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    Home » Dips » Easy Tzatziki Sauce (Yogurt Cucumber Dip)

    Easy Tzatziki Sauce (Yogurt Cucumber Dip)

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    Light and fresh, easy tzatziki sauce is a creamy yogurt cucumber dip packed with fresh cucumbers, garlic, dill, lemon juice and olive oil. It's a super simple and quick dip or sauce that can be served with all your favourite Mediterranean dishes.

    Light and fresh, easy tzatziki sauce is a creamy yogurt cucumber dip packed with fresh cucumbers, garlic, dill, lemon juice and olive oil. So easy to make. | aheadofthyme.com

    What is Tzatziki Sauce?

    Tzatziki sauce is the essential part of any Greek dish. Pour it over your souvlaki chicken and Greek potatoes, dip your pita bread in it, or spread it onto a sandwich, pita wrap, or Greek gyro. I also use it for dipping raw veggies or as a salad dressing. It's so delicious!

    Tzatziki is made with a few simple ingredients:

    • plain Greek yogurt
    • cucumber - I like to keep the skin on for the most authentic texture. You can peel the skin, based on your personal preference.
    • garlic - fresh garlic is best. I would not skip this. If you are out, you can substitute with garlic powder, but the flavour will not be as intense.
    • extra virgin olive oil
    • lemon juice - freshly squeezed lemon juice gives the best flavour. You can substitute with store-bought lemon juice if that's all you have on hand.
    • dill - fresh dill is best. You can substitute for dried dill, if that is all you have on hand. For dried herbs, I would add half the amount, then taste the dip, and add more to taste, as needed.
    • salt and pepper
    Light and fresh, easy tzatziki sauce is a creamy yogurt cucumber dip packed with fresh cucumbers, garlic, dill, lemon juice and olive oil. So easy to make. | aheadofthyme.com

    How to Make the Best Authentic Tzatziki Sauce

    1. Prep your ingredients. Grate the cucumber and drain through a cheesecloth, fine mesh sieve or using your hands.
    2. Combine ingredients. Transfer drained cucumber to a medium bowl. Add the yogurt, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, dill, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
    3. Refrigerate. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to let the flavours infuse into the yogurt.
    4. Serve. Garnish with some olives, a sprig of fresh dill, and a swirl of olive oil.
    Light and fresh, easy tzatziki sauce is a creamy yogurt cucumber dip packed with fresh cucumbers, garlic, dill, lemon juice and olive oil. So easy to make. | aheadofthyme.com

    Tips for Making Tzatziki Sauce

    • Chill the tzatziki. Tzatziki sauce tastes best when chilled for at least one hour, up to overnight. This lets the flavours of the garlic and dill really infuse to the yogurt. You could skip this step, but you will immediately notice the difference once chilled.
    • How to serve. Pour it over souvlaki chicken and Greek potatoes, dip pita bread in it, spread it onto a sandwich, pita wrap, or Greek gyro, or use it for dipping raw veggies into.
    • How to store tzatziki. Store this dip for up to one week in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It would not recommend storing it in the freezer.
    Light and fresh, easy tzatziki sauce is a creamy yogurt cucumber dip packed with fresh cucumbers, garlic, dill, lemon juice and olive oil. So easy to make. | aheadofthyme.com
    Light and fresh, easy tzatziki sauce is a creamy yogurt cucumber dip packed with fresh cucumbers, garlic, dill, lemon juice and olive oil. So easy to make. | aheadofthyme.com

    More Greek-Inspired Recipes

    • Easy Greek Chicken Gyros with Tzatziki
    • The Perfect Greek Salad
    • Quick and Easy Pita Bread
    • Easy Greek Chicken Souvlaki Skewers
    • Souvlaki Beef Shish Kebabs
    • Greek Lamb Souvlaki Skewers
    • Juicy Baked Chicken Breast with Greek Souvlaki Marinade

    Did you make this recipe? I would greatly appreciate a comment and rating below, letting me know what you thought of the recipe. You can also snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @aheadofthyme or share it on the Pinterest pin so that I can follow along.

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    Light and fresh, easy tzatziki sauce is a creamy yogurt cucumber dip packed with fresh cucumbers, garlic, dill, lemon juice and olive oil. So easy to make. | aheadofthyme.com

    Easy Tzatziki Sauce (Cucumber Yogurt Dip)


    ★★★★★

    5 from 6 reviews

    • Author: Sam | Ahead of Thyme
    • Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
    • Yield: 6 servings
    • Diet: Gluten Free
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    Description

    Light and fresh, easy tzatziki sauce is a creamy yogurt cucumber dip packed with fresh cucumbers, garlic, dill, lemon juice and olive oil. So easy to make.


    Ingredients

    • ½ large cucumber, unpeeled
    • 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
    • 2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
    • ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
    • 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (juice of ¼ lemon)
    • 1 + ½ tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • pinch of ground black pepper
    • kalamata olives (for garnish)

    Instructions

    1. Grate the cucumber and drain through a cheesecloth, fine mesh sieve or using your hands.
    2. Transfer drained cucumber to a medium bowl. Add the yogurt, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, dill, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
    3. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to let the flavours infuse into the yogurt.
    4. Garnish with some olives, a sprig of fresh dill and a swirl of olive oil.

    Notes

    Chill the tzatziki. Tzatziki sauce tastes best when chilled for at least one hour, up to overnight. This lets the flavours of the garlic and dill really infuse to the yogurt. You could skip this step, but you will immediately notice the difference once chilled.

    How to serve. Pour it over souvlaki chicken and Greek potatoes, dip pita bread in it, spread it onto a sandwich, pita wrap, or Greek gyro, or use it for dipping raw veggies into.

    How to store tzatziki. Store this dip for up to one week in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It would not recommend storing it in the freezer.

    • Prep Time: 10 minutes (+1 hour chill time)
    • Category: Dip
    • Method: Mixing
    • Cuisine: Greek

    Keywords: tzatziki, tzatziki sauce, tzatziki dip, Greek dip, yogurt cucumber dip

    Did you make this recipe?

    I'd love to see! Tag me @aheadofthyme on Instagram.

    This post was first published in May 2017. It has been completely updated in June 2020 with new photos, written content including helpful tips. Here is an original photograph for comparison.

    Light and fresh, easy tzatziki sauce is a creamy yogurt cucumber dip packed with fresh cucumbers, garlic, dill, lemon juice and olive oil. So easy to make. | aheadofthyme.com
    Light and fresh, easy tzatziki sauce is a creamy yogurt cucumber dip packed with fresh cucumbers, garlic, dill, lemon juice and olive oil. So easy to make. | aheadofthyme.com
    Easy Tzatziki Sauce (Yogurt Cucumber Dip)
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    Comments

    1. Sue says

      July 05, 2020 at 8:08 am

      Hi ... I'm a huge fan of this recipe, thank you!!! And your Greek Salad recipe ... both are amazing! One small note, when printing from the Print button, for some reason it prints over 4 pages - with 2 pages showing 2 lines only. Cheers.

      Reply
      • Sam | Ahead of Thyme says

        July 11, 2020 at 12:24 am

        Thank you so much, Sue! I am happy that you are liking the recipes. And thank you for letting me know about the print issue. I will look into it. Thanks!

        Reply
    2. Nicoletta @sugarlovespices says

      June 06, 2017 at 6:10 am

      It does look like the perfect tzatziki! We love Greek food as well, and it is so nice when you can reproduce it at home. With all the fresh dill coming up now, we'll make sure to make a batch! Thank you!

      Reply
    3. Elaine @ Dishes Delish says

      June 05, 2017 at 5:47 pm

      I'm obsessed with Tzatziki sauce. Mmmm. I could put it on just about anything! Great recipe!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
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