Tzatziki Sauce: the easy and quick Greek dipping sauce recipe

A good sauce is always a welcome accompaniment to any meal. And this Tzatziki is exactly that. This quick and easy Greek Tzatziki sauce can be served as a dressing or side sauce to many Mediterranean meals like gyros, lamb pitas, or even Greek salad (you’ll find it in almost every Greek restaurant).

The flavor is light and refreshing (thanks to the yogurt and fresh herbs), and the texture is creamy. You don’t even need any fancy ingredients. With some yogurt, cucumber, lemons, and herbs, you’re on your way to a simple, but delicious sauce.

What is Tzatziki Sauce?

Tzatziki (pronounced tsah-zee-kee) is a popular yogurt and cucumber sauce, which originated in Greece. It’s similar to the Turkish Cacik, or a mint raita you’ll find in Indian cuisine. It’s a simple sauce made with yogurt, shredded and drained cucumber, olive oil, lemon juice, and fresh herbs, and is usually served cold.

How to make Tzatziki Sauce

To make the Greek Tzatziki sauce, you will first need to prepare the cucumber. Peel and grate the cucumber, then squeeze out the excess moisture. This cucumber is then mixed with the rest of the ingredients, and is now ready to serve.

Tips for Greek Tzatziki Sauce

This sauce is keto-friendly! To make it vegan, use coconut yogurt.

You can make this sauce ahead of time. In fact, the longer it sits, the better it is. This gives the flavors a chance to really infuse, and it will definitely taste better than freshly made tzatziki sauce.

Make sure you drain the cucumber properly. To do this, squeeze out the excess moisture and leave it to drain over a sieve for about 30 minutes. You can also use a clean kitchen towel to make the squeezing easier.

If you don’t like dill, use fresh mint of parsley. If you don’t have Greek yogurt, you can use sour cream in its place.

How to use Tzatziki Sauce

This sauce will go well with any Mediterranean dish. Try it on chicken souvlaki, roast lamb, Greek gyros, Greek salad, roast vegetables, and shawarma.

How to store Greek Tzatziki Sauce

Store the tzatziki sauce in the fridge (in an airtight container) for up to 4 days.

Instructions

Use a vegetable peeler to peel the cucumber. Grate it into a small bowl and squeeze out any excess moisture.

Add the yogurt and vinegar into a medium-sized mixing bowl.

Stir in the crushed garlic cloves.

Mix in the salt.

Pour in the lemon juice and oil.

Add the grated cucumber.

Mix.

Garnish tzatziki with dill, cucumber slices, then serve and enjoy!

Notes

This sauce has a strong garlic flavor. If you think it might be too overpowering, start with less garlic and increase as you go.