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.

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
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.
Stir in the garlic, grated cucumber, and dill.
Refrigerate to allow the flavors to meld. Remix and serve.
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
- 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.
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.
You can leave it unpeeled, especially if using an English cucumber. A regular cucumber's peel is thicker, so you can peel it.
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:
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 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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Disclaimers
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.