Make a quick Greek yogurt sauce with 6 ingredients in under 5 minutes. It's creamy with fresh herbs, perfect for any dish. Enjoy it on pita, veggies, sandwiches, or with gyros, kebabs, and more.
We love Mediterranean diet in our house and every week we try to incorporate more fresh healthy ingredients and flavors. Try our favorite chickpea cucumber salad (Jennifer Aniston Salad) or tomato mozzarella appetizer.
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🛒Ingredients
- Greek yogurt - for rich and flavorful tzatziki, opt for good quality, full-fat, plain Greek yogurt. This ensures a creamy texture and prevents the sauce from becoming watery or bland.
- Cucumbers - for the best results, opt for an English cucumber or Persian cucumbers (also known as mini or salad cucumbers) when making this sauce or topping Mediterranean Bowls. Regular cucumbers tend to lack flavor and can be too watery for this recipe.
- For authentic flavor, use real lemon juice in your tzatziki sauce. Bottled lemon juice lacks the freshness and zestiness needed. When zesting the lemon, be careful to avoid the bitter white pith. Use a microplane to zest only the outer yellow part of the lemon for optimal flavor.
- Seasoning is key for enhancing the flavors of your tzatziki sauce. A touch of salt and pepper goes a long way in bringing out the best in the ingredients and creating a harmonious balance.
Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.
Rita's Tip
To prevent the tzatziki from becoming watery or bland, it's important to squeeze the liquid out of the cucumber. Cucumbers have high water content, which can dilute the sauce. Wring out excess liquid using paper towels or cheesecloth several times before adding it to the mix.
Storing Leftovers
- 🍱To Store. For optimal flavor and freshness, store your sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator immediately after making it (up to 4 days). Remember to return it to the refrigerator promptly after each use.
What To Serve With Cucumber Dip
Tzatziki is mostly served with pita bread and fresh vegetables. It is also popular with grilled or roasted vegetables, falafels. Try these ideas:
- air fryer vegetables with chicken
- chicken tenders
- roasted carrots and asparagus
- zucchini fries
- air fryer sliced potatoes
More Mediterranean Recipes
📖Recipe
Cucumber Dip (Easy Greek Yogurt Sauce)
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoon garlic, minced or more if desired
- ½ teaspoon salt for the sauce, + ½ teaspoon for salting cucumbers
- freshly squeezed juice from 1 medium lemon
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup english cucumber, roughly chopped and peeled in stripes
- 2 cups plain greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoon quality virgin olive oil, make sure it doesn’t taste too bitter
- ¼ cup fresh dill, or more
Instructions
- For cucumber prep, grate or add them to food processor until finely chopped but not a puree! Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of kosher salt and let sit for 2-5 minutes (optional). Squeeze out excess liquid using a cheesecloth or napkin over a colander.½ teaspoon salt for the sauce, 1 cup english cucumber
- In a mixing bowl, combine garlic with remaining salt, black pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil. Add grated cucumber, yogurt, and dill, mixing well.½ teaspoon salt for the sauce, freshly squeezed juice from 1 medium lemon, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 2 cups plain greek yogurt, 2 teaspoon quality virgin olive oil, ¼ cup fresh dill, 2 teaspoon garlic
- Optional: refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Before serving, stir tzatziki sauce and transfer to a serving bowl. Optionally, drizzle with more olive oil. Serve with veggies, pita chips, or wedges.
Notes
- Cucumbers - for the best results, opt for an English cucumber or Persian cucumbers (also known as mini or salad cucumbers). Regular cucumbers tend to lack flavor and can be too watery for this recipe.
- Seasoning is key for enhancing the flavors of your tzatziki sauce. A touch of salt and pepper goes a long way in bringing out the best in the ingredients and creating a harmonious balance.
- To prevent the tzatziki from becoming watery or bland, it's important to squeeze the liquid out of the cucumber. Cucumbers have high water content, which can dilute the sauce. Wring out excess liquid using paper towels or cheesecloth several times before adding it to the mix.
- To Store. For optimal flavor and freshness, store your sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator immediately after making it (up to 4 days).
Nutrition
🥣How To Make Cucumber Dip - Step By Step
- For cucumber prep, grate or add them to food processor until finely chopped but not a puree! Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of kosher salt and let sit for 2-5 minutes (optional). Squeeze out excess liquid using a cheesecloth or napkin over a colander.
- In a mixing bowl, combine garlic with remaining salt, black pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil. Add grated cucumber, yogurt, and dill, mixing well.
- Optional: refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Before serving, stir tzatziki sauce and transfer to a serving bowl. Optionally, drizzle with more olive oil. Serve with veggies, pita chips, or wedges.
❤️Did you make this recipe? Please be sure to leave a rating and a comment below. Thank you!❤️
🤷Frequently Asked Questions
Thoroughly draining shredded cucumber is crucial for a thick and rich tzatziki sauce, rather than watery. Place the grated cucumber into cheesecloth and squeeze out the excess water with your hands.
Refrigerate tzatziki sauce promptly for maximum freshness and shelf life. Leaving it out for too long during preparation or serving can shorten its lifespan.
Ellie R.
Rita, I tried your cucumber dip recipe last night, and it was a hit! Squeezing the cucumber really made all the difference in avoiding a watery sauce. Can't wait to explore more Mediterranean recipes from your collection. Thanks for sharing!
MartyK
I gotta say, while I agree with squeezing cucumbers, I think letting the tzatziki sit overnight enhances the flavor even more. Anyone else tries this?
TinaQ
Absolutely! Letting it sit not only enhances the flavor but also allows the garlic to mellow out a bit. Must-do for me.
joshH
can i use bottled lemon juice instead of fresh? fresh lemons are kinda expensive where i live lol
Becca L.
Interesting tip about the cucumbers, Rita. I’ve read that using English cucumbers with less seeds can also help in reducing the water content even before you squeeze them out. Anyone tried this method as well? I'm thinking it might save some time and mess.
RonS
Yes, Becca! I use English cucumbers all the time for my tzatziki. You're right about the lower water content and fewer seeds. Makes a noticeable difference.
SammyJ
Grew some in my garden this year and can confirm! Flavor’s also more intense, perfect for dips.
Ursula
Great tips, by far one of the best tzatziki sauces!
Rita
glad you liked it!