Homemade Tzatziki Sauce

A cool and creamy cucumber-yogurt dip with a hint of garlic and dill, perfect for any pita, gyro, or salad!

What is Tzatziki?

Tzatziki (not taziki), is a fresh, yogurt-based dip of Greek and Middle-Eastern cuisine. The exact origins of this dish are debated, though the word for tzatziki is thought to come from the Turkish word “cacik.” Bright and tangy, this dip is the perfect spread for pitas, salads, and sandwiches, and it’s super simple to make!

What You’ll Need

• Plain Greek yogurt. Make sure you don’t use a flavored kind!
• Cucumber.
• Garlic. You use a relatively small amount in this recipe, since it can be very strong. Feel free to adjust to your preference.
• Red wine vinegar. You can substitute with white vinegar.
• Fresh dill. Optional, but I like the freshness it adds.
• Olive oil.
• Salt and pepper.

How to Serve Tzatziki?

1. As an appetizer with pita or veggies.
2. As a serving sauce for gyros and bowls.
3. On sandwiches and wraps.
4. As salad dressing. For a dressing consistency, you can thin the tzatziki with water.

Hope you give this recipe a try—leave a comment if you have any questions!

Homemade Tzatziki Sauce

A cool and creamy cucumber-yogurt dip with a hint of garlic and dill, perfect for any pita, gyro, or salad!

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Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Greek

Keyword: dip, greek, sauce

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 1 cup

Author: Mae Martin

Ingredients

• 1 heaping cup plain Greek yogurt preferably full-fat
• 1 medium cucumber
• ½ to 1 garlic clove grated
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

• Peel the cucumber and slice it in half lengthwise to expose the seeds. With a spoon, scoop out all the seeds and shred the cucumber with the large holes of a box grater. Sprinkle a large pinch of salt (around ½ teaspoon) over the cucumber and set aside for 5 minutes to draw out the liquid.
• In the meantime, mix together the yogurt, vinegar, grated garlic, olive oil, and dill until well combined.
• Place the cucumber onto a paper towel or thin tea towel and squeeze out any excess water. Put the drained cucumber into the yogurt mixture and stir. If the sauce is too thick, add water to thin; if it's too tart, add more vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then serve with extra olive oil drizzled on top.
• You can serve immediately or put in the fridge for half an hour, for the flavors to meld. The tzatziki sauce will last around 4 days in the fridge.