I’m revisiting an oldie but goodie recipe today.
Tzatziki sauce is one of my favorite Greek recipes. It’s easy to make, it’s delicious, and it’s super versatile. If you’ve never had it before, it’s yogurt mixed with cucumbers, garlic, oil, and herbs.
There are a few simple tips to creating an awesome tzatziki. First, make it ahead of time so that the flavor of the garlic and herbs marinate in the yogurt. Second, use Greek yogurt because it’s thicker than non-Greek yogurt and it makes for a better dip.
Third, and I’m sorry for this one, go through the effort to get the cucumber just right. In other words, remove the seeds because it doesn’t make for good eats in a dip. Grate the cucumber because it gives the dip a good texture and keeps it relatively smooth. Chopping the cucumber doesn’t really do the trick. Strain the grated cucumber to remove the excess water. This will keep your dip nice and thick. It’s a bit of a process but it is so worth it.
Last weekend I made tzatziki to accompany a lamb and potato dinner. You can’t get more Greek than that. I hadn’t made tzatziki in ages and quickly realized that I need to make it more often because it’s so tasty. I originally shared this recipe with you back in 2014, but I can never find it on my own site because I bundled it up with sweet potato fries. I didn’t make any changes to the recipe because it’s still perfect but it’s worth highlighting it again. Yup, it’s that good. Plus it doesn’t hurt that I get to update the photos. 🙂
I’ve been eating the leftover tzatziki for lunch, as a sort of dressing on chickpeas, tomatoes, and cucumber salad. It’s also the perfect dip to make for an appetizer platter because it goes well with pita (or really any kind of bread), crackers, cheese, and olives. Do you see what I mean about how you can enjoy it in so many ways?
Tzatziki Recipe
(Makes about 2 cups)
Ingredients:
- 2 cucumbers
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 16 ounces of Greek yogurt (fat free, 1% or 2%)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 3/4 teaspoon dried dill
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Directions:
- Peel the cucumbers. Then cut them in half lengthwise and remove the seeds.
- Grate the seeded cucumber pieces, using a fine grater.
- Lay the grated cucumbers in between paper towels and gently press down to remove as much water as possible.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the prepared cucumbers, minced garlic, yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, dried dill, pepper, and salt.
- For best results, pack it up and put it in the refrigerator overnight.
Adapted from: All Recipes
