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Really Easy Tzatziki

Published: May 30, 2025 by Jacqueline Bellefontaine ·

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tzatziki in bowl garnished with mint. with text overlay for pinterest.
bowl of Tzatziki garnished with a small sprig of mint.

Tzatziki

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Easy to make, tzatziki is a popular Greek dip. Serve with strips of toasted pitta bread or tortilla chips.
Also delicious on grilled meat and kebabs
Course Dip
Cuisine Greek
Keyword Easy sauce, summer
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 0 minutes mins
Total Time 15 minutes mins
Servings 4
Calories 29
Author Jacqueline Bellefontaine

Ingredients

  • 150 g (5oz) Greek yoghurt
  • 1 clove garlic crushed
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 150 g (5oz)cucumber
  • 2 tablespoon chopped fresh mint or dill
  • lemon juice to taste
metric - US cups

Instructions

  • Place 150g yoghurt in a bowl. Add 1 crushed garlic clove and season to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Cut 150g cucumber in half, scoop out and discard the seeds.  Coarsely grate. Stir into the yogurt along with 2 tablespoons chopped mint. 
  • Add a squeeze of lemon juice, to taste. Allow to stand for at least 5 minutes before serving for the flavour to blend.

Notes

Cooks Tip
  • For a thicker Tzatziki, place the grated cucumber with a little ground salt in a colander and allow to stand for 10-15 minutes. Rinse off the salt and press out as much moisture as you can.  Season after adding the cucumber you probably won't need any more salt. The salt draws out the moisture from the cucumber, which can make the tzatziki a little watery, especially when being made in advance.
 
Store
  • Tzatziki can be stored for up to 4 days covered in the refrigerator.
  • Do not freeze.

Nutrition

Calories: 29kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 18mg | Potassium: 109mg | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 100IU | Vitamin C: 1.7mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 0.1mg
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment or Mention @recipecrumbs or tag #RecipesMadeEasy

Why buy ready made tzatziki when this  Really Easy Tzatziki recipe can be made in minutes and tastes far superior?

bowl of tzatziki surrounded by pita bread and other ingredients.

There are not many times when we don't have tzatziki in the fridge. It is a fresh and healthy dip that can also be served as a sauce with fish, meat and chicken.

Tzatziki is often served as part of a Meze as a starter or a side dish.

As a dip it can be served with strips of pitta bread, chunks of crusty bread, sticks of carrots and peppers. Try it spread on small toast pieces. Or serve with meatballs or falafel. It's a versatile and quick dish which is why its such a mainstay in our house. That and the fact that we usually have the ingredients in the fridge, and a ready supply of fresh mint in the garden to make it.

You can buy it ready made of course, but most supermarket tzatziki is thin and lacks flavour. The premium brands are better but tend to be expensive. So it makes sense to make your own, especially when it is so easy.

This Tzatzki is made in a similar way to my Really Easy Yogurt Sauce which uses a different yogurt and can be adapted to many different flavours.

Ingredients

Tzatziki is made from just a few simple ingredients

  • Yoghurt – Use a Greek or Greek-style yoghurt with at least 5% fat for the best flavour and texture. I use 5% Total Greek Yoghurt as it is readily available.
  • Cucumber – about a quarter of a large cucumber. See tip below.
  • Mint or dill – I usually add mint to my Tzatziki but dill is also often used.
  • Garlic.
  • Seasoning.
  • Lemon juice, to give a little extra sharpness.

See recipe card for full instructions and quantities.

Substitutions

Don't have fresh mint or dill? I sometimes use mint sauce with the vinegar squeezed out instead. You will not need as much as it has a stronger flavour. Try just a teaspoon or so to begin with, added before the lemon juice. You might only need a small amount.

How to make Tzatziki step by step

Step 1

yogurt in bowl with garlic and saesoning.

Combine yoghurt, garlic and seasoning in a bowl.

Step 2

grated cu1cmber in front of grater

Coarsely grate the cucumber.

Step 3

chopped mint on board with lemon and yogurt behind.

Chop mint, squeeze lemon juice.

Step 4

tzatziki in bowl garnished with mint.

Combine yoghurt, mint and cucumber and add lemon juice to taste.

Serve as a dip or on grilled chicken, lamb chops, salmon or kebabs.

Cooks Tips

  • For a thicker Tzatziki, place the grated cucumber with a little ground salt in a colander and allow to stand for 10-15 minutes. Rinse off the salt and press out as much moisture as you can.  Season after adding the cucumber, you probably won't need any more salt even after washing. The salt draws out the moisture from the cucumber, and this stops the tzatziki from becoming watery, a problem if it is being made in advance.
  • To serve as a sauce, you can thin with a little milk or water if desired or use whole milk natural yoghurt in place of the Greek yoghurt which is a strained yoghurt and thicker.

Store

  • Tzatziki can be stored for up to 4 days covered in the refrigerator.
  • Do not freeze.
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tzatziki in bowl garnished with mint. with text overlay for pinterest.

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Sharing is caring!

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About Jacqueline Bellefontaine

Jacqueline is a member of the Guild of Food Writers and has been a cookery writer and food stylist for over 25 years. She has written over 15 cookery books, in addition to writing for several major magazines. She likes to champion good basic home cooking and as the daughter of a master baker, she is passionate about home baking.

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Jacqueline Bellefontaine.

Hello I'm Jacqui
I believe that great tasting home cooking need not be hard work, so I like to write and cook recipes that are as easy as they can be. But I won't compromise on taste!

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