This fresh tzatziki recipe will liven up any summer meal! Rich, creamy & full of fresh herbs, it's delicious on pita, grilled veggies, sandwiches, and more!
Break out the pita, it’s tzatziki time! On Monday, I posted my favorite Greek salad, and now I’m following it up with another Greek essential: this cool, refreshing cucumber tzatziki sauce.
One of the best parts of summer is that dinner suddenly becomes easy. My favorite ingredients – fresh fruits and veggies – are at their peak. Tomatoes are sweeter and juicier, berries are plumper, peppers are snappier, and our backyard herbs are at their most potent.
Sometimes, when I want to put these peak-season veggies front and center, making dinner just means prepping a sauce to dress them up. This tzatziki sauce is a great recipe for showcasing summer produce – it’s rich & creamy, bright, and packed with fresh herbs. So mix it up, serve it with a big platter of pita and your favorite summer veggies, and call it dinner!
What is tzatziki?
Tzatziki is a salted yogurt and cucumber dip that’s made of strained yogurt, shredded cucumber, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and herbs. Authentic Greek tzatziki is most often made with sheep or goat yogurt, but my tzatziki recipe calls for regular full-fat Greek yogurt. It’s easier to find in the store, and it still has the creamy, thick consistency you want in tzatziki sauce. Along with the other traditional ingredients, I stir in fresh mint and dill for a bright, summery finish.
How to Make Tzatziki Sauce
I first started eating tzatziki sauce at Greek restaurants, but I’ve since learned that it’s incredibly easy to whip up at home. Now, along with pesto, it’s one of my must-make summer sauces. Here’s how you do it:
- Start by grating the cucumber. I use the largest holes on a box grater to give my final sauce texture and plenty of green flecks.
- Next, squeeze the water out of the grated cucumber. This step is essential for making a creamy tzatziki – if you skip it, the water from the cucumber will cause your sauce to separate. Squeeze the cucumber directly over the sink, or press it lightly between kitchen or paper towels.
- Then, stir everything together! Mix the squeezed cucumber with the yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, salt, and herbs, and chill until you’re ready to use.
That’s it!
How to Use Tzatziki Sauce
Once you’ve mixed your tzatziki sauce together, there are endless ways to use it. Most simply, I enjoy it as a snack with fresh veggies and pita or crackers. Try it this way, or add it to your next crudité platter. Your guests will love it!
You could also slather it onto sandwiches like these pita wraps, serve it alongside a Mediterranean salad like tabbouleh or couscous salad, or top it onto falafel, falafel burgers, or a flatbread.
And last but not least, serve it with pita and lots of grilled veggies for a delicious, easy summer dinner.
If you love this tzatziki recipe…
Try my hummus, tahini sauce, chipotle sauce, cilantro lime dressing, pico de gallo, tomatillo salsa, or guacamole next!
For more appetizer ideas, check out this post with 50 easy appetizers.
Tzatziki Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup finely grated cucumber
- 1 cup thick whole milk Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon chopped dill
- 1 tablespoon chopped mint, optional
Instructions
- Place the cucumber on a towel and gently squeeze out a bit of the excess water.
- In a medium bowl, combine the cucumber, yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, dill, and mint, if using. Chill until ready to use.
It will depend on the size of your cucumber really. I’d say a small cucumber, or a quarter of a big one.
This sounds delicious. I’m going to make it today!!!
If I wanted this thinner for a salad dressing any idea how I would do that?
Add a bit of water or milk to your preference. Taste and adjust spices as needed.
I’m learning too, but that’s what I would do🤷♀️
Add water and or a little extra lemon juice (to taste) that extra zing of the lemon on any salad is major yum😋
Hey, how much is half a cup of grated cucumber? Like in grams? I’ll even take number of cucumbers…. 1/2? 1? More? I don’t know what to do with this unit of measurement.
Without the water squeezed out, I measured about 100 grams or about half of a cucumber!
Thank you so much! And hekk, finally I can find back my own comments, for some reason I need to go to older comments first and then back to newer ones for them to show up.
I’m excited to make this! How long does it stay tasty in the fridge?
I am wondering the same thing.
Hi Suzette, up to about 5 days.
5 days pushing… 4 days below 41 deg F to be safe.
This is oh my goodness delicious! I didn’t shred my cucumbers, just finely chopped with skin on. Such an easy recipe, will be making often!
Hi Christina, I’m so glad you loved it!
Made this recipe half a dozen times and it always hits. Love it. 10/10 no notes.
I’m so glad it’s been a hit!
Do I peel cucumber before grating?
Hi Kelly Ann, no need to peel!
So good! Love this recipe.
So glad you loved it!
If I mistakenly bought vanilla greek yogurt, will it still be ok to use in this recipe?
I wouldn’t! The thought of vanilla and garlic together doesn’t excite my tastebuds. Also, vanilla yoghurt is usually sweetened. Tzatziki doesn’t typically have any added sweeteners.
Hi TJ, no, it really needs to be plain, unsweetened yogurt. You could make this new blueberry bread recipe we just posted with your vanilla yogurt: https://www.loveandlemons.com/lemon-blueberry-bread/
Sorry, no. Tzatziki is a savory dish, not a sweet one.
TO DIE FOR!! I’m eating it like pudding. I will never again buy mayo. This would be a much more delicious and healthy substitute!
I’m so glad you loved it!
Can this be frozen and thawed out and used as needed?
I think this one is best made fresh.
wow. I never comment on recipes… but this needed a huge RAVE review! This was perfection… creamy, dilly perfection! Perfect with my smoked salmon salad and pita.
Thank you!
I’m so glad you loved it!
Absolutely delicious! Exactly what I wanted. I made lamb hoagies and slathered this on the roll, added fresh greens and it was Devine!!!! It was equally delicious on my side salad. I used Fage Greek 5% yoghurt and it did not disappoint!
I’m so glad you loved it!
This was exactly what I was wanting. I did add a little more fresh lemon juice, but otherwise followed the recipe. It is delicious and tastes as good or better than the one at my favorite Greek restaurant.
I”m so glad you loved it!
How long will this recipe keep in the fridge? I plan to pack 1/2 a cup with my lunch every day.
Hi Jean, I keep it up to 5 days.
Tasty, all 70 diners really liked it!
I’m so happy to hear!
Quick, easy and delicious! Even my picky eater husband loved it on chicken shawarma and salad greens. Definitely a keeper.
I’m so glad you both loved it!
Winner recipe! I hosted a greek meze dinner party and this tzatziki was part of the spread. My guests absolutely raved about it. I will be adding this to my recipe collection!
This Tzatziki sauce is PERFECT! Using it to drizzle over my grilled chicken skewers with mini sweet peppers.
I agree with a previous comment, I don’t plan to buy store bought Tzatziki any more. Thank you!