Name: The Easiest Homemade Tzatziki
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 1/2 medium cucumber; 3/4 cup Greek yogurt; 1/2 lemon, juiced and zested; 3 tbsp fresh dill, chopped; 1 tsp garlic, grated or minced; Salt & pepper to taste

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This tzatziki recipe brightens up any summer dish! Super creamy and packed with fresh herbs, it tastes SO good served with grilled meats, veggies, pita, or Mediterranean-inspired bowls!

The Most Delicious Dip: Homemade Tzatziki

Tzatziki is SO incredibly easy to make, and it is one of my favorite sauces to keep in my refrigerator for a week of meal prep. Whether I’m grilling meats, need a snack with vegetables, or I’m making a balanced meal with Mediterranean flavors, tzatziki is the best topping, dip, or side to add so much freshness and flavor!

This version is made *without* olive oil to keep it lower in fat for a sup delicious, healthy, high-protein sauce!

What is tzatziki?

Tzatziki is one of my absolute FAVORITE sauces and dips. I love adding it to a Mediterranean-inspired bowl, using it as a dip for spinach and feta meatballs for a high protein snack, dolloping it onto each bite of a Mediterranean chicken wrap, or serving as a dip with crudité!

Tzatziki is a yogurt and cucumber dip made with strained yogurt and shredded cucumber, with bright and fresh flavors from lemon, garlic, and dill. It is traditionally made with sheep or goat yogurt, but that is typically hard to find so a thick, full fat Greek yogurt is the best alternative.

Ingredients for Homemade Tzatziki

Making this sauce is SO easy! All you need are some high quality fresh ingredients!

Full Fat Greek Yogurt: Full fat is absolutely the way to go, and the only brand I prefer to use is Fage! It’s incredibly rich and creamy and makes for the best tzatziki.
Fresh dill: If you don’t have access to fresh, dried dill is fine, just use about 1/2 of the amount specified in the recipe. You can also add some fresh mint!
Garlic: As much as your heart desires! Freshly grated garlic is best. In a pinch, you can use garlic powder.
Lemon juice: Add some lemon zest, too, to add more bold, bright flavor!
Cucumber: A necessary ingredient. I use about 1/3 of a large cucumber. Make sure you squeeze all of the water out of your shredded cucumber to prevent your sauce from separating.
Salt & pepper: Always season to taste!
Olive oil (optional): I usually don’t add olive oil to mine to keep it low-fat, but if I’m serving it as a dip, I like to drizzle some olive oil on top.

How to Make It

Making homemade tzatziki is super easy. All you need is a bowl, a box grater, and a microplane.

Start by grating the cucumber. I use the side with the largest holes on a box grater to do this.
Next, squeeze the water out of the cucumber. Place the cucumber in a colander to squeeze out excess water. Sprinkle with some salt to draw out more water. This step is super important. If you do not squeeze the water out of the cucumber, it will cause your sauce to separate.
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Add Greek yogurt, grated cucumber, grated garlic, chopped dill, lemon juice and zest, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Mix well and serve!

half of a cucumber with a box grater and shredded cucumber — Use a box grater to shred about 1/2 of a small cucumber. Place cucumber in a colander and add a pinch of salt to draw out water. Squeeze out excess water.

Full fat Greek yogurt, lemon juice, fresh dill, grated garlic, and shredded cucumber make a delicious homemade tzatziki — Add Greek yogurt to a bowl with shredded cucumber, fresh dill, grated garlic, lemon juice and zest, and salt and pepper to taste.

How to use tzatziki sauce

There are so many ways to use tzatziki sauce either as a snack or part of a meal. The most simple way to enjoy tzatziki is to serve it with your favorite fresh vegetables. Carrot, cucumber, and bell pepper are great to dip into tzatziki! I also love to serve tzatziki as a dipping sauce for wraps and sandwiches, whether it’s with a gyro or Mideterranean-inspired Chicken Wrap. Tzatziki is great to dollop on bowls. One of my personal favorites is to make spinach and feta meatballs and use tzatziki as a dipping sauce for the meatballs–I meal-prep these meatballs to eat as a snack with Tzatziki! Tzatziki is also great with grilled veggies and meats for a fresh and delicious meal during the summer months!

Equipment:

Box grater
Microplane
Small bowl