Easy Tzatziki Sauce (with sour cream)
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Tzatziki sauce is a creamy cucumber sauce that is most often made with simple ingredients including, Greek yogurt, cucumbers, garlic, fresh herbs, olive oil and lemon juice.
We’ve created the most delicious Easy Tzatziki Sauce made with sour cream instead of full-fat Greek yogurt. If you aren’t a fan of yogurt you are going to love this sour cream based flavorful sauce.
What you’ll love about this homemade tzatziki sauce
- The fresh cucumber creates the absolute best flavor for dipping pita chips, crackers, and vegetables.
- This sauce uses sour cream instead of Greek yogurt creating a super creamy sauce.
- This simple recipe is made with ingredients that are easily found at local grocery stores.
MORE SAUCE RECIPES
If you are a sauce lover like mem try two of my favorite sauce recipes Creamy Avocado Sauce and Parmesan Alfredo Sauce.
Vegan tzatziki sauce recipe
If you are looking for a vegan tzatziki sauce try this recipe.
Tzatziki sauce ingredients
- Sour Cream – You can use plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream for this recipe if you prefer.
- Olive Oil
- Fresh Dill – You can use dried dill if you don’t have any fresh on hand. 1 tablespoon fresh equals 1 tsp dried. Fresh mint is another great herb that can be added.
- Cucumber – English cucumbers are a great choice because they are seedless and because the skin is thin making it unnecessary to peel them completely.
- Lemon Juice – The fresh juice brightens the dipping sauce. White wine vinegar can be used as a substitute, but my preference is to use fresh lemon juice.
- Garlic Clove– Don’t skimp on the garlic. Start with 1 clove and add more to taste.
- Salt and Black Pepper
How to make tzatziki sauce
Prepare the cucumber: Using a box grater, shred an English cucumber until you have 3/4 cup of cucumber. Wrap the grated cucumber in paper towels or cheesecloth and squeeze all of the water from the cucumber. You could also try using a fine mesh strainer to get rid of excess liquid.
Add everything to a food processor: To the bowl of a food processor add sour cream, shredded cucumber, garlic, fresh dill, salt, black pepper, fresh lemon juice, and olive oil.
Mix: Pulse until everything is mixed.
Serve: Add tzatziki sauce to a serving bowl.
TIPS FOR MAKING THIS TZATZIKI SAUCE RECIPE
- Creamy Greek yogurt can be substituted for sour cream in this recipe.
- Be sure to get all excess water out of the cucumber to ensure your sauce is not watery.
- A food processor works great to combine all of the ingredients.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH TZATZIKI SAUCE
- Salmon – The flavors in this sauce pair perfectly with fish especially salmon.
- Fresh vegetables – Keep your snack low-carb by using vegetables for this dip. Raw veggies like celery, baby carrots, red bell pepper, and cucumbers are excellent with this delicious tzatziki.
- Pita chips – Pita chips are one of the best ways to serve this delicious condiment.
- Gyros – Gyros are traditionally made with meat wrapped in pita bread with lettuce, tomato, red onions, and a healthy helping of tzatziki sauce.
- Fry Dip – Dip your fries, onion rings, or tater tots in this bright flavorful sauce.
- Salad Dressing – This sauce is the perfect dressing for a simple dinner salad.
- Shawarma – This is a traditional Middle East dish that is often served with tzatziki sauce.
- Fresh Pitas – Soft fresh pitas are delicious with tzatziki sauce.
- Greek Meatballs – The perfect little appetizer to go with this festive dip.
FAQ FOR TZATZIKI SAUCE
Other sauces you could use instead of tzatziki sauce are ranch dressing, tahini sauce, or tartar sauce.
Tzatziki sauce will last in the fridge for 4 days. Even though this sauce is made with sour cream that will last until the expiration date, the added cucumber will cause the sauce to go bad after 4 days.
It is not recommended to freeze tzatziki sauce. The sour cream or yogurt will become runny when it is thawed.
The best thing to do with leftover tzatziki sauce is to serve it with pita chips and fresh veggies or serve it on a piece of protein like Salmon.
How to store leftover Greek tzataziki sauce
Storage: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Freezer: We do not recommend freezing this sauce. The sour cream will separate and become watery when removed from the freezer.
More homemade sauce recipes
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Easy Tzitzikii Sauce
Equipment
- Food Processor optional
Ingredients
- 1 cup Sour Cream
- 2-3 Tbsp Fresh Dill
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- 3/4 cup Shredded Cucumber
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the cucumber: Using a box grated, shred an English cucumber until you have 3/4 cup of cucumber. Wrap the grated cucumber in paper towels or cheese cloth and squeeze all of the water from the cucumber. You may need to do this a couple times to get rid of any excess moisture.
- Add everything to a food processor: To the bowl of a food processor add sour cream, shredded cucumber, fresh dill, salt, black pepper, lemon juice and olive oil.
- Mix: Pulse until everything is mixed.
- Serve: Add sauce to a serving bowl.
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below!
Notes
- Creamy Greek yogurt can be substituted for the sour cream in this recipe.
- Do not freeze this sauce.
- Be sure to get all of the liquid out of the cucumber to ensure your sauce is not watery.
- A food processor works great to combine all of the ingredients.
I love this dip with Salmon and cucumbers. Thanks for the tip on other things to serve it with! So helpful. I’ll try it with fries.
I love how fresh this sauce tastes – like spring/summer. Made with yogurt is my favorite and more traditional – less guilt inducing than other sauces. YUM!
So easy yummy!
Made this with Salmon – turned out super ! Thank you !!
Where’s the measurements ?
All of the measurements are in the recipe card towards the bottom of the post. I hope you make the recipe soon!
Delicious and easy. I served this as a side dish to a Mediterranean meal with friends and got so many comments. Everyone loved this sauce. This is a keeper
Thank you
Thank you, Sunny! I love any excuse to eat tzatziki sauce. I’m so glad you enjoyed the sauce.
use English cucumber taste better
Yes, I agree they are a great option. There’s a note in the blog post about why I like them the best! I hope you enjoy the recipe!