Easy Tzatziki

Creamy, garlicky, tangy, and ever-so-delicious Tzatziki sauce. Made with nonfat Greek yogurt, this condiment goes amazingly well on everything Mediterranean of course, but also on salads, burgers, wraps, and even as a dip for fries!

Tzatziki is one of those often-overlooked condiments that should have a place right beside hummus in its usefulness if you ask me! And, even considering how much I love this sauce, I often forget to make it myself, just because I'll reach for something simpler and pre-made in my fridge.

But, I've been on a kick, making this sauce at least once a week, and eating it on everything! It's super simple to pull together and uses a lot of pantry and fridge staples you probably already have on hand. And if you don't have fresh dill, no worries — you can use dried dill as well.

How do you make Tzatziki sauce?

I can't tell you enough how easy this is. Don't let the fancy name fool you, this is a cinch to pull together!

First, grate the English cucumber into a bowl. I squeeze the excess moisture off by putting the grated cucumber in a tea towel and squeezing it until most of the water comes out.

Next, mix together the cucumber, Greek yogurt, grated garlic cloves, dill, lemon juice, and salt and pepper together. I also like to add a drizzle of olive oil too but that's completely up to you.

Pop the sauce in the fridge for about 4 hours to allow all the flavors to come together before serving.

How do you serve Tzatziki sauce?

• I love to serve Tzatziki sauce over chicken, Greek salads, as a dip for meatballs with feta, or any kind of veggie wrap (instead of or in addition to hummus!).
• It's also a great dipping sauce for kabobs (chicken, beef, pork, all sorts!)
• This garlic yogurt dip is also a great substitute for tartar sauce on fish.
• Mix up a big batch to use as a dip for a veggie platter featuring carrot and celery sticks, cherry tomatoes, cucumber rounds, and sliced bell peppers.
• Instead of reaching for a fattening, prepackaged french onion dip or other chip dips, dip your reduced fat, low sodium chips into Tzatziki. It's even better if you use your own homemade veggie chips.

Is Greek Tzatziki Healthy?

This Greek dip is really good for you! The Greek yogurt provides loads of calcium and protein and is much better for you than mayo or a heavy cheese dip.

The cucumbers, garlic, lemon juice, and dill provide other antioxidants, vitamins, and heart-healthy nutrients with every bite.

Plus, if you decide to add in the optional olive oil, you'll be adding a great source of heart-healthy fat.

Can you freeze this?

You can freeze this garlic-yogurt sauce, no problem. Just put it in an airtight container and keep it up to one month.

The only problem is the thawing of the sauce — it will be a bit thinner than when you made it and the cucumbers could be soggy. My suggestion to avoid this is to make the sauce without the cucumbers and add them in after you've thawed the yogurt mixture first.

How to use leftovers?

I always have leftover sauce because I always make a big bunch of it so that I can have lots and lots of leftovers. Leftover Tzatziki goes great on:

• Veggie wraps
• Green salads
• Pasta salads
• Tuna and chicken salads as a dressing instead of mayo.
• On top of bagels with smoked salmon and capers.
• As a topper for baked potatoes, mixed into mashed potatoes, or as a dip for roasted potatoes or homemade fries.

Can you heat up Tzatziki sauce?

Yes, you can serve this sauce warm. Again, I'd leave the cucumbers out after straining to let them get up to room temperature. Meanwhile, add the rest of the sauce ingredients to a saucepan and warm up over medium-low heat until it's warmed all the way through. (Be careful not to heat it too long or let it get too hot.)

Then, add the cucumbers in and serve the sauce warm.

Main Dishes that Taste Great with Tzatziki

• Greek Chicken
• Grilled Chicken Souvlaki
• Chicken Gyros
• Healthy Greek Meatballs
• Grilled Mediterranean Pork