Homemade Tzatziki Sauce

It is easier than you think to make your own homemade Greek Tzatziki Sauce. This creamy Greek yogurt sauce is made in just 15 minutes with cucumbers and fresh garlic as well as some lemon juice and herbs.

Maybe it was working in Greek restaurants through college or settling in Tampa near the Greek community of Tarpon Springs as a newlywed, Greek food has my heart! And of all the Greek food I’ve made at home over the years, this recipe for homemade Tzatziki Sauce is the recipe I use the most. If you aren’t familiar with Tzaziki Sauce, it’s a creamy yogurt cucumber sauce that is usually served in gyros.

What is Tzatziki Sauce Made With?

There are only a few simple ingredients in authentic Greek tzaziki.

• yogurt
• cucumber
• garlic
• lemon juice
• dill
• salt and pepper

Ways to Use Tzatziki

For some reason the combination of yogurt and cucumbers makes almost everything taste better! I like Greek Tzatziki for putting on gyro meat in pita bread at home. It is also wonderful for other uses like dipping veggies or pita chips, topping burgers, almost anything is better with Tzatziki on it! Try serving it with kabobs or add a dollop to your Baked Chicken to add flavor.

How to Make Tzatziki Sauce (Tips!)

• If you skip draining the cucumbers you will have a watery tzatziki, that is a very important step!
• This dip is best if it can sit in the refrigerator a few hours before serving. Try to refrigerate at least 3 hours to let the flavors combine.
• Depending on how much you love dill (I’m not the biggest fan) you can reduce the amount and/or add it just before serving to temper the flavor a bit.
• This dip will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days but there will be liquid on the top you can either drain off or stir into the dip before serving.
• Do not fall for a Tzatziki recipe made with sour cream, authentic Tzatziki is made with full-fat Greek yogurt! Sour Cream will not have the same final flavor as full-fat yogurt. Also, do not use regular yogurt, Greek yogurt is thicker so it will not provide the same consistency.
• Feel free to use regular cucumbers if you cannot find English cucumbers however, this will not dramatically affect the final taste.

Can You Freeze Tzatziki Sauce?

It is possible to freeze tzatziki sauce but I don’t recommend it if there is an option not to. The texture of the cucumber bits will change when frozen and thawed.

If you like this recipe, you’ll like these other Greek-inspired recipes:

• Greek Roasted Potatoes
• Leg of Lamb
• Lemon Greek Potatoes

If you’ve tried this recipe please comment and rate it below, I love hearing from you! 

Authentic Greek Tzatziki Sauce Recipe

Homemade Tzatziki Sauce

★★★★★ 4.3 from 6 reviews

• Author: Melissa Riker
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 10 minutes
• Yield: 12 1x
• Category: appetizer
• Method: none
• Cuisine: Greek

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Description

Mouth-watering homemade Tzatziki Sauce is a classic Greek dip recipe. Tangy yogurt combines with cucumber and dill for a sauce perfect for dipping vegetables or adding to gyros or burgers.

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 3 cups plain Greek yogurt
• juice of half a lemon
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 large English cucumber
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

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Instructions

1. Grate cucumber into a bowl.
2. Wrap in a cheesecloth (improvise with a few layers of paper towel if you don’t have cheesecloth) and squeeze or press through a sieve to remove as much moisture as possible.
3. In a food processor combine cucumber, garlic, and lemon juice. Pulse until combined. (For a smoother texture pulse more, for a chunkier dip pulse less.)
4. Stir mixture into yogurt until uniform, add dill if desired or wait until just before serving.
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving. Top with a dollop of olive oil if desired before serving.

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Keywords: Tzatziki