Little Broken

Food recipes from real ingredients

  • Home
  • Meet Katya
    • FAQ
  • Recipe Index
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Salads
      • Dressings
    • Main Dish
    • Soups
    • Side Dish
    • Sweets
    • Sauces and Condiments
  • Lifestyle
  • Contact

Home » Sauces and Condiments

Tzatziki Yogurt Sauce

March 4, 2020 By Katya 1 Comment

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe
tzatziki yogurt sauce in a white bowl

Sharing the best tips and tricks on how to master tzatziki yogurt sauce. It’s the best sauce to spoon over Chicken Gyros or to serve as a dip with veggies and pita bread.

https://www.littlebroken.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Tzatziki-Yogurt-Sauce-18.jpgThis post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Tzatziki Yogurt Sauce

It was about time that I shared my all-time favorite tzatziki sauce. Tzatziki sauce is a Greek cucumber yogurt sauce. It’s fresh, tangy, and so creamy.

You can pick up a container of tzatziki from just about any store these days but trust me when I say this homemade tzatziki is truly the best.

It comes together fairly easily and pairs so well with Greek-inspired dishes or as a dip for veggies and pita bread. 

greek yogurt tzatziki sauce

What’s in tzatziki sauce?

Let’s cover some basics before I share how to make the best tzatziki yogurt sauce.

GREEK YOGURT: Use the best of the best. For full-bodied creaminess, I recommend whole milk plain Greek yogurt for this recipe. 

Greek yogurt is strained so most of its liquid is removed. This is what gives Greek yogurt its thicker consistency and stronger flavors compared to regular yogurt. 

CUCUMBER: Just like yogurt, cucumber is another main component of tzatziki sauce. English cucumbers work the best. They’re thin-skinned, pretty much seedless, and sweeter than the regular common cucumber. 

GARLIC: You only need one clove of garlic to give tzatziki the perfect amount of bite.  If using smaller cloves, use two. You’ll want to use a garlic press or a microplane to grate the garlic. 

DILL: Fresh dill not only provides tons of flavor but also pretty color. Dried dill does not taste the same and I do not recommend it here.

LEMON JUICE: Some recipes use vinegar in tzatziki sauce but I find that lemon juice adds bright freshness to the sauce.

OLIVE OIL: Lastly, tzatziki is finished off with olive oil and some salt and fresh black pepper.

ingredients for tzatziki sauce

Uses for tzatziki sauce

Prepare tzatziki at least an hour before you plan on serving it. The flavor gets even better overnight, so you can easily throw this sauce together the night before.

  • Gyros
  • Vegetable dip
  • Pita bread dip
  • Grilled vegetables
  • Grilled chicken
  • Salad bowls
  • Spread for sandwiches or burgers
  • Dip for fries
  • Stuffed pita sandwich
  • Chickpea salad
  • Grilled chicken tacos

How to Make Greek Yogurt Tzatziki Sauce

The secret to the best tzatziki sauce is to thoroughly drain the cucumbers not once but twice before mixing in with the yogurt. Otherwise, the cucumbers will release moisture and water down the sauce.

Katya’s TIP: For best results, use a box-grater to grate the cucumbers. Do not try to finely chop the cucumber. 

Prep the cucumber: Trim the ends of your cucumber and peel the skin of the cucumber with a vegetable peeler. It does not have to be perfect. Using the larger holes of a box grater, grate the cucumber over a bowl.

grated cucumber in a bowl

Squeeze the cucumber: Lightly squeeze the grated cucumber between the palm of your hands over the sink or a bowl. Place the squeezed cucumber into a clean bowl.

squeezed cucumber in a bowl

Wrap a handful of squeezed cucumber in a clean kitchen towel or few sheets of paper towel and squeeze to remove excess moisture. You can do this over a sink or the same bowl previously used. Place the squeezed cucumber into a clean mixing bowl.

shredded cucumber in a bowl

Mix everything together: To the cucumber, add the yogurt, garlic, dill, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.

cucumber yogurt dip in a bowl

Chill and serve: Cover and chill the tzatziki for at least 1 hour to allow flavors to meld. Taste for salt and acidity before serving.

Storing Tzatziki Sauce

Homemade tzatziki can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Stir before serving to blend in any moisture from the cucumbers.

I do not recommend freezing the tzatziki sauce as the consistency of the sauce will change.

tzatziki yogurt sauce dip

If you try Tzatziki Yogurt Sauce, don’t forget to leave feedback and a rating.

Print
clock clock icon cutlery cutlery icon flag flag icon folder folder icon instagram instagram icon pinterest pinterest icon facebook facebook icon print print icon squares squares icon heart heart icon heart solid heart solid icon
tzatziki yogurt sauce dip

Tzatziki Yogurt Sauce

  • Author: Katya
  • Prep Time: 20 min
  • Total Time: 20 min
  • Category: Main
  • Method: Mixed
  • Cuisine: Greek
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Description

Sharing the best tips and tricks on how to master tzatziki yogurt sauce. It’s the best sauce to spoon over gyros or to serve as a dip with veggies and pita bread.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 (12 oz.) English cucumber
  • 1 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
  • 1–2 cloves garlic, pressed or grated with a microplane
  • 3 tsp. finely chopped fresh dill
  • 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
  • 3 tsp. olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • Fresh black pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Trim the ends of the cucumber and peel the skin with a vegetable peeler. Grate the cucumber over a bowl, using the larger holes of a box grater.
  2. Lightly squeeze the grated cucumber between the palm of your hands over the sink or a bowl. Place the squeezed cucumber into a clean bowl.
  3. Wrap a handful of squeezed cucumber in a clean kitchen towel or few sheets of paper towel and squeeze to remove excess moisture. You can do this over a sink or the same bowl previously used. Place the squeezed cucumber into a clean mixing bowl.
  4.  To the cucumber, add the yogurt, garlic, dill, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
  5. Cover and chill the tzatziki for at least 1 hour to allow flavors to meld. Taste for salt and acidity before serving.

Notes

  • For best results, use plain whole milk Greek yogurt and fresh dill.
  • Storing: Tzatziki sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Stir before serving to blend in any moisture from the cucumbers.

Keywords: yogurt dip, cucumber yogurt sauce, gyros, sauce

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @littlebrokenblog on Instagram and hashtag it #littlebrokenblog

 

This post may contain affiliate links.

Filed Under: Recipes, Sauces and Condiments Tagged With: cucumber, greek yogurt, yogurt

« Roasted Bone-In Chicken Breast
Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad »

Comments

  1. Nick @ GreekBoston.com says

    March 26, 2020 at 5:23 PM

    Tzatziki is a staple of Greek cuisine! Gyros, for example, wouldn’t be the same without this sauce. It’s also very easy to make it at home, and your recipe looks delicious!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS

Welcome

Hello and Welcome! I’m Katya. I believe life is too short to eat bad food and wear boring shoes. I'm glad you're here! Learn more...

Are you an insider?

subscribe to get my latest recipes delivered to your inbox

Popular Posts

Close up of chicken stew in dutch oven

One-Pot Chicken Stew

close up summer corn chowder in a bowl

Zucchini Corn Chowder

Chicken Mushroom and Spinach Lasagna - made with shredded chicken, fresh spinach, mushrooms, and light sauce | littlebroken.com @littlebroken

Chicken Mushroom and Spinach Lasagna

Close up side view of cod in tomato herb butter

Cod with Tomato and Herb Butter

Copyright & Disclosure

The content found on Little Broken may be shared, so feel free to Pin, Tweet, Facebook & Share away with a link back to www.littlebroken.com. All images and content are copyright protected so please do not copy or claim my work as your own.
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS

Recent Recipes

stuffed shells with sausage
cauliflower pilaf rice
thai red curry noodle soup
salmon egg salad
avocado tuna salad
sesame chicken wings
Copyright © 2021 · LITTLE BROKEN · PRIVACY POLICY · DISCLOSURE · Log in