This straightforward Greek tzatziki recipe is a cool, creamy cucumber yogurt sauce made with Greek yogurt, Persian cucumber, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and dill. It comes collectively in minutes and has a thick, scoopable texture due to the strained cucumber and wealthy Greek yogurt. We like to serve it as a dip with pita or veggies, or as a topping for grilled meats, bowls, and extra!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Easy Greek Tzatziki Recipe
A very good, genuine Greek tzatziki sauce ought to style brilliant and herby whereas nonetheless being thick sufficient to cling to pita chips or spoon over a shawarma bowl with out sliding in every single place. The grated Persian cucumber retains this model crisp and contemporary with out watering down the yogurt.
I additionally love how versatile this Greek yogurt cucumber sauce is. It works as a dip, unfold, or fast sauce for leftovers, and the flavour solely will get higher after it sits within the fridge for a short time. It’s particularly good spooned over my air fryer Greek hen skewers for a simple Mediterranean-style dinner.
Jordan
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Greek yogurt: Thick Greek yogurt offers this tzatziki its creamy texture and tangy taste. Full-fat yogurt offers the richest texture, however any thick Greek yogurt works.
- Persian cucumbers: These smaller cucumbers have much less water content material than bigger cucumbers, which helps preserve the tzatziki thick as an alternative of runny.
- Garlic clove: Fresh garlic offers the sauce its traditional savory chunk. Grating it right into a paste helps distribute the flavour evenly by means of the yogurt.
- Olive oil: Adds richness and smooths out the sharpness from the garlic and lemon.
- Lemon juice: Brightens the sauce and balances the richness with just a little acidity.
- Fresh dill: Fresh dill offers the cleanest taste, however dried dill nonetheless works nicely if that’s all you’ve gotten available.
- Kosher salt: Helps deliver out the flavour within the yogurt, cucumber, dill, and garlic.
Recipe Variations
- You can use an English cucumber if wanted, however Persian cucumbers often give the most effective texture as a result of they comprise much less water. If your cucumber is particularly massive or juicy, begin with much less and add extra as wanted. Mine are about 4-5 inches.
- For a milder garlic taste, use a really small clove. Raw garlic will get stronger because the tzatziki sits, particularly after a number of hours within the fridge.
How to Make Greek Tzatziki
- Step 1: Grate the cucumber utilizing a garlic grater plate or tremendous grater. Strain it in a tremendous mesh strainer over the sink. Press calmly with the again of a spoon to take away extra liquid so the tzatziki stays thick and creamy.
- Step 2: Grate the garlic on the identical plate so it turns right into a easy paste. This retains the garlic from tasting too harsh or chunky within the completed sauce.
- Step 3: Add the cucumber to a serving bowl with the Greek yogurt, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, dill, and salt. Mix till all of the components are totally mixed.
- Step 4: Stir till easy and creamy, then style and modify the salt and lemon. If the yogurt tastes just a little flat, one other pinch of salt often wakes all the things up. If it wants extra brightness, add one other squeeze of lemon. Serve with pita, contemporary greens, or crackers.
Expert Tips
- Don’t skip straining the cucumber. Even Persian cucumbers set free a stunning quantity of liquid after grating, and urgent that moisture out retains the tzatziki from separating later.
- Use thick Greek yogurt, not common plain yogurt. Regular yogurt loosens the sauce an excessive amount of as soon as the cucumber goes in.
- Fresh dill offers the cleanest taste, however dried dill nonetheless offers the sauce that traditional herby taste after it sits for a couple of minutes and rehydrates.
- If you’ve gotten additional tzatziki, serve it with air fryer tofu for a simple lunch in the course of the week.
If you get pleasure from making Mediterranean-inspired dips and sauces at dwelling, strive my creamy selfmade hummus subsequent.
Storage & Make-Ahead Tips
- Store the tzatziki in an hermetic container within the fridge for 3 to 4 days. You may discover just a little liquid gathering on prime after it sits. Just stir it again in earlier than serving.
- I don’t suggest freezing this Greek yogurt cucumber sauce as a result of the yogurt and cucumber can separate as soon as thawed.
Recipe FAQs
Both! Tzatziki dip works nicely with pita and greens, nevertheless it’s additionally generally used as a sauce for gyros, grain bowls, grilled hen, baked salmon, or roasted greens.
Straining the cucumber is a very powerful step. Thick Greek yogurt additionally helps preserve the sauce creamy and secure after chilling.
Yes. Fresh dill tastes brighter, however dried dill nonetheless offers the sauce that traditional herby taste.
Absolutely. Homemade tzatziki really tastes even higher after chilling for a bit as a result of the garlic, dill, and lemon have time to mix into the yogurt.
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Easy Greek Tzatziki Recipe
This straightforward Greek tzatziki recipe is a cool, creamy cucumber yogurt sauce made with Greek yogurt, Persian cucumber, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and dill. It comes collectively in simply minutes and is nice served with pita, veggies, and grilled meats.
Save this Recipe!
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Grate the cucumber instantly onto a garlic grater plate. Strain it in a tremendous mesh strainer over the sink.
1-2 persian cucumbers
Grate the garlic on the identical plate so it turns right into a paste.
1 small garlic clove
Add the grated cucumber to a bowl with the Greek yogurt, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, dill, and salt. Mix till all of the components are totally mixed.
1 cup Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 tablespoons contemporary dill, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Stir till easy and creamy. Taste and modify salt/lemon.
Serve with pita, contemporary greens, or crackers.
- You can use an english cucumber if you happen to favor however I just like the Persian cucumbers as a result of they’ve much less water content material. If you’re utilizing a bigger cucumber, you could wish to use much less. Mine are about 4-5 inches in dimension.
Calories: 52kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.002g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 131mg | Potassium: 77mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 26IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 0.1mg
Nutrition data is approximate and was calculated utilizing a recipe diet label generator.
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