Tzatziki is that delicious cucumber and yogurt sauce you always love at Greek restaurants, but arent quite sure how to pronounce. Its delicious on almost anything and easy to make!
HOMEMADE TZATZIKI SAUCE
Everyone loves Tzatziki, but they dont realize how easy it is to make at home! Homemade sauces are a favorite of mine because they give that extra touch to a dish. A few others you may want to check out are my favorite steak sauce, homemade enchilada sauce and honey mustard!
This sauce can also be used as a healthy alternative to mayonnaise or ranch dressing for sandwiches, wraps and as a dip. Once you learn how to make Tzatziki, you will want to have it around all the time. Its so flavorful!
WHAT IS TZATZIKI
Tzatziki is a traditional Greek sauce thats creamy and rich in flavor. In Greece its made with goats milk or sheeps milk yogurt. In the US, Greek yogurt is the go-to substitute.
For this sauce, greek yogurt, cucumber, fresh lemon juice, dill and garlic come together to make a thick sauce that pairs perfectly with just about anything. Its served chilled, so its kept refrigerated until it is time to use it, making it the perfect make ahead recipe.
HOW TO USE TZATZIKI
Tzatziki is traditionally served as a spread with gyros, or as a dipping sauce for pita bread or kabobs, like Chicken Souvlaki. The great thing about Tzatziki is that you can use it for other things and it isnt limited to Greek cuisine.
Tzatziki can be used as a vegetable dip, spread on toast, sandwiches, as a dip for crackers or chips, used to flavor just about any kind of meat, or as a salad dressing. The options are endless!
How Do You Say Tzatziki?
The best way for an English speaker to pronounce tzatziki is tsah-see-key. Emphasize the tsah part and pronounce it like the end of the word pizza. You can hear the pronunciation here.
TZATZIKI INGREDIENTS
This Tzatziki only requires a handful of ingredients. I love how you can combine such simple ingredients and it can come together to make something so dang delicious.
Heres what you need to make this Tzatziki sauce:
- Cucumber
- Full-fat Greek yogurt
- Garlic cloves
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Lemon juice
- Dill
- Salt
HOW TO MAKE TZATZIKI
The most important part of making Tzatziki is that your cucumber is well drained. If it isnt, your sauce will be too watery.
Heres how to make the best Tzatziki:
- Grate the whole cucumber by using a box grater or food processor. Use cheesecloth, or a tea towel, to squeeze out any liquid from the shredded cucumber.
- Combine the shredded and drained cucumber with greek yogurt, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, dill and salt in a large bowl and mix together.
- Cover and refrigerate the sauce overnight, or for at least 2 hours.
- Serve this sauce chilled with some pita bread, vegetables or gyros.
HOW TO STORE TZATZIKI
Store your prepared Tzatziki in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You may notice a little separation after a day or two in the refrigerator. If you do, give the sauce a good stir and it should even itself out.
I dont recommend freezing Tzatziki for later use. In my experience the sauce does not freeze well, because the cucumbers tend to get mushy from freezing and thawing. However, if you really want to, yes you can freeze it. It will not go bad by any means, but it will just not have the same preferred texture.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
CAN I MAKE TZATZIKI AHEAD?
Yes! Tzatziki can be made and kept refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Making it ahead of time also gives it the opportunity for all the flavors of the Tzatziki to blend together perfectly.
DO I HAVE TO PEEL THE CUCUMBER?
You dont have to. This is a personal preference. You can leave the peel on to get some more nutrients and fiber in the sauce, but some people find the texture of the peel to be too much with the creamy Tzatziki.
IS TZATZIKI SAUCE HEALTHY?
Yes! With cucumbers and Greek yogurt as the main ingredients, Tzatziki sauce is packed with protein, calcium, and B vitamins. The yogurt also contains probiotics which will also help your digestive system.
I know you are going to love this Tzatziki sauce, because it is healthy, full of flavor and has so many uses. We have been making this recipe for years in my family and I am excited to share it. Ever since we found the huge Greek community here in Florida, I have been working on making Greek food at home that is as good as theirs!
Let me know what you think of this amazing Tzatziki sauce by leaving me a review or comment below!
Tzatziki Sauce
Tzatziki is that delicious cucumber and yogurt sauce you always love at Greek restaurants. It's delicious on almost anything and very easy to make!
Ingredients
- 1 large cucumber, unpeeled
- 2 cups plain full-fat Greek yogurt
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, minced
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Using a box grater or food processor, grate the whole cucumber and use cheesecloth (or a tea towel) to squeeze out the extra liquid in the shredded cucumber.
- Combine the shredded and drained cucumber, yogurt, garlic, olive ol, lemon juice and salt together in a large bowl.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 2 hours.
- Serve chilled with pita bread, vegetables, or gyros. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 servings Serving Size: 1 servingAmount Per Serving: Calories: 122Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 292mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 0gSugar: 4gProtein: 7g
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