Tzatziki is usually made with yogurt, but this version of tzatziki sauce with sour cream is equally delicious. Creamy and garlicky with shredded cucumber, fresh herbs, olive oil and a hint of lemon, you can spoon this sauce over anything!
Tzatziki with sour cream can be used as a dip for pita chips, pita bread and raw veggies. It's also delicious spooned over Gyros and falafel.
This chilled sauce is especially good with grilled meats like lamb and chicken and seafood like salmon and pan-seared shrimp.
This sauce is really easy to make. In less than 10 minutes, you can be serving tzatziki with dinner!
If you love creamy sauces, you should also try traditional cucumber yogurt sauce, horseradish aioli or sriracha aioli.
Ingredients
Sour cream: Full-fat sour cream has the best flavor and creamiest texture. Look for sour cream without unnecessary stabilizers and thickeners added.
Cucumbers: The best cucumbers for tzatziki are Persian cucumbers because they aren't watery and don't have noticeable seeds.
Fresh herbs: Dill is a traditional herb added to this sauce, but you really can use any fresh herb that you love. Parsley, basil and cilantro are all good options. Try adding a tablespoon of fresh mint for fresh minty flavor.
Garlic: Add as much, or as little, garlic as you like. It's best to use a garlic press or to grate the garlic (use a microplane zester) so that the garlic blends into the sauce.
Olive oil: Swirling extra virgin olive oil over the top of the finished sauce is a beautiful presentation, and it adds a hint of flavor.
Lemon: Just a squeeze! Lemon helps boost the flavor of the sauce.
Salt: Just a pinch helps add savory flavor and boost the overall taste of the sauce.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Use a box grater to grate cucumber.
Step 2: Mix the grated cucumber into the sour cream.
Step 3: Add finely chopped dill and parsley, garlic, lemon and salt.
Step 4: Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the top before serving.
For exact measurements and instructions, see the recipe card below.
Expert Tips
- After grating the cucumber, squeeze it gently to remove excess water. This will prevent the sauce from getting too watery.
- Use a combination of herbs for the most flavor. This recipe combines dill and parsley. Try basil and parsley, or basil and oregano, or mint and dill.
FAQ
Tzatziki (pronounced zat-see-kee) is a Mediterranean sauce often served in Southeastern Europe and Middle Eastern cuisines. It's especially common in Greek cuisine. It's a cold sauce made from strained yogurt, cucumbers, garlic, olive oil, salt and often lemon and fresh herbs.
Instead of sour cream, you can use Greek yogurt, like in this recipe for cucumber yogurt sauce. You can also use other types of strained yogurt, like Icelandic skyr or Middle Eastern labneh.
Tzatziki made with sour cream can have lower carbs. Some people following a keto diet prefer sour cream over yogurt. Otherwise, it's very similar to Tzatziki made with yogurt. Whether you use yogurt or sour cream is mostly a matter of personal taste.
Full fat sour cream tastes so much better, and often doesn't have unnecessary stabilizers and thickeners added.
📖 Recipe
Tzatziki Sauce with Sour Cream Recipe
Creamy and garlicky with shredded cucumber, fresh herbs, olive oil and a hint of lemon, you can spoon this chilled tzatziki sauce with sour cream over anything.
Serve it as a dip for pita chips, pita bread and raw veggies. It's also delicious spooned over Gyros and falafel. This sauce is especially good with grilled meats like lamb and chicken and seafood like salmon and shrimp.
- Prep Time: 10
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup 1x
- Category: Side Dishes
- Method: Mix
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 to 2 Persian cucumbers (½ to ¾ cup grated cucumber)
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 large garlic clove, grated (use a microplane zester)
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Use a box grater (cheese grater) to grate the cucumber. Gently squeeze the grated cucumber to release moisture.
- Mix the cucumber into the sour cream.
- Mix in dill, parsley, lemon juice, garlic and salt.
- Taste and adjust flavors to your liking. If the sauce seems bland, try adding more salt and lemon.
- Drizzle olive oil over the top before serving.
Notes
You can use other varieties of cucumber if you can't find Persian cucumbers. If the cucumber has a lot of seeds, scoop the seeds out before grating the cucumber.
This sauce will stay fresh and flavorful for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator. Water might separate from the sour cream, so mix well before serving.
Jenny
This is my favorite sour cream sauce and takes just a few minutes to make. It's a perfect dip for parties.