This healthy tzatziki sauce takes just 5 minutes to make and comes out thick and tangy. I use low-fat 0% Greek yogurt and no oil, so each ⅓ cup serving has 36 calories and 6g of protein. Serve with air fryer pita chips!
Healthy Tzatziki Sauce At A Glance
- ✅ Recipe Name: Healthy Tzatziki Sauce Recipe (Low-Fat)
- 🕒 Ready In: ~5 minutes
- 👪 Serves: 6 (makes about 2 cups)
- 🍽 Calories: 36 per ⅓ cup serving
- 💪 Protein: 6g per ⅓ cup serving
- 🥣 Main Ingredients: Plain 0% Greek yogurt, English cucumber, fresh lemon juice, garlic, fresh dill, kosher salt, black pepper
- 📖 Dietary Info: Low-fat, oil-free, gluten-free, high-protein, vegetarian, keto-friendly
- ⭐ Why You'll Love It: Most tzatziki recipes call for olive oil and full-fat yogurt, and most make you salt the cucumber and wait 15 minutes. This one skips both. Squeezing the grated cucumber does the same job as salting, so it's thick and tangy in 5 minutes at 36 calories a serving.
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Why I make tzatziki at home
I put tzatziki on everything. Gyros, grilled chicken, roasted potatoes. I used to just buy it, and then one day I actually read the label, and there was modified food starch in there. In a sauce that's five ingredients. I haven't bought a tub since.
My first homemade batches were bad, though. Watery. Most recipes tell you to salt the grated cucumber and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes so the water comes out, and that does work; it just turns a quick sauce into a 20-minute one. I squeeze mine in a cheesecloth instead. Takes thirty seconds. That's the whole reason this one is actually five minutes.
I've made this with 0%, 2%, and 5% Greek yogurt. The 0% is good. Not good-for-a-low-fat-version, just good, and it keeps a serving at 36 calories with 6 grams of protein. I skip the olive oil too. I'd rather save the fat for something I can taste. I make this constantly for Greek chicken meatballs, on everything bagel crusted salmon, and with air fryer boneless chicken thighs.
Jump to:
- Healthy Tzatziki Sauce At A Glance
- Why I make tzatziki at home
- What Is Tzatziki Sauce Made Of?
- Is Tzatziki Healthy?
- Ingredients You'll Need
- Substitutions and Variations
- How to Make Healthy Tzatziki (Step-by-Step)
- My Tips for Thick, Tangy Tzatziki
- What to Eat with Tzatziki
- How to Meal Prep and Store Tzatziki
- Healthy Tzatziki FAQs
- More Greek and Mediterranean Recipes You'll Love
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
What Is Tzatziki Sauce Made Of?
Tzatziki is a Greek yogurt and cucumber sauce. The traditional version is strained yogurt, grated cucumber, garlic, olive oil, lemon or vinegar, and fresh herbs, usually dill or mint. It's served as a dip, a spread, or a sauce, and it's what goes in a gyro.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Easy peasy, outstanding recipe! I made this for turkey meatballs, and it was a perfect companion.
- Tara
Is Tzatziki Healthy?
Yes. Tzatziki is one of the healthier dips you can eat. It's built on Greek yogurt and cucumber, so it's naturally low in calories and higher in protein than most creamy dips. A ⅓ cup serving of my version has 36 calories and 6 grams of protein. The same amount of ranch has around 250 calories and almost no protein.
Two things change the number: the yogurt you use and whether there's olive oil in it. I use 0% Greek yogurt and no oil, which is why mine lands at 36 calories. Most tzatziki recipes call for full-fat yogurt and a tablespoon of olive oil, which is closer to 60 to 70 calories per serving. Both are fine. One is just lighter.
Ingredients You'll Need
Here's what goes into homemade healthy tzatziki, and why I use what I use.
- Plain Greek yogurt: 0%, 2%, or 5% all work. I use 0% and it still comes out thick, which is the whole point of squeezing the cucumber well. Go 5% or whole milk if you want it richer.
- Cucumber: English or Persian. Both have thin skin and few seeds, so you can grate them skin-on and skip the peeling.
- Lemon: One large lemon gets you the 3 tablespoons you need. Fresh only here. Bottled tastes flat against the yogurt.
- Garlic: Two fresh cloves, minced or grated. A teaspoon of garlic powder works in a pinch, but you lose the sharpness.
- Fresh dill: This is the flavor, and one bunch covers this plus my edamame salad with feta and dill. Dried won't get you there. If that's all you have, make my healthy yogurt ranch dip instead.
- Salt and pepper: Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.
Scroll to the recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Skip the cucumber: Leave it out entirely for a smooth, thick yogurt dill dip. Nobody expects this to work, and it does. Skip the squeezing step and just stir everything together.
- Add feta: Stir in ¼ to ½ cup of crumbled feta at the end. Feta tzatziki is saltier and more savory, and it's what I make when it's going on a mezze board.
- Make it spicy: A teaspoon of cayenne or a few dashes of hot sauce. Add it slowly; the yogurt mellows the heat less than you'd think.
- Swap dill for mint: Traditional in a lot of Greek tzatziki, and it reads brighter and more summery. You can also do half dill, half mint.
- Use full-fat yogurt: Swap to 5% or whole milk Greek yogurt and add a tablespoon of olive oil. That's closer to how it's made in Greece, and it runs about 60 to 70 calories per serving instead of 36.
- Make it dairy-free: An unsweetened coconut or almond yogurt works; just make sure it's plain and thick. The texture won't be quite the same, but the flavor holds up.
How to Make Healthy Tzatziki (Step-by-Step)
Four steps, and the first one is the only one that matters.
- Step 1: Grate and squeeze the cucumber. Grate it on the medium or large holes of a box grater, skin on. Then wrap it in a cheesecloth or a clean kitchen towel and wring out as much water as you can over the sink. This is the step that decides whether your tzatziki is thick or runny.
- Step 2: Keep squeezing. More water comes out than you think. Give it one more hard twist until it stops dripping, then fluff it apart with your fingers so it doesn't go in as one clump.
- Step 3: Add everything to a bowl. Greek yogurt, the squeezed cucumber, lemon juice, garlic, dill, salt, and pepper. No particular order.
- Step 4: Stir gently until combined. Go easy here. Overmixing thins the yogurt out. Taste it and adjust the salt, lemon, or dill before you serve.
My Tips for Thick, Tangy Tzatziki
- Salt the cucumber if you have the time: Squeezing gets you there in thirty seconds, and it's what I do on a weeknight. But if you salt the grated cucumber and let it sit for 10 minutes before squeezing, you'll pull out a little more water and get a slightly thicker sauce. Both work. One is faster.
- Strain the yogurt if it's thin: Some 0% Greek yogurts are looser than others straight out of the tub. If yours is, set it in a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl for 15 minutes before you mix.
- Taste before you serve: Lemons vary a lot and so does how salty your yogurt is. Adjust the salt, lemon, or dill at the end rather than trusting the measurements to land the same way every time.
What to Eat with Tzatziki
- Chicken: Try these grilled Greek chicken kabobs or Greek yogurt-marinated chicken. This is the pairing I come back to most.
- Turkey meatballs: Greek turkey meatballs with lemon rice already have the lemon and oregano working, so tzatziki just finishes it.
- Gyros: Chicken, lamb, or my halloumi gyros. This is what tzatziki is for.
- Falafel: Wraps or straight dipping, like these crispy sweet potato falafels.
- Grilled vegetables: Especially zucchini and eggplant. Both pick up char on the grill and the cool yogurt cuts right through it.
- Alongside hummus: Put both out with warm pita and vegetables. My blender hummus takes about as long as this does, so a mezze board is a 5-minute job.
- Salads and grain bowls: Thin it with a splash of water or extra lemon, then use it as a dressing over a Mediterranean quinoa tabbouleh.
It's also just good with warm pita, raw vegetables, or anything off the grill.
How to Meal Prep and Store Tzatziki
- Fridge: Up to 4 days in an airtight container. It separates a little as it sits, so stir before serving.
- Freezer: Don't. The yogurt and cucumber both go watery and grainy once thawed.
- Meal prep: Make it Sunday, and it'll carry you through Wednesday. Turns whatever protein you already cooked into an actual meal.
- When it's gone bad: Sharp sour smell, different from the normal tang, and a slimy texture. Toss it.
Healthy Tzatziki FAQs
Once it's mixed, your options are limited. Straining the whole thing through a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl for 20 to 30 minutes will drain some liquid, or you can stir in a few spoonfuls of thick Greek yogurt to bring it back. Next time, salt the grated cucumber for 10 minutes before you squeeze it. Salting pulls out more water than squeezing alone.
Not usually. Most tubs add starch or gum to thicken and run higher in sodium than a homemade version. Read the label and compare it to five ingredients.
Different base entirely. Tzatziki is yogurt and cucumber; hummus is chickpeas and tahini. Tzatziki is lighter and tangier; hummus is thicker and richer. They're good together on the same board, and my blender hummus is the one I make alongside this.
No, it's too thin. Greek yogurt is strained, which is what gives tzatziki its thickness. If regular yogurt is all you have, strain it in cheesecloth for a few hours first.
Yes. It's low in carbs and high in protein, with 3g of carbs per ⅓-cup serving.
Yes, up to a day or two before. It keeps 4 days in the fridge and just needs a stir.
More Greek and Mediterranean Recipes You'll Love
These are the Greek recipes I make most often, and tzatziki goes with every one of them.
Did you make this recipe?
If you make this recipe, be sure to comment and rate it down below. Also, don't forget to tag me @healthfulblondie on Instagram and use the hashtag #healthfulblondie so I can see your delicious creation and share it with my followers!
📖 Recipe
Healthy Tzatziki Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups plain Greek yogurt, 0%, 2%, or 5%
- ⅔ cup shredded cucumber, grated on a box grater
- 3 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice, (about 1 lemon)
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 to 3 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Grate the cucumber. Grate it on the medium or large holes of a box grater, skin on. Wrap it in a cheesecloth or clean kitchen towel and squeeze out as much water as you can over the sink.
- Combine everything. Add the Greek yogurt, squeezed cucumber, lemon juice, garlic, dill, salt, and pepper to a mixing bowl.
- Stir gently. Mix until just combined. Overmixing thins out the yogurt.
- Taste and adjust. Add more salt, pepper, lemon, or dill to your preference, then serve or refrigerate.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe tested and developed by Tati Chermayeff, creator of Healthful Blondie. A former Division I rower, Ironman triathlete, and recipe developer based in Austin, TX, Tati creates high-protein and healthy recipes that actually taste like the real thing.
Melissa L. Flynn says
Hi, I am trying the diet thing. Can you tell me the size of a serving for this recipe? 1tbsp, 2?
Tati Chermayeff says
Hi Melissa! This recipe makes 6 servings total. Each serving is approximately ⅓ cup (about 5-6 tablespoons). Each serving has 36 calories and 6g of protein. Enjoy!
Tara says
Easy peasy, outstanding recipe! I made this for turkey meatballs and it was a perfect companion.
Tati Chermayeff says
Hi Tara! Turkey meatballs and tzatziki is such a good combo, especially if you're doing the Greek ones with the lemon and oregano. So glad it worked out. Thanks for the review!
Sarah Moretz says
Great dip! I was wondering exactly what the serving size is? I see the nutritional content but wondering how much per serving.
Thank you!
Tati Chermayeff says
Hi Sarah! Sorry for the slow reply. This makes 6 servings and each one is about ⅓ cup, roughly 5 to 6 tablespoons. That's where the 36 calories and 6g protein come from. I've added the serving size to the recipe card now so it's easier to find. Thanks for asking!