How to Make Tzatziki
Learn how to make tzatziki, a traditional Greek yogurt and cucumber sauce with fresh herbs. Tzatziki is a refreshing sauce or dip, and it's so easy to make!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 28, 2024
Tzatziki! Tsaht-ZEE-kee! Otherwise known as that yogurt and cucumber sauce you love at Greek restaurants but worry about mispronouncing (hear the correct pronunciation here).
Tzatziki is made simply with yogurt, drained cucumber, olive oil, fresh herbs (usually mint or dill), garlic, lemon juice and salt. It’s a refreshing chilled sauce, dip or spread.
I traveled to Greece last fall and ordered tzatziki at every restaurant. I’m serious. I enjoyed tzatziki with every single meal, even breakfast. This recipe tastes just like authentic tzatziki.
I tend to associate tzatziki with Greek food, but you’ll find it served across the Mediterranean and Middle East, sometimes under different names or in slightly different forms.
Tzatziki is often served with grilled meats and gyros, but I can’t think of a grilled or roasted vegetable it wouldn’t play nicely with. You can also serve up some tzatziki with your next appetizer spread. Let’s make some already!
Uses for Tzatziki
Grilled Vegetables
- Bell peppers
- Mushrooms
- Carrots
- Asparagus
- Green beans
- Corn on the cob
Appetizer Spreads
- Toasted pita wedges
- Crisp raw vegetables
- Olives
- Cheese and crackers
- Hummus
- Zhoug or Shatta (Middle-Eastern hot sauces)
Falafel, Sandwiches and Salads
- Falafel
- Pita sandwiches (you could use it instead of the avocado in that recipe)
- Tabbouleh
- Lentil salad
- Chickpea salad
My Tzatziki Technique
Fortunately, tzatziki is super easy to whip together. The only trick is to properly drain the cucumber before mixing it into the yogurt. Otherwise, cucumber waters down the sauce too much. Salting the grated cucumber and letting the excess moisture drip out takes a while.
The easiest and most efficient way to get rid of the excess moisture is to lightly squeeze the grated cucumber over the sink. The only wait required in my recipe is to let the tzatziki rest for five minutes after you mix it all together, to let the flavors meld. At that point, you can serve it right away or chill it for later.
Tzatziki Nutrition & Yogurt Notes
Nutritionally speaking, tzatziki is a creamy but light sauce. You can dollop it generously on your food without adding a lot of calories (unlike, say, mayonnaise or ranch dressing). It’s made mostly with Greek yogurt and cucumber, after all.
I haven’t found a noticeable difference in texture whether I use whole-milk yogurt, low-fat or non-fat, so any of those will work. Traditional Greek tzatziki is made with strained goat or sheep’s yogurt, but it’s hard to find those here. The Greek yogurt sold here in the U.S. is strained yogurt (that’s why it’s thicker and higher in protein than regular yogurt), so I use that.
As always, please let me know how you like this recipe in the comments! I’m excited to hear how it turns out for you and how you serve it.
Watch How to Make Tzatziki Sauce
Best Tzatziki
Learn how to make tzatziki, a traditional Greek yogurt and cucumber sauce with fresh herbs. Tzatziki is a refreshing sauce or dip, and it’s so easy to make! This basic recipe yields about 2 ½ cups; multiply if necessary.
Ingredients
- 2 cups grated cucumber (from about 1 medium 10-ounce cucumber, no need to peel or seed the cucumber first, grate on the large holes of your box grater)
- 1 ½ cups plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint and/or dill
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 medium clove garlic, pressed or minced
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Working with one big handful at a time, lightly squeeze the grated cucumber between your palms over the sink to remove excess moisture. Transfer the squeezed cucumber to a serving bowl, and repeat with the remaining cucumber.
- Add the yogurt, olive oil, herbs, lemon juice, garlic, and salt to the bowl, and stir to blend. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Taste and add additional chopped fresh herbs, lemon juice, and/or salt, if necessary (I thought this batch was just right as-is).
- Serve tzatziki immediately or chill for later. Leftover tzatziki keeps well, chilled, for about 4 days.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my cookbook, Love Real Food.
Make it dairy free/vegan: Substitute an equal amount of cashew sour cream for the yogurt, and thin the tzatziki with a small splash of water if necessary.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I just made this and it is so good I can’t stop eating it!!
I love it! Thanks for sharing, Karen.
I made this with cashew sour cream and it was delicious. My friends who sneer at my veganism didn’t even know and LOVED it.
I’m happy it worked so well vegan for you, Susan!
Wonderful! I made this with plain almond yogurt to maintain a dairy free wish. Doubt anyone would ever know the difference. Perfect with falafel. Definitely on my repeat list.
Great! Thank you, Julie.
I absolutely love all of your recipes…thank you! It has significantly changed the way our family eats! LOVE this sauce as well with your Crispy Falafel recipe. Do you know if the sauce can be put in the freezer?
First time making Tzatziki sauce used your recipe. I loved the fresh taste. I will definitely make this again.
Great to hear Kimberlee!
Awesome recipe! I followed it to a T and it turned out perfect. I made it the night before serving it so the flavors could develop more. Thanks for sharing, thanks for your blog!
You’re welcome, Alex!
I saw this posted last week and it sounded so good that I made sure my Imperfect Produce box contained a cucumber to try it out. We also happened to just make a fresh batch of yogurt in the instant pot so we were totally set. We made a meal of it and created some chicken falafel meatballs and your Tabbouleh. It was an AMAZING supper. My 8 year old made this recipe herself and it turned out fabulous.
Next time we need to bring a dish for a get together, this is it!
I’m glad you loved it, Eva!
Delicious and easy!!
Thank you, Evan!
So, I didn’t thoroughly examine your pictures on how exactly to grate the cucumber. I ended up with about a 1 and 1/4 cups of this messy goop of what you’d never guess came from two cucumbers… (Because I didn’t seem to yield enough cucumber pulp with one, I used a second one). Let’s just go ahead and call me an idiot.
However, how fine to grate said cucumber would have been nice. My tzaziki tasted only like cucumber, therefore I had to improvise and added more of everything else to get the consistency and flavor profiles where they needed to be. Just a heads up for those of us who are slightly clueless.
Overall, good recipe. I’m excited to take it to a friend’s Mediterranean themed party tonight.
Oh no! I’m happy you were able to still enjoy it a little. Thank you for your comment, Tia!
This is a simple, delicious recipe for a Greek classic. I made it this weekend to accompany Grilled Butterfly Leg of Lamb, and I was fortunate to have access to local goat milk yogurt in Vermont. Oh man, that yogurt made all the difference. Tangy, highly acidic, rich and creamy. If you can get your hands on goat milk yogurt, skip the Chobani etc. Many thanks to Kate!
Thank you for your review!
Delicious – tastes like in Greece. Thank you for beautiful recipee and description.
You’re welcome!
A friend brought me two homegrown cucumbers, and the skin is too though, now my tzatziki is crispy with the cucmber skin.
I’m sorry to hear that, Sasa!
Really good and quick compared to other recipes I’ve tried.
Thank you for sharing, Laurie!
5 stars
Thank you, Erik!
Yes I was wondering along with Holly. Is it able to be frozen or does it not fare that well after defrosting ??
I wouldn’t recommend it, sorry!
Is it possible to sub dried dill for fresh?
You could, but fresh is really best here. Typically you want to use 1/3 the amount for dried.
Made Tzatziki Sauce and served with Greek meatballs. Super delicious
Happy to hear that!
Absolutely delicious! I even used it as an accompaniment to chilli con carne. Many thanks for sharing the recipe
You’re welcome, Sue!
Loving this recipe! Blended the cucumber smaller, and it came out absolutely delicious! Thank you so much, Kate!
You’re welcome, CP!
I saved the cucumber juice and put in a big pitcher full of ice with a whole lemon thinly sliced, small cuke, peeled, seeded, and sliced, and cilantro leaves. It is so refreshing on a hot summer day!
Hi. Great recipe & very easy, too! I love it on a baked potato…and pretty much anything…kudos to you!
Delicious. I didn’t have fresh mint or dill so I omitted and it was really good even without. Thanks for the great recipe!
Hi! I’m Cassie and live in good old Indiana. I work in an authentic Greek restaurant owned by a family from Cyprus. Wonderful house made recipies. The tzatziki there is to die for. Your recipe is very close ! Ours is a little thicker, but that has to do with the choice of yogurt. All your recipes on your site are wonderful!
Can you freeze it?
Unfortunately, I don’t think this one would freeze well.
I made this for a family get together and it turned out fabulous! We served with pita and chicken. Thank you.
Really delicious on top of some falafel I made. Def a keeper recipe.
(I made it with dill only.)
Thanks for sharing!
the BEST tzatziki recipe!!! I had friends over for dinner and everyone raved about this sauce. Used it on everything- chicken skewers, veggies, and grilled pita bread. Thank you for this great recipe! Definitely making it again soon.
I’m glad you think it’s the best, Lauren!
This recipe SLAPS! I really can’t believe how tasty and fresh it is. By far the best tzatziki I’ve had! Thank you for sharing.
I’m glad you loved it, Ashly!
I don’t usually follow recipes because I prefer to go by feel/taste/etc. I’ve not had good success with this in the past, so I appreciate your recipe and explanation. This worked perfectly! Delicious! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Mary!
Hi. I can’t wait to try this. I can’t seem to find the nutritional facts they. Will you give them to me please? Thanks!!
I’m sorry, Linda! This is a plug-in on my blog so ensure you have cookies enabled in your browser. Please let me know if you are still having issues!
For me, way to much dill & garlic. The lemon juice produced a real sour taste.
Not wasting time again on this. Sorry !
I’m sorry you didn’t love this one! Thanks for your feedback, Cheryl.
Ooh! I love a good tzatziki! I will definitely be trying this recipe. I make a lamb kefta that is fantastic but begs for a light, refreshing tzatziki sauce.
I hope you love it, Robin!
Just arrived home from Greece yesterday and already was craving Tzatziki sauce. On a whim, I decided to look up a recipe and found yours. I don’t even have to try it to know it will be perfect. I can practically taste it while reading the recipe. I was planning on making an Italian Pizzimonio (raw vegetables:carrots, celery, bell pepper, anise dipped in a plain olive oil, salt and pepper mix). What a perfect addition to dip the veggies in, Tzatziki! And wow, your zhoug and shatta seems perfect as well. Thanks.
Tastes delicious-first time I ever grated the cucumber though and I think I like it better finely chopped. Other than that it’s super tasty!
Thanks for your comment, Jude!
I recently adopted a Mediterranean diet but have long been a fan of Greek food. This was easy to make and really tastes authentic! I’ll make this over and over again. Thanks!
You’re welcome! I’m glad you enjoy this recipe, Meryl!
I made this with plain Silk soy yogurt. Turned out great.
Well that was a delicious treat
Bad stuff
I’m sorry you didn’t like this recipe. What didn’t you like about it, Jill?
You can also press the cucumber in a dish towel, put it into the middle of the cloth, and wring the water out. It’s important to salt it, because the salt will make the water come out faster.
Thanks for sharing your technique, Marc!
My pleasure. :)
I often do that, with bread. It’s also an excellent salad dressing; in this case, I add two tablespoons of vinegar.
Just read the recipe and i can emagine already the good taste, its simple but, helpfull,
Thank you i’ve a confedence to make kofta for dinner with your tzatziki recipe
Really good sauce, it reminded me of the one made by a lady from Mykonos who used to visit my neighbor. I added a little black pepper and seasoned to my liking and it went down great with some falafels.
Thanks for sharing, Alex!
Excellent and very easy. I found sheep’s milk yogurt. Grating and squeezing the cucumber really improves the sauce over dicing.
Hi there!!! I know you mentioned that it doesn’t matter but I’m still debating about whether to use Stonyfield organic nonfat Greek yogurt or Chobani low-fat Greek yogurt… any preference between these two?? Also wondering if it’s more preferably to use both dill and mint? I’m going to a “celebration of Greek foods” party over the weekend and I got assigned hummus and Tzatziki, so your recipe will certainly come in handy. My first time preparing a Greek dish from scratch and I’m pretty sure those attending know a little more about Greek food than I do so hoping I don’t mess this one up lol. Have you ever drained the cucumber and let it sit over night in the fridge?? Your feedback is very much appreciated!!
Could you share where you found that glorious blue bowl? Such a perfect, vibrant color for holding healthy food. We eat with our eyes first, so investing in artisan style serving ware enhances the everyday at-home eating experience, and makes even simple salads feel like you’re at your local health food cafe.
Unfortunately, this one is one of a kind! I like to buy a lot of my props at vintage stores or on my trips abroad.
Thank you, this recipe was delectable.
Kate,
I planned on making Lamb Kafka Kababs this evening and, to be faithful to the Greek recipe, I needed tzatziki sauce. I did a Google search and found your recipe high up in the results. It was easy to prepare and is now in the fridge to let the flavors meld together. What I’ve tasted already is lovely, lite and flavorful. Thanks for the recipe. I will add significantly to our meal tonight.
I am grateful!
Dan…
You’re welcome, Dan!
Perfect!
Great to hear, Beth!
Great recipe !! I have made tzatziki many times , but it just was
not exactly the same as I remembered our greek neighbor making when I was younger . This is it !! Perfect ! Thanks for the wonderful recipe !
Thank you for sharing, Sandra!
Honestly, you and your kitchen craft never cease to amaze me. This Tzatziki recipe is so quick and kicks a$$.
Many thanks for this and so many other recipes. Kudos to the queen of healthy feasting!
You’re welcome, Ashley! I’m glad you loved it.
Thank you. Although I am Turkish and Tzatziki is also one of our loved side dishes, I always made is with whatever amount of ingredients I had. For a big barbeque party I decided to take it seriously and found your recipe. Your mesurements are perfect, my caciki came out very good, just like I always have in Greece. The only change I did is to put a teaspoon of good vinegar instead of lemon juice (which I had learned from a Greek friend). Vinegar also works perfectly. If your yogurt is sour enough, lemon or vinegar are not even necessary. (we have sour and sweet types here too). Thanks again ❤️