Liven up any meal with this fresh Greek Tzatziki (Tzah-tzee-kee) sauce recipe! Its rich, creamy texture and fresh, bright flavor make it a delicious dip with pita and cruditèes, or a side for grilled veggies, grilled meats, or a spread for sandwiches. This recipe for homemade tzatziki sauce is ready in 20 minutes or less and gives you tips to get a thick, rich, and creamy result!
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Tzatziki is a simple chilled sauce, dip, or spread based on yogurt and cucumber. It’s made of strained yogurt (Greek yogurt), shredded cucumber, minced garlic, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper.
In all Greek restaurants and tavernas, Tzatziki is served as an appetizer or a side for grilled meats and spread in the wraps made with pita bread and gyro or souvlaki. It is also the perfect dipping sauce for fried zucchini and fried eggplant (you must try this the next time you are at a Greek restaurant or taverna).
We all tend to associate Tzatziki with Greek cuisine. Probably, because outside Greece, Tzatziki is most known as linked with gyro. Still, variations of this sauce are served across the Mediterranean and the Middle East, with similar or different names.
According to Wikipedia, Tzatziki “is sauce a dip, soup or sauce found in the cuisines of Southeast Europe and the Middle East.” Many variations of Tzatziki served in Cyprus, Armenia, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, and the Balkans.”
So let’s make some already!
Ingredients to use for this recipe
- Greek strained yogurt
- English cucumber
- Minced garlic
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Red wine vinegar
- Olive oil
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black or white pepper
How to Make Tzatziki Sauce
Start by grating the cucumber. Use the coarse side of a box grater (the largest holes) to make thick cucumber shreds. I happen to have a grater that my mother had when making quince spoon sweet. [see also The Significance of Spoon Sweets in Greece].
Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl. Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, and garlic if needed. The taste of garlic will intensify as the flavors develop with time. Store in the fridge in an airtight glass container for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to develop.
That’s it!
Tips to get a thick, rich, creamy Tzatziki
Making homemade Tzatziki is an easy, straightforward process. However, getting a rich, thick, creamy texture relies on draining the cucumber and Greek yogurt type.
I like to use English cucumbers because they are seedless, and the skin is thin, so you don’t have to peel them. They also tend to be sweeter. If you use regular cucumbers with thick waxy skin, you must peel them entirely and discard the large seeds. No matter the cucumber you use, you must drain the excess water.
After grating the cucumber, transfer it to cheesecloth, and squeeze hard to remove the extra water. Note that adding a little salt helps extract the water, but be mindful of the amount of salt you add later to the Tzatziki. You can also press it hard between your hands or kitchen or paper towels.
… I know, I know… It looks like a cucumber burrito!!! 😄
Draining the excess water from the cucumber is an essential step for making creamy Tzatziki. Otherwise, the water from the cucumber will cause your sauce to separate, and the Tzatziki will not have its well-known creamy, rich, thick texture.
Not all Greek yogurts you find in the market are created equal. Instead, choose a strained Greek yogurt with a thick texture. For example, the Greek brand yogurt FAGE (sold in U.S. supermarkets) is strained yogurt. It has a thicker consistency and is higher in protein than regular yogurt), so I always use that.
If you are wondering whether to use full-fat (5%), low-fat (2%), or fat-free Fage Greek Yogurt, you are in for a pleasant surprise; all of them are equally thick, creamy, and will yield the desired texture. So it is a matter of personal preference which one you choose.
If the yogurt is not very thick, you can follow this process to drain some of its water (whey). Place a colander or large strainer into a bowl and line it with a cheesecloth or a kitchen (not the terry type). Transfer the yogurt to the cheesecloth and strain it for several hours, or overnight. This procedure is the same as making homemade labneh.
The only thing you will find to differ from recipe to recipe is the amount of garlic used. That depends on everyone’s taste. I suggest starting with one clove of garlic per cup of yogurt, taste, and then add more to your liking.
The acidity of the vinegar enhances the flavors and brightens the dip.
How to serve tzatziki sauce
- Serve the tzatziki sauce as a delicious vegetable dip with cruditèes.
- Another, more traditional way of eating tzatziki is dipping fresh crusty bread or warm pita wedges into it.
- Serve it as part of a mezze appetizer platter.
- Use it as a spread for sandwiches, in shawarma or falafel bowls, or stuffed pita.
- You can also serve it as a side for grilled veggies, grilled meats, souvlaki, kofta, or gyros.
- Use it to make the famous souvlaki wrapped in a pita with souvlaki, tomato slices, thin onion slices, a bit of chopped parsley, and (optionally) fried potatoes.
Make-ahead tips and Storing leftovers
This recipe is something you should make ahead of the time you want to serve it. Then, when you prepare the Tzatziki the one-two days before, it allows the flavors to develop.
Store the Tzatziki in the fridge in an airtight glass container for up to 4 days.
More Recipes in the same category / main ingredient
If you love this tzatziki recipe, here are some dip recipes you may like:
Spicy Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Dip – Htipiti
Greek Roasted Eggplant Dip – Melitzanosalata
Tzatziki Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups Greek yogurt (strained yogurt) plain
- ¾ English cucumber
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Grate the cucumber, using the coarse side of a box grater.
- The cucumber has a significant amount of water, that can be released into the tzatziki sauce and turn it too watery. In order to avoid this, you can follow the next steps to “drain” the necessary water.
- In a bowl, add the yogurt, cucumber, garlic, olive oil, and vinegar and stir to combine.
- Season to taste, with salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Refrigerate for at least a couple of hours before serving, to allow the flavors to combine and develop the spicy yet refreshing taste of the tzatziki.
- The tzatziki can be stored in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days
Notes
- This recipe yields about generous 2 1/2 cups of tzatziki.
- Drain the excess water of the cucumber using a cheesecloth or between paper towels, or squeeze it with your hands.
- If the yogurt is not very thick, strain it, using a cheesecloth, in the fridge for one day.
- The amount of garlic in this recipe makes a very garlicky dip. If you prefer a milder result, start with a smaller amount of garlic, taste it and add to your liking.
- It is better to make the tzatziki the one-two days before, allowing the flavors to develop.
- Store the tzatziki in the fridge in an airtight glass container for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
This information is provided as a courtesy and for entertainment purposes only. This information comes from online calculators. Although eatmediterraneanfood.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to rate it and give it a review below! I’m always excited to hear how it turns out for you and how you serve it.
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In this post, some links are affiliate links, which pay me a small commission for my referral at no extra cost to you! Thank you for supporting my website.
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