This easy homemade tzatziki is made with plain Greek yogurt and garden-fresh cucumbers, and is a delicious dip or sauce.
I didn't plant cucumbers this year.
Why not?
Because every year, without fail, my super sweet cucumber-growing family and friends send their extra veggies to my cucumber-loving husband. And that's exactly what happened this year.
What do we do with all the cucumbers?
The husband happily devours them raw. He quick-pickles them. And we make homemade tzatziki sauce.
This healthy homemade tzatziki is easy to make, and is delicious on all the things. Spread it on a gyro, use it as a sauce for a veggie burger, or (my favorite), eat it with fresh veggies.
What is Tzatziki Sauce?
Tzatziki is a Greek sauce made with plain Greek yogurt, cucumber, and garlic.
Should I Use Regular Cucumbers or English Cucumbers?
Either! In this recipe, I use regular garden cucumbers. Because that's what I have on hand all summer long.
If you prefer English cucumbers, they'll work perfectly here too.
Can I Use Regular Yogurt instead of Greek Yogurt?
You can-- but it will take a lot longer to strain.
Greek yogurt is regular yogurt that has been strained to remove the whey. That's why it's thicker, and less watery.
When you make homemade tzatziki, the cucumber will add more watery liquid to the sauce, which you'll strain off. If you start with regular yogurt, you'll need to strain your tzatziki for about a day instead of 2 hours.
Can I Use Homemade Greek Yogurt?
Of course you can! Learn How to Make Greek Yogurt.
Creamy Homemade Tzatziki
I prefer my tzatziki to be silky and creamy, so I blend everything up in a blender.
If you like a little more texture in your homemade tzatziki, you can grate or dice the cucumber and garlic, and stir everything together.
Do I Have to Strain my Homemade Tzatziki?
Yes-- I recommend straining the tzatziki for the creamiest sauce.
I especially recommend it if you put the ingredients in a blender. Blending the cucumber releases more water into the sauce than grated or strained cucumber.
If you don't want to strain the tzatziki, check the recipe card notes for tips.
Want more GREEK recipe ideas? Try these: Greek Salad (Horiatiki) with Sardines, Vegan Baklava, and this Greek Spinach Pie.
Homemade Tzatziki
Ingredients
- 1 cucumber (medium-size)
- 2 cups plain Greek yogurt
- 2 cloves garlic (peeled)
- ½ lemon, juiced
- ½ teaspoon sea salt (to taste)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil (optional)
- 2 sprigs fresh dill, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Peel the cucumber, and scoop the seeds out with a spoon.Tip: The seeds and skin can add a bitter flavor to the sauce. Make sure not to skip this step!
- Add the cucumber, yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, and salt to a blender or food processor. Blend until creamy. (The sauce will be very runny at this point.)No Blender / Food Processor Alternative: Finely dice or grate the cucumber and garlic, and stir the ingredients together with a spoon.
- Strain the sauce for at least 2 hours by pouring it into an ultra fine mesh sieve or a mesh sieve lined with 2 layers of cheesecloth. Place the sauce in the fridge while it strains.
- Just before serving, drizzle the sauce with olive oil (optional), and garnish with fresh dill.
- Leftovers / Make Ahead: This sauce is best the first day, but can be refrigerated and used for 2-3 days.
Notes
- Use store-bought yogurt (it has added thickeners)
- Use grated or diced cucumber instead of blended. Wrap the cucumber in a towel, and wring out any excess water.
- You should still allow the sauce to rest for 2 hours in the fridge.
- Veggie Dip
- Chip Dip
- Add to a gyro (Greek classic)
- Add to a veggie burger
Amanda
We always get a ton of cucumbers too from various friends’ gardens! Tatziki is such a great way to use them. I love using a dollop when we make grilled salmon pitas! What a great idea to blend the tzatziki for a creamy, silky sauce, too. I’m going to want to dip everything in it!
Carmy
I love a good tzaziki sauce! I never tried making it at home though so I'm so excited to see this recipe. I have almost everything in my kitchen already and I can't wait to make it at home (mainly because I can eat so much, I can't keep buying it!!). I'm kinda obsessed with garlic so I'm excited about being able to adjust a homemade tzatziki to be loaded with garlic!
Annemarie
I never get cucumbers from friend's gardens! Lots of squash and tomatoes, though, so I can't complain too much. 🙂 I love tzatziki when we go out for Greek food so I totally want to make it at home too. Thanks for the recipe. Whenever I add cucumber to a sauce, I always wring it out since I'm too impatient to wait hours, so I think that's what I'll here too.
Debra
I had no idea tzatziki was this easy to make. Love the simple ingredient list and I happen to have an abundance of cucumbers right now. I prefer making my own dips rather than store bought, and this one is going to the top of the list to make.
Marisa Franca
We always have cucumbers in the fridge — we love them. Sometimes, though, I get ahead of myself with the cukes, making tzatziki would be the perfect solution especially since we love that sauce. This makes such a wonderful veggie dip!!
Jennifer
We live tzatziki! I have never even thought of making it myself, but now I’m inspired! Thank you for all of the tips. I love dipping veggies in it too and it’s so refreshing for this hot weather we have had. I didn’t plant any cucumbers this year, but I’m going to check the farmers market this weekend.
Sean@Diversivore
I didn't grow cucumbers this year and now I'm wishing I had. I LOVE tzatziki - and while I've made it a few times at home I haven't really been doing a solid and repeatable job on it, so I'm glad to have the recipe! I think that there might be a few heirloom cukes out there that would really lend themselves to this because of their thicker flesh and reduced bitter melon. Poona kheera comes to mind - dense flesh and NEVER bitter despite the large size! So next time your lovely relatives give you a box of cukes, you can give them a bag of seeds. Lol.
Tracy Koslicki
Oh my gosh what great friends you have! Friends who bring fresh vegetables, those are best friends 🙂 But for this tzatziki, I'd happily send some of our cucumbers your way!
Dawn
I love tzatziki sauce and ever more so when it's homemade! I want to put this on alllll the things!!! I really have to try and grow some more veggies next year!