Creamy Tzatziki Cucumber Salad is what happens when two delicious cold dishes decide to team up. Take the classic creamy cucumber salad your grandma probably made, and swirl in the garlicky, herby personality of a good tzatziki. Greek yogurt and mayo make a rich, tangy base, fresh dill brings that unmistakable herbal punch, and a splash of vinegar keeps everything bright instead of heavy. It comes together in minutes and is a refrigerator champ, so it’s an easy make-ahead side for pretty much any meal.
Sour cream-dressed cucumber salads were a forgotten part of my childhood, until their resurgence on social media brought them back to the forefront again, sometimes with a creamy dressing, but sometimes with a vinaigrette instead. As with most things, what’s old is new — and oh-so-good — again!
I enjoy cucumbers all year-round, but especially in the summer when they’re homegrown and extra flavorful. They’re so versatile, and I most often use slices of them as a potato chip replacement with everything from vegetable dips to hummus to — my favorite — guacamole.
Creating a salad with them was a forehead-slapping moment — “oh, yeah, creamy cucumbers are awesome!” — and fortunately happened just in time for a full summer of this cool and refreshing side dish.
These days, I use Greek yogurt to lighten things up a little and provide a hit of protein. A little tzatziki inspiration ensures this simple salad is anything but boring.
Recipe Highlights
- Difficulty: Easy!
- Cook time: No cooking! Prep time is about 20 minutes, plus refrigeration time.
- Servings: Makes about 3 cups of salad, or 6 servings as a side.
- Flavor profile: Cool, lightly creamy, and refreshing. Tangy with just a hint of sweet, and lots of dill.
- Why I think you’ll love my take: This retro salad has been waiting for its perfect comeback moment, and it’s here! My tzatziki-leaning version pumps up the herbs and seasonings for a fresh take on this old favorite. Smooth flavors with a hint of tang, the cucumbers stay crunchy for a satisfying, summery side dish.
Side salads like this one are essential dinner companions and add color and nutrition to your meals. For more refreshing sides, try my pickle lover’s Pickle de Gallo Coleslaw, my zesty Fritos-crunchy Cowboy Coleslaw, or my mom’s famous Broccoli Grape Salad. A deliciously easy weeknight meal is just one cool salad away!
Key Ingredients
Here are the main ingredients that make this salad special. The full list with quantities appears in the recipe card below.
Cucumbers — Cukes are the stars of this salad with their cool, crunchy, lightly-flavored selves. I recommend using English or Persian cucumbers, or the packages of mini cucumbers (which is what you see in the photo above) often found at the grocery store. These varieties have thin skins that don’t need peeling and have very few seeds. Hefty, waxy field cucumbers are a different story, as their skins are pretty thick, and a good portion of the cucumber’s center is filled with large seeds. I recommend peeling most, if not all, of the skin. Slice the cucumber in half lengthwise and use the tip of a spoon to scrape out the seed bed.
Yogurt & Mayo — This cucumber salad gets its creamy base from plain Greek yogurt with a touch of mayo for richness. My mom used all sour cream, which is amazing, too. This summer, I’ve been spooning a tablespoon or two in with the yogurt, just because! If you don’t mind cleaning a piece of equipment, you could use cottage cheese in place of the yogurt, blending it perfectly smooth. Delish!
Vinegar — Vinegar provides a balanced kick of acid and loosens the yogurt into a thin sauce. You can substitute an equal amount of freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Dill — This bright and verdant herb is the cornerstone of this recipe, so don’t skip it! I can find fresh dill year-round, so that’s what I use, but you can use dried dill instead, decreasing the amount to 2 teaspoons (remember, dried herbs are often more potent than their fresh counterparts, as is true here with the dill).
Seasonings — To complete the tzatziki flavoring, I use a little bit of garlic powder, salt, and black pepper, plus a big pinch of sugar to soften the bite from the vinegar. Traditional tzatziki uses fresh garlic cloves, but I prefer the milder flavors from garlic powder to keep the salad’s creamy flavors smooth rather than spiky.
Shallots — Something from the onion family is always a welcome addition to a creamy salad like this one. Shallots have less of an onion punch than red or white onions, and don’t need a brief water bath to cut their strong flavors. You can slice the shallot into half rings, but I prefer a fine chop to better distribute the flavors throughout the salad.
Watery dressing? No problem!
One concern some might have about a creamy cucumber salad is that the dressing can become a little watery over time. This is not a sign that things have gone terribly wrong. A cucumber is about 95% water, contained by its skin, so it’s quite natural that the interior flesh will give off its moisture once sliced or chopped.
It’s worth noting that this liquid is flavored with the essence of the cucumber — there’s no reason to drain and discard it! Here are two things you can do to deal with the liquids produced by the cucumbers in this salad:
- First — and my personal preference — is to simply stir the cucumber liquid right back into the salad as needed.
- Second, you can take the extra step of first placing the cucumber slices in a fine mesh strainer, sprinkling salt over them while giving a toss, and then letting everything stand in the strainer over a bowl for 20 or 30 minutes. The cucumbers will drip much of their liquid into the bowl, and you can use the slices from that point.
Honestly, I just don’t ever do that. Not even for a vegetable dip. Dairy-based dressings and dips are going to separate out their whey as they sit, requiring stirring anyway, so I just mix that cucumber liquid right back in. Easy peasy!
As an alternative to a mixing bowl, you could also mix the salad in a tall 1-quart jar by gently shaking the cukes and dressing together. You’ve probably seen this on social. Very convenient for both storage and transport! Then, all you have to do is give the jar a quick shake each time before serving to remix.
How to Make Creamy Tzatziki Cucumber Salad
Ready to make the recipe? Skip to the recipe card now to see the full ingredient list, quantities, prep/cooking times, and printable, detailed instructions. Or, keep scrolling for a visual walk-through and summary of making the salad.
Slice the cucumbers
Slice the cucumbers into sturdy 1/8″ to 1/4″ rounds. A mandoline makes very fast work of slicing up the entire pound — be careful! — but it’s also easy to just slice by hand. If using mini cukes, line up the cucumbers side by side on a board and slice a few at the same time with a sharp chef’s knife. Move the cucumbers to a medium bowl.
Make the dressing
Whisk all of the dressing ingredients together in a bowl until creamy.
Mix the salad
Pour the dressing over the cucumbers and fold to thoroughly coat the cucumbers with the dressing. Refrigerate for at least an hour to chill.
Recipe FAQs
My Creamy Tzatziki Cucumber Salad is a fresh and simple recipe you’ll want to repeat often. If you give it a try, let me know what you think in the comments below. I’d love to hear how it turned out for you.
Creamy Tzatziki Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound English cucumbers or mini cucumbers
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill leaves
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons distilled or white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot or red onion
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- A few cracks of freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Clean and dry the cucumbers and cut off both ends. Slice into 1/8″ to 1/4″ thick slices. If using a mandoline, a hand protector is a valuable tool, as the cucumbers will slice faster than you think! Add the cucumbers to a medium-sized mixing bowl.
- In a smaller bowl, add the remaining ingredients and whisk well to combine.
- Pour the dressing over the cucumbers and toss until the slices are coated.
- For best flavor, refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.
- Refrigerate leftovers for 3 to 4 days. Stir well to reincorporate the cucumber liquids into the dressing before serving (this is natural separation as the cucumber slices give off their liquids).