Add a burst of flavor to your meals with our creamy Keto Tzatziki Sauce recipe. Featuring crisp cucumber, tangy Greek yogurt, and flavorful herbs, this sauce is the perfect dip or dressing to accompany your favorite low-carb snacks or meals. It’s both gluten-free and keto-friendly, ensuring a nutritious option that doesn’t compromise on taste. Try it out today!
Table of Contents (click to view)
Is Tzatziki Sauce Keto?
In short, yes, tzatziki sauce is keto-friendly. This keto sauce was originally published in my cookbook, and I’m excited to share a version with you today. It’s a go-to dip and dressing for me, I’m sure you will love it too!
This recipe is special because it uses Greek yogurt as the main ingredient, which is high in protein and lower in carbs than regular yogurt. Additionally, the recipe has other nutritious and flavorful ingredients like cucumber, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and fresh dill, and finished off with a little bit of salt and black pepper.
Have you ever wondered, can you eat tzatziki sauce on keto? Well, I have some good news. People who follow a keto or low-carb diet will appreciate this recipe as it allows them to enjoy a creamy and flavorful sauce without consuming excess carbs. Furthermore, it is packed with protein, keeping you feeling fuller longer.
The best part is you can serve this keto sauce any time, whether as an easy condiment for a main meal, as a dip for veggies or crackers, or even as a creamy dressing for salads. Its versatility is suitable for any occasion.
This sauce recipe stands out from other versions because it’s keto-friendly and uses Greek yogurt instead of sour cream or mayonnaise commonly used in other tzatziki sauce recipes.
Overall, this keto tzatziki sauce is a delicious and healthy option for anyone looking to add some Mediterranean flavor to their meals while staying compliant with keto and low-carb diet.
How to Make Keto Tzatziki
With just 8 simple ingredients and 10 minutes of hands-on time, you can have delicious keto tzatziki sauce. Serve it immediately or pop it in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes for the best flavor.
Ingredients
- Cucumber – one medium cucumber to add freshness and crunchiness
- Greek yogurt – full-fat Greek yogurt for best flavor; gives the creamy base and packs in a protein punch
- Lemon juice – adds acidity and brightness
- Extra-virgin olive oil – brings amazing flavor and richness that complements fresh lemon and cucumber
- Garlic – one clove of fresh garlic adds wonderful pungent flavor
- Fresh dill – finely chopped to add herbaceous and fresh flavor
- Salt – enhances flavor and balances the lemon juice
- Black pepper – adds a spicy kick that complements other flavors in the sauce
Substitutions and Variations
Homemade keto tzatziki sauce is delicious as written in the recipe card below. However, you can switch things up depending on personal preferences and what you have available in your fridge and pantry.
Check out these alternative ingredients you can use for this recipe:
- No Greek yogurt? No problem – try using sour cream instead. It has a tangy flavor similar to Greek yogurt and works well in this recipe.
- Use red wine vinegar instead of lemon juice. It has a similar acidic flavor to lemon juice and adds a tangy note to the sauce.
- Swap the olive oil with avocado oil. It’s a healthy oil that is high in monounsaturated fats and has a mild flavor that won’t overpower the other ingredients.
- Change up the herbs. Fresh parsley, mint, or even chives can jazz up this keto condiment.
In its original form, Greek tzatziki sauce is already keto, low carb, low-oxalate, and GAPS compliant. It’s a wonderful gluten-free condiment that pairs well with many foods.
For a dairy-free or vegan tzatziki sauce, you can use coconut yogurt instead of Greek yogurt. Coconut yogurt has a similar texture to Greek yogurt and is also low in carbs.
- Keto diet – This recipe is naturally low-carb and keto-friendly as long as you use full-fat Greek yogurt.
- Dairy-free – Use coconut yogurt instead of Greek yogurt.
- Paleo diet – If following a strict Paleo diet, substitute Greek yogurt with coconut yogurt. If you tolerate dairy, source the best quality full-fat Greek yogurt your budget allows.
- Low oxalate diet – All ingredients are low-oxalate ingredients.
- GAPS – This recipe is naturally GAPS-compliant if yogurt is free from gums and additives. Homemade yogurt is best if on strict GAPS protocol.
- Whole30 – Substitute Greek yogurt with coconut yogurt.
Is tzatziki gluten-free?
Yes, tzatziki sauce is typically gluten-free as it is made with gluten-free ingredients such as yogurt, cucumber, olive oil, and herbs. Therefore, it is appropriate to refer to it as “Gluten-free tzatziki sauce”. However, it is always best to double-check the ingredients of storebought tzatziki sauce to ensure that it does not contain any gluten.
Step-By-Step Directions
Follow these simple directions, and you can’t go wrong! This keto-friendly tzatziki sauce comes together in a few minutes. All you need is a grater for the cucumber and a large bowl to mix everything.
Step one: Grate
Start by slicing the cucumber lengthwise and scooping out the seeds with a spoon. Discard the seeds – this will help remove excess moisture from the cucumber and help avoid a watery tzatziki sauce.
Next, grate or finely mince the cucumber. Alternatively, you can use a food processor for quicker results. Wrap the grated cucumber in a cheesecloth, a clean kitchen towel, or several layers of paper towel and squeeze the excess moisture out gently.
Because of the high water content, the cucumbers will release a lot of moisture when combined with other ingredients resulting in a tzatziki sauce that is too watery. Removing as much excess liquid from the cucumber as possible by discarding the seeds and squeezing out the liquid is important.
Step two: Mix
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the strained cucumber with Greek yogurt, lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, minced garlic, and chopped fresh dill. Mix well until all ingredients are well combined. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Step three: Chill
Once the easy keto tzatziki sauce is combined, it’s important to refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together. Transfer to an airtight container or serving bowl and cover with plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or overnight. The longer you refrigerate the sauce, the better the flavors will be.
In a pinch, you can serve immediately. However, the flavors are best after at least 30 minutes of chill time.
This keto tzatziki sauce is perfect for serving with grilled meats, roasted vegetables, or as a dip for veggies or flax crackers. It is also a great topping for low-carb pita bread or as a keto condiment for sandwiches or wraps like Keto Lamb Gyros.
To store low-carb tzatziki sauce, transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator. The sauce will last up to three days when stored this way.
Tzatziki Nutrition
This recipe yields 6 (4-tablespoons) servings of this keto tzatziki sauce, with a yield of 1 ½ cups.
Each serving contains:
- 96 calories
- 3 g protein
- 8 g fat
- 4 g total carbs
- 4 g net carbs
Please note that the nutritional value will change if you substitute ingredients. Use a nutrition app like My Fitness Pal to recalculate and reflect your changes.
Low-Carb Tzatziki Sauce FAQ
While cucumber is a key ingredient in tzatziki sauce, it is possible to make a variation of the sauce without it. Some great options are grating zucchini or summer squash and squeezing out the excess liquid. You can also omit the cucumber all together and double up on the lemon juice and fresh dill.
If you don’t have fresh dill on hand, you can use other fresh herbs like mint or parsley as a substitute. You can also use fresh chives as they have a similar mild onion flavor to dill and makes it a great substitution. Any of these fresh herbs will work well in this recipe. Alternatively, you can use dried dill, but the flavor will not be as pronounced as with fresh dill.
Traditional tzatziki sauce is made with Greek yogurt, but if you are looking for a dairy-free or vegan option, you can use cashew or coconut yogurt instead. Another option is to use avocado blended with lemon juice and olive oil for a creamy, dairy-free alternative.
Unfortunately, keto tzatziki sauce does not freeze well due to the high water content in the cucumber. When thawed, the sauce will become watery and lose its texture. But thankfully, this simple recipe can be whipped up in no time so there is no need to freeze this keto sauce.
Keto Tzatziki Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup cucumber 1 medium
- 1 cup full-fat Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Start by slicing the cucumber lengthwise and scooping the seeds out with a spoon. Discard them aside. Next, grate or finely mince the cucumber. Wrap in a cheesecloth, a clean kitchen towel, or several layers of paper towel and squeeze the excess moisture out gently.1 ½ cup cucumber
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well.1 cup full-fat Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 clove garlic, 1 tablespoon fresh dill, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Transfer to an air-tight container or serving bowl covered with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight, and allow the flavors to meld together.
Notes
Nutrition & Macros
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, please calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients and amounts used, using your preferred nutrition calculator. Under no circumstances shall the this website and the author be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on the given nutritional information.
I love that this recipe uses greek yogurt. I can enjoy a delicious snack while getting my probiotics!
Great point! It’s a great double feature of naturally probiotic-rich foods with delicious flavor. Enjoy!