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Tzatziki is a creamy Greek yogurt sauce made from yogurt, grated cucumber, lemon juice, dill and finely minced garlic. It’s served chilled as a ‘condiment’ with Greek or Mediterranean seasoned meats and kebabs.
This sauce is versatile and can be enjoyed in many other ways. Tzatziki is wonderful as a dip for fresh veggies and pita chips. We often put a dollop on grilled salmon and it is great on a baked potato in place of butter and sour cream.
Tzatziki is easy to make and is so much better than store bought versions. It’s a favorite at my house and I always have a container on hand.
Please see the recipe card below for exact amounts and directions.
Ingredient Round Up
- Thickened plain non fat yogurt – Greek yogurt is typically used but we prefer the plain yogurt.
- Cucumber – If you want to avoid the seeds, use an English cucumber.
- Dill – Both dried and fresh dill work equally well.
- Lemon juice
- Garlic – Minced garlic cloves are best but garlic powder can also be used in a pinch.
Making the Tzatziki
- If you are using regular yogurt, put it in a coffee filter lined strainer set inside of a bowl and refrigerate for a couple of hours to thicken it up before use.
- Peel and grate the cucumber. If you are adverse to seeds, remove them or use an English cucumber. Small seeds don’t bother me but I do pick out larger seeds. Set aside.
- Place the grated cucumber on a paper towel or clean kitchen towel an fold it over several times. Over the sink, wring the moisture out of the cucumber. I find that the paper towel method works fine.
- Place the thickened yogurt in a bowl. Add the lemon juice, minced or pressed garlic, salt and dill and mix.
- Add the grated cucumber and stir to incorporate it evenly throughout the mixture. Taste the tzatziki and adjust the salt, lemon juice and garlic if needed.
- The cucumber will continue to give up some water and the yogurt will give up some whey. If it looks watery, pop it back into a coffee filtered lined strainer for a brief period to thicken it back up.
- Transfer the tzatziki to a plastic storage container and refrigerate until needed.
Serving Ideas
- A dollop of tzatziki is great on a Greek or Mediterranean burger, grilled Greek kebabs or salmon.
- Tzatziki can be used with fresh veggies and pita chips. It may be used as a dip to anchor a crudité platter.
- Instead of butter and sour cream, tzatziki may be used on baked potatoes.
- You can make a quick ‘gyro’ with sliced turkey or roast beef from the deli. Sprinkle the deli meat with Greek seasoning, stick it in a pita and top with chopped tomato, onion and tzatziki.
WW 0 pt
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 15.6kcal
Equipment
- box grater
- bowl
- strainer
- coffee filter
- garlic press
- measuring spoons and cup
Ingredients
- 1 c plain non fat yogurt
- ½ medium cucumber - Use an English cucumber if you have an aversion to seeds.
- 1-2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp dried dill or 1 tbsp of chopped fresh dill
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- Place the plain non fat yogurt in a coffee filter lined strainer that is set within another bowl and covered with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 - 60 min to drain away some of the liquid and thicken the yogurt. If you use Greek yogurt, skip this step.
- Peel and grate half of a medium size cucumber. If you are adverse to the seeds, you can use an English cucumber or remove the seeds from a regular cucumber. I do remove large seeds but I don't mind smaller seeds but that's me.
- Place the grated cucumber in a double thickness paper towel or a clean dish towel if you prefer. Wrap the cucumber in the towel and over the sink, wring it out to remove as much liquid as you can.
- Finely mince the clove(s) of garlic or run it through a garlic press.
- Place the thickened yogurt, dill, salt, garlic and lemon juice in a bowl and mix together. Taste the mixture. Add more salt and garlic if you think it is needed. At this point, you can add more minced garlic or add a bit of garlic powder for a flavor boost if needed.
- Add the grated cucumber to the yogurt mixture and mix again to uniformly incorporate the cucumber throughout the mixture.
- Even though the grated cucumber had liquid removed from it, it will still give up some liquid and the thickened yogurt will give up some whey. If the tzatziki looks runny, just place in in a coffee filter lined strainer for 30 min to remove the liquid.
- Transfer the tzatziki to a plastic storage bowl and refrigerate until ready to use. The tzatziki will keep for 5 days. Serve as a dip or use as a condiment.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 15.6kcal | Carbohydrates: 2.4g | Protein: 1.5g | Sodium: 92mg | Sugar: 2.1g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
