Tzatziki sauce is a delicious creamy yogurt-based sauce made with grated cucumbers, olive oil, white vinegar, and seasonings.
Learn the tips and tricks to easily make this cucumber sauce homemade.
What is tzatziki used for?
The cucumber sauce is a delicious condiment for gyros, lamb, kebabs, falafel, and souvalki. I always serve it with my Greek lamb meatballs.
It is also delicious served as a dip for pita or vegetables. It makes a great topping for baked potatoes. My kids love to eat it on their fries.
How to make tzatziki sauce
Follow these easy steps to make tzatziki sauce:
- Grate cucumber. (You do not have to peel.)
- Strain cucumber juice through a fine mesh sieve.
- In a mixing bowl, combine Greek yogurt (or sour cream) with olive oil, vinegar, garlic, and salt.
- Mix in strained cucumber.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Tip: You can add 1 tbs of chopped fresh dill, parsley, or mint for additional flavor.
Note: Do not skip on straining the juice from the cucumber. This keeps the cucumber sauce from becoming runny.
Sour cream or Yogurt?
Traditionally you would use plain authentic Greek yogurt in tzatziki sauce.
However, you can substitute sour cream for yogurt. You would use the same amount of sour cream that you would use as Greek yogurt.
My family actually prefers it with sour cream. It is a little more rich and creamier. Both ways are delicious.
How long will it last?
This cucumber sauce will have the best flavor for 2 days if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
After 2 days, it will become a little runny, but will be fine to eat for up to 5 days.
If it becomes runny, stir the tzatziki sauce before serving. Stirring will help the yogurt reabsorb the liquid to firm up the sauce.
Which cucumbers should you use?
You can use any cucumber for this recipe.
The English cucumbers are the easiest to work with because the outer peel is soft and they have less liquid to strain.
The garden cucumbers that you commonly find in the grocery store are perfectly fine to use.
I don't peel my garden cucumbers for this recipe, but you can peel them if you do not like thicker skin texture.
You can also remove the seeds to make them easier to strain. I personally leave the seeds and have no problem.
For more delicious Greek recipes, try:
Please leave me a comment below if you make this tzatziki sauce recipe, and tell me what you thought about it. I would love to hear back, and so would my readers.
Also post your picture of your cucumber sauce on Instagram or Facebook, and tag @aforkstale with #aforkstale hashtags! I will share with my followers! xoxo!
How to make tzatizki sauce- cucumber sauce
Ingredients
- ½ large cucumber
- 1 ½ cup authentic Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Strain cucumber juice through a fine mesh sieve.
- In a mixing bowl, combine 1 ½ cup Greek yogurt (or sour cream) with 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp vinegar, 2 minced garlic, and salt to taste.
- Mix in strained cucumber.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Angela
This sauce really is versatile. It is a must try!
Ana F.
I made mine with Non Fat Greek yogurt and it was delicious! I always eat it with pita chips but next time I will try it on potatoes. What a great idea! Thanks for the recipe!
Deanne
So refreshing, we'll be making this all summer long!
Jen
That tiny bit of vinegar really brightens up this dip. Delicious.
Jen
No need to worry about storing leftovers in this house, haha! We were all fighting over who was going to get the last dip. The fresh flavor from making it yourself vs store bought is so much better. Thanks!