Tzatziki is the Greek condiment that does more than any sauce has a right to. Cool, creamy, garlicky, and impossibly fresh-tasting, it turns grilled meat into a gyro, a plate of vegetables into a mezze, and a wedge of pita into something worth sitting down for. Fifteen minutes of prep, thirty minutes of resting, and you have a jar that makes everything in your fridge for the next four days taste more interesting.
Sauce
Easy
Greek
Creamy tzatziki sauce
A thick, tangy cucumber-garlic yogurt sauce with fresh dill and mint — the cool, bright Greek condiment that turns grilled meat, pita, and vegetables into a meal.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 1 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Serves
- 8
Creamy tzatziki sauce
Makes About 2 cups
Serves
8
Scaled 1×. Ingredients adjusted — but cook time, pan size, and oven temperature don't scale linearly. A bigger batch usually needs a bigger pan and a few extra minutes; a smaller batch often finishes sooner. Trust your eyes, not the timer.
Ingredients (12)
To finish
You'll need
- Box grater (coarse side)
- Fine mesh strainer or clean kitchen towel
- Medium bowl
- Microplane (for garlic)
- Glass jar or airtight container
Instructions
0 of 7
Nutrition
Estimated per serving · 1/4 cup
70
Calories
5 g
Protein
4 g
Carbs
4 g
Fat
0 g
Fiber
3 g
Sugar
280 mg
Sodium
What to look for when you shop
Best varieties
- English cucumber (seedless) — long, thin-skinned, ideal for tzatziki
- Persian cucumbers (Beit Alpha) — small, crunchy, thin-skinned; very authentic
- Lebanese cucumbers — similar to Persian; excellent choice
- Standard American cucumber — works if peeled and seeded (waxed skin is tough)
- Homegrown garden cucumbers — varies; if skin is thin, leave it on
Ripeness
Cucumbers should be firm, glossy, and have no soft spots or wrinkled skin. Yellow tinges at the blossom end mean overripe and bitter. Smaller cucumbers are usually sweeter and less seedy.
Imperfections are fine
Minor spots and slight curves are fine — they're getting grated. Slight thickness variations don't matter.
Good substitutions
- Use a grated zucchini in a pinch (1-for-1 swap) — it's a zucchini "tzatziki"
- Swap dill + mint for just one or the other
- Add 2 tbsp fresh parsley for a herbier version
- Sour cream + Greek yogurt (half and half) for extra tang and richness
In season
US cucumbers peak June through September but are available year-round. English and Persian cucumbers are reliable year-round. Summer local cucumbers are notably sweeter than winter.
How much to buy
1 large English cucumber or 2 Persian cucumbers.
From a grower near you
Find your cucumber grower and dairy on CollectiveCrop
Standard supermarket cucumbers are waxed and thick-skinned — a sign they've been in transit. Persian and Lebanese cucumbers from a local grower are crisper, sweeter, and free of the bitter aftertaste that shows up in some commercial varieties. CollectiveCrop is how you find that grower. Paired with fresh-cut dill and Greek yogurt from a regional dairy, a ten-minute sauce turns into a restaurant-level one.
- In season June – September (local); year-round with imports
- For this recipe 1 English cucumber (or 2 Persian)
- Freshness Picked within this week
- Imperfects welcome Second-grade produce works great here
- Diet-friendly vegetarian · gluten-free
- While you're there Fresh dill and mint · Greek yogurt from a local dairy · Garlic · Lemons · Good olive oil
At the market
1 large English cucumber or 2 Persian cucumbers.
Best varieties
- English cucumber (seedless) long, thin-skinned, ideal for tzatziki
- Persian cucumbers (Beit Alpha) small, crunchy, thin-skinned; very authentic
- Lebanese cucumbers similar to Persian; excellent choice
Good to know
Tips
- Grate the garlic on a microplane. Minced pieces give you pockets of raw garlic bite; grated garlic distributes evenly and melts into the sauce.
- Fresh herbs are non-negotiable. Dried dill tastes nothing like fresh — if you don't have fresh, make something else or pick up a bunch on the way home.
- For an extra-luxurious version, stir in 2 tablespoons of very finely grated Greek feta.
- Serve with room-temperature pita, not hot — the contrast of cool sauce and warm bread is part of the appeal.
- For a larger batch, double everything and plan to use leftovers as a salad dressing thinned with a splash of water.
- Label and date your jar — garlic gets harsh after day 4.
Storage
- Refrigerator: 4 days in a sealed container.
- Freezer: not recommended — yogurt separates and cucumber turns mushy.
- Room temperature: 2 hours (during a meal); refrigerate after.
Reheating
- Not applicable — served cold.
Make ahead
- Make up to 1 day ahead — flavor peaks on day 2.
- Grate and drain cucumber up to 4 hours ahead.
- Chop herbs up to 6 hours ahead; store covered.
- Grate garlic up to 4 hours ahead.
Variations
- Cucumber-yogurt Mediterranean (cacik): Turkish version; thin with more olive oil and serve as a cold soup-dip.
- Spicy tzatziki: add 1 tablespoon harissa paste or 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper.
- Lemon-forward: double the lemon juice and add 1 tsp lemon zest.
- Roasted garlic tzatziki: swap raw garlic for 1 full head of roasted garlic, squeezed out.
- Feta tzatziki: stir in 1/3 cup crumbled feta.
- Scallion tzatziki: add 2 thinly sliced scallions for freshness and crunch.
- Mint-forward: double the mint, skip the dill — Moroccan lean.
- Tzatziki dressing: thin with 2 tbsp water and use as a salad dressing.
Swaps
- Vegan: use thick coconut or cashew yogurt (unsweetened); flavors shift slightly but work.
- Dairy-free: same as vegan — coconut yogurt (Cocojune is ideal) or cashew cream.
- Lactose-intolerant: Greek yogurt has less lactose than regular yogurt and is often tolerated.
- No fresh dill or mint: 1 teaspoon dried dill is acceptable; dried mint doesn't work.
- Lower-fat: use 2% or 0% Greek yogurt; texture is thinner but still good.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do you have to salt and drain the cucumber?
Cucumbers hold a lot of water. Salt draws it out, so the finished sauce stays thick and creamy instead of watery. Skipping this step gives you runny tzatziki that won't hold up on a gyro or dip.
What yogurt works best?
Full-fat Greek yogurt — the thicker, the better. Fage total 5% or Greek-style strained yogurt is ideal. Low-fat and 0% work but the sauce is less rich. Regular (unstrained) yogurt is too thin; strain it through cheesecloth for an hour first.
How much garlic is authentic?
More than most Americans are used to. Traditional Greek tzatziki has an assertive raw-garlic bite. This recipe uses 3 to 4 cloves for about 2 cups — adjust to your heat tolerance. Grate finely (microplane) for even distribution without raw chunks.
Mint or dill — or both?
Both is traditional in many Greek households, though dill is more common. Mint alone is lighter; dill alone is more herbal. Together, they round out the flavor. This recipe uses both; halve one if you prefer a single-note version.
Should I peel the cucumber?
For English cucumbers, no — the skin is thin and adds color. For standard American cucumbers with waxed skin, yes, peel. For Persian cucumbers (small, unwaxed), no. Scoop out the seeds of any cucumber to reduce water further.
How long does tzatziki last?
4 days refrigerated in a sealed container. The flavor actually improves after 2 hours and peaks on day 2. After day 4, the garlic gets harsh and the cucumber starts to weep.
Can I freeze tzatziki?
Not ideal — the yogurt separates and the cucumber turns mushy. Make it fresh for best results. If you have too much, eat it faster (use as a marinade, salad dressing, or spread).
What do I serve with tzatziki?
Pita, gyros, grilled chicken or lamb, falafel, veggie platters, over roasted potatoes or vegetables, as a sandwich spread, stirred into rice, on top of eggs, with grilled fish, or with a Greek mezze platter. It's the universal Greek condiment.
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