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
Servings 2 cups
Cost $10
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.
