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

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.

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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!

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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.

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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!

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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!

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5-Minute Tzatziki Sauce (Extra Easy)

4.44 from 156 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!

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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? ›

What is tzatziki? Tzatziki is a salted yogurt and cucumber dip that's made of strained yogurt, shredded cucumber, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and herbs. Authentic Greek tzatziki is most often made with sheep or goat yogurt, but my tzatziki recipe calls for regular full-fat Greek yogurt.

Is tzatziki good for your gut? ›

Conclusion. 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? ›

Ways to use tzatziki from Jamie's 5 Ingredients Mediterranean
  • 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)
  • My special vegan kofte.
  • Sizzling lamb lollipops.
Sep 8, 2023

How to make tzatziki more thick? ›

You can thicken it by placing a piece of cheesecloth over the top of a wide mouthed jar and holding it in place with some rubber bands. Fill the cheesecloth with your sauce, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. The excess water will drain out and the sauce will be thicker.

How long does homemade tzatziki last? ›

Tzatziki sauce should be kept in a sealed container and stored in the refrigerator when you're not using it. As long as it's stored properly, you can expect homemade tzatziki to last about three to four days. This will depend on how fresh the yogurt was when you made the sauce.

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 high blood pressure? ›

We make our tzatziki sauce with garlic grown in our raised garden beds, which brings its own health benefits into the mix. Garlic helps with conditions such as high or low blood pressure, high cholesterol, inherited high cholesterol, and coronary heart disease.

Is tzatziki healthier than ranch? ›

The use of Greek yogurt makes it much healthier, lower in calories and higher in good proteins than ranch dips, for example. Tzatziki is found in dishes all over Southeastern Europe and the Middle east.

What do Greeks eat with tzatziki? ›

At the very least, serve it with some carrots, bell peppers, and other fresh veggies of your choice, but you can use it in many more ways with everything from the obvious gyros to pan-seared salmon, lamb rack, all sorts of kebabs including vegetable skewers, or even to top your baked potato!

What meat goes well with tzatziki? ›

Tzatziki together with any kind of simple grilled, marinated, roasted or air fried meat or fish are a match made in heaven. Lamb chops or simply cooked salmon would be my top picks! Either spoon the sauce over the meat or fish or serve it on the side.

What vegetables go well with tzatziki? ›

Serve with a variety of vegetables like: fresh green beans (lightly steamed), green, red, or yellow bell peppers, carrots, celery, zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, broccoli, and cauliflower.

Why does my tzatziki taste bitter? ›

How do you get the bitter taste out of tzatziki sauce? Your main ingredient – the cucumber – is often the culprit. To avoid this, make sure that you choose the right variety: English and Persian cucumbers have very little, or no, bitterness.

How do you cut cucumbers for tzatziki? ›

Peel cucumbers and slice into long quarters. Then, using a spoon, remove all the cucumber seeds. Dice the cucumbers. Dice the cucumber and drain with a sieve to remove the excess liquid.

Why does tzatziki get watery? ›

The watery sauce is due to the cucumbers, which hold lots of water. The best way to avoid a watery tzatziki sauce is to get the excess moisture out of the grated cucumber before it's added to the sauce mixture.

Is tzatziki made from yogurt or sour cream? ›

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.

What is the primary Flavouring agent of a Greek tzatziki sauce? ›

The main flavor component of Greek Tzatziki sauce is typically tangy yogurt, combined with garlic, cucumber, and often a hint of dill or mint.

What is a good substitute for tzatziki sauce? ›

A great alternative would be this Greek Yogurt Salad Dressing. You can also try to up the flavor profile by making a Yogurt Tahini Sauce or Yogurt Dill Sauce to enhance those Mediterranean flavors.

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, red wine vinegar, and dill or mint or parsley.

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