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Home » Soup Recipes » Tzatziki Sauce

Tzatziki Sauce

A photo of Vered DeLeeuw.
by Vered DeLeeuwUpdated Jun 29, 2025
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5 from 2 votes

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This delicious tzatziki sauce takes 15 minutes to prepare. It's the perfect dip for veggies and can also be used as a topping for meat, fish, and chicken.

Tzatziki sauce is served in a white bowl with cucumber slices.

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 ingredients needed to make tzatziki sauce.

See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on some of the ingredients.

  • Greek yogurt: I use plain whole milk yogurt.
  • Olive oil: Please use extra-virgin olive oil.
  • To season: Kosher salt and white pepper.
  • Grated cucumber: I grate it by hand - it's easy!
  • Chopped fresh dill: If you don't like dill, you can omit it.

Instructions

The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.

Combine the yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Adding olive oil to the yogurt.

Stir in the garlic, grated cucumber, and dill.

Cucumber, dill, and garlic were added.

Refrigerate to allow the flavors to meld. Remix and serve.

Remixing the tzatziki.

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.

Recipe Tips

  1. 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.
  2. 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

Can I use black pepper instead of white?

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.

Can I serve this sauce right after making it?

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.

Should I peel the cucumber?

You can leave it unpeeled, especially if using an English cucumber. A regular cucumber's peel is thicker, so you can peel it.

How long can I keep the 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.

Serving Suggestions

Just like tahini sauce, tzatziki is the perfect dip for fresh-cut veggies (such as cucumber, as shown in the photos on this page) or as a topping for any of the following:

  • Lamb burgers
  • Lamb meatballs
  • Poached salmon
  • Grilled eggplant
  • Grilled portobello mushrooms
  • Grilled chicken breast
  • Beef kabobs

Recipe Card

Tzatziki sauce is served with cucumber slices.
5 from 2 votes
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Tzatziki Sauce Recipe

Tzatziki sauce is creamy and flavorful, a breeze to make, and pairs beautifully with veggies, meat, and seafood.
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Rest time1 hour hr
Total Time1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: Greek
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 102kcal
Author: Vered DeLeeuw
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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.
    Adding olive oil to the yogurt.
  • Mix in the garlic, cucumber, and dill.
    Mixing the tzatziki.
  • Cover and chill for one hour to allow the flavors to meld and develop. Mix the sauce one more time before serving.
    Remixing the tzatziki.

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 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

Serving: 0.25 cup | Calories: 102 kcal | Carbohydrates: 6 g | Protein: 11 g | Fat: 4 g | Saturated Fat: 1 g | Sodium: 320 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 4 g

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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.

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Healthy Recipes Blog was founded in 2011 by Vered DeLeeuw. It features real food recipes with a focus on low-carb and gluten-free ingredients. All recipes are nutritionally reviewed by a Registered Dietitian. Contact us at HealthyRecipesBlog@gmail.com.

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