Tzatziki
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Skip the store-bought version—this homemade tzatziki is fresh, tangy, and packed with cucumber, garlic, and herbs. Keep a batch in the fridge for dipping, spreading, and spooning over grilled meats.
Tzatziki (pronounced tuh-ZEE-kee) is a cool, creamy yogurt sauce that’s popular throughout Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean. Made with thick Greek yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, olive oil, and fresh herbs, it’s tangy, refreshing, and incredibly versatile. Traditionally served as part of a meze spread, it’s just as good spooned over grilled meats like souvlaki, kofta, kabobs, and gyros, or served alongside pita and fresh vegetables for dipping. With just a handful of simple ingredients, it’s one of those delicious, healthy recipes you’ll find yourself making all summer long.
“One of the best Tzatziki recipes I have come across—and I have tried many.”
What You’ll Need To Make Tzatziki
To make homemade tzatziki, you’ll need Greek yogurt, cucumber, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, fresh mint (or fresh dill) salt, and pepper. Many recipes call for straining the yogurt, but I don’t find it necessary. For the cucumber, I like using English (or hothouse) cucumbers, the long cucumbers that come wrapped in plastic. Because their skin is thin and unwaxed, they do not need to be peeled—makes it easy.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Seed the cucumber. Simply cut the cucumber in half lengthwise, and then use a small spoon to scrape the seeds out.
Step 2: Shred. Using a box grater or food processor, shred the cucumber.
Step 3: Wring out the liquid. Cucumbers hold a lot of water, and if you skip this step, your tzatziki will end up thin and watery. I first squeeze the shredded cucumber with my hands to remove as much liquid as possible, then wrap it in a clean dish towel and wring it out one more time.
Step 4: Combine the ingredients. Add the Greek yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper and mint to a mixing bowl.
Step 5: Mix and serve. Stir until evenly combined. Then taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Serve and enjoy!
More Mediterranean Dips You’ll Love
Tzatziki (Yogurt & Cucumber Dip)
Ingredients
- 1½ cups plain 2% Greek yogurt
- 1 medium English or hothouse cucumber, seeded, coarsely grated, and squeezed as dry as possible (about 1 cup)
- 2 small cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Scant ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary (I often add a generous pinch of sugar to balance the flavors). Cover and chill until ready to serve. Before serving, drizzle with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with fresh mint, if desired.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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So yummy that this recipe has made into the regular rotation. It’s great with falafels, dipping, whatever. Question, if I want to be lazy and use dried mint (so many variations available), how do I hydrate it to give it that leafy texture before mixing? Thank you for the advice!
So glad you like it! I definitely prefer fresh mint to dried, but don’t think you need to hydrate (it as it will soften up due to the moisture in the dip).
I have made this several times before, and each time I again am impressed with how delicious this recipe is. My family loves it!
Love this recipe and follow it as written. Tastes amazing but was wondering why you prefer no lemon? So many recipes call for it but I’m not sure if that’s the better approach.
Hi Emily, Glad you like it! I think the tzatziki is tart enough as is, but feel free to add lemon juice if you’d like to bump up the tartness a bit.
Hi Jenn, can you make Tzatziki with Skyr? Thank you for all your recipes.
Hi Ana, I’ve never use Skyr, but I believe it should work. Hope you enjoy!
So much better than even the good Tzatziki from the market. I do think next time I will try adding a bit of honey but I liked the taste as it is.
The flavor was almost right, especially when I added the recommended pinch of sugar. It just still needed something, so I added a tsp of lemon juice and that finished it perfectly. I did make the mistake of shredding the cucumber too finely (my mistake). Next time I’ll use a larger blade. Served with your gyros and naan bread – great meal!
I follow a dairy-free diet. What could be used as a substitute for the yogurt?
Hi Brooke, I haven’t tried it, but I think you could use a non-dairy yogurt here. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
This is the best tzatziki sauce I found so far, and I really enjoyed it. You should make it and try it out
Do you think it would be ok to process the cucumbers after straining? My husband and son have texture issues. 🙄
Hi Jill, can you clarify what you mean by process? Thanks!