Made in minutes, homemade Tzatziki is full of creamy and refreshing flavors!
Make this simple Greek inspired homemade Tzatziki Sauce recipe with yogurt, fresh cucumbers, lemon juice, and dill. It’s a light, bright complement to veggies, salads, and grilled meats.
Holly’s Tzatziki Takeaways
- Flavor: This homemade Tzatziki Recipe is cool and creamy, highlighted with the flavors of lemon and dill.
- Prep Note: Making tzatziki couldn’t be easier – just prep, mix, and chill.
- Recommended tools: A box grater is the perfect tool for getting the finer shreds needed for this recipe.
- Swaps: Garlic powder can be used instead of fresh garlic, so it can be stored longer.
Simple Sauce Ingredients
Yogurt: Any plain-flavored yogurt works, but a full-fat variety will make the sauce extra creamy. Greek yogurt is best for this recipe.
Cucumbers: Any cucumber works, however English cukes don’t need to be peeled and are less watery than regular cucumbers.
Dill: Dill has a unique flavor that’s light and grassy. Fresh is always best, but in a pinch it’s fine to use dried or frozen dill.
Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice and zest have the best flavor. One lemon is all it takes and zesting the skin will add a bit of color and some citrusy fragrance to tzatziki.
Tangy Tzatziki Twists
- Mix in ¼ cup of shredded zucchini or some finely chopped spinach for a boost of nutrition without changing the taste or texture.
- Half chopped dill and half chopped mint makes another light and refreshing Tzatziki combination.
How to Make Homemade Tzatziki
- Grate cucumber and press out the excess liquid.
- Combine cucumber and remaining ingredients in a bowl.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Tzatziki Tips & Tricks
- Be sure to squeeze out as much excess liquid as possible from the cucumbers. This is an important step to make sure the Tzatziki does not become watery.
- Roll the lemon on the countertop before juicing to help soften the fruit and extract the most juice. Alternatively, heat it in the microwave for about 30 seconds before juicing for similar results.
- Make Tzatziki sauce a few hours early and refrigerate. This allows time for the flavors to develop, plus the sauce tastes so much better served extra cold.
- Store Tzatziki in a squirt bottle and use as a condiment for grilled meat and fish try some as a tangy twist on tuna salad or chicken tenders, .
Savvy Tzatziki Serving and Storing
Refrigerate leftover homemade Tzatziki in a jar with a tight-fitting lid for up to 2 days.
Homemade Tzatziki, which contain fresh garlic, should not be kept longer than three days. The garlic may produce botulism, a serious toxin, and this is not a risk worth taking. If you want Tzatizki to last longer, you can swap garlic powder in place of fresh garlic.
We do not recommend freezing Tzatziki.
Perfect Pairings for Tzaziki Sauce
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Homemade Tzatziki
Equipment
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup grated cucumber
- 1 cup plain greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon dill chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic grated
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Grate cucumber and place in a clean towel. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Squeeze the lemon juice and wash and chop the dill.
- In a medium sized bowl combine cucumber with the Greek yogurt, lemon juice, dill, olive oil, garlic, and salt.
- Mix until fully combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- Refrigerate Tzatziki in a covered container for up to 2 days. Dressings made with fresh garlic should be kept 2-3 days at the most due to the possibility of botulism contamination.
- Store Tzatziki in a bottle for use as a condiment on burgers, or as a sauce for fish or meat dishes.
- It is not recommended to freeze Yogurt-based recipes such as this one.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
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