Tzatziki is such a staple in our household, so I thought it was time to finally share our homemade tzatziki recipe. We taste tested this against the store bought stuff and this was the clear winner by a landslide!
We love sauces, and like anything, the homemade version is always better… and SO easy to make. Tzatziki is a Greek sauce that is made with simple ingredients that are easy to find at a grocery store (nothing fancy here). The combination of yogurt, cucumber and a few other ingredients creates that tangy, creamy dip we all know and love! The lemon, dill, and garlic in this sauce are really what takes this dip to the next level.
The key to this tzatziki is to let the grated cucumber sit to squeeze out the extra water. The salt helps draw out the liquid so you don’t want to skip this step unless you’re after a thinner sauce. After that, it’s just a matter of mixing everything in a bowl and refrigerating it until ready to serve. This dip will last for 2-3 days in the fridge. You can serve your tzatziki with a variety of things but it makes a great dipping sauce for veggies. I’ll also use it as a salad dressing sometimes on my falafel salads, so good!
If you want to try out a few more homemade sauces check out this Honey Mustard Sauce, or this BBQ sauce – both great served alongside this chicken finger recipe! If you want to try your hand at a few more basics we’ve rounded up all our staples here.
Homemade Tzatziki
Homemade Tzatziki
Ingredients
- 1 cup grated long English cucumber (skin on, about ½ a cucumber)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup 2% plain Greek Yogurt
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped dill (plus extra for garnish)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 clove garlic, crushed
Instructions
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Place the grated cucumber in a fine sieve, mix in the salt, and let sit for approximately 30 minutes, pressing down on the cucumber and turning it over periodically to remove as much moisture as possible.
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Combine all of the ingredients, including the drained cucumber, in a small bowl and set aside. Refrigerate for up 3 days.
Hi Tori,
Love all your recipes! If I wanted to make this dairy free, can I just sub out for dairy free plain yogurt or is that not thick enough?
Thank you,
Lindsay
Hi Lindsay, I haven’t tried it before but I think you would just have a bit of a thinner tzatziki! You’ll want to choose a dairy free yogurt that doesn’t have a strong flavour.
Thanks Tori!
I make mine dairy free by using Silk Plain Unsweetened Coconut yogurt. I find the taste the most neutral. Refrigerate overnight to thicken. I recently started adding a couple large spoonfuls of vegan sour cream to it, which thickens it greatly (tofutti). Homemade would work also (cashew based).
Thanks Mary!
I omitted the dill as I did not have any, but can I say oh MY GOODNESS! Best tzatziki ever. Never going to buy tzatziki again and I literally have been putting this on everything. Hubby and daughter approve 👌🏻.
So happy you enjoyed it Sally!
Made this again today to go with the zucchini fritters! Today was even more special since I got to use fresh dill from our garden! Thank you again, Tori!
5 stars! Tastes like summer!!
Great flavour and easy to make! Served it with your Greek Roasted Chicken & Potatoes