This delicious tzatziki sauce is so easy to make! It takes 15 minutes to prepare, and then you chill it for an hour. In the summer, I add enough water to turn the thick sauce into a deliciously refreshing chilled soup.
Sometimes, the simplest flavor combinations are the best. Tzatziki sauce has the simplest ingredients - yogurt, olive oil, grated cucumbers, garlic, and dill. It's creamy and flavorful, a breeze to make, and pairs beautifully with meats and seafood. You can make a big batch and refrigerate it. It keeps well in the fridge for several days.
Ingredients
The full list of ingredients and exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here are my comments on some of the ingredients.
- Greek yogurt: Plain whole milk yogurt is best. I don't recommend using a reduced-fat yogurt in this recipe, and certainly not nonfat yogurt.
- Extra virgin olive oil: This is one recipe where I insist on using the best, highest-quality, extra-virgin olive oil.
- Kosher salt and white pepper: If you don't have white pepper, it's fine to use black. However, the black dots will be visible on the white sauce.
- Minced garlic: It's better to mince it yourself than use jarred minced garlic.
- Grated cucumber: I grate it by hand - it's easy! You can leave it unpeeled.
- Chopped fresh dill: If you don't like dill, you can omit it.
Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this sauce:
You start by whisking together the yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
Stir in the garlic, grated cucumber, and dill.
Refrigerate to allow the flavors to meld. Remix and serve.
Chilled Soup Variation: Chilled Soup
I've been making this wonderful sauce for several years now. While it's typically served as a sauce that accompanies meats (such as these lamb meatballs), it can also serve as a chilled soup. That's how I like it the most - a wonderfully tasty and refreshing chilled soup for summertime.
To achieve a soup-like consistency, simply add a little water, starting with ¼ cup. Add just as much as it takes to turn it from a thick sauce into a delightful, super-refreshing chilled soup.
Expert Tips
- This simple recipe relies on the quality of the ingredients used to make it. So make sure you use full-fat yogurt and high-quality extra-virgin olive oil. This is not the recipe where you'd want to use nonfat yogurt and cheap olive oil.
- English cucumber works best in this recipe because it's seedless and has a lower water content. However, a regular cucumber is fine if that's what you have on hand.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. I use white pepper to avoid the appearance of black dots in the white sauce. But if you don't have white pepper, it's OK to use a small amount of black pepper.
Please don't. It's true that low-fat or nonfat Greek yogurt can taste pretty good. But it does not taste as good as whole milk yogurt.
In this recipe, where the yogurt is the star of the show, the quality of the yogurt is very important.
You can, but it's best to let it sit in the fridge for 1-2 hours. This allows the flavors to meld and develop.
Serving Suggestions
Much like tahini sauce, tzatziki is excellent as a dip for fresh-cut veggies (such as cucumber, as shown in the photos on this page) or as a topping for lamb burgers or lamb meatballs. It's also good with poached salmon and grilled eggplant.
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Remix the sauce before serving. I don't recommend freezing this sauce.
More Sauce Recipes
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Recipe Card
Tzatziki Sauce Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups Greek yogurt - plain, full-fat
- 1 tablespoon olive oil - extra-virgin
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice - or vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ½ teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper - black is OK but will be visible on the white sauce
- 2 teaspoons fresh garlic - minced
- 1 large cucumber - peeled, coarsely grated
- ¼ cup fresh dill - chopped
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, kosher salt, and white pepper.
- Mix in the garlic, cucumber, and dill.
- Cover and chill for one hour to allow the flavors to meld and develop. Mix the sauce one more time before serving.
Notes
- To make a chilled soup, add as much water as needed to slightly thin out the sauce, starting with ¼ cup. Don't add too much water - you want the soup to be thick and creamy.
- Plain whole milk yogurt is best. I don't recommend using a reduced-fat yogurt in this recipe, and certainly not nonfat yogurt.
- This is one recipe where I insist on using the best, highest-quality, extra-virgin olive oil. It's delicious, and it will make a big difference.
- English cucumber works best in this recipe because it's seedless and has a lower water content. However, a regular cucumber is fine if that's what you have on hand.
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Remix the sauce before serving. I don't recommend freezing this sauce.
Nutrition per Serving
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Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
