Homemade Tzatziki Sauce

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This is a recipe for homemade tzatziki sauce from scratch. This yogurt-based condiment recipe is using Greek yogurt and cucumber as main ingredients. Its preparation is easy and only takes minutes.

You can enjoy it right away or chilled and, if you need, you can easily make it in advance.

Tzatziki sauce goes well with all sorts of dishes. You will find serving suggestion ideas at the bottom of this post, right above tzatziki recipe card.

How to make homemade tzatziki sauce

The whole process of making tzatziki at home is simple. Shred cucumber and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Add it to a bowl where you have the rest of the ingredients: Greek yogurt, dill, salt, pepper, garlic and lemon juice.

Mix everything well and taste. You might need to add more seasoning. Tzatziki can be served right away or chilled.

How long will homemade tzatziki sauce last in the fridge?

When stored properly it will last up to 3 days. Make sure to keep it in an airtight container or a jar with a lid. It is also important to use fresh cucumber and yogurt. You can also use Homemade Yogurt, but make sure to strain it first.

Tips for making the best tzatziki sauce from scratch

• For best results make tzatziki sauce with Greek yogurt. You can use unsweetened natural yogurt as well if you don’t mind a thinner texture.
• Cucumbers contain a lot of water, so we have to get rid of it – as much as possible. I like to use a sieve and press down the mixture get the excess water. Next step, I use my hands and squeeze the shredded cucumber as hard as possible. You can take a textile kitchen towel and squeeze the last of the liquids out again. If you want to, you can skip the first 2 steps.
• I used 2 garlic cloves in this tzatziki sauce. It might not seem like a lot, but if you let it sit overnight, the flavor will intensify, so you can reduce it to 1 clove, if you prefer.

Serving suggestion

Greek-style tzatziki can be enjoyed in many ways. Here are some delicious ideas:

• Grilled meats (What about serving Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs with pita bread and Greek Salad?)
• Falafel – on a bed of couscous or again in pita bread
• Greek Kebabs
• Burgers
• Baked Potatoes – as a topping instead of sour cream
• Gyros
• Koftas
• Fish (like Grilled Salmon Foil Packets)

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5 from 5 votes

Tzatziki Sauce

This is a recipe for homemade tzatziki sauce from scratch. This yogurt-based condiment recipe is using Greek yogurt and cucumber as main ingredients.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Total Time10 minutes mins

Servings: 1 Cup

Author: Julia

Ingredients

• ½ English Cucumber , see note 1
• 1 cup Greek Yogurt , see note 2
• Salt , to taste
• A Pinch of black pepper
• Fresh Lemon Juice , to taste, see note 3
• Fresh Dill , about 1 tablespoon finely chopped, see note 4
• 2 Garlic Cloves , pressed, see note 5

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Recommended Products

• Garlic Press

Instructions 

• Shred the cucumber and squeeze out the water. First, use either your hands or a sieve and fork. Then, transfer it onto a textile kitchen towel and squeeze out the water again until nothing is coming out.
• In a bowl, combine the shredded cucumber with Greek yogurt, salt, pepper, a squeeze of lemon juice, finely chopped dill and pressed garlic. Give everything a good mix.
• Enjoy right away or chill before serving.

Notes

1. You should get about ½ cup of shredded cucumber after you have squeezed out most of the water.
2. The thicker the yogurt the thicker the sauce. If using homemade yogurt, make sure to strain it (preferably overnight).
3. Adding too much lemon juice will thin the sauce so use less rather than more.
4. It’s important to use fresh dill in this recipe to achieve the best flavor!
5. Note that if you let this sauce sit in the fridge overnight, the garlic flavor will intensify. If you want to serve this right away use 2 cloves, if you want to serve it next day, then I recommend 1 clove only (for those who prefer a milder garlic taste).
6. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. This sauce will keep up to 3 days in the fridge.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 tbsp, Calories: 9 kcal, Carbohydrates: 1 g, Protein: 1 g (2%), Fat: 1 g (2%), Saturated Fat: 1 g (6%), Cholesterol: 1 mg, Sodium: 5 mg, Potassium: 31 mg (1%), Fiber: 1 g (4%), Sugar: 1 g (1%), Vitamin A: 10 IU, Vitamin C: 1 mg (1%), Calcium: 16 mg (2%), Iron: 1 mg (6%)

Course: Sauce

Cuisine: Greek

Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear how it turned out! Leave a comment and rating below or tag me on Instagram @happyfoodstube.

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