Greek tzatziki is a delicious and creamy Greek yogurt and cucumber sauce. There’s no way you’ll ever eat a Greek souvlaki or gyros without it. But there are so many other ways to get creative with this simple, refreshing and healthy sauce!
Read on for over 50 tasty and interesting ways to eat tzatziki.
Of course, it’s no problem to pick up some good quality store-bought tzatziki. But did you know that it’s SUPER easy to make your own in around only 10 minutes?
You only need a few simple and healthy ingredients – thick Greek yogurt, cubed or grated cucumber, garlic, fresh dill, fresh lemon juice and olive oil.
If you’d like to give it a try, I have a simple recipe for authentic tzatziki (or tsatziki – pronounced t-sat-ZEE-zee in Greek) here on the blog. I hope you do!
Souvlaki, wraps & kebabs
You just can’t eat a Greek souvlaki (chicken or pork on skewers with pita bread) without plenty of tzatziki sauce!
Try my recipe below for a super easy chicken souvlaki gyro that you can bake either in the oven or air fryer. It’s the simplest way to experience heaven on a plate. As you take a bite, close your eyes and transport yourself to a Greek taverna with rickety blue wooden chairs.
5 from 5 votes
Super Easy Greek Chicken Gyro Pita
Gyro pitas (AKA souvlaki!) are Greece's most popular fast food, and you definitely won't want to eat them without a generous spoonful of tzatziki inside! These oven-baked gyros taste just the same as they do in Greece, and they're perfect for a mini crowd!
Easy Greek style lamb pitas with deliciously tender lamb, tangy tzatziki and fluffy pita bread. The whole family will love this tasty, 30-minute homemade version of the classic 'lamb gyros' you can find in Greece!
But really I wouldn’t advise eating any kind of Mediterranean style wrap or kebab without some tzatziki with it.
Here are a few more options:
Middle Eastern style falafel wraps are a fantastic vegetarian option!
4.63 from 8 votes
Halloumi Kebabs with Chorizo, Tomatoes and Honey Lime Dressing
Halloumi cheese is traditionally made in Cyprus and it's absolutely delicious fried or grilled. Try threading onto skewers with tangy chorizo and juicy tomatoes, then drizzle with a simple honey-lime dressing and serve with Tsatziki on the side.
Golden, crispy little falafel made of sweet potatoes, chickpeas and spices. Falafel with tzatziki is a perfect combination. Serve with fresh bread and a Greek salad for a delicious and healthy meal.
Authentic Shish Tawook Lebanese grilled chicken skewers from Little Sunny Kitchen marinated in a yogurt-based marinade. Grilled until tender and juicy!
If you love a takeaway, why not try making these Turkish style Lamb Shish Kebabs from Hungry Healthy Happy at home? A really simple, but flavour packed recipe.
Making homemade beef koftas from scratch is easier than you think! This recipe from Happy Foods Tube only takes minutes to make, but you can prep ahead of time.
If you ever have the pleasure of enjoying Greek mezze (like Greek tapas!) in a restaurant, I can almost guarantee there’ll be tzatziki on the table.
There are a few Greek dishes that I make often at home, I wouldn’t dream of serving them without tzatziki sauce on the side. Here they are.
4.76 from 50 votes
Easy Slow Cooked Greek Lamb (Lamb Kleftiko)
A super easy and tasty authentic slow cooked Greek lamb roast with delicious lemon potatoes and vegetables. Throw the veggies in a pot, sit a lamb leg on top, rub in simple Mediterranean flavours, and slow roast for 4 hours to fall-apart perfection.
You'll love this simple and popular everyday Greek chicken recipe. Just bake chicken and potato wedges with a really easy olive oil, lemon and oregano marinade. Don't even think about skipping the tzatziki and Greek salad sides!
My version of Gemista is super tasty, with minced beef, lots of herbs and spices and a delicious tomato sauce spooned over the top. Don't forget to serve with big wedges of feta cheese!
With its tasty layers of eggplant, meat sauce and bechamel sauce, a traditional Greek moussaka is a really hard meal to beat. It can take a little while to make, but this recipe makes it easy. My favorite way to serve it is with Greek salad and tzatziki.
Healthy tzatziki can also go really well with a summer salad, instead of mayonnaise or a dressing. My top pick is a classic Greek salad (horiatiki salata).
Here are a few more salad ideas that are perfect for serving tzatziki with.
4.67 from 6 votes
Easy Tuna Salad
There’s a reason I’ve been making this easy tuna salad week after week for years. It’s healthy and delicious and made with the simplest of salad ingredients that you’ve probably nearly always got in your fridge. Delicious with a spoonful of tzatziki on top!
Looking for something refreshing, simple, and healthy to go with your chicken, fish, or steak main? Look no further! This orzo salad with feta, asparagus and chickpeas is the perfect choice!
A simple salad with roasted tomatoes, corn, avocado and basil – all topped with addictively crispy halloumi cheese and a drizzle of honey mustard dressing.
A fast, simple and healthy family dinner from The Cooking Collective that is absolutely packed with flavour, this Greek lamb salad recipe with tzatziki can be ready in just 15 minutes!
Tzatziki together with any kind of simple grilled, marinated, roasted or air fried meat or fish are a match made in heaven. Lamb chops or simply cooked salmon would be my top picks! Either spoon the sauce over the meat or fish or serve it on the side.
Add a simple salad or veggies and this is such a quick and easy midweek meal, or elevate your next BBQ with big bowls of this incredible Mediterranean sauce.
Here are a few more simple meat recipes that pair perfectly with tzatziki on the side.
5 from 2 votes
Greek Chicken Meatballs
Greek meatballs can be delicious AND quick and easy when you make them in your air fryer. Mix together all the ingredients, shape into bite-sized meatballs and air fry for 10 minutes. Oven bake if you don't have an air fryer!
Cook a chicken in your air fryer once and you'll never cook it any other way! Add a herb and spice rub and you'll end up with a perfectly moist and juicy rotisserie style roast chicken in under an hour. Delicious served with a Greek salad and of course tsatziki!
These Greek baked chicken drumsticks, wings or thighs are sticky and caramelised and full of gorgeous Greek flavours. Tzatizki could be the perfect dipping sauce!
These are are full of delicately flavoured salmon and fresh, subtle flavours. My favourite part is the crispy exterior, delicious dipped in your favorite Greek sauce!
Lamb Burgers are a great alternative to beef and this Spiced Lamb Burger from Hungry Healthy Happy is absolutely delicious. Topped with creamy Tzatziki and a sticky Chilli Jam.
Grill up some Greek inspired burgers stuffed with feta cheese from Homebody Eats. These beef burger patties are filled with Mediterranean flavors you’ll love!
Smoked Lamb Chops with a flavorful Greek rub and Tzatziki sauce
A rack of lamb cooked low and slow on the smoker (or on the grill if you don't have a smoker) then finished with a quick sear. These lamb lollipops from Foodie and Wine would be perfect as an appetizer!
Smokey paprika marinated chicken thighs with cooling yogurt tzatziki. This easy and healthy recipe from Craving California is going to be your new go-to weeknight dinner!
If you want to keep your meal vegetarian, there are plenty of options. Any kind of pizza with ‘Greek’ toppings such as feta, olives, tomatoes and green peppers, veggie burgers, plant-based burgers and sausages and much more will go perfectly with tzatziki.
Here are some more vegetarian ideas.
4.92 from 45 votes
Greek Feta and Spinach Filo Pie
This super easy version of the Greek dish 'spanakopita' is incredibly delicious. Perfect for a simple lunch for guests or a midweek meal for the family.
Homemade pizzas made with a delicious ready-made base- naan bread! Top with sun dried tomatoes and mini mozzarella cheese balls, and you've got a simple but tasty meal in just 20 minutes.
This vegetarian eggplant lasagna is made by layering a simple pasta alla norma sauce with a ricotta mixture and lasagna sheets. There's no white sauce to make, and it's on the table in just an hour.
This quiche is SO easy to make with a store bought pie crust, a few pantry ingredients and some delicious Mediterranean vegetables that you don't have to pre-cook.
A really easy-to-make crispy veggie burger with halloumi cheese as the star of the show. Top brioche buns with shallow fried halloumi slices, then pile on ribbons of carrot and cucumber. You can replace the mayonnaise with tsatziki for a healthier (yet super tasty) option. Delicious!
Delicious roasted vegetables with a Greek twist. Add couscous to the dish, and top with crispy halloumi cheese. Superb as a main meal but also ideal to serve alongside meat or fish. Just drizzle healthy tzatziki sauce over the top!
Crispy quinoa fritters packed with peas, feta, lemon and fresh mint and parsley. Light, healthy, super tasty. Perfect with creamy tzatziki sauce on the top.
Yep, it’s true. Tzatziki isn’t just a sauce, it’s a healthy and delicious dip as well!
Of course, you can keep things super simple (and nutritious!) and just chop up some raw vegetables such as carrot sticks, cucumber and colorful peppers for dipping. Add some tortilla chips of any description for extra crunch.
But of course, that’s not all you can dip into your delicious yogurt cucumber dip.
cheese sticks (ideas: breaded mozzarella sticks or halloumi fries – see below for recipe!)
quesadillas (see below for a fantastic Greek quesadillas recipe!)
mini pies (see below for my top picks: mini Greek filo pies)
meat strips (chicken nuggets, chicken tenders, mini meat skewers, mini sausages, or even strips of steak)
Here are some of my favorite recipes that would be perfect for dipping into tzatziki!
5 from 3 votes
Greek Zucchini Fries
Delicious and super easy Greek style zucchini fries in the lightest, crispiest tempura batter. They go wonderfully well as a side with any kind of meat, fish or vegetarian main. Don't forget a big dish of tsatziki sauce for dipping!
These halloumi fries need just 3 ingredients. They truly are legendary. Everyone loves them, and they take just minutes to make. Amazing dipped in tzatziki and sweet chili sauce.
These amazing Greek style potatoes are tasty, creamy, and crispy all at the same time. They go with just about anything but also work as a snack or BBQ appetizer with tzatziki dip on the side. SO addictive!
If you're a fan of crispy potatoes you'll love these baby roasted potatoes smothered in garlic and cheese. Make them as a treat for the family or serve at your next dinner party with lashings of tsatziki. Heaven!
Puff pastry cheese twists filled with pesto and cheese. These are delicious warm from the oven. You only need 4 simple pantry ingredients to make them.
Little squares of filo pastry topped with a feta, spinach and sundried tomato mixture and scrunched up at the top to make little parcels. SO good as an appetizer or party food with dips on the side.
Make ‘Greek fries’ with chopped olives, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, feta and oregano sprinkled over the top. Serve with tzatziki on top or on the side.
Stir through pasta salad or potato salad instead of mayonnaise or sour cream. Try this trick with this Mediterranean penne pasta salad!
Serve leftover tzatziki on top of a baked potato with feta cheese and a salad on the side.
With a quiche or omelette and veggies or salad.
With a pizza instead of ranch dressing.
Stir through cooked chicken or tuna for an interesting twist on chicken or tuna salad.
Spread on a sandwich or burger instead of mayonnaise. For example, try it spread on these Greek tortilla pinwheels!
FAQ
Can tzatziki be used as a salad dressing?
Actually, yes! Just toss tzatziki with your favorite green salad leaves. Crunchy iceberg lettuce works especially well. The result is similar to a salad with ranch dressing, except tzatziki is healthier. Tzatziki will go well with any salad you’d usually serve with ranch dressing.
Can you eat tzatziki by itself?
Tzatziki isn’t usually eaten entirely by itself, but it’s very delicious scooped up with pita bread, corn chips or vegetables. You can enjoy it like this as a healthy snack or serve it as a simple appetizer when you’re next entertaining.
Are raita and tzatziki the same?
They are both a delicious creamy yogurt sauce, but while tzatziki hails from Greece, raita is a cooling Indian sauce served with spicy dishes. Both are often made with cucumber, but raita usually includes coriander and mint rather than dill, and spices such as cumin.
So now you know exactly how to eat tzatziki! Yes, with souvlaki, but you can enjoy it in so many other ways.
I’d love to hear how you decided to serve it!
Looking for more Greek side dish ideas? Take a look at this collection of 21 easy Greek sides for lots of delicious inspiration for your next Greek feast!
