I took the photos, I was testing it that time with a plain cucumber, but I thought English cucumber was better so that is what I put in the ingredients list. I haven’t tried sour cream since the sauce didn’t really taste bitter to me…
I added a couple tablespoons of sour cream to soften the bitterness too. Made it perfect!
This sauce was wonderful! I made it to go with smoked chicken and smoked lamb. My guests went on and on about the tzatziki sauce. I made the recipe exactly as is. Very simple. I think it was even better than my local Greek restaurant’s sauce!
That is fantastic news and quite a compliment. Thank you so much for leaving a great review 🙂
Totally delicious. My husband ends up eating the sauce with anything he can find in the fridge.
Lol. Your comment just made my day. I’m exactly the same way when I make it! 😉
Hi! How long will this keep in the refrigerator for? If there’s any left that is! 🙂
I haven’t had it in there longer than 2 days. The cucumber might get soft longer than that, but I guess you probably won’t be able to tell anyways 🙂
AMAZING recipe. I’ve tried a few different tzatziki recipes and I have never found one I enjoyed UNTIL NOW! Everyone was piling the sauce on our kabobs and chicken. Even the baby was eating it plain from a spoon. My father-in-law who is from the middle east and knows what this stuff is supposed to taste like loved it.
That’s fantastic! I’m so happy you all enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for a fantastic review! 🙂
Haha, I truly agree with your comment that this sauce rocks Ukrainian/Russian tastebuds. I was searching for a good recipe for this addictive sauce whilst pondering why I was straying from the tasty food of my family. And now I know. Perhaps it’s the proximity of Ukraine/Greece/Bulgaria through the Black Sea that makes the food so compatible. My uncle is a Bulgarian and much of what he makes has Greek influence. 🙂
It must be something about that part of the world; we know good food when we taste it 🙂 I do love Greek food!
Hello there.
I am trying the sauce, assume I know the answer, but wanted to be sure. For the cucumber, you do not take out the seeds or any center. All of it goes into the sauce. ( Squeezed well of course!)
Thank you
You can if you want to. I’ve seen it done both ways. I didn’t seed my cucumbers; I just squeezed the juice out really well 🙂
I found this recipe through pintrest and am so happy I did. I made chicken gyros and wanted a no frills sauce. All I had was dry dill but it still worked perfectly though next time I’ll remember to pick some up. Right after unfinished making it I had to stop myself from eating all of it before everything else was done.
And for any one who cares I used The Greek Gods Greek yogurt in traditional plain for my base.
I’m so happy you loved it! I love discovering new treasures on Pinterest! I hope you find many more new favorites here. Welcome to my blog 🙂
It still has that Bitter plain yogurt taste. Is there anyway to get ride of that or is that a normal taste for this sauce? I made it exactly the was it says except maybe a little more garlic. free lemon and fresh dill. it’s been sitting over night and it still has a bitter taste.. Does this go away when put on the gyro?
What brand of yogurt did you use (curious)? Did you mince up the cucumber really well? That usually helps! Mine still tasted a little yogurty by itself, but will be less so when it’s in a gyro.
I used stonyfield organic whole milk plain yogurt when I made this sauce and it was delicious! It didn’t have any weird yogurt off taste and I could pretty much stand there and eat it with a spoon! Lol. I also served it to my hubby with the morrocan chicken and it was well received 🙂
I’ll have to try it with whole milk yogurt. Mine was low fat and I bet a whole milk one would be even yummier! 🙂
Sometimes the cucumbers are bitter.that may be the problem.I found greek strained yougart made by Fage. That I am going to try.
Natasha, what yogurt did you use? I cant find a greek yogurt that everyone in my family will like. Thanks
I have used chobani and the Kirkland signature one from Costco.
Very yummy sauce:) we used to buy this sauce/dip @ Costco. Now we can have homemade.. We had it with your Moroccan chicken & it was delicious:)
Awesome!! I’m so glad you could enjoy the two recipes together. 🙂
I made this yesterday to serve with mediterranean-style roasted vegetables at my mum’s birthday party. Everyone LOVED it! I made a few adjustments, though: Used parsley instead of dill, as it’s really hard to find it in Brazil, and I also seeded the cucumbers too. It tasted amazing! Thanks for the recipe!. 🙂
You’re welcome! All the way from Brazil? Wow! 🙂 It’s great to know it works well with parsley 🙂
Natasha, now you are up MY alley 🙂 My husband is Russian and I follow your food blog to bring a little bit of his childhood to our table. However, I am of Greek descent and I can safely say I still do greek best! Tzatziki is a staple that we put on everything! Kind of like Bubba’s shrimp from Forest Gump. Tzatziki with souvlaki, tzatziki with roast lamb, tzatziki with grilled vegetable, tzatziki with meatballs, tzatziki on bread, tzatziki with olives, a side of tzatziki with potatoes, tzatziki with garlic shrimp………You get the idea 🙂
Rather than chopping the cucumber, our family grates it on the medium side of a box grater. This allows for more of the cucumber’s surface area to be exposed, making it easier to squeeze excess water. This also allows for a more uniform, spreadable and dippable texture to the tzatziki. As a bonus, it masks the cucumber better for people who are not huge fans!
If you really want to “do it right”, the old greek grandmothers will tell you to cut the cucumber in half and remove the seeds before grating it. I personally don’t bother with this step as I am a bit lazy and have not seen a significant difference with or without the seeds. Especially if you take care to drain the excess water. Finally, letting the tzatziki sit in the fridge overnight (or longer) will help the flavors come together particularly well.. but that would imply that you have the self-control not to gobble it all up immediately.
I will definitely have to try your method. Grating the cucumber sounds easier anyway! 🙂 I’ve seen a few recipes online that seed first, but even without doing that, it wasn’t watery at all the next day. I guess I did a good job squeezing the juice out of it! 😉 Thanks so much for sharing your expertise!
By the way thank you for this post. You should post more Mediterranean recipes
I have two more coming very soon. One for chicken and the other for vegetable skewers. Both are so tasty!
I make tazikisauce too for our homemade gyros. We love it. I’m from Armenia so that explains why I’m a lover of Middle East foods.
I’ve eaten gyros before, but have never actually made them at home. I should definitely give it a whirl. Thanks for the idea!
Yum!!! When I made tzatziki for the first time my kids loved it. My daughter made salads with it. Then she even made it her self. Especially we all loved it in Gyros!!! It is a hit in our house. 🙂
My son didn’t really like it; maybe it’s his dislike if cucumbers. Oh well. Hopefully when he grows up he will gain a stronger appreciation for this wonderful sauce.
Pinned! This is totally up my alley. No adjustments.:)
Thank you for pinning. 🙂 yep I even used non fat yogurt this time and it turned out mighty tasty!
That’s funny, I made tzatziki just last week to accompany quinoa patties. I love this sauce too! Actually, I love Greek food in general.
Quinoa patties… Yum!! Do you have a good recipe you could share (I have to ask!) 😉
I plan on posting them soon to my new blog that I just opened eatwithtaste.com 🙂
Awesome!!! Can’t wait!
Natasha, I love quinoa patties! I make them all the time using this recipe:
http://www.frugallivingnw.com/frugal-homemaking/quinoa-patties/
Adjustable to your tastes. I like more garlic being Russian and all, and more cheese.
Thank you so much for sharing!
Hello Lily
Your Quinoa looks great, what can you eat them with? Please give me some suggestions!!!
Many thanks