Authentic Tzatziki Sauce

Tzatziki sauce on a plate with fresh parsley, cucumber, celery sticks and plum tomatoes.

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This authentic tzatziki sauce is really easy to make at home! Also known as cacik, this sauce is commonly served as a dip or side dish with Mediterranean food.

Prep Time10

Cook Time0

Total Time10

Course: Appetizer, Dip, Side Dish

Cuisine: Greek, Mediterranean

Keyword: cucumber, easy, egg free, gluten free, greek yogurt, nut free, quick, soy free, vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 41kcal

Author: Tonje

Cost: Cheap

Ingredients

½ cucumber
1 ½ cup Greek yogurt
¼ teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon dried dill
1 pinch of salt

Instructions

First, prepare the cucumber. Finely grate the fresh cucumber. Then, add it to a fine mesh sieve or a cheesecloth, and press out as much water as possible.
As cucumbers contain a lot of water, there should only be a few tablespoons worth of grated cucumber left after the water has been pressed out.
Add the dry grated cucumber to a bowl along with the remaining ingredients. Stir to combine, then serve the tzatziki sauce immediately or store it in a refrigerator.

Notes

Can you make tzatziki sauce with sour cream? – If you generally prefer sour cream to Greek yogurt, you can definitely replace it as you wish. Keep in mind that Greek yogurt is the traditional and most common base ingredient in tzatziki.

Leftovers

Tzatziki can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. This dip is excellent for making ahead. Plan a few days’ worth of Mediterranean style dishes, and serve them up with tzatziki on the side for quick and easy meals.

I don’t recommend freezing tzatziki as it tends to be very watery after thawing.

Top tips

Here are my top tips to make the BEST authentic tzatziki sauce:

Getting all the water out of the cucumbers is essential, or you’ll end up with a very watery tzatziki. I add my cucumbers to a sieve and use my hands or a spoon to press the cucumbers. A cheesecloth can also be used.
The lemon juice, salt, dill and garlic are only used to add flavor. These can all be omitted based on your preferences or dietary requirements.
Although any yogurt can be used, I highly recommend using full fat Greek yogurt for this recipe. The result will be a thick, creamy, delicious tzatziki.

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