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This authentic tzatziki sauce recipe features Greek yogurt, cucumber, and fresh garlic for an incredibly creamy dip! Perfect for Mediterranean style meals, falafel, grilled chicken, and vegetables.
I’ve been perfecting this homemade tzatziki recipe for years, and I can confidently say it rivals what you’ll find at restaurants! After an epic trip to Greece, Alex and I made a version to capture the magic of eating it in country.
As someone who’s been perfecting Mediterranean diet recipes for years, this tzatziki is one I return to again and again because it’s one of the most useful sauces in the repertoire. When I serve it alongside grilled chicken thighs people can’t stop raving (Alex’s meat-and-potatoes uncle even called it “incredible“). Whether you’re dipping it with pita chips or dolloping it on a falafel bowl, I know you’ll love it!
Key Tzatziki Ingredients
Tzatziki is a yogurt and cucumber sauce that is common in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine, specifically Greek and Turkish food. It is often served as a side dish with pita or veggies, or as a sauce with gyros or falafel.
There are lots of opinions when it comes to this dip, especially about what makes the most authentic tzatziki recipe! After much research and recipe testing, I’ve found these are the common ingredients in tzatziki:
- Full fat Greek yogurt: Using full-fat yogurt is key to get the desired creaminess!
- Grated cucumber: Just enough to keep the creamy consistency. It’s best to use an English cucumber (aka hothouse cucumber), since you don’t have to peel or seed it! Standard cucumber works in a pinch, but you’ll need to peel and seed it first since the skin can be bitter.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is essential here; don’t use jarred minced garlic.
- Olive oil: Oil is important for taste and texture.
- Red wine vinegar: a bit of acid adds some tang. Some people use lemon, but our research shows the most authentic is vinegar.
- Fresh dill: Fresh dill is not always included in traditional Greek tzatziki, but I love how the herbaceous flavor enhances the dip.
- Salt: Salt is essential for good seasoning.
The Trick to Perfect Tzatziki
There’s just one trick to tzatziki sauce: otherwise it’s just dump and stir! Cucumbers are full of water, so it’s important to remove as much excess as possible before mixing it into the dip. Here’s what to know:
- Peel and grate the cucumber, then salt it and let it stand 10 minutes. This helps to draw out the liquid.
- Squeeze out as much excess liquid as possible with your hands. This is essential, otherwise the dip will be much too runny.
- Mix! Then mix the cucumber with the Greek yogurt, garlic, olive oil, and seasonings.
Vegan Tzatziki Variation
Recently I spent hours testing a vegan tzatziki sauce variation, since my son eats dairy free. I tried many different substitutes (cashew cream, tahini, etc), but nothing held up. Finally I tried it with coconut yogurt, and it turned out brilliantly!
I used Cocojune coconut yogurt, which is thick and tangy. I know that brands do vary, so try to find one that is plain, thick, and tangy. Add a comment below if you have a brand you prefer!
Ways to Serve Tzatziki Sauce
This versatile sauce works with so many dishes that I always keep a container in my refrigerator. Here are my favorite ways to use it:
- Mediterranean mezze platter: I serve it alongside classic hummus, marinated olives, and warm pita bread for an authentic Greek appetizer spread.
- Grilled proteins: It’s perfect for summer grilling: try grilled chicken, grilled chicken thighs, grilled salmon, or my blackened chicken.
- Falafel and gyros: Essential for classic falafel or falafel sandwich.
- Vegetable dip: Fresh cucumber slices, bell pepper strips, cherry tomatoes, and carrots all taste amazing dipped in this sauce.
- Burger sauce: I love spreading it on chickpea burgers or salmon burgers instead of mayo.
- Fish cakes and fritters: It’s the perfect accompaniment to salmon cakes, tuna cakes, vegan crab cakes, corn fritters, or zucchini fritters.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
Store this homemade tzatziki in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. In fact, I often make it a day ahead when entertaining because the flavors improve with time.
For serving, I like to drizzle a little extra olive oil on top and garnish with a fresh sprig of dill.
Video: Watch Me Make Tzatziki
Dietary Notes
This tzatziki sauce recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free. For vegan, see the
Frequently Asked Questions
They’re closely related. Tzatziki is specifically Greek and is made with strained Greek yogurt, which gives it that thick, creamy consistency. A generic cucumber sauce may use sour cream or a thinner yogurt base and skip the garlic and vinegar.
You can, but traditional Greek tzatziki uses red wine vinegar. I’ve made both and the vinegar version is brighter and more complex. Lemon works in a pinch.
This is likely from not squeezing enough water out of the cucumber. Give it a firm squeeze with your hands next time: you want it almost dry before it goes into the yogurt.
Up to 1 week in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Give it a stir before serving as some liquid may separate.
Yes! Greek yogurt, olive oil, garlic, and fresh vegetables are all part of the Mediterranean diet. As someone who creates Mediterranean diet recipes regularly, tzatziki is one of the first things I recommend people learn to make: it anchors so many meals.
Easy Tzatziki Sauce
This authentic tzatziki sauce recipe features Greek yogurt, cucumber, and fresh garlic for an incredibly creamy dip! Perfect for Mediterranean style meals, falafel, grilled chicken, and vegetables.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 2 ½ cups 1x
- Category: Dip
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: Greek
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 cup finely grated English cucumber (10 ounces or ¾ large cucumber)
- 2 cups (18 ounces) full-fat Greek yogurt (or vegan coconut yogurt; see Notes)
- 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- Fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Grate the cucumber using the small holes on a box grater (if using a standard cucumber instead of English, peel and remove seeds first). Place the grated cucumber in a fine mesh strainer and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon kosher salt, then allow to stand for at least 10 minutes. Then use your hands to squeeze out as much water as possible from the cucumber before adding it to the dip.
- In a medium bowl, mix the Greek yogurt, minced garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil, remaining ½ teaspoon kosher salt, fresh dill, and freshly ground black pepper. Stir in the grated cucumber.
- Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to 1 week. To serve, drizzle with olive oil; if desired, garnish with olives and a sprig of dill. Serve with pita, crackers, or vegetables.
Notes
You can use a standard cucumber, but make sure to peel it and remove the seeds first. You can also use Persian cucumbers, which are similar to English cucumber but smaller.
Vegan tzatziki sauce variation: This recipe works well with vegan coconut yogurt. I used Cocojune coconut yogurt, which is thick and tangy. Brands do vary, so try to find one that is plain, thick, and tangy.
Thank you for this easy recipe! I made this yesterday and it was fine but a little bland- maybe the lack of dill? Will up the salt if I make it.
The fresh dill is pretty essential for flavor – -I would try using it next time! Thanks for tying it!
thank you, and good to know that vinegar is the more authentic ingredient than lemon, which I’ve used before to make a tzatziki and yes, I prefer dill too!