Creamy Greek Tzatziki Sauce recipe with cucumber, yogurt, and garlic. Add a tablespoon or two of fresh dill or mint, if you like. Do not skip draining the cucumbers, or the sauce will be watery. And for the best texture, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 2 hours before serving. This versatile cucumber yogurt sauce can be used in many ways.
Prep time: PT10M
Total time: PT10M
Rating
4.91 stars (333 reviews)
Keywords
cucumber yogurt sauce, Greek sauce, how to make tzatziki sauce
Ingredients
3/4 English cucumber, (partially peeled (striped) )
1 teaspoon kosher salt, (divided)
4 to 5 garlic cloves,
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon Early Harvest Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 cups plain Greek yogurt
Handful of chopped fresh dill or mint (optional)
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
Warm pita bread for serving
Sliced vegetables for serving
Categories
Dips and Appetizers
Cuisine
Greek
Steps
Prepare the cucumbers. Manually grate the cucumbers with a box grater to finely grate the cucumbers as I do in this recipe. Toss the grated cucumbers with 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Spoon the grated cucumber into a cheesecloth or a double thickness napkin and squeeze dry. There will be a lot of liquid.
Combine the garlic mixture. In one large mixing bowl, place the garlic with the remaining 1/2 tsp salt, white vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil. Mix to combine.
Add the cucumber. Add the grated cucumber, yogurt, and a pinch of white or black pepper to the bowl with the garlic mixture, along with the fresh herbs, if using. Stir to combine. (I did not use fresh herbs in the video.)
Refrigerate. Cover and refrigerate for a bit (anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple of hours before serving). This will help thicken the sauce and give it the best texture, while allowing the flavors to meld.
Serve. When ready to serve, stir the tzatziki sauce to refresh and transfer to a serving bowl, drizzle with more extra virgin olive oil, if you like. Serve with your favorite veggies, pita chips, or wedges.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 16.3 kcal
Carbohydrates: 1 g
Protein: 1.5 g
Fat: 0.7 g
Saturated Fat: 0.2 g
Cholesterol: 0.8 mg
Sodium: 78.7 mg
Sugar: 0.7 g
Unsaturated Fat: 0.4 g
Reviews
Brett on 2026-09-07 (5 stars): Very good recipe for tzatziki as a base. For me, I do add a bit more dill and a nice squeeze of lemon. Yummy either way.
Mary E Harrison on 2026-09-04 (5 stars): Read all the comments and I’m excited to try this new tzatziki recipe.
Mike E on 2026-08-14 (5 stars): Perfect! As is all your stuff.
Laura Mac on 2026-08-07 (5 stars): I've been cooking for 63 years and among my favorite cuisines is Greek. This is the BEST tzatziki recipe I've ever made! Absolutely authentic, not to mention quick and easy. The hardest part is waiting at least two hours to chow down!
Robert A on 2026-08-04 (5 stars): To cut down on the heat of the garlic, grate or microplane or simply mince it and then let it sit in the olive oil for a few hours or overnight. I also grate my cucumber and let that drain in a small mesh strainer overnight in the fridge. You will find the garlic much milder but still full of flavour. Garlic powder really is a poor substitute in tzatziki unless there is no other choice. If you do use powder, let it rehydrate in a tablespoon of water before mixing it in.
Dave on 2026-08-03 (5 stars): Have made this taziki a few times using my home grown cucumbers and dill, mint etc.Has gone down very well with friends and family.
Sophia on 2026-07-28 (5 stars): This recipe is the best! Comes out perfect every time and you can change the amounts of seasonings to your taste. Store bought does not compare! I make this regularly and it is always a hit. Thank you!!
Jaselyn F on 2026-07-21 (5 stars): My husband and I loved this one! I went with 3 cloves of garlic, but it made the sauce too spicy for the kids (5, 3, and 1.5), so I would probably either cut back next time or use garlic powder instead. Overall, though, an excellent recipe that I will come back to!
Geraldine Toltschin on 2026-07-16 (5 stars): Love your recipes. I have your book.
