Cool, creamy, and loaded with garlic and fresh dill, this Homemade Tzatziki Sauce is the first thing I make when gyros or grilled chicken are on the menu. Just seven simple ingredients and one bowl, no cooking involved. I’ve been perfecting this tzatziki sauce recipe since 1987, and it’s foolproof!
The OG Tzatziki Sauce Recipe I Absolutely Love
I love tzatziki sauce. I mean truly love it, and I have for almost forty years now. My first bite happened in West Berlin back in 1987, when I was working as an au pair, back when the Earth’s crust was still cooling, or so it feels looking back!
I stopped at a little street food cart, worked up my courage, and ordered a gyro, something I’d never tried before, even though one of my best childhood friends was Greek (Her dad made his own olives and had the thickest, coolest accent! I thought that was the height of sophistication as a kid).
The vendor asked if I wanted everything on it. Yes, please, obviously. I made him repeat the word “tzatziki” about four times before I could say it back, but one bite and I was hooked for life. It dripped down my chin, cool and garlicky and bright with dill, and it’s still finger-licking good today.
This recipe is based on my dear Greek friend’s family recipe, and I make it two ways: thick, straight out of the bowl as a dip, or thinned out in the blender into a pourable drizzle that I pour generously over chicken shawarma bowls. Either way, homemade tzatziki disappears fast around here. And in case you are curious, you should browse all of my sauce recipes.
What Is Tzatziki Sauce?
Tzatziki is a cool, creamy Greek sauce made from strained yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, and fresh herbs. Since you control the thickness, it can live somewhere between a cucumber dip and a sauce, thick enough to spoon, loose enough to drizzle. Traditional Greek versions sometimes use strained sheep or goat’s milk yogurt, but a good full-fat Greek yogurt (I love Fage 5%) gets you the same tang and body.
Why You’ll Love Homemade Tzatziki Sauce
- It comes together in about 10 minutes flat! That means no cooking and no stovetop required, just a bowl and a whisk, and a food processor if you want it smoother.
- You’re in control of the garlic. This is very important! You can opt to keep it mellow with two cloves or go bold with six.
- It’s endlessly versatile. Just as happy as an appetizer dip, a sandwich spread, or a pourable drizzle over everything from gyros, falafel, kabobs, and bowls. It makes the perfect afternoon snack served with fresh veggies, and don’t forget the grape tomatoes; they just sing!
- It’s a real make-ahead recipe. I promise, it actually tastes better after a few hours in the fridge!
Ingredients for Homemade Tzatziki Sauce
- English Cucumber: Partially peeled and shredded. English cucumbers have thinner skin and fewer seeds than a regular cucumber, so they don’t need to be fully peeled or seeded. If all you have are regular slicing cucumbers, peel them completely, halve them, and scoop out the seeds before grating (see notes below). If you can find Persian cucumbers, they are equal to an English cucumber.
- Plain Greek Yogurt: The backbone of the whole sauce, so don’t skimp here. Full-fat, thick Greek yogurt gives you that classic creamy body without watering everything down. You could use a lower % Greek yogurt; it just won’t be as thick and rich.
- Red Wine Vinegar: Adds the little tang that wakes the whole sauce up. Start with less and add more to taste, it’s easy to add, hard to take back out.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: A good glug of EVOO adds richness and rounds out the tang from the vinegar and yogurt.
- Fresh Garlic: Freshly grated or minced, please; jarred garlic just isn’t the same here. Start with 2 cloves if you’re garlic-shy; go up to 3 if you’re like me.
- Kosher Salt: Used in two places: a pinch to draw water out of the cucumber, and a bit more to season the finished sauce.
- Fresh Dill: Dried dill will not be the same. Fresh is genuinely non-negotiable here. If dill isn’t your thing, swap in fresh mint instead (see variations below).
- Black Pepper (Optional): I prefer mine without, but you can add some freshly ground black pepper if you like.
Get the full recipe in the recipe card below.
Tools for This Greek Yogurt Sauce
- Box grater or food processor with a shredding attachment
- Colander (for draining the cucumber)
- Clean tea towel or cheesecloth (for squeezing out excess water)
- Medium mixing bowl and whisk
- Airtight storage container or jar
- Blender or food processor, if you’re making the pourable version
How to Make Tzatziki Sauce
Step 1 | Prep the Cucumber
Using a box grater or a food processor fitted with a fine shred attachment, grate the cucumber. Toss the shreds with a small pinch of salt and let them sit in a colander over the sink for 10 minutes, then transfer to a clean tea towel or paper towels and squeeze out the excess water. You still want a little moisture left in there, just not a puddle.
Pro Tip: A crucial step for creamy tzatziki; you need to squeeze out the excess water from the cucumber; if not, you will end up with watery, runny tzatziki.
Step 2 | Whisk the Base
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt, red wine vinegar, olive oil, garlic, salt, and dill until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust the seasonings here; this is your last easy chance before the cucumber goes in.
Step 3 | Fold in Cucumber & Chill
Stir in the grated cucumber until it’s evenly distributed. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes so the flavors can mingle, longer if you have the time. This step matters more than people think, don’t skip it if you can help it.
How to Make Thinner Tzatziki Sauce
- Instead of grating your cucumbers, chop them into bite-size pieces; you can leave the skin on, but wash them well first.
- Place them in a high-speed blender or food processor. Add the yogurt, dill, red wine vinegar and olive oil and pulse until combined and smooth; do your best not to overprocess this dip.
- If a thinner sauce is desired, add milk a tablespoon at a time until desired thinness is reached. I like adding the garlic by hand, since raw garlic, when overly processed, can develop a much stronger bite and flavor. Season with salt and pepper if desired.
Tips for This Easy Tzatziki Sauce
- Salt the cucumber before you squeeze it, not after. Toss the shreds with a pinch of salt and let them sit in the colander for 10 minutes before wringing them out. You’ll pull out noticeably more water than squeezing alone.
- Grate the garlic on a microplane instead of mincing it with a knife. It disappears evenly into the yogurt so you never bite into a raw chunk, and it releases more flavor in the process.
- If your yogurt seems thin straight out of the container, strain it first. A cheesecloth or coffee filter set in a strainer over a bowl for an hour will thicken it right up; that’s essentially how Greek yogurt is made in the first place. Regular plain yogurt is thin enough that it needs this step to catch up, so if you’re starting from a tub of Greek yogurt already, you can usually skip it.
- Fresh dill only; dried won’t cut it here. If you’re not a dill person, try the mint variation below instead.
- Give it real time in the fridge if you can spare it. The 30-minute chill is the bare minimum, but this sauce is noticeably better after 2 hours, and honestly best the next day. For a next level version, roast your garlic first; it mellows into something sweeter and rounder than raw.
Homemade Tzatziki Sauce Substitutions and Variations
- Lemon juice swap: Replace the red wine vinegar with 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice for a brighter, more tart version.
- White wine vinegar: Sub in 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar for a softer tang than red wine vinegar.
- Add mint: Stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint along with the dill. Or you can try a little chopped parsley.
- Dairy-free: Swap the Greek yogurt for a thick, unsweetened dairy-free yogurt (a coconut-based one holds up well). It will be thinner than using regular Greek yogurt.
- Spicy kick: A small pinch of cayenne or Aleppo pepper adds subtle heat.
- Extra tang and creaminess: Stir in a tablespoon or two of sour cream along with the yogurt.
- Garlic lovers vs. mellow garlic: Bump up to 6 or 7 cloves for more punch, or roast the garlic first for something sweeter and less sharp.
- Lower-Fat: Replace the full-fat Greek yogurt with low-fat yogurt (Greek) instead, not as rich, but still delicious.
How to Serve This Greek Yogurt Sauce
Once you’ve made a batch of this homemade tzatziki recipe, you’ll find reasons to eat it constantly. A few of my favorites:
- Spoon it over grilled meats; it’s especially good with shish kebabs or Greek Yogurt Marinated Chicken.
- Drizzle the pourable version over shawarma, gyros, falafel, or grain bowls.
- Serve it as a tzatziki dip alongside pita chips, crackers, pita bread wedges, and fresh vegetables like carrots, cucumber spears, tomatoes, and bell pepper strips.
- Make up my easy Naan Bread (okay, not so Greek, but oh so good!), and it just so happens that tzatziki is also popular in the Middle East.
- Add a dollop to a Mediterranean layered dip spread or mezze platter, right alongside hummus, olives, and warm pita
- Use it as a cooling counterpoint to anything spicy, think spiced chicken, lamb, or roasted potatoes and onions. It’s also excellent thinned out and drizzled over a chopped Greek salad in place of dressing.
- Spread it on sandwiches and wraps in place of mayo.
How to Store Homemade Tzatziki Sauce
Store homemade tzatziki in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Garlic gets more assertive the longer it sits, so if raw garlic isn’t your favorite, eat this within the first day or two. Some liquid may pool on top as it sits; just stir before serving.
It doesn’t freeze well; the yogurt and cucumber break down and turn watery once thawed, so this one’s a make-fresh-as-needed sauce, not a freezer staple.
Frequently Asked Questions
Drain the cucumber thoroughly, salt it first, then squeeze out the water, and use thick, full-fat Greek yogurt. Skip either step, and you’ll end up with a watery sauce no matter how good your seasonings are.
Yes, it’s a real staple in Greece, served as a meze, a side dish, and a classic accompaniment to gyros, souvlaki, and grilled meats, not just something invented for American Greek restaurants.
Yes, relatively speaking! It’s made with Greek yogurt and cucumber, so it’s naturally high in protein and low in calories compared to sauces built on mayo or sour cream. Portion size and how much olive oil you add will affect the numbers, but overall it’s one of the lighter sauces you can make from scratch.
More Dips to Try
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Ingredients
- 1 medium English cucumber partially peeled and shredded (see notes for regular cucumber)
- 1 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt I used full-fat, Fage 5% preferred, lesser % may be used, but will be thinner
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar start with one, adding more to taste
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 – 3 cloves garlic grated or minced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt divided
- 3 tablespoons fresh dill chopped, use less if desired, fresh is key here
Optional
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint chopped
Instructions
- Using a box grater or a food processor with a shred attachment, grate the cucumber. Toss the shreds with a small pinch of salt and let sit in a colander or strainer in the sink for 10 minutes, then place on a clean tea towel or paper towels and squeeze out the excess water. You still want a little moisture in it, just not excessive.1 medium English cucumber
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the yogurt, red wine vinegar, olive oil, garlic, salt, and dill until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasonings. Stir in the cucumber.1 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt , 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 2 – 3 cloves garlic, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 3 tablespoons fresh dill, 1 tablespoon fresh mint
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes so the flavors can mingle, longer if you have time.
Optional Dressing (Pourable sauce)
- Place ingredients (hold out the garlic) into a food processor and pulse a few times, adding a tablespoon of milk to thin to desired consistency. Stir in garlic.
Notes
Nutrition
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