How to make authentic Greek tzatziki sauce with just 6 ingredients and a few minutes of hands-on prep. This homemade tzatziki is perfect for serving as an appetizer, dip, side, and sauce (the perfect gyro sauce!) and is a healthy, gluten-free, low-carb option. I’ve also included a vegan tzatziki sauce method too!
Having just shared my recipe for homemade Greek pita (aka gyro bread), how could I not follow that up with homemade authentic Greek tzatziki (aka the perfect gyro sauce!). Last year, I shared a similar recipe; Kh’yar Laban, the Lebanese version of a delicious cucumber yogurt sauce, heavy on the mint. In comparison, this Greek tzatziki sauce is packed with dill!
In fact, all you need for this Easy tzatziki sauce is just 6 ingredients and a few minutes of hands-on prep, and you then have this truly versatile dish, perfect as a dip, side, appetizer, sauce, spread, etc.
I personally love serving it as souvlaki or gyro sauce, with fries (including zucchini and eggplant fries) and other grilled and roasted veggies, and as part of a mezze platter. Honestly, you can enjoy this Greek sauce for every meal of the day if you wanted to!
Best of all, although it’s incredibly simple, authentic tzatziki sauce is also very healthy. The ingredients used are packed with antioxidants and vitamins with a boost of protein from the yogurt.
What Is Tzatziki?
Authentic tzatziki is a Greek dish made up of strained yogurt with cucumber, garlic, salt, and olive oil – sometimes with vinegar or lemon juice. Tzatziki sauce is also often filled with lots of fresh dill, too.
The dish’s origin is hard to place for sure as there are so many versions of cucumber yogurt sauce/dip across Europe and the Middle East.
In fact, there is a dish called ‘tarator’ in many Balkan countries, which is similar to Greek tzatziki sauce, but it is watered down and served as a cold soup. The soup contains yogurt, cucumber, garlic, dill, oil, and water with minced walnuts too.
Tzatziki Sauce Ingredients
- Cucumber: it’s best to use seedless or small-seed cucumber varieties like English cucumbers or Persian cucumbers. These will help you avoid mushiness too quickly. If all you have is a seedy cucumber, then de-seed it first.
- Greek yogurt: full-fat Greek yogurt is the best option for this recipe (though sheep’s milk yogurt is the most authentic). However, you could also use regular plain yogurt and strain it for a couple of hours (read recipe notes). Alternatively, you can use labneh. If you must, then low-fat yogurt will be fine, but it’s so creamy and delicious with the full fat, and it’s healthy fats, too!
- Dill: lots of fresh dill is the key to packing in tons of flavor. Only use dried dill if you have to. You could substitute the dill for mint (or even use a combination of the two).
- Garlic: crushed or minced. An authentic tzatziki sauce won’t go easy on the garlic – it should be strong. Feel free to adjust the amount to your personal liking, though.
- White vinegar: for authentic flavor, use white vinegar. Alternatively, you could use apple cider vinegar or even lemon juice. However, the flavor will vary.
- Olive oil: will add a smooth mouthfeel and perfect for garnishing too.
- Salt: To enhance the flavor.
Optional Add-ins and Variations
Vegan tzatziki sauce: for dairy-free tzatziki, all you need to do is substitute the dairy yogurt for a dairy-free alternative – Greek style would be best. Otherwise, coconut yogurt would work- you’ll likely need a little extra lemon/vinegar to add ‘tang’ or use a dairy-free sour cream and yogurt combination.
Having reached out to my Instagram followers, I asked what your favorite ways to jazz up tzatziki sauce is and complied a little list of some of your and my own options.
- Herbs: Dried mint (better than fresh, which will change color), dried oregano, chili flakes, cumin, fresh parsley (to garnish), black pepper, etc. For spice, you could add a dash of cayenne.
- Veggies: Shredded carrot, onion, or even lemon zest (not technically veg, but it makes the most sense in this category). You can also add legumes like white beans or chickpeas to bulk up the tzatziki dip.
- Optional toppings: Pomegranate seeds, fresh or roasted tomatoes, crushed walnuts (also usable within the tzatziki sauce), sesame seeds, olives, etc.
How to Make Tzatziki (Gyro Sauce)
Step 1: Prepare the cucumber
Grate the cucumber and optionally sprinkle with salt (this will help extract the excess liquid). Set aside for 10 minutes.
I say that the salt is optional because the cucumber juice that you squeeze from the cucumber is delightful as a drink – but maybe not so much if it’s salty!
Place the rested cucumber into a nut milk back or several layers of cheesecloth and squeeze out as much excess water as possible.
Alternatively, you can salt the cucumbers and leave them in a colander to naturally drain with the help of gravity (this will provide the best texture of the cucumber). However, this will take a far longer resting time (like overnight!), so I usually avoid it.
Step 2: Prepare the remaining ingredients
Finely chop the dill and grate or mince the garlic. If you need help peeling garlic, I’ve tried and tested several methods previously.
Step 3: Mix the tzatziki sauce
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
For the best flavor, allow the Greek sauce to marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours but even better overnight. This will give the flavors a chance to properly meld together and tastes better than directly after making it.
Before serving, give it one last taste and adjust any of the ingredients if needed (more salt, acidity, etc). Then drizzle with a bit of additional olive oil, and enjoy!
How to Store
Store: If you’ve carefully drained the cucumber, then leftover tzatziki sauce will last, covered, in the refrigerator for between 3-4 days.
I do not recommend freezing it!
How to Serve Tzatziki?
Along with spreading it liberally within souvlaki/gyros wraps (it’s the ultimate gyro sauce!) and with calamari, there are still tons of other ways to enjoy this authentic Greek tzatziki sauce, including:
- As an appetizer/dip with crudites or pita or Greek pita for dipping.
- For dipping with fries and potato wedges – even zucchini or eggplant fries.
- Spread in sandwiches and wraps – like this falafel wrap, burger, or Mediterranean Eggplant wrap.
- Served as part of a mezze platter alongside dishes like Greek chopped salad, tabbouleh, hummus, baba ghanoush, muhammara, dolma, etc.
- As part of a grain bowl alongside quinoa or your grain of choice, a simple cucumber and tomato salad with chickpeas, olives, etc.
- Serve as a side to Vegetarian Greek Stuffed Tomatoes or Stuffed Vegetables (Gemista/Yemista).
FAQs
If you’ve ever enjoyed salads or salsa (like Pico de Gallo) that uses lots of veggies with high-water content, then you’ll notice that within no time at all, your veggies start to release their juices, and you have a watery, mushy salad.
By draining the cucumber, you get rid of some of that excess liquid to extend the dish’s shelf life.
In a similar way to letting the cucumber drain naturally, that’s how plain yogurt drains. Layer some cheesecloth in a colander or transfer the yogurt into a nut milk bag and allow it to hang over a bowl and naturally drain the excess whey. This will take at least a few hours, if not overnight- so plan for this time.
While some recipes do call for peeled cucumber, I prefer it with the peel on. Not only does it add more nutrients and fiber, but it also helps keep the cucumber yogurt sauce a little crunchier too!
The only time you’ll need to peel the cucumber is if you’re using a variety with thick, bitter skin.
Recipe Notes
- Allow the tzatziki sauce to marinate: This is one of my ultimate top tips for delicious homemade tzatziki as it allows all the flavors to meld. The raw garlic will also mellow the longer it sits in yogurt too.
- To make ahead: I recommend mixing all the ingredients except the cucumber and dill together and allowing it to marinate overnight. Meanwhile, if preparing in advance, you could also leave the cucumber to naturally drain in a colander overnight too! That way, when it comes to combining all the ingredients, it’s ready to serve immediately!
- Using a food processor: You can also use a food processor to grate the cucumber and save time- either with a grating ‘disk’ or just pulsing it into a fine ‘mush’ – obviously, the latter will affect the texture of the tzatziki sauce, too. However, DON’T use a food processor to mix the yogurt as it can cause it to ‘break down’ slightly and become waterier.
Other Dip Recipes
If you like this Greek tzatziki sauce recipe, you may also like some of the other dip recipes I’ve previously shared!
If you try this recipe, then let me know your thoughts and questions in the comments. I’d also really appreciate a recipe rating and would love to see your recreations – just tag @AlphaFoodie.
Authentic Greek Tzatziki (Gyro Sauce)
Ingredients
- 1 English cucumber or other small-seed/seedless varieties
- 3 cups Greek yogurt or plain yogurt, drained (check FAQs), or labneh.
- 1 cup dill chopped
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar or apple cider vinegar or lemon juice (not authentic)
- 1 teaspoon salt
Optional add-ins
- dried mint
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the cucumber
- Grate the cucumber and optionally sprinkle with salt (this will help extract the excess liquid). Set aside for 10 minutes.I say that the salt is optional because the cucumber juice that you squeeze from the cucumber is delightful as a drink – but maybe not so much if it's salty!
- Place the rested cucumber into a nut milk back or several layers of cheesecloth and squeeze out as much excess water as possible.Alternatively, you can salt the cucumbers and leave them in a colander to naturally drain with the help of gravity (this will provide the best texture of the cucumber). However, this will take a far longer resting time (like overnight!), so I usually avoid it.
Step 2: Prepare the remaining ingredients
- Finely chop the dill and grate or mince the garlic. If you need help peeling garlic, I've tried and tested several methods previously.
Step 3: Mix the tzatziki sauce
- Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
- For the best flavor, allow the Greek sauce to marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours but even better overnight. This will give the flavors a chance to properly meld together and tastes better than directly after making it.
- Before serving, give it one last taste and adjust any of the ingredients if needed (more salt, acidity, etc. Then drizzle with a bit of additional olive oil, and enjoy!
How to Store
- Store: If you've carefully drained the cucumber, then leftover tzatziki sauce will last, covered, in the refrigerator for between 3-4 days.
Notes
- Allow the tzatziki sauce to marinate: This is one of my ultimate top tips for delicious homemade tzatziki as it allows all the flavors to meld. The raw garlic will also mellow the longer it sits in yogurt too.
- To make ahead: I recommend mixing all the ingredients except the cucumber and dill together and allowing it to marinate overnight. Meanwhile, if preparing in advance, you could also leave the cucumber to naturally drain in a colander overnight too! That way, when it comes to combining all the ingredients, it’s ready to serve immediately!
- Using a food processor: You can also use a food processor to grate the cucumber and save time – either with a grating disk or just pulsing it into a fine “mush”. Obviously, the latter will affect the texture of the tzatziki sauce, too. However, DON’T use a food processor to mix the yogurt as it can cause it to “break down” slightly and become more watery.
- Herbs: Dried mint (better than fresh, which will change color), dried oregano, chili flakes, cumin, fresh parsley (to garnish), black pepper, etc. For spice, you could add a dash of cayenne.
- Veggies: Shredded carrot, onion, or even lemon zest (not technically veg, but it makes the most sense in this category). You can also add legumes like white beans or chickpeas to bulk up the tzatziki dip.
- Optional toppings: Pomegranate seeds, fresh or roasted tomatoes, crushed walnuts (also usable within the tzatziki sauce), sesame seeds, olives, etc.
- Vegan tzatziki sauce: for dairy-free tzatziki, all you need to do is substitute the dairy yogurt for a dairy-free alternative – Greek style would be best. Otherwise, coconut yogurt would work- you’ll likely need a little extra lemon/vinegar to add “tang” or use a dairy-free sour cream and yogurt combination.
Amy
This was spot on! My husband likes it a bit smoother, so I used my immersion blender to reach the consistency he liked.
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Thank you for your comment, Amy. Glad you liked it!
Genene
This recipe is AMAZING!!!! Ifollowed the make ahead tips. This was served with a Roasted leg of lamb. My Word!
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Thank you for your comment, Genene. So happy you’ve enjoyed this recipe 🙂
Roberta
I have to be honest, I’ve never tried tzatziki in Greece but I loveeeeed this!!!❤️ Made this tonight and I’m probably gonna dream about this tonight
Support @ Alphafoodie
Thank you for your comment, Roberta. Glad you enjoyed this recipe. 🙂