Tzatziki is my favorite creamy, yogurt-based sauce made with grated cucumber, fresh dill, zesty lemon juice, and garlic. It’s refreshing, cooling, and perfect for pairing with grilled meat and veggies, or set out as a party dip!
Why You’ll Love This Tzatziki Sauce
I’ve learned that when I eat Mediterranean food, my body just feels better. I feel more energized, lighter, and overall healthier. That’s why I prioritize so many Mediterranean recipes on my website! And if there’s one Mediterranean sauce I make on repeat, it’s this Greek tzatziki sauce (aka cucumber yogurt sauce). Similar to hummus or tahini sauce, it’s one of those staple sauces that works with so many dishes. I love it spooned over chicken souvlaki or Greek chicken burgers, but honestly, it always finds its way onto my plate in one form or another! You’ll also love that it:
- Takes less than 15 minutes. Minimal prep and no cooking required.
- Uses simple ingredients. The classic base is strained yogurt, cucumber, and dill, with optional herbs like parsley, mint, or cilantro.
- Perfect for Mediterranean meals. Traditionally served with grilled meats and gyros, but it’s just as good with grilled veggies or as part of a mezze platter.
Tzatziki Ingredients
While tzatziki is most closely associated with Greece, you’ll find versions of it in Turkey, Cyprus, and throughout the Balkans. Today, I’m sharing the classic, authentic-style tzatziki I make at home. You’ll need:
- Greek Yogurt: To mimic the thick, creamy consistency of goat’s milk (in traditional Greek versions), full-fat Greek yogurt is ideal. But low-fat Greek yogurt works too. And if you’re dairy-free, be sure to check out my vegan tzatziki. It’s a great alternative!
- Cucumber: Grating the cucumber gives tzatziki its signature light-but-chunky texture. And because you’re peeling the cucumber, you can use a garden cucumber (that typically has thicker skin) rather than an English cucumber, though either works.
- Dill: Fresh dill is key here for that classic, herbaceous flavor.
- Garlic and salt: I use two cloves, but feel free to add more if you love a bold garlic bite.
- Olive Oil: A drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil rounds everything out.
- Lemon Juice: Just a squeeze of fresh lemon juice brightens the whole sauce.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How To Make Tzatziki Sauce
First, grate and drain the cucumber. After peeling and grating the cucumber, place it in a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl and press out as much liquid as possible. If you don’t have a sieve, a nut milk bag or cheesecloth works great, too. This step is key because excess moisture is the main cause of watery tzatziki!
Then, mix it all together. Add all the ingredients to a bowl and stir until thick and creamy. Give it a quick taste and adjust as needed with more lemon juice, herbs, or salt.
Lastly, let it rest. For the best flavor, let the tzatziki chill in the fridge for a couple of hours. This gives the flavors time to meld. And yes, it really does make a difference!
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
Store tzatziki in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. Keep in mind it may release a little extra moisture over time, just make sure to stir it before serving. I also don’t recommend freezing it, as cucumbers can become mushy and the yogurt may separate once thawed.
Ways to Dip, Drizzle, and Spread
- Dip into it with my Greek fries, seed crackers, or sliced vegetables. And if you combine all of these on a table, it makes for the perfect mezze platter!
- Drizzle it over grilled skewers like my chicken souvlaki or Greek chicken kabobs, spoon it onto meatballs (think pork meatballs or tuna meatballs), or serve it alongside baked salmon, roasted vegetables, zucchini fritters, or tabbouleh.
- Spread it onto my Greek Chicken burgers instead of mayo, onto falafel flatbread with tomato slices and microgreens, or inside a gyro sandwich.
How to Pronounce Tzatziki?
If you’re wondering how to pronounce this recipe (as it seems to stump many people), it’s tsah–see–key. With an emphasis on tsah, which should sound like the zz sound in pizza. Don’t worry, I pronounced it incorrectly for a long time myself, but now you know!
Complete Your Mediterranean Meal
- Falafel: The best vegetarian appetizer!
- Greek Salad: A must-make side salad.
- Baba Ganoush: The best smoky eggplant dip.
- Lentil Salad: So refreshing and crunchy!
- Greek Lemon Chicken: The tastiest chicken thighs.
If you try this tzatziki recipe, let me know how it turns out in the comments below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re looking for more healthy food inspiration, join my free newsletter here.
Description
Video
Ingredients
- 1 medium cucumber, peeled and grated
- 1 ½ cups Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh dill
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Drain the cucumber. Drain the grated cucumber by pressing down on it over fine mesh sieve over a bowl. Alternatively, you could use a nut milk bag or cheesecloth and gently squeeze until all the moisture is out.
- Mix together. Stir together the cucumber, yogurt, dill, garlic, oil, lemon juice and salt in a large mixing bowl, until everything is well combined. Let the mixture rest for a few minutes for the flavors to meld together. Taste test to see if you need to add any extra herbs, lemon juice, or salt.
- Serve. Serve immediately or let it chill covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Lisa’s Tips
- This recipe yields about 2 cups of tzatziki.
- Storage tip: Keep tzatziki in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Stir before serving, as a little moisture may separate over time.
- Make-ahead tip: Tzatziki tastes even better after a few hours in the fridge, once the flavors have time to meld.
Nutrition
©Downshiftology. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
This recipe was originally posted June 2020, but updated to include new photos and information for your benefit!
So easy and absolutely delicious!
Hi there – Thrilled to hear you enjoyed this tzatziki sauce!
Fantastic recipe as always, goes really well with your Baked Chicken Breast. As a Greek, my family would normally core the cucumber and dice into small pieces, this would reduce the need to drain the cucumber of excess water
Thanks for sharing your family’s tip on the diced cucumber, Peekay!
Made this to go with the Greek Chicken Burgers. Perfect to go with that. So good I could just eat it with a spoon.
I’m right there with you, Kathy. I could eat this with a spoon as well! ;)
Nice clean food – Thank you
Paired this with the chicken kebabs just like Lisa did. So fresh and cool, it complemented the chicken and veggies perfectly.
Hi Melanie – The perfect addition to Greek chicken kabobs!
Ah! So creamy and herbalicious! Also very good for health. Smear- dip- and enjoy!😄Yum!
Great recipe! Quick & easy to make and tastes a million times better than store bought brands.
Hi Jen – I’m so glad you’re loving this tzatziki sauce!
Love this – it’s the best tzatziki recipe and always my go-to :)
Thanks so much, Felicia!
Always my go to Tzatziki recipe. The best!!
It’s such a classic tzatziki recipe. I’m happy you love it!
I agree with Deb’s advice to use an immersion blender to bring that recipe to an awesomeness level, so good it won’t last very long in my house..
Thank you so much Lisa for this healthy and diabetic friendly recipe 🌺🙏
Hi Vi – Happy to hear you love this tzatziki sauce!
Good morning Lisa, how long does it last in the fridge?
Hi Vi – This will last for up to 5 days in the fridge!
I love tzatziki. And this was a simple easy to follow recipe with simple ingredients. I find myself coming back to your page for simple clean eating.
Hi Masha – Homemade tzatziki is so easy to make!
Thank you so much Lisa for teaching me how to eat clean and also teaching me how to make many things at home with healthier ingredients!!! I have learned so much from you thank you 😊💖 Happy New Year!!!
I’m happy to hear you’re enjoying my recipes! Happy New Year to you too!
Best tzatziki ever!!!
Super easy and delicious recipe! Last me in the fridge for a couple of days, until my husband finished it all, he even ate a bunch of celery with it!
I got your book and I love it!!!! It’s my bible for food :)
Thanks so much for buying my cookbook, Ale! And I’m happy you and your husband love this tzatziki. It really is great with celery!
Tastes so fresh! I only gave 4/5 stars because I wasn’t a fan of the grated cucumber texture, but I used an immersion blender to smooth it out and it was just fine. Will make again!
You can definitely blend this into a smoother tzatziki. Glad you made it work for you!
Yum! Just the right flavors. This is my go to for gyro salad.
I have been following Lisa and making her recipes for 5 years now and I’m not kidding when I say EVERY single recipe is 10/10!!! This tzatziki recipe is another crowd favorite. Growing up, my dad would always make homemade tzatziki dip, so when I decided to surprise him with this recipe at our last family outing – he asked me for the recipe!! Seriously, it’s so delicious and I love how big of a batch it makes, so I have a veggie dip for my whole week!
Aw, you’re so sweet, thanks Rose! I’m so happy you’ve enjoyed my recipes and thanks for being a loyal Downshifter. Tzatziki really is a must-make recipe for family outings!
This recipe is so good! It’s a great way to use up garden cucumbers, too. I’ve used this sauce 3 times with a couple extra garlic cloves(were garlic crazy). The lemon juice makes it addicting. My husband loved it in his lunch for veggie dip the day after I used it for chicken gyros.We also used it to dip homemade potato wedges.Love it!
It really is so versatile. I’m glad you both are enjoying it ALL the ways. :)
My sister makes tzatziki sauce with sour cream, but it doesnt taste nearly as good as the tzatziki sauce made with yogurt.
Thank you again Lisa for delicious and easy recipes ❤️
Yogurt really does the trick! Glad you enjoyed this recipe :)
Delicioso!!!!
I know i will love this like i do all of Lisa’s recipes so far.. the bowl of freshness is intoxicating as I continue to remove the moisture from the cukes.. Any advice on tips on removing all this water? I’ve tried the sieve push, cheesecloth and now I’m on @ my 40th piece of paper towelling. Any secrets anyone can share? For me this is turning an easy recipe into quite a long one.. But I can’t wait to taste it!!
You don’t have to overdo it, cucumbers will always keep some moisture! As a Greek, a secret is to put some salt on the grated cucumber, it makes it easier to drain. An use real Greek yogurt, not runny/watery yogurt. The lemon in this recipe is the real twist, I had always used vinegar instead!
This recipe is so easy to make and tastes so fresh! I made it tonight to serve with herbed chicken, cut veggies, roasted broccoli, and cantaloupe. A perfect combo for a warm evening. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Super easy and delicious!! Thank you Lisa!
Of course Celine! Glad this recipe came in handy :)
Delicious! Really enjoyed this simple and tasty recipe as a dip and to accompany chicken.
i just made this but swapped out the greek yogurt with whole fat regular organic yogurt since that’s all i had in hand.
everyone needs to make this as it’s super duper easy and tastes phenomenal.
Happy to hear you enjoyed this tzatziki recipe!
Just made this and it is delicious!!!
First of all (and this comes from a Greek), tzatziki is pronounced jajeekee with the stress on the second syllable. It is a common mistake that foreigners make that has us struggling not to laugh as a nation every time we hear it. (It just sounds so weird otherwise!)
Second, I would recommend cutting the cucumber into tiny cubes and adding it at the last minute. It makes a huge difference. Also, I would swap the lemon juice with white wine vinegar and the dill with dried peppermint. Although, dill is traditionally used in tzatziki nothing can match the combination of yoghurt and peppermint.
So, have you ever tried this recipe with plain coconut yogurt instead of dairy milk yogurt?
If you’re looking for a dairy-free option, I also have a vegan tzatziki recipe on the website :)
Delicious! Super easy and pairs so well with the Greek Chicken Kabobs. I added a bit of honey and extra salt. Thank you for another great recipe from this site!
The perfect pairing with the Greek Chicken Kabobs! Glad you enjoyed the sauce Helena :)
This is an excellent dip! I used the extracted water from the cucumber in a glass of water with ice.
Glad you loved this tzatziki dip!
Um…uh. This isn’t a dip…this isn’t a sauce… this is so good you just eat it out if the bowl. I think you could put this on a shoe and it would taste good. I think I’m in love with Lisa because of this.
Haha, it really is delicious on virtually anything, isn’t it? Except maybe the shoe 😉. I’m happy you enjoyed this recipe, Chris!
Looks great . I can’t eat garlic can I use something else or just omlt it
Hi Helene – you can omit it.
I am not finding the video. It says it is below, but I cannot find the link. Can somebody help me? Thank you!
Hi Lynne – Please turn off your ad blocker in order to see the video.
My very first tzatziki ever and such a winner. So easy and spot-on flavorwise. Feels like being back in Greece. Thank you Lisa!
Such a simple recipe, but the measurements are perfect! Make it often and enjoy with veggies.
This is the best with fresh cut veggies :)
I make this EVERY week without fail
Yay! Glad you love this one so much :)
I made this as a lighter appetizer dish with veggies for Thanksgiving so everyone could have a snack, but so it was not too filling. It was the perfect blend of ingredients and so flavorful. Even though it seems like a summer dish, everyone loved it and it was gone in a flash.
What a perfect light appetizer to serve for Thanksgiving. Great way to warm up everyone’s stomach :)
Hola! Hola! :D Been meaning to make this recipe but I never have fresh dill on hand. Is it possible to use dried and how much?
While I think fresh is best in this recipe, you can certainly use dried as well. I’d use 1/3 the amount if using dried.
This is THE tzatziki! It tastes so much more fresh than store-bought. I purchased a nut milk bag specifically for this recipe and I’m glad I did because I’ll keep making this until the day I die
Oh yay, I’m so happy you love this recipe, Lauren! A nut milk bag comes in hand for several of my recipes, so I’d say that’s a great investment. :)
Hi Lisa
I am making your mayonnaise recipe.
Can you substitute regular white vinegar in place of white wine vinegar?
Yes, no problem!
Hi Lisa!
Which is lower calorie, your vegan tzatziki or this one?
Is this one really just 36kcal?
Hi Kimberly- regular tzatziki will have lower calories as the vegan tzatziki is made from cashews, which are higher in calories compared to yogurt.
Hi there, can grated zucchini be used instead of cucumber? The recipe looks great by the way!
Sure, no problem!
This is such a great recipe! It is so fresh and delicious. I are it with some Greek chicken I made, and created rice bowls with brown rice, chicken, red onion, and the tzatziki. It was delicious. I did make the mistake of not measuring the lemon juice, so I added a fit to much, but it still tasted great. Just a bit more tart.
Hi Caille- What a perfect Mediterranean meal! Happy to hear this Tzatziki sauce turned out great. But yes, the lemon can be a bit strong sometimes!
Made this tonight with my kids and loved it with celery! So good!
Wonderful! I’m happy you and your family loved the tzatziki, Danielle!
I just whipped this up really quickly to go with my Baked Tuna Meatballs (also from Lisa!). Seriously. Good. Easy. Quick. I can’t believe I have waited this long to make it! Thank you!!!
Yay! I’m so happy you loved both recipes, Jennie. They really do go great together – enjoy! :)
So so good. Love a good tzatziki!! I learnt to make these from the chef when we visited Santorini.
That sounds like an amazing experience!
No idea why, but I only ever make tzatziki during summer. Thanks for reminding me to make another batch.
It’s definitely a cooling and refreshing dip that’s perfect for the summertime!
Tzatziki is my favourite dip! I love this homemade version
Homemade versions are the best and tastes so fresh :)
I’m preparing some cheese boards next week and I just love this recipe! I need to include it as another dip!
This will be perfect to add to your cheese board along with some sliced veggies!
I love tzatziki so much ! this looks easy & delish
Such a simple recipe to make right at home :)
My husband and I love this recipe! I will be definitely making this again. Thanks!
Wonderful! So glad both of you enjoyed this tzatziki dip :)
Hi Lisa, I love Tzatziki and I am making it frequently. I use vinegar instead of lemon but I’ll try your version too. Another idea how to use it is as salad dressing, goes fantastic with potato salad or plain lettuce salad. Regarding the pronunciation it might help if you read it as jajeekey because ‘tz’ in greek sounds more like ‘g’ as in gymnastic. Anyway :) I love your blog and thank you for sharing your recipes.
Hi Sofi- Absolutely! It’s such a versatile recipe that can be used in so many ways which I’ve included in the blog post :)
Absolutely loved this sauce. I actually love the your tube channel as well. As a dad of teenaged daughter it is sometimes hard to find inspirations for her lunches, but you bring it out.
Keep up the great work !
Thanks so much, Richard! That’s so kind of you to say. I’m glad you and your daughter are loving my recipes. :)