World's Best Tzatziki Recipe | Live Eat Learn (2024)

4.45 from 158 votes

Recipe Print

By: Sarah Bond 128 Comments

This post contains affiliate links.

Let’s make homemade tzatziki! With just a few simple ingredients like grated cucumber, creamy Greek yogurt, dill, and zingy lemon, this quick and easy tzatziki recipe is super versatile, and a refreshing sauce, dressing, dip or spread.

World's Best Tzatziki Recipe | Live Eat Learn (1)

Greece is pretty far up there in my list of favorite countries, and this is probably largely due to it being the home of the best sauce known to man, TZATZIKI!

But first, what is tzatziki? Tzatziki (pronounced tuh·ZEE·kee) is a yogurt- and cucumber-based sauce that originates in Southeast Europe and Middle Eastern cuisine.

World's Best Tzatziki Recipe | Live Eat Learn (2)

What yogurt do you use for tzatziki?

To make homemade tzatziki, you’ll need to get yourself some good, plain Greek yogurt. For best results, strain the moisture from the yogurt by spooning it into a cheesecloth (or a few layer of paper towels), setting it into a mesh sieve, and letting the excess moisture drip out.

World's Best Tzatziki Recipe | Live Eat Learn (3)

Do you peel cucumber to make tzatziki?

Short answer: you don’t have to! To make the World’s Best Tzatziki recipe you’ll need a cup of cucumber (1 big or 2 small, you can guestimate). If yours has seeds, get those outa there before anything. I like to leave the peel on for more nutrients and fiber (it doesn’t compromise the flavor)!

Sprinkle with a touch of salt then lay the cucumber out flat on a few layers of paper towels and let sit while you prepare the other ingredients. The salt helps to draw out moisture from the cucumber!

World's Best Tzatziki Recipe | Live Eat Learn (4)

How do you make Greek tzatziki?

After you have your thick Greek yogurt and shredded cucumber, the rest is pretty simple. Finely chop 1 tablespoons of dill, mince 2 cloves of garlic, and measure out 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or white wine vinegar.You can let the yogurt sit for a few hours, or zero hours if you’re like me and want tzatziki NOW! Mix it all together and voila! You have a healthy, low carb tzatziki sauce with just 5 minutes of hands-on work.

World's Best Tzatziki Recipe | Live Eat Learn (5)

Is tzatziki healthy?

This sauce became a favorite of mine while I was studying nutrition, because not only is it packed with flavor, but it’s also healthy!

To really know if tzatziki is healthy, you’ve got to look at its main ingredient – Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt is a healthy nutrition powerhouse, containing more protein than its traditional yogurt counterpart. Add in to that the fiber-packed cucumber and antioxidant-heavy lemon juice and you have yourself a healthy tzatziki sauce!

This recipe is suitable for either full-fat or nonfat Greek yogurt. But what does the fat percentage in Greek yogurt mean? Full-fat greek yogurt is usually 5%, meaning it is 5% of fat by weight. Nonfat Greek yogurt, on the other hand, has had all the fat removed. They both have their benefits, with full-fat providing a richer mouthfeel and more satiation, while nonfat has far less calories. The choice is yours!

World's Best Tzatziki Recipe | Live Eat Learn (6)

Ingredient tip

Speaking of using different fat contents, you can also use sour cream to make tzatziki! It can be used 1:1 for the yogurt, or you can simply replace some of the yogurt with sour cream. The fat content of most sour creams is about 20%, making sour cream tzatziki ultra-creamy and rich.

Uses For Tzatziki Sauce

Tzatziki is great as a veggie or bread dip, but it can also be used in a number of Mediterranean inspired recipes!

  • Roasted Chickpea Gyros
  • Mediterranean Roasted Veggies
  • Portobello Mushroom Gyros
  • Mediterranean Kale Salad
World's Best Tzatziki Recipe | Live Eat Learn (7)

P.S. for a fun twist on this classic tzatziki, try my homemade tzatziki with feta cheese!

World's Best Tzatziki Recipe | Live Eat Learn (8)

5-Minute Tzatziki Sauce (Extra Easy)

4.45 from 158 votes

Prep: 5 minutes minutes

Total: 5 minutes minutes

Author: Sarah Bond

Calories: 40kcal

Servings: 12 servings

Print Rate

Let's make homemade tzatziki! With just a few simple ingredients like grated cucumber, creamy Greek yogurt, dill, and zingy lemon, this quick and easy tzatziki recipe is super versatile, and a refreshing sauce, dressing, dip or spread.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups plain Greek yogurt 480 g
  • 1 cup shredded or diced cucumber 200 g
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice or white wine vinegar 30 mL
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 Tbsp chopped dill
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Thicken yogurt: Strain yogurt using a cheesecloth or paper towel for 30 minutes to 3 hours to remove excess moisture (can skip this step if you're in a hurry).

    World's Best Tzatziki Recipe | Live Eat Learn (9)

  • Prep cucumber: Meanwhile, sprinkle a pinch of salt onto shredded or diced cucumber and spoon into cheesecloth or paper towels. Let sit for a few minutes then wring it out to draw out moisture.

    World's Best Tzatziki Recipe | Live Eat Learn (10)

  • Mix:Mix together yogurt, cucumber, dill, garlic, and lemon.Season with salt and pepper to taste.

    World's Best Tzatziki Recipe | Live Eat Learn (11)

Tips & Tricks

The flavors become less tangy as you let them sit, so your tzatziki might just be best the next day. The gift that keeps on giving.

Store tzatziki in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Make this tzatziki vegan by using a dairy-free yogurt.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 0.25cups Calories: 40kcal (2%) Carbohydrates: 3.2g (1%) Protein: 1.7g (3%) Fat: 2.4g (4%) Saturated Fat: 1.5g (9%) Cholesterol: 8mg (3%) Sodium: 50mg (2%) Potassium: 103mg (3%) Fiber: 0.1g Sugar: 2.7g (3%) Calcium: 50mg (5%) Iron: 0.2mg (1%)

Did You Make This?

Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!

Tag on Insta!Leave a RatingPin on Pinterest

Fun fact: This was the very first recipe posted on Live Eat Learn! Here’s a photo from way back when I first published it. Thanks so much for stopping by and for making easy recipes like this tzatziki possible.

World's Best Tzatziki Recipe | Live Eat Learn (12)
World's Best Tzatziki Recipe | Live Eat Learn (2024)

FAQs

What are the main ingredients in tzatziki? ›

Tzatziki is a creamy cucumber yogurt dip (or sauce) made from simple ingredients including strained yogurt (or Greek yogurt), cucumbers, garlic, and sometimes fresh herbs such as dill or mint. Traditionally, it is made from strained sheep or goat's milk yogurt, but a full-fat Greek yogurt works just fine in this dip.

Is tzatziki good for your gut? ›

Tzatziki is not only a tasty, multi-use sauce, it's also a smart food pick. Its blend of yogurt, cucumber, olive oil, garlic, lemon, and herbs delivers key nutrients, which are proposed to support heart health, gut health, and may even lower diabetes risk.

What are 5 dishes that you could put tzatziki on? ›

Once you've got that covered, check out our favourite ways to use tzatziki, and bring a bit of The Med to your kitchen.
  • Lemon-tzatziki chicken.
  • Gorgeous greek chicken with herby vegetable couscous & tzatziki.
  • Grilled lamb chops with fattoush.
  • Crispy barbecued side of salmon with cucumber yoghurt.
  • Souvlaki (Wicked kebabs)
Sep 8, 2023

What does everyone use tzatziki for I just discovered it's delicious? ›

Ten Favorite Dishes to serve with Tzatziki:
  • Baked Greek Meatballs with Feta.
  • Grilled Middle Eastern Turkey Burgers.
  • Ground Beef Gyro Meatball Lettuce Wraps.
  • Greek Salmon with Tzatziki Sauce.
  • Low-Carb Lamb Shish Kabobs.
  • Chicken Souvlaki.
  • Greek Lamb Souvlaki.
  • Kalyn's Pork Souvlaki Recipe.
Aug 19, 2023

How long does homemade tzatziki last? ›

Tzatziki will last about four days in the fridge before it starts to go bad. While you can freeze it, it will change a bit in regards to texture and consistency when it comes time to thawing it out.

Is tzatziki healthier than hummus? ›

Yes, tzatziki is considered a healthier dip than hummus and sour cream. It contains several vitamins, a good amount of protein, and fewer carbohydrates and calories. The fat content of tzatziki is low too, which is not the case with other dips.

Is tzatziki inflammatory? ›

Tzatziki sauce is perfect healthy snack, especially thanks to protein-packed greek yogurt, shredded cucumber and anti-inflammatory garlic. It's as simple as it sounds: yogurt cucumber sauce!

Is tzatziki good for IBS? ›

One dip in particular that is almost always made with dairy is tzatziki sauce, as it's generally made with a yogurt base. Unfortunately this isn't always ideal for those with IBS symptoms!

What meat goes best with tzatziki? ›

Tzatziki makes a very nice condiment for gyros or kebabs. It goes very well with pork or lamb. It's also very nice served as a dip with pita bread triangles.

What do Greeks eat with tzatziki? ›

A platter of salted raw tomatoes and cucumbers becomes an instant salad when topped with tzatziki as a dressing. Bread is smeared with tzatziki and topped with grilled meats or vegetables for a crostini or bruschetta style snack that pairs well with Greek wines, like these Artichoke and Eggplant skewers.

How do Greek people eat tzatziki? ›

Greeks usually eat tzatziki with bread, it is also used for the famous souvlaki wrapped in a pita and ofcourse in gyros. Almost all Greeks love dipping bread and Greek fries in tzatziki that is served at every traditional restaurant.

What is baba tzatziki? ›

This Greek dip is made from yogurt, cucumber, dill, lemon juice, garlic, & spices, often served with pita bread as the first course of a meal, with black olives on top. It is one of the standard components of the Turkish kebab or Greek Souvlaki and gyros.

Do Egyptians eat tzatziki? ›

Unlike the more familiar Turkish style, in Egypt, spices such as cumin and paprika are added. The kebab is served in baladi bread, with a salad and tahini, baba ganoush, or tzatziki. A very popular street food, you will also find them on restaurant menus, where they are more likely to be served with rice.

What are the ingredients in store bought tzatziki? ›

Ingredients: yogurt (milk ingredients, bacterial culture), sour cream(milk ingredients, bacterial culture, microbial enzyme), water,cucumber, canola oil, white vinegar, sea salt, garlic purée (garlic,canola oil), modified corn starch, garlic powder, citric acid.

What is Greek yogurt made of? ›

Greek yogurt is made from cow's milk that is strained to remove the whey, this results in a thicker consistency compared to natural yogurt. It also has a tangier flavour and can often be used as a healthier substitute to mayonnaise, sour cream or crème fraîche.

What are the facts about tzatziki? ›

Greek-style tzatziki sauce is commonly served as a meze, to be eaten with bread, fried eggplant, or zucchini. Tzatziki is made of strained yogurt (usually from sheep or goat milk) mixed with cucumbers, garlic, salt, olive oil, and sometimes lemon juice, and dill or mint or parsley.

Is tzatziki made from yogurt? ›

Tzatziki is a sauce made primarily of salted and strained yogurt, cucumber, garlic, lemon juice, and herbs with origins in southeastern Europe and the Middle East.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: The Hon. Margery Christiansen

Last Updated:

Views: 5614

Rating: 5 / 5 (50 voted)

Reviews: 89% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: The Hon. Margery Christiansen

Birthday: 2000-07-07

Address: 5050 Breitenberg Knoll, New Robert, MI 45409

Phone: +2556892639372

Job: Investor Mining Engineer

Hobby: Sketching, Cosplaying, Glassblowing, Genealogy, Crocheting, Archery, Skateboarding

Introduction: My name is The Hon. Margery Christiansen, I am a bright, adorable, precious, inexpensive, gorgeous, comfortable, happy person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.