This tzatziki recipe with sour cream comes straight from Greece! This recipe has been in my family for years – my auntie showed me how to make it this Greek Easter. Great with raw red peppers and pita chips.
Thank you for an awesome tzatziki recipe without dill or mint (I had none). I went through browsing a ton of tzatziki recipes on this site and finally stumbled on this one. I had to scale the recipe down as I was only making this for 3 people. I used a half a cucumber, grated it the put in a sheet of bounty towel paper and squeezed the water out, then repeated the step with another fresh towel paper. I also filtered 2% milk yogurt since I had no Greek yogurt, I used about 3/4 of a cup since it was gonna shrink when it lost moisture. I then combined the yogurt, cucumber, 3/4 cup of light sour cream, 2 cloves of garlic, and about 1 tbsp of evoo. Refrigerated for about 2 hrs. It was perfect with the "Greek potato stew" from this site and lemon pilaf and Greek salad. I will no longer buy store made tzatziki, this was so easy to make and better tasting. The key is in getting the moisture out of the cucumbers and yogurt (if your not using greek yogurt)
Read MoreGood, but this tasted too much like sour cream. I think this would have been fine using greek yogurt as the base.
Read MoreThank you for an awesome tzatziki recipe without dill or mint (I had none). I went through browsing a ton of tzatziki recipes on this site and finally stumbled on this one. I had to scale the recipe down as I was only making this for 3 people. I used a half a cucumber, grated it the put in a sheet of bounty towel paper and squeezed the water out, then repeated the step with another fresh towel paper. I also filtered 2% milk yogurt since I had no Greek yogurt, I used about 3/4 of a cup since it was gonna shrink when it lost moisture. I then combined the yogurt, cucumber, 3/4 cup of light sour cream, 2 cloves of garlic, and about 1 tbsp of evoo. Refrigerated for about 2 hrs. It was perfect with the "Greek potato stew" from this site and lemon pilaf and Greek salad. I will no longer buy store made tzatziki, this was so easy to make and better tasting. The key is in getting the moisture out of the cucumbers and yogurt (if your not using greek yogurt)
Couple of things: I've never seen Greek yogurt at any store so I just buy regular, and spoon it into a coffee filter. The moisture drains away in no time, and it's an excellent substitute for Greek yog. Secondly, English cucumbers are sometimes called Hothouse cucumbers. Hope that helps.
Thanks for all the great reviews everyone! For those of you who are looking for a low-fat recipe - Whole Foods Market (or probably any other natural foods supermarket) carries a FAT FREE Greek Yogurt, so you still get the thickness, and the great taste! If you choose low fat sour cream over the regular, make sure to drain the water. And for those of you who aren't sure what English Cucumbers are, they are sometimes called something different in the Supermarket - but always come fully wrapped in plastic! Thanks again!
I went to Greece over the summer, and I absolutely loved the tzatziki there. I couldn't wait to find an authentic recipe. This is it! I didn't add anything, and it was perfect- just like what I had in Greece. It really makes a lot, so when I am not entertaining, I will scale it back. Thanks for the great recipe! Spring for the English cucumbers.
I used fat free Greek yogurt and reduced fat sour cream and added a teaspoon of lemon juice and a little dried oregano (a teaspoon or so, I didn't measure). I didn't have english cucumbers--just regular cukes. We had this as a snack for Movie Night with homemade pita chips. Really good. We didn't miss the extra fat. The kids absolutely loved it.
Great, refreshing dip. I cut the recipe in half. What is missing is fresh dill and a bit of lemon. I used reduced fat dairy.
This recipe is just like my baba used to make- traditional greek sauce!! I added nothing and it didn't need anything because traditional greek sauce doesn't have anything else! The greek yogurt makes it! Thanks for sharing- its a keeper! Danni
Excellent recipe! I vacationed in Crete for 3 weeks in January 2007. So, I know what authentic tzatziki sauce is suppose to taste like. This recipe is definitely right up there!
I almost, well maybe I actually did, lick the bowl. That's saying a lot for someone who doesn't like cucmbers! I only made enough for 5-7 people... definitely need to make more next time!
Good, but this tasted too much like sour cream. I think this would have been fine using greek yogurt as the base.
I loved this sauce, it is very authentic. The only thing I added was a tablespoon of dill per my taste. However, I am sure the recipe is just as good without it.
Just right, like the sauce you get in a gyro shop. Putting this one in the recipe box.
I used fage 0% yogurt, and light sour cream to make this lighter. It is very tasty. I am Greek and this is an authentic Tzatziki dip. It is light and adds flavor not coats the meat.
Yum! Next time I'll probably do more yogurt and less sour cream, but even so, this was divine stuff. We used it with the feta turkey burgers stuffed into pita pockets with lettuce and tomato. My 2-year-old used it as a dip for his grape tomatoes. We were all impressed.
Good, and very easy to make. I thought it was a bit too thick though, and it makes a LOT of servings.
I truly appreciate heritage recipes and try to prepare them as exact as possible so that I get the full effect. With this Tzatziki sauce, I did switch the amounts of yogurt vs. sour cream as I didn't have enough sour cream on hand and I like the yogurt "zing". I will say I liked the smoothness that the sour cream gave the final product. I prepared everything else exact to the recipe given. However, I was underwhelmed. It was very bland. I understand that it's authentic but - to my personal taste - it was bland. I added salt, that was a help. I then added dill as I love dill in my Tzatziki and that made a world of improvement however it was still lacking something. On the advice of my daughter, I added fresh lime juice. SUCCESS! It finally made my mouth sing! I understand this is a traditional and authentic recipe but sometimes traditional and authentic doesn't suit everyone's palate. This was one of those times.
Made this recipe to use with "Feta-Stuffed Hamburgers" from this site. It was delicious and was the perfect topping for the hamburgers. It kept well in the refrigerator for days later. I had bought from our favorite Greek restaurant fresh-made pitas to go with this dip also. It is a keeper JessNeo - thanks for sharing.
the english cucumber and greek yogurt is a must. if you cant find those two items, try another recipe.
This recipe was delicious! It was even better than some of the sauces I've had at the local Greek restaurants. It was simple to make and the only thing I added was extra garlic. I will definitely be using this recipe again!
Delicious and super easy! I omitted the sour cream since I didn't have any and just used greek yogurt. It was perfect on our chicken gyros! Thanks!
Just delicious. And very simple. I made Peppy's Pita Bread to go with this - we loved it.
Was delightful as is, yum! But I like dill and lemon so I added 2 lemons juiced and 1 bunch of Dill minced. I gave it 4 stars because I have still tasted better. But I will definately make again!
Good. Added dried dill weed to half of the batch. This is a great recipe made as stated, but I really enjoyed it with the dill.
YUM!! This was great! We used it with souvlaki, but finished it up on baked potatoes for a fresh change from sour cream.
Wow!! Yum Yum Yum!! This was super good, the only changes I made to this was that I added just a touch of fresh mint chopped super fine and a pinch or two of kosher salt!!! This is a keeper and will make again and again. I served this with the "Feta & Olive Meatballs" (recipe from this site) and it was divine!! Thanks for the recipe :-)
FINALLY! I have been looking for an authentic recipe, and this is IT! Using regular lowfat plain yogurt works fine as long as you drain it by using a coffee filter in a collander for several hours. I also added a little salt and a splash of lemon juice. Chilling it for at least an hour or two is essential to achieve the full flavor.
This is an excellent sauce. I served it with Solvaki on this site. I also added a pinch of sugar.
Many supermarkets carry 'pressed yogurt' behind the counters at the deli areas. It's the best substitute if you don't have time to drain yogurt. A real tzatziki is NEVER runny! (Also if you would like to do it the traditional way, don't use sour cream)
Just took a taste before putting it in the fridge to chill. OMG this is good - I'm having to restrain myself from eating it right out of the bowl.
This is my favorite tzatziki sauce. I found Greek Plain Yogurt at Trader Joes, it has a great thick consistancy. I sprinkle some dill on top when finished and I eat this with their pita bred or Naan Indian Bread also found at Trader Joes. So tasty!
Excellent sauce with so few ingredients! I am going to experiment with adding dill - I think this will make it 5 stars! Perfect with gyro burger recipe from this website!
this was fantastic, although it does taste very strongly like sour cream. This is not a complaint I put these on a feta-spinach turkey burger and they were awesome :). Thanks for the recipe!
We couldn't find Greek yogurt, so we just made the recipe with sour cream. We added fresh dill and used the sauce as a topping for gyro burgers. It was a nice combo. Served the leftover sauce as a dip with pita chips. We'll make this one again. I really liked the addition of the dill for added flavor and will add it again next time.
This is a great basic recipe, the best I have found. I added salt and pepper and a small amount of cayenne. I used dried dill and granulated garlic since I didn't have fresh and it was perfectly fine. But over all this is the best basic recipe I have used so far. If you add salt and pepper be careful you don't add to much salt or it will ruin the sauce. This makes a great party dip as well.
Yum! I made this for my Mother who is in the hospital and is on a renal diet. There wasnt anything in this recipe which she couldn't have, and it's a very limited diet. She absolutely loved it! Thank you.
Haha, it's been in all the yiayia's families! This is pretty much basic tzatziki.. :-) well, it could use a little salt and pepper and no sour cream, Greek yogurt 100%!!!! Also, take out the cucumber seeds. Yummy! Bon appetite!!
Excellent and authentic! I tried two other recipes on here for Tzatziki and this is by far my favourite with one exception - I added approx 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (1/2 lemon). I gave the recipe five stars because it deserves five - I just happen to like my tsztsiki with lemon. My thanks to Auntie and Jess.
I only made half of the recipe and it was a LOT! But it tastes great and was super easy.
Delicious! I ate it all up with Gyros Burgers! I changed the yogurt to fat free (just remember to drain it in a collander lined with a paper towel or cheese cloth so it's not too watery) and the sour cream to low fat. I also halved the recipe since it seemed like a lot and it was the perfect amount for eight sandwiches. I added salt and pepper to taste.
This was so delicious! I made it a day ahead to have with warm pita and the Souvlaki recipe from this site, but it was so good that we ate it with meatloaf the same night I made it! Luckily, there is still enough left for the Souvlaki!! I only made a couple alterations. I didn't add olive oil, I only used about 8 oz of Greek yogurt (that's all I had) and about 1 1/2 t of dill weed. Even my kids, who are suspect to "new" foods, LOVED this! Thank you!!
Easy to make, very good, eventhough I didn't leave it in the fridge for 20 minutes. I did use roasted garlic. I bet it'll be even yummier tomorrow!!!
Really, really, really good! I added just a little fresh chopped cphives for color. Served on top of grilled lamb patties. Delicious! I'll make it over and over!
My husband and I love gyros and are always trying new tzatziki sauces at home hoping to replicate the kind we find in our favorite restaurant. This is the closest I have come so far, but I do wish the end results was a little thicker. I made this the day before and added a bit more salt. Yum! UPDATE 5/20/11: I made this for my husband's birthday and switched the ration of sour cream :: greek yogurt. The end result was closer to the thick consistency I was looking for.
This tastes very authentic. I halved the sour cream and yogurt, peeled and seeded a regular cucumber, used a lot more garlic, added a bit of dill and lemon juice, and put it all in the blender :) We ate it with pita bread and the meat from the recipe "Awesome Spicy Beef Kabobs or Haitian Voodoo Sticks' from this site. Absolutely fabulous.
This sauce was delicious. We've used it as a dip for pita bread with Greek Salad, as a sauce on tortillas rolled up with grilled chicken and veggies, spread on a turkey sandwich, etc. It's very versitile. Just be sure to thoroughly drain/squeeze all excess moisture out of cucumbers before mixing up. I used a fat free sour cream and it tasted wonderful! It's definitely better after sitting at least overnight, and the flavor only improves with time.
This is tasty and really easy to make. I halved the recipe and misread the ratio of sour cream to yogurt. I used a 1:1 ratio instead of the called for 2:1 ratio. After making a small sample with a 2:1 ratio, I prefer the 1:1 ratio mixture as it doesn't taste as much like sour cream.
Nice and thick. I drained my cucumber on paper towels for about 30 minutes then squeezed out excess moisture.
AMAZING. I made a half batch and added in some pink Himalayan salt. The key for sure is getting all the liquid out of the cucumber. Using a piece of cheesecloth does the job wonderfully and it's worth it to buy some (trust me). Paper towels would not have done the job. Will make over and over! Great for gyros, salads, and dipping.
Added a bit of garlic & lemon juice as someone recommended. Shared with friends & they loved it!
This sauce was just ok and was a little thin. I couldn't find greek yogur or english cucumbers and it sounds like those make this recipe better. Was a little sweet for my taste so I added some dill weed which helped. Used it with the "Gyro Burger" recipe posted on this site and it did taste well on them, would have been better if a little thicker in my opinion.
I went with this recipe because it did not have the mint in it. It is a nice classic recipe. I did add a smidge of crushed dried oregano. I scaled this back to six servings and it still makes a ton.
My family really loved this recipe. I served it with grilled chicken gyros. Delicious! I used Fage Greek yogurt as it is already strained, and added some salt and pepper. Other than that I followed the recipe as written. Definitely a keeper!
I stopped by an International market near my home to pick up some gyro meat. The owner of the store asked if I needed any tzatziki sauce, and I told her I was going to make my own. She told me "make it with sour cream, not yogurt." I liked that this recipe was mostly sour cream, and I agree with her that it is better than the all yogurt versions. I used a regular cucumber and removed the seeds and squeezed out the excess water really well with a dish towel. I made it earlier in the day, and it was still nice (not runny) when I served this with our gyros tonight. Great recipe - thanks for sharing!
I made this to go atop my turkey feta spinach burgers. Haven't eaten together yet but this sauce is nice. It could use a tang or something to balance it better but good starter recipe. I will post how it was with the burger when i review the burger recipe.
Followed exactly as written (that almost never happens) DELICIOUS!!! Served it with a Gyroll from this site and it was perfect!
Make sure to get good cucumbers, my cucumbers were kinda tasteless but the sauce rocked
The result tasted like sour cream. This is the first tzatziki recipe I have seen that uses sour cream.
I made this to go with gyros and it was perfect. It had a wonderfull cool flavor. You could also use this as a veggie dip but if you do I would recommend adding some seasonings and so on (Greek seems the best choice). I'm so glad I chose this recipe.
Wow! My kids love this with pita bread, but they love it so much, they practically lick it off the plate! Although it's better with the cucumbers, I usually leave them out. I add a little lemon juice, too. YUMMY!
One of the best tzatziki sauce recipes I have found. A little too much cucumber for my taste, so I only use about 1/2 a cucumber. I also added salt & pepper, 2 tsp. lemon juice, and 1/2 tsp. dill. I couldn't find Greek yogurt, so I just used plain yogurt. Very good!
I scaled this down a lot and in turn may have added a bit too much garlic... but it was delicious!
Turned out great! Chilling for at least 2 hours is essential! I let mine sit overnight turned out great!
Very good! Tasted just like the Greek restaurant. I didn’t have enough sour cream so added extra yogurt.
This is an excellant recipe! I followed it exactly and it turned out wonderful. My husband loved it and even my 2 year old liked it. We'll definately make this again and again!
I halved the recipe. I had no sour cream or greek yogurt so I just drained some homemade yogurt. I also added some chaat masala and black salt. A bit thin. It also made much more than I expected.
This is a great authentic recipe. I suggest straining not only the cucumbers but the sour cream & yogurt as well. If you can't find greek yogurt, plain works well too - just strain it. Also, a bit of greek seasoning works too! And to top it off, a bit of dill!
An excellent recipe. Great addition to the Kofta--or as my kids would agree, right off a spoon!
Really good, but if you want to make it less fat and still good. Use fat free plain yogurt, and low fat sour cream. I also do not use olive oil. For lots of flavor add a tablespoon of greek seasoning, and some lemon juice.
This is absolutely the kind of Tzatziki you will find if you visit Greece. Its awesome - but for those who do feel they need a bit more of a flavor kick try adding some fresh mint or a few shaks of bottled greek seasonings. Also if you are using fat free products remember to drain everything or it will be too thin.
Very bland. It needed something. I added some cumin and black pepper. I also added extra garlic. I didn't have dill, but I will try to add that next time. It just tasted like plain yogurt and sour cream. I was disappointed after the other glowing reviews. I cut the recipe in half and it still made a lot. I will try it again, but quartered and add a little extra spice.
Just like I get in restaurants. Same spicy taste from the raw garlic as well, which is not my preference, but my husband loves it.
Very good. I'm happy to have a recipe for tzatziki sauce. This was my first time making it, and it was easy. I used nonfat plain yogurt, lowfat sour cream - and I neglected to drain them first since I forgot to read the reviews first. It wasn't too runny though, so it wasn't a big deal. I did add a bit of grated onion, and I'm not sure I'd do that again. I halved it, and it still made a ton. I used it for falafel and pitas - and will definitely make it again.
An easy peasy and delicious recipe. One of the more authentic tzatziki sauces I've tried. I did add a little dill to enhance the flavor as some others suggested. My new go-to recipe for this sauce!
Perfect! I used this on a Chicken Souvlaki and we loved it! I had never grated a cucumber for the Tzatziki sauce - always just chopped it up. This way is much better and the blend of spices is just right!
I used plain yogurt instead of greek. next time will search harder for greek yogurt because the draining of the yogurt and cucumber was WAY too much work. very light flavor.
