What is Tzatziki?
Tzatziki is a popular Greek yogurt sauce or dip that is made from yogurt, cucumbers, garlic, and fresh herbs. This cucumber dip is commonly served as a condiment in Greek restaurants for Mediterranean and Greek food. The traditional recipe for tzatziki typically involves straining yogurt to remove excess liquid, then combining it with grated or finely chopped cucumbers, minced garlic, olive oil, lemon juice or vinegar, and herbs such as dill, mint, or parsley. Salt and pepper are added for seasoning. The resulting tzatziki sauce has a creamy texture and a refreshing, tangy flavor. It is often served alongside grilled meats, such as souvlaki or gyros, or as a perfect dip for pita bread, vegetables, or chips. Tzatziki can also be used as a topping for sandwiches, wraps, or salads. This simple recipe is a versatile and widely enjoyed condiment that has gained popularity beyond Greece and is now a common element in various cuisines around the world.
Why you will love this recipe
Made with simple ingredients that can be found at your local grocery store A great way to use up leftover ingredients such as cucumber or dill Easy recipe – no cooking is required for this easy tzatziki sauce recipe that is made from minimal ingredients Healthy dip – Greek yogurt has high protein compared with regular yogurt. Yogurt is also healthier than sour cream based dips To make a healthy tzatziki recipe, use non-fat greek yogurt. This is an authentic recipe of this traditional greek sauce that I learnt during a cooking class in Crete, an Island of Greece in Southeast Europe in 2009. Since then, I’ve been making it during the summer months to go along my favorite recipes.
Tzatziki Sauce Ingredients
Exact measurements can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post Thick Greek yogurt Plain greek yogurt is best If you cannot get hold of thick greek yogurt, you can hang regular yogurt to drain extra moisture until it thickens. Garlic cloves – you need A LOT of garlic for this recipe! To give it a punchy kick, you need around 6 cloves of garlic per 1 cup greek yogurt. It seems like a lot but it tastes good! Extra virgin olive oil – ensure to use extra virgin rather than regular olive oil for the best flavor. Cucumber – I have used an english cucumber. You can also use Persian cucumbers No need to peel or deseed the cucumbers as you will be grating the cucumber Dill – you need fresh dill that is finely chopped for the best taste. You cannot substitute dried dill here Salt to taste Optional: Fresh lemon juice for extra bright flavor Black pepper
Healthy Tzatziki Sauce Recipe
For a healthy version, you need to use a low fat greek yogurt in replacement of the full fat yogurt. I have previously made this recipe with nonfat yogurt and found the flavours to be near identical.
Vegan Tzatziki
To make this recipe plant based and dairy free, all you need is a simple substitution. Swap the greek yogurt for a plant based yogurt.
How to make Tzatziki Dip recipe
First start by prepping the cucumber to allow time to drain. Grate cucumber using a box grater or food processor. Place the shredded cucumber on a colander (topped with a kitchen towel) over a bowl. Allow the excess moisture to drain. You can also gently press on the kitchen paper towel. If you want, you can add the salt to the cucumber to draw out the moisture faster. I have not done this in the video. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, add the yogurt. Add in minced garlic Tip in the grated cucumber, chopped dill and lemon juice. Add the olive oil and salt to taste. Mix well and allow the flavours to meld for 30 minutes before serving.
What to serve with Greek Tzatziki Sauce
Creamy tzatziki sauce is the perfect dipping sauce. Add it to veggie burgers or gyros. Enjoy a Greek salad alongside. I love it in falafel wrap along with lettuce, hot chili sauce and Israeli Salad (a middle eastern salad of finely chopped cucumber, tomato and red onion) Use it as a delicious dip for crudites (raw fresh veggies). It is a healthy snack that is full of nutrition. Pita chips are also a good idea.
Storage
Store leftover Tzatziki in an airtight container and place in the fridge. It was stay fresh for 2 days.
Other Vegetarian Sauce/Dip Recipes
Yogurt sauce (2 minute Garlic Yogurt sauce) Creamy Cilantro Sauce (Creamy Coriander Sauce) 12 Samosa dipping sauces Tamarind sauce Indian mint sauce recipe Schezwan sauce Instant pot cranberry sauce Traditional bread sauce Sour cream and chive dip Poppadom dips (easy Indian dips) As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations! Don’t forget to follow me on social media using the buttons below – I can’t wait to see you all there!
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