Tzatziki

Summary

If you enjoy Greek food, you probably love tzatziki – a sauce made from Greek yogurt, cucumber, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and herbs. It’s a delicious dressing, dipping sauce, and a must-have for your next gyro or Cava-inspired rice + grain bowl night at home.

Your grocery list

Produce

• Cucumber (use seedless, if you don’t want to have seeds in your tzatziki or if you don’t feel like doing the extra work of cutting around/picking them out)
• Mint
• Dill
• Garlic
• Lemons

Dairy

• Whole milk plain Greek yogurt (the thicker, the better – you want something to balance the moisture being added from the cucumber and lemon juice)

Pantry Items/Seasonings

• Salt
• Pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Dried oregano

Equipment/tools you’ll need

• Vegetable peeler
• Grater
• Cheesecloth, for draining excess moisture from the cucumber (a clean dish towel will work)
• Mixing bowl
• Mason jar or Tupperware, for storage

Ways to enjoy tzatziki

• With pita chips
• Add it to a gyro
• Pair it with a lamb burger or lamb chops
• Top your next Mediterranean-style rice bowl or salad with it
• Use it as a dipping sauce for lamb meatballs

Tzatziki

A Greek sauce made from yogurt, cucumber, garlic, lemon and herbs

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Prep Time 10 mins

Total Time 10 mins

Course Sauce

Cuisine Mediterranean

Servings 2 cups

Equipment

• Vegetable peeler
• Grater
• Cheesecloth
• Mixing bowls
• Mason jars or tupperware

Ingredients

  

• ¾ cup finely grated cucumber 1 large cucumber, peeled and grated
• 1 ½ cups whole milk Greek yogurt
• 1-2 tablespoons chopped dill optional but recommended
• 1-2 tablespoons chopped mint optional
• 2 garlic cloves grated
• 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Dried oregano optional garnish

Instructions

 

• Place the cucumber on cheesecloth or a towel and gently squeeze out the excess water.
• In a medium bowl, combine the cucumber, yogurt, dill, mint, garlic, lemon juice and zest, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Chill until ready to use. Garnish with dried oregano, if using.

Notes

• If you aren’t a fan of dill and/or mint, these can be left out of your tzatziki. The stars of the sauce are the cucumber and garlic, so feel free to adjust the other ingredients according to your preferences. 
• Use 1-2 garlic cloves for a mellow garlic flavor and 3 (or more) garlic cloves for a spicier punch.
• Use the cheesecloth to squeeze as much liquid as possible from the cucumber. This will help prevent the final sauce from having too much liquid. Storing the sauce with a clean paper towel for 1-2 hours also helps draw out some of that excess moisture.

Keyword Cucumber, Dill, Garlic, Lemon, Mint, Tzatziki