This creamy tzatziki sauce takes just 15 minutes to make. Serve it as a refreshing dip for vegetables or as a flavorful sauce for meat, chicken, and seafood.
Some of the best recipes are also the simplest, and tzatziki is a perfect example. Made with Greek yogurt, cucumber, olive oil, garlic, and fresh dill, this cool and creamy sauce is wonderfully fresh and flavorful. It's delicious spooned over grilled meats, chicken, or seafood. It's easy to make ahead, so I often prepare a batch and keep it in the fridge, where it stays fresh 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 yogurt soup. That's how I like it the most - a wonderfully refreshing chilled soup for summertime.
To achieve a soup-like consistency, simply add a little water, starting with ¼ cup. Add just enough to turn it from a thick sauce into a delightful, super-refreshing chilled soup, like the one shown in the photo below (served with almond flour crackers).
Recipe Tips
- 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.
- This simple recipe relies on ingredient quality. So make sure you use full-fat yogurt and high-quality extra-virgin olive oil. This isn't a recipe where you'd want to use nonfat yogurt and cheap olive oil.
- If you opt for reduced-fat Greek yogurt, add an extra tablespoon of olive oil, as shown in the photo below. If using nonfat yogurt, add 2 extra tablespoons of oil.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. I use white pepper to avoid 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. In fact, you can intentionally sprinkle freshly ground black pepper on top as a garnish, as shown in the image below. 
Yes, but it's best to let it sit in the fridge for about an hour. 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 this sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Remix before serving. I don't recommend freezing this sauce.
Serving Suggestions
Tzatziki is the perfect dip for fresh-cut veggies. The photo below shows it served with cucumber slices.
It also works well as a topping for meat (especially lamb) and seafood. One of the photos below shows it served for a classic Mediterranean-style meal with lamb burgers, Israeli salad, and tahini; the second photo shows it spooned over poached salmon. You can also pair it with grilled vegetables like grilled eggplant or grilled portobello mushrooms.
Recipe Card
Tzatziki Sauce
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.2 cups Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- Mix in the garlic, cucumber, and dill.2 teaspoons fresh garlic, 1 large cucumber, ¼ cup fresh dill
- Cover and chill for 1 hour to let the flavors meld and develop. Mix the sauce again before serving.
Notes
- Seasonings, especially salt, are just guidelines. Adjust to taste.
- To make a chilled yogurt 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 Greek yogurt is best. I don't recommend using a reduced-fat yogurt in this recipe, and certainly not nonfat yogurt. If you must, add 1-2 extra tablespoons of olive oil.
- 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 up to 4 days. Remix the sauce before serving. I don't recommend freezing this sauce.
Nutrition per Serving
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Patricia Knoll says
It was delicious.
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm glad you liked it, Patricia! Thank you so much for the review.
Juanita Yuhnke says
This was very good, but next time, I think I'll blend the ingredients in a blender for a smoother texture.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Juanita,
Glad you liked it! Traditional tzatziki is mixed by hand, not blended. Hand-mixing preserves the texture of the grated cucumber and the creaminess of the yogurt. Blending can over-puree the cucumber and thin the sauce too much, making it watery.