Quick Cucumber Sauce

This pickle sauce is packed with flavor and quick to make! Made in minutes with Greek yogurt, lemon and dill, it’s like a quick tzatziki.

This cool, refreshing sauce you’ll want to put on almost anything: cucumber sauce! Mix shredded cucumber with Greek yogurt, lemon, garlic, and dill, and it’s nothing short of a revelation. Alex and I originally made it for our authentic falafel sandwiches, but it works on any sandwich, burger, or even a grilled veggie platter. Use it as a dip, spread or healthy spread: you name it! Best of all, it’s really fast and only takes a few minutes to assemble.

A pickle sauce Actually fast

This recipe is based on the traditional Greek tzatziki, i.e. a Mediterranean or Greek-style cucumber sauce. Our authentic tzatziki needs a cooling time of 1 to 2 hours. Most pickle sauce recipes call for salting the cucumber for 1 hour to remove moisture, or refrigerating for 1-2 hours before eating. Who has time for this?

Alex and I created this pickle sauce to make in minutes—no waiting time. Although we love our tzatziki recipe: the taste of this recipe is just as good! And we do that regularly now.

How to Make Cucumber Sauce (Basic Steps)

Here are the basic steps to making this pickle sauce and the secret to making it fast!

• Grate the cucumber, then squeeze out the liquid. Avoid salting the cucumber and letting it sit for 1 hour. Here you rub it, then use a clean towel to squeeze out the extra liquid.
• Mix in the rest of the ingredients! Then just mix with the remaining ingredients: Greek yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, dill, salt and pepper. Then add water to get a creamy consistency…more on that below.

Use just enough water to make it creamy!

Once you mix this sauce with pickles, you’ll notice that the texture is thick. The final step is to incorporate the water until it reaches the right consistency. You’ll know it’s done when it’s perfectly creamy and easy to spread on your sandwich. It should be creamy and thick. Resist the urge to add too much water: we added 2-3 tbsp.

The reason the water varies is because every brand of Greek yogurt is different! Some are thicker than others. You may also find that when using a large container, after a while water collects at the bottom and the yoghurt you take out is very thick.

Dried dill versus fresh dill

Many Greek- or Mediterranean-style pickle sauce recipes use fresh dill (like this one). Since this one is designed for speed and ease of assembly, we used dried dill. The taste turns out fantastic! But if you like fresh dill (we do) and especially if you have some on hand, you can use fresh dill!

The rule of thumb for converting dried and fresh herbs is: 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs equals 1 teaspoon of dried herbs. So use 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill in this recipe!

Ways to serve pickle sauce

Best part: Serve up this healthy pickle sauce! There are so many ways to serve it: as a spread or as a dip. Here are our best ways to use it:

More pickle recipes

do you like cucumbers This hydrating vegetable is one of our favorites for sauces, dips, and drinks. Here are some popular pickle recipes:

• Creamy Cucumber Salad or Cucumber Salad with Feta An ultra-refreshing side dish! The silky dill and shallot sauce provides an irresistible taste.
• Cucumber Salsa Fresh and tangy, pair this crunchy veg with jalapeño, cilantro, and lime.
• Cucumber Juice This refreshing juice recipe is easy to make in a blender – no juicer needed! A great way to use this hydrating vegetable.
• Greek Salad This classic combination of juicy tomatoes, fresh cucumbers, red onions, Kalamata olives and salty feta cheese.

This cucumber sauce recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten free.