Cool, creamy, and vibrant, this yogurt, cucumber and Dill Tzatziki sauce is delicious! And it's easy to make too. Serve it as a dip with crackers, veggies or chips. Toss it with your favorite salad. Drizzle it over chicken, steak, fish or pork. This is a versatile recipe!
What is dill tzatziki?
Tzatziki is Mediterranean in origin and is a plain yogurt based sauce/dip/dressing. The yogurt is mixed with shredded cucumbers, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, and spices. It's fresh, creamy, and zesty and adds flavor to any meal.
Having a batch of this homemade tzatziki sauce on hand is a lifesaver. There are so many ways to serve it, and all are delicious!
When I'm looking for a tasty snack to serve my book club, the cucumber and yogurt sauce/dip is a favorite with cut up vegetables, pita chips, and pretzels.
I serve it along side any grilled, baked, or sauteed chicken, fish, steak, or pork for a delicious dinner. It makes an ordinary salad stand out when tossed with the cool and refreshing sauce. It's a must with these delicious Mediterranean shrimp tacos.
Ingredients for tzatziki sauce
- plain Greek yogurt ~ full fat or low fat
- English cucumber
- extra virgin olive oil
- lemon juice
- dried dill
- garlic powder
- kosher salt
- pepper
How to make tzatziki sauce
Follow these easy step for how to make I have always loved making homemade sauces, dips and dressings. They taste so much fresher and brighter than any store bought ones.
Step 1: Add the Greek yogurt to a bowl. With a boxer grater or food processor, shred the cucumber. Squeeze out as much of the liquid. Add the shredded cucumber to the yogurt.
Step 2: Along with the yogurt and cucumber, add extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, dried dill, garlic powder, kosher salt, and pepper.
Step 3: Add dried dill to the bowl.
Step 4: Thoroughly stir the ingredients together. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to serve. Stays fresh up to 1 week.
Amy's expert tips
- Grab Greek yogurt ~ The thicker the yogurt the better when making this tzatziki sauce recipe. Either full fat or low fat are good options. Skip regular yogurts as they are too thin and runny.
- It's an English cucumber for this recipe ~ These long and skinny cucumbers are ideal for this tzatziki recipe. They contain less water, and you don't need to peel them as they have thin skins.
- Squeeze out the cucumbers ~ Cucumbers contain A LOT of liquid. To ensure your tzatziki isn't to watery, squeeze out as much of the liquid as you can. Either do this with your hands or let drain in a mesh strainer for 10 minutes.
- Refrigerate before serving ~ For the best cucumber and herb flavor, allow the sauce/dip/dressing to mellow in the refrigerator for about 1 to2 hours. Give it a stir before serving.
More dip recipes
- Hot Corn Dip - Serve this spicy Mexican dip with tortilla chips.
- Dill Dip {5 Minute Recipe} - Tasty as a dip or sandwich spread.
- Texas Caviar - This hearty bean dip makes a delicious salad when tossed with chopped lettuce.
- Homemade Pimento Cheese - Carrot and celery sticks and Wheat Thins are the perfect dippers.
One more thing
Did you try this recipe?
Let me know by leaving a comment and a star rating below. Share it on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook.
Thanks ~ Amy
Recipe
Easy Dill Tzatziki Sauce ~ It's a Dip and Dressing too!
Ingredients
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 cup shredded cucumber thoroughly drained *see Notes
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- Cut up vegetables crackers, pita chips, pretzels for serving
Instructions
- Combine ingredients: In a medium size bowl, add Greek yogurt, shredded cucumber, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, dried dill, garlic powder, kosher salt, and pepper.
- Stir to combine: Using a spatula, thoroughly combine all the ingredients.
- Refrigerate: Place the sauce in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Serve: Serve as a dip with cut up vegetables, crackers, chips or pretzels. Drizzle on steak, chicken, fish or pork. Toss with your favorite salad.
Notes
- Grab Greek yogurt ~ The thicker the yogurt the better for making this tzatziki sauce recipe. Either full fat or low fat are good options, Skip regular yogurts as they are too thin and runny.
- It's an English cucumber for this recipe ~ Grab these long and skinny cucumbers for this tzatziki recipe. They contain less water, and you don't need to peel them as they have thin skins.
- Squeeze out the cucumbers ~ Cucumbers contain A LOT of liquid. To ensure your sauce/dip/dressing isn't to watery, squeeze out as much of the liquid as you can. Either do this with your hands or let drain in a mesh strainer for 10 minutes.
- Refrigerate before serving ~ For the best cucumber and herb flavor, allow the sauce/dip/dressing to mellow in the refrigerator for about 1 to2 hours. Give it a stir before serving.
Debbie says
I love TZATZIKI SAUCE and yours is the best recipe I have found so far! Thanks for a great recipe.
Amy Casey says
Thanks for your kind compliments Debbie!
Dennis Littley says
My wife loves tzatziki sauce and I surprised her by making your recipe along with toasted pita and chicken kabobs! Major points scored for me!!
Amy Casey says
What a great way to serve tzatziki. I love the idea of toasted pita.
EA Stewart says
My family and I love this Tzatziki recipe, as we are fans of all foods Mediterranean. Thanks for the tip to squeeze the excess water out of the cucumbers!
Amy Casey says
You are so welcome EA!
Erin says
I made this for a picnic and everyone loved it! It was super easy to make and my kid liked helping. Will make this for the next picnic, thanks!
Amy Casey says
So fun to be in the kitchen with kids! Glad you enjoyed my recipe.
Jessica says
You had me at "dip AND dressing". Not only is this my favorite sauce for summer, but reading about how you serve, toss, or drizzle it with such a wide variety of foods makes me what to run and make it right now! Thanks for showing me how to meal prep better with this single recipe and stretch it through multiple meals.
Amy Casey says
You are so welcome Jessica! It's a sauce/dip/dressing I make over and over again.
Jessica says
I had never had this or made it and my sister insisted I try this recipe, so I did! I'm so glad that I did because it's fantastic! I'll be making this again and again now. Thank you!
Amy Casey says
I'm so glad you enjoyed my recipe Jessica.
Gloria says
I love the fact you can use this as a multi-purpose recipe. I would love it in either application. Or just with a spoon LOL.
Amy Casey says
Gloria ~ it is delicious so many ways.