Description
This homemade tzatziki sauce is made with Greek yogurt, fresh cucumber, dill, and garlic. It's the perfect make-ahead sauce for seafood, grilled meats, or as a dip - and it tastes even better after sitting in the fridge for a few hours.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 8 ounces Greek yogurt (full-fat or 2%)
- 1/2 English cucumber (about 1/2 cup once grated and squeezed)
- 2 garlic cloves, grated or minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
- 1 tablespoon scallions, diced (or chives)
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
Instructions
- Prep the cucumber: Grate the cucumber using the large holes of a box grater. Place grated cucumber in your hands and squeeze hard over the sink to remove as much water as possible. You should end up with a generous 1/2 cup of squeezed cucumber.
- Mix: Combine squeezed cucumber, Greek yogurt, garlic, dill, scallions, red wine vinegar, olive oil, and salt in a bowl. Stir well.
- Rest and adjust: Let sit for at least 5 minutes (or up to overnight in the fridge). Taste and adjust seasoning - you may need more salt or vinegar depending on your yogurt's fat content and acidity.
- Serve: Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh herbs if desired.
Notes
- Make-ahead: This sauce tastes better after a few hours (or overnight) in the fridge as the flavors develop.
- Cucumber options: If using regular cucumber instead of English, peel and seed it first, then grate. Persian cucumbers work well too (treat them just like the English cucumber).
- Yogurt substitutions: Sour cream or skyr can replace Greek yogurt. If using, you may need to add a bit more vinegar to balance the acidity.
- Acid swap: Lemon juice works in place of red wine vinegar (same amount).
- Herb variations: Swap scallions for chives (same amount) or use 1-2 tablespoons fresh mint in place of scallions for a more traditional Greek version.
- Texture preference: If you want chunkier tzatziki, dice your cucumber instead of grating it. You'll still need to squeeze out excess moisture.
- Prep Time: 10
- Category: Easy Recipe
- Method: no cook
- Cuisine: Greek