Healthy Tzatziki Sauce

I love looking to other cuisines to find “Clean & Delicious®” recipe inspiration. Tzatziki is a Greek-inspired sauce or dip that is made from Greek yogurt and cucumbers and it is very simple to make.

It pairs well with grilled meats and fish, but it’s also great as a snack with some pita chips or smothered on top of a grilled veggie sandwich.

I served this Tzatziki with my Greek Style Turkey Burgers wrapped in butter lettuce and it was AMAZING. It is definitely a recipe that will be in my cookbook someday! 🙂

Ingredients needed

This healthy Greek yogurt dip is super flavorful, yet it’s made with simple ingredients that are easy to find. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Cucumber – You’ll need 1/2 of a large English cucumber. There’s no need to peel it because we’ll be grating it down to very fine pieces.
• Greek yogurt – This is the base of the recipe and what makes the dip rich and creamy. I prefer using low-fat (2%) plain Greek yogurt, but feel free to use use no-fat, low-fat or full fat yogurt, depending on your personal dietary approach and preference.
• Garlic – For maximum flavor, definitely use fresh garlic for this recipe.
• Fresh dill – Gives the sauce a bright herby flavor. Use as fresh as possible!
• Lemon juice & zest – Adds brightness and acidity. I recommend using freshly squeezed and not the concentrated bottled variety.
• Olive oil – Optional for drizzling on top.
• Salt – Add salt to taste!

How to make this recipe

Let’s talk about how to make this tzatziki sauce recipe. It really couldn’t be easier! Here’s the simple method:

Please see the recipe card for the printable recipe.

1. Grate the cucumber. Use a box grater to shred the cucumber. Place the grated cucumber on a kitchen towel and squeeze out the excess water.
2. Mix ingredients. Place the cucumber in a bowl with the Greek yogurt, crushed garlic, dill, lemon juice and salt. Stir everything together until it’s well combined.
3. Serve. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and lemon zest, then serve and enjoy.

Tips

A few tips and tricks to make this creamy condiment perfect every time you make it!

• English cucumber. Use an English seedless cucumber, if you can find one. It will be easier to dice and contains less water than regular cucumbers.
• Drain the cucumber. The key to making thick and creamy tzatziki is to squeeze the water out of the cucumber. This step is really important, so don’t skip it! Cucumber holds a lot of excess liquid. You can use a cheesecloth, kitchen towel or simply your hands over a bowl or the sink.
• Serving tip. You can serve this sauce immediately after making it, or let it chill for a bit in the fridge. If I have the time, I really like to let it sit for at least 10 minutes, up to a few hours so the flavors mix and intensify.
• Serving a crowd? This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled, if you’re looking to serve this at a party.

Ways to use this sauce

What’s great about this tzatziki recipe is that you can use it as either a condiment or even an appetizer dip!

• Serve it as a dipping sauce with warm pita bread, pita chips, crackers, freshly cut vegetables or even meatballs.
• Use it as a spread to layer on sandwiches, gyros and burgers.
• Pair it with meats, like grilled fish, grilled chicken, salmon or lamb.
• Make it a meal and serve it on a mezze platter with hummus, baba ganoush, Kalamata olives and more.

No matter how you enjoy it, this tzatziki will quickly become one of your new favorite homemade sauces! 

Substitutions and variations

• Like it spicy? If you want a little kick of heat added to your sauce, mix in a pinch of cayenne pepper.
• Herbs. I love the flavor of dill in this recipe, but other great options include parsley, mint, chives or a combination of herbs.
• Other add-ins. Change the flavor by garnishing with or mixing in diced kalamata olives, toasted pine nuts or chopped sun dried tomatoes.

Leftovers and storage

• Place any leftover tzatziki in an airtight container for freshness and it will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days.
• After the dip has been in the refrigerator for a bit, it may accumulate liquid on top. Simply stir it right back in before serving.
• Dips like this one shouldn’t be left out for more than 2 hours at room temperature. Because this dip contains dairy, you’ll want to serve it straight out of the fridge. If you go over the 2 hour mark, you can always cover it and put it back in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before letting people eat it again.

More healthy sauce recipes to try

• Easy Homemade BBQ Sauce
• Radish Leaf Pesto
• Greek Dressing
• Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

If you make this tzatziki recipe, be sure to leave a comment and ★ rating below letting me know how it turned out. Your feedback is so helpful for me and our Clean & Delicious community (thank you!).