Keto Tzatziki Sauce, a Healthy Low Carb Recipe With 1 Gram of Carbs
My love affair with tzatziki sauce goes way back, but it was solidified on our honeymoon in Greece. I think I ate it nearly every meal, or at the very least every single day. It is bright, creamy and garlicky, and the best part for those of us watching carbs is that real tzatziki is naturally low in carbs to begin with. This version takes that a step further. It comes in at about 1 gram of net carbs per serving, which is lower than almost any keto tzatziki recipe you will find, and because it is built on Greek yogurt it is genuinely high in protein too.
I started developing this easy recipe almost immediately after we got home, and it has become one of my most-used condiments for keeping a Mediterranean meal both flavorful and aligned with my goals. If you want to make keto tzatziki sauce with the least carbs possible without losing any of the authentic flavor, read on. I will walk you through the carb math, the one technique that makes or breaks the texture, and all the ways I use it.
Table of Contents-Click to Expand
- Is Tzatziki Sauce Keto?
- How Many Carbs Are in Tzatziki Sauce?
- The Best Greek Yogurt for Low Carb Tzatziki
- A Healthy, High Protein Tzatziki Sauce
- Ingredients for Keto Tzatziki Sauce
- How to Make Tzatziki Sauce Low Carb
- How to Get Thick, Not Watery Tzatziki
- Tzatziki Sauce Variations
- Ways to Use Tzatziki Sauce
- Tzatziki as a Greek Salad Dressing
- How to Store Tzatziki
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Is Tzatziki Sauce Keto?
Yes, tzatziki is one of the more keto friendly sauces you can keep on hand. I always like to point out that ketosis is a metabolic state and not a food, so technically no single food is or is not keto. What people really mean is whether a food is low enough in carbs to fit a ketogenic diet, and tzatziki fits beautifully. The base is strained yogurt, cucumber, garlic and herbs, none of which carry many carbs.
The catch is the store-bought versions. Many brands add sugar, starches or fillers to stretch the product or thicken it cheaply, and that is where the carbs creep in. When you make it at home you control every gram, which is exactly why this keto tzatziki sauce can land so much lower than what you would scoop out of a grocery store tub. If you are not sure how it fits your own numbers, my keto calculator can help you see where a serving lands in your day.
How Many Carbs Are in Tzatziki Sauce?
The amount of carbs in tzatziki sauce varies more than you would expect, especially with anything pre-made. Most store-bought tzatziki runs between three and five carbs in a two tablespoon serving depending on the brand and the exact ingredients. Homemade is where you gain control and the yogurt you choose makes the biggest difference. Here is how the common versions compare.
| Type of tzatziki | Net carbs per 2 tablespoons |
|---|---|
| Store-bought, average brand | 3 to 5 grams |
| Homemade with regular plain yogurt | 3 to 4 grams |
| Homemade with full-fat Greek yogurt (this recipe) | about 1 gram |
| Homemade with sour cream | about 1 gram |
As you can see, making it yourself with the right yogurt can cut the carbs by more than half. My recipe is tested at about one gram of net carbs per serving, which keeps a generous dollop comfortably inside almost any low carb or keto target.
The Best Greek Yogurt for Low Carb Tzatziki
Carbs in yogurt vary widely from brand to brand. Beyond the naturally occurring sugars in milk, many brands add sugar or other additives even to plain yogurt. Plain yogurt that is not Greek will also be higher in carbs because it keeps the whey and lactose intact. Be a little wary of anything labeled Greek style too, since that wording sometimes signals fillers used to fake a thicker texture rather than true straining. A true tzatziki sauce with Greek yogurt as its base is naturally thicker and higher in protein than versions made with thinner yogurts.
Because Greek yogurt is strained, most of the liquid whey and lactose is removed, which is what brings the carbs down. The brand I reach for most because it is widely available in the US and reliably low in carbs is Fage full-fat or sometimes zero fat. If you are lucky enough to have a specialty market or a Greek grocer nearby, look for sheep or goat milk yogurt for a more authentic flavor. I have had good luck finding sheep milk yogurt from Bellwether Farms at Whole Foods. Most yogurt in Greece is made from sheep or goat milk, and that, along with everything tasting better on vacation, is part of why homemade tzatziki in the US never quite matches a taverna overlooking the Mediterranean.
A Healthy, High Protein Tzatziki Sauce
Low carb is only half of why I love this sauce. Because it is built on Greek yogurt, tzatziki is one of the rare condiments that actually adds protein to a plate instead of just fat or sugar. That matters a lot to me and to the women I work with, since protein is the lever that does the most for satiety, muscle and body composition as we move through the menopausal transition.
This is not just a feel-good claim. A review in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism from 2016 found that higher protein diets improve satiety and lead to greater reductions in body weight and fat mass compared with standard protein diets, with the authors pointing to a target of roughly 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day for better health outcomes. A condiment that quietly nudges you toward that number, rather than away from it, earns a permanent spot in my fridge. If you want to dial in your own number, I built a protein calculator for women to make it simple.
Ingredients for Keto Tzatziki Sauce
For any tzatziki sauce the critical components are yogurt, cucumber, garlic and an acid, with herbs to finish. Beyond that you can adjust amounts to suit your own taste. Here is what goes into mine and why.
- Full-fat Greek yogurt. The backbone of the sauce and the source of both the low carb count and the protein. Full-fat gives the creamiest result.
- English cucumber. Lower in seeds and water than a standard cucumber, which means a thicker sauce. Grate it finely.
- Garlic. Fresh and minced. Start with one clove if you are sensitive to it, since it sharpens as the sauce sits.
- Vinegar or lemon juice. Greeks traditionally use white or red wine vinegar. I personally love lemon, so I often use that instead. Either works.
- Extra virgin olive oil. A little richness and that signature Mediterranean flavor.
- Dill and mint. Both optional. More on the herb question below.
- Sea salt and white pepper. To season.
How to Make Tzatziki Sauce Low Carb
The recipe itself is genuinely a stir-and-chill job, but there is one step that separates a watery, sad tzatziki from a thick, restaurant quality one, and that is prepping the cucumber. I walk through exactly how in the section right below, but the short version is to seed and drain it well before it ever meets the yogurt.
From there, combine the drained cucumber with the Greek yogurt, garlic, your acid of choice, olive oil, salt, pepper and herbs in a bowl and stir. You can serve it right away, but I think it is even better after at least an hour in the fridge, which gives the garlic and herbs time to bloom into the yogurt. Full directions and measurements are in the recipe card below.
How to Get Thick, Not Watery Tzatziki
The difference between a thick, scoopable tzatziki and a runny one comes down almost entirely to the cucumber. Two small habits fix it before you even add the yogurt.
- Use an English cucumber. It has fewer seeds, thinner skin and less water than a standard garden cucumber, so you do not need to peel it and you start with less liquid to manage.
- Seed it first. Slice the cucumber in half lengthwise and run a teaspoon down the center to scoop out the watery seed core before you grate. This alone removes a surprising amount of moisture.
Then drain the grated cucumber, which is the step most people skip. There are two easy ways to do it.
- The hands-off way. Toss the grated cucumber with a pinch of salt, set it in a colander and let it sit for 30 minutes to an hour. The salt pulls the water out. Pat it dry afterward and go a little lighter on the salt you add to the sauce to make up for it.
- The fast way. Pile the grated cucumber into a clean kitchen towel or a few paper towels and squeeze hard over the sink. Repeat with a dry towel until barely any liquid comes out.
Do this and your sauce holds its texture for days in the fridge instead of slowly turning to soup.
Tzatziki Sauce Variations
One of the reasons this sauce stays in heavy rotation is how easily it bends to what I have on hand or who I am feeding.
- Sour cream tzatziki. Swap some or all of the yogurt for full-fat sour cream. This is closer to the white gyro sauce many people grew up with and it stays right around one gram of carbs per serving while bumping up the richness.
- Dairy free or Whole30. Use an unsweetened plain dairy free yogurt in place of the Greek yogurt. Coconut based versions work, just choose one with no added sugar.
- The herb question. Dill is common in American tzatziki, but honestly I did not see much of it in Greece, where the sauce is often just yogurt, cucumber, garlic and vinegar. Mint is another lovely option. Use what you love, or leave the herbs out entirely for a more traditional, pared-back version.
Ways to Use Tzatziki Sauce
Tzatziki is wildly versatile, which is part of why it is worth keeping a batch ready. A few of my favorite ways to use it:
- As a dip for cucumber, bell pepper and other low carb vegetables.
- Spooned over grilled Greek chicken, Greek lamb, salmon or steak.
- As the sauce in a gyro-style bowl or lettuce wrap.
- Thinned into a creamy salad dressing, which I cover just below.
- Alongside roasted vegetables or as a cooling counterpoint to anything spicy.
It is also a great addition to our Mediterranean meal prep bowl and if you want a steady stream of high protein, low carb meals built around staples like this, take a look at my high protein meal plan. For more ideas, my full library of keto and high protein recipes is always growing.
Tzatziki as a Greek Salad Dressing
One of my favorite ways to stretch a batch is to turn it into a creamy Greek salad dressing. To make it pourable, whisk in water, lemon juice or a little extra virgin olive oil one tablespoon at a time until it reaches the consistency you want. Two to three tablespoons of liquid per cup of tzatziki is usually plenty, and a splash of red wine vinegar pushes it toward a tangy vinaigrette. It is wonderful over a chopped Greek salad of cucumber, tomato, red onion, olives and feta, drizzled on a grain-free bowl, or spooned over grilled chicken on a bed of greens. Because it is built on Greek yogurt, it adds protein to the salad too, which is exactly what I want when a salad is the whole meal rather than a side. For more inspiration, see my summer salad recipes.
How to Store Tzatziki
Store tzatziki in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. The flavor is actually best on day one and day two, after the garlic has had time to mellow into the yogurt. If you drained your cucumber well it should hold its texture, but a little liquid separation is normal. Just give it a quick stir before serving. I do not recommend freezing it, since the yogurt and cucumber both break down and turn grainy and watery once thawed. This is a make-a-fresh-batch kind of sauce, and happily it comes together in about 10 minutes.
Keto Tzatziki Sauce
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup finely grated English cucumber
- 1 ½ cups Greek yogurt
- ½ tablespoon vinegar
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon chopped dill, optional
- 1 tablespoon chopped mint, optional
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, optional
Instructions
- Grate cucumber and place in cheese cloth or a clean paper towel to squeeze out excess liquid.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine cucumber. Greek yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, pepper, salt, dill and mint.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
Nutrition
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is tzatziki sauce keto?
Yes, tzatziki is keto friendly. It is built on strained yogurt, cucumber, garlic and herbs, none of which carry many carbs. The main thing to watch is store-bought versions, which can add sugar or fillers. Making it at home, as in this recipe, keeps it to about 1 gram of net carbs per serving.
How many carbs are in tzatziki sauce?
Most store-bought tzatziki has between three and five carbs in a two tablespoon serving. Homemade with full-fat Greek yogurt can be far lower. This recipe is tested at about 1 gram of net carbs per serving.
Is tzatziki low carb?
Yes. Real tzatziki is naturally low in carbs because it is mostly strained yogurt and cucumber. Choosing a full-fat Greek yogurt and skipping any added sugar keeps it as low carb as possible.
What is the best yogurt for low carb tzatziki?
Full-fat Greek yogurt is best because straining removes most of the whey and lactose, which lowers the carbs and thickens the sauce. Fage is a widely available low carb option. Sheep or goat milk yogurt gives a more authentic flavor if you can find it.
Can you make tzatziki sauce with sour cream?
Yes. Swapping some or all of the yogurt for full-fat sour cream makes a richer, gyro-style sauce that stays right around 1 gram of carbs per serving. It is a great option if you prefer a tangier, creamier result.
Is dill traditional in tzatziki?
Not especially. Dill is common in American versions, but in Greece tzatziki is often just yogurt, cucumber, garlic and vinegar. Dill and mint are both delicious additions, so use them if you like them or leave them out for a more traditional sauce.
How long does homemade tzatziki last?
Stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, homemade tzatziki keeps for up to four days. The flavor is best in the first day or two. Freezing is not recommended because the yogurt and cucumber turn grainy and watery once thawed.
What do you eat tzatziki sauce with?
Tzatziki is wonderful as a dip for low carb vegetables, spooned over grilled chicken, lamb, salmon or steak, used as the sauce in a gyro bowl or lettuce wrap, or thinned into a creamy salad dressing.
What is Greek tzatziki sauce made of?
Traditional Greek tzatziki is made of strained Greek yogurt, grated cucumber, garlic, olive oil and an acid like red wine vinegar or lemon juice, often finished with dill or mint. The yogurt and cucumber are the main ingredients, and draining both well is what gives the sauce its thick, creamy texture.
Janet
Easy and delicious!