I love to recreate my favorite Mediterranean dishes at home such as falafel, tabbouleh, baba ganoush and this refreshing cucumber yogurt sauce. I like to serve this sauce with pita bread as an appetizer, or pair it with grilled chicken or lamb as a main course. Whenever I go to my local Greek restaurant, I order a side of tzatziki sauce. This cool and creamy condiment is a great dipping sauce for meats, vegetables, potatoes, bread and more. My version of this classic dish can be on the table in 10 minutes, and will make any Mediterranean style meal taste more authentic.
Tzatziki Sauce Ingredients
The ingredients for this recipe are simple and can be found at all major grocery stores.
Greek Yogurt: This dip can be made with any type of plain Greek yogurt. That being said, full fat yogurt makes for the creamiest sauce. I’ve also made this recipe with low fat and non fat yogurt with great results. Cucumber: Choose a thin skinned cucumber such as English or Persian cucumber for the best results. Garlic: Freshly minced garlic is the way to go here, and a little goes a long way. Olive Oil: I prefer to use a high quality extra virgin olive oil since this dip has a minimal ingredient list and the flavor of every ingredient really counts. Dill: Fresh dill is important to the success of this recipe; I find that the dried dill isn’t quite as flavorful. Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice is the perfect counterpart to the creamy yogurt. Seasonings: Add salt and pepper to really accentuate the flavors of the other ingredients.
How do you make tzatziki sauce?
Start with an English cucumber, then shred it by using a box grater. Squeeze the excess water from the grated cucumber. Place the cucumber in a bowl with Greek yogurt, olive oil, fresh lemon juice, garlic and dill. Stir everything together until it’s well combined. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and more dill, then serve and enjoy.
Tips for the perfect yogurt sauce
I like to use full fat yogurt for the creamiest dip, but fat free and low fat yogurt will also work. This sauce works best with Greek yogurt. If you don’t have Greek yogurt, you can strain regular plain yogurt and use that instead. While I like the flavor of dill in this tzatziki sauce, other great options include parsley, mint, chives or a combination of herbs. I use English cucumber in my tzatziki because it’s seedless and has a thin skin. You can use a traditional waxy cucumber, just be sure to peel it and remove the seeds. Small Persian cucumbers also work really well. You can add other flavors to your sauce including diced kalmata olives, or add more garnishes such as toasted pine nuts or sun dried tomatoes.
Whether you’re serving this dip with grilled chicken or as a lighter appetizer option, it’s sure to be a big hit with family and friends!
More Mediterranean dishes
Fattoush Salad Homemade Hummus Chicken Souvlaki Muhammara Dip Chopped Greek Salad
Tzatziki Sauce Video
