Tzatziki is hard to spell, but easy to enjoy! This traditional Greek dip, spread, or sauce is delicious on sandwiches, wraps, salads, bowls, fish, chicken – you name it! Made with fresh cucumber, tangy Greek yogurt, and flavorful herbs, this healthy tzatziki recipe will take your favorite meals to the next level!
Three Must-Know Cooking Skills
For recipe success, learn how to:
Culinary Tips for the Best Tzatziki Recipe
Use a seedless cucumber or cut a regular cucumber in half lengthwise, and remove the seeds with a spoon. The seeds add too much moisture and an unwanted texture.
Although the peel of the cucumber is nutritious, it is bitter, so we recommend removing it. If you want to leave the peel on, it will still taste good, but it might have a bitter note.
Be sure to sprinkle salt on the grated cucumber. It helps to draw the water out, creating a creamier tzatziki.
Because this is a creamy sauce, it doesn’t pour out of a bottle well. If you want to turn this into a tzatziki dressing, add milk or water – 1 Tablespoon at a time – until you reach your desired consistency.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Plain Greek Yogurt: substitute plain yogurt, but consider draining it in cheesecloth to remove excess water. Choose a fat content that fits within your overall diet.
- Fresh Dill: substitute 1 teaspoon dried dill or substitute other fresh herbs for a different flavor; consider equal parts fresh Italian parsley or mint.
- Lemon Juice: fresh is best, but you can use the bottled kind. Otherwise, substitute white wine or red wine vinegar.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: substitute regular olive or an infused olive oil for a different flavor. You can also substitute avocado oil, but it won’t add the same Mediterranean taste.
- Garlic: substitute ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic or ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder.
Recipe Variations
Add some fresh mint for a refreshing change in flavor.
Equipment Recommendations for Homemade Tzatziki
You just need a few pieces of kitchen equipment for this easy tzatziki recipe:
Is tzatziki healthy?
For sure! Tzatziki is made with cucumber, dill, Greek yogurt, and garlic which are all nutritious ingredients.
Cucumber
Cucumbers are rich in essential water, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients that promote health.
Dill
Green herbs, like dill, not only add a pop of freshness and great flavor to a dish, but they add nutrition too! Herbs are rich in essential vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients that promote health and help fight diseases.
Greek Yogurt
Plain Greek yogurt is a great source of protein, calcium, and gut-friendly probiotics. Greek yogurt isn’t necessarily better than regular yogurt, but we like the creamy texture and extra tang that it adds to this tzatziki. Select a fat content that works with your overall diet. If you eat a lot of foods high in saturated fat (such as red meat, whole milk, and cheese), a low-fat or fat-free variety is your best choice. If you limit saturated fat in your diet, full-fat varieties are okay.
Garlic
Using spices and aromatics decreases the need for salt, which may help reduce hypertension risk and therefore promote heart health. Additionally, garlic contains powerful antioxidants which may help reduce inflammation in the body.
How to Serve Healthy Tzatziki
Serve tzatziki on sandwiches, burgers, wraps, salads, bowls, turkey meatballs, or baked fish. It is also delicious on its own paired with fresh or blanched vegetables or whole grain crackers!
Storage Tips for Leftover Tzatziki
Store leftover tzatziki for up to 7 days. If you don’t think you’ll eat that much throughout the week, simply halve the recipe!
Love this recipe?
Try out these other healthy sauces to take your recipes to the next level!
Healthy Tzatziki
Ingredients
- ½ cup peeled and grated seedless cucumber
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (reduced fat or full fat recommended)
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small garlic clove, minced (~½ teaspoon)
- Salt to taste (~¼ teaspoon recommended)
Instructions
- Sprinkle cucumber with ⅛ teaspoon salt, and toss together. Rest for 10 minutes, then squeeze to drain.
- Combine Greek yogurt, dill, lemon juice, oil, and minced garlic in a small bowl. Add cucumber and mix to combine. Add salt to taste. Enjoy!
