Easy Homemade Tzatziki Sauce

The best Homemade Tzatziki Sauce Recipe! This easy tzatziki sauce is made with Greek yogurt, sour cream and fresh dill! It's thick and creamy (not watery) and so delicious! It perfectly compliments Mediterranean dishes, and makes a great party dip! 

This Easy Tzatziki Sauce recipe is one of my all-time favorites! I have a serious love for Mediterranean food (like this baked falafel, the best Greek salad, Greek meatballs and this hummus chicken - YUM)! Since we don't go out to eat very often, I have worked hard over the years to create homemade versions of my favorite restaurant fare.

Tzatziki Sauce is one of my favorite "condiments" and our recipe is better than any tzatziki I've ever had in a restaurant. It is made with Greek yogurt, sour cream and fresh dill!

It's thick and creamy (not watery) and so delicious! It perfectly compliments Mediterranean dishes, and makes a great party dip! Plus it's so easy to make that my 10 year old daughter makes it every week for our entire family.

Homemade Tzatziki Sauce Recipe: IngredientsSubstitutions

This is a recipe that I have made so many times and it is absolute perfection as-is. However here are a few possible substitutions:

• Greek yogurt/sour cream. I have made this recipe with all these ingredients from fat free to full fat, and it always turns out amazing. Obviously, the higher the fat content the richer and creamier the taste will be!
• White Balsamic Vinegar. Any other light colored vinegar works well in this recipe, but white balsamic is my favorite!
• Garlic powder. Fresh minced garlic can be used in place of garlic powder. If you love loads of garlic feel free to add more until your heart's content.
• Dill. My favorite is using fresh dill straight from the garden, but dried dill works great as well!

How to make Homemade Tzatziki sauce 

This Tzatziki sauce recipe takes a little bit of planning. However, it is easy and so so worth it! The first thing you need to do is drain the water from the cucumbers and yogurt. I always start the water removal process first thing in the morning, because less water = creamier, thicker, more delicious tzatziki.

NOTE: You can simply squeeze the water from the cucumber and not drain the sour cream and Greek yogurt if you're short on time. We do this often - just know that some water will leak out as it's stored, but you can drain it off or mix it in.

Strain the water from the Greek yogurt & Sour Cream

Both Greek yogurt and sour cream have a natural liquid content that could lead to watery tzatziki. That's why it's important to strain the water from the Greek yogurt & sour cream.

To do this, put a coffee filter inside of a strainer, put the strainer over a bowl (make sure it's not touching the bottom of the bowl and that you have space for the water to collect), then put the yogurt/sour cream mixture on top. Put it in the refrigerator to drain all day long.

Remove the water from the cucumber

The biggest contributor to watery tzatziki is the cucumber, which is why it's important to try to leach as much water out of the cucumber as possible.

To release the water from the cucumber, de-seed the cucumber then  grate it. Put the grated cucumber it in a colander over a bowl. Then sprinkle it with sea salt (to draw out the water). 

Leave the cucumber on the counter at room temperature to drain. While it's draining, press on it from time to time to help push out the water.

Squeeze remaining water out of the cucumber

After most of the water has been pressed out of the shredded cucumber, transfer it to a tea towel and squeeze the remaining water out. 

Combine the ingredients

Once the water has been drained from the ingredients, it's time to mix everything together.  Spices, lemon juice, etc. Dill is the star of the show in this easy tzatziki sauce recipe.

I always keep dried dill on hand for the sole purpose of making this tzatziki recipe. However, if you're a planner and remember to grab some fresh dill from the store (or from your garden) it's even more amazing! 

 Chill

Chill for at least 1 hour to let the flavors blend, and then dig in! 

Store

Store this tzatziki in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 

FAQS about Tzatziki Sauce

Here are some commonly asked questions about how to make tzatziki!

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Homemade Tzatziki Sauce Recipe

Laura

The best Homemade Tzatziki Sauce Recipe! This easy tzatziki sauce is made with Greek yogurt, sour cream and fresh dill! It's thick and creamy (not watery) and so delicious! It perfectly compliments Mediterranean dishes, and makes a great party dip! 

4.96 from 21 votes

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Prep Time 10 mins

Water Removal 3 hrs

Total Time 3 hrs 10 mins

Course condiment, Side Dish

Cuisine Mediterranean

Servings 10 servings

Calories 34.6 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  fine mesh strainer
• ▢
  measuring spoons
• ▢
  measuring cups
• ▢
  glass batter bowl
• ▢
  spatula

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 cup Greek yogurt
• ▢ ¼ cup sour cream
• ▢ 1 cucumber unpeeled and seeded
• ▢ ¼ tsp sea salt
• ▢ ½ TBS white balsamic vinegar
• ▢ 1 TBS lemon juice
• ▢ ½ TBS olive oil
• ▢ ½ tsp garlic powder
• ▢ 1 tsp dill (minced fresh, or dried)
• ▢ Pinch freshly ground black pepper

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

 

To strain the yogurt/sour cream:

• Place a fine mesh strainer on top of a smaller bowl (to catch the water as it drains). Be sure that the strainer does not touch the bottom of the bowl and that there is at least 1-2 inches between them.
• Put a coffee filter on top of the strainer.
• Mix 1 cup Greek yogurt and ¼ cup sour cream together. Carefully scoop it onto the coffee filter/strainer and place it in the fridge overnight or for at least 4 hours.

To strain the cucumber:

• De-seed and grate your cucumber. Put it in a colander over a bowl and sprinkle with salt.
• Let it sit on the counter for at least 2 hours, occasionally pushing out the excess water.

Putting it together:

• When you’re ready to make the sauce: squeeze out all excess water from cucumber by pushing it out while in the colander. Then get some thick paper towels, put cucumber in them and ring it out.
• Put yogurt mixture in a clean, dry mixing bowl. Add all ingredients except cucumber. Once thoroughly mixed add cucumber and refrigerate for at least one hour to let flavors blend.
• Serve with your favorite Mediterranean food like falafel or gyros!

Video

Notes

NOTE: You can simply squeeze the water from the cucumber and not drain the sour cream and Greek yogurt if you're short on time. We do this often - just know that some water will leak out as it's stored, but you can drain it off or mix it in.

Ingredient substitutions

• Greek yogurt/sour cream. I have made this recipe with all these ingredients from fat free to full fat, and it always turns out amazing. Obviously, the higher the fat content the richer and creamier the taste will be.
• White Balsamic Vinegar. You can use any light colored vinegar such as apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, etc.
• Garlic powder. Fresh minced garlic can be used in place of garlic powder. 
• Fresh Dill. If necessary you can substitute freeze-dried dill. 

To store: 

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 2TBSCalories: 34.6kcalCarbohydrates: 4.1gProtein: 2.2gFat: 1.2gCholesterol: 3.3mgSodium: 90.2mgPotassium: 48.2mgFiber: 0.8gSugar: 2.9gVitamin A: 160IUVitamin C: 2.7mgCalcium: 77mgIron: 0.1mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Photos in this recipe were taken by the talented Jamie from Dishing Out Health

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