Tzatziki
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Tzatziki is a refreshing and good-for-you yogurt and cucumber dip. Serve it with pita, grilled meats, gyros, or just eat it with a spoon!
Tzatziki (pronounced ‘tuh-ZEE-kee’), a beloved dip originating from Greece and the Middle East, is a versatile condiment enjoyed in countless ways. Traditionally served as part of a meze (pronounced ‘MEH-zay’), a collection of small dishes like dips, spreads, salads, grilled vegetables, cheeses, olives, and more, tzatziki also shines as a sauce. Its smooth and tangy texture creates a delicious contrast when paired with the smoky and savory flavors of grilled dishes such as kofta, kabobs, and gyros. Tzatziki’s magic lies in its simplicity, combining thick Greek yogurt with refreshing shredded cucumber. The yogurt provides a luscious and tangy base, while the cucumber adds a cool and crisp element. Whether you’re dipping pita bread or drizzling it over your favorite grilled dishes, tzatziki makes a delicious and versatile addition to any feast. It’s good for you, too!
What You’ll Need To Make Tzatziki
Tzatziki should be made with thick Greek yogurt. Many recipes call for straining it, but I don’t find it necessary.
I like to make tzatziki with English (or hothouse) cucumbers, the long, thin cucumbers that come wrapped in plastic. Because their skin is thin and unwaxed, English cucumbers do not need to be peeled — makes it easy.
Tzatziki is traditionally made with mint or dill. I prefer the flavor of mint (plus, as you can see, I have a wee bit of a wild mint situation in my garden) but feel free to substitute fresh dill if you like.
How To Make Tzatziki
Begin by seeding the cucumber. Simply cut the cucumber in half lengthwise, and then use a small spoon to scrape the seeds out. Next, shred the cucumber on a box grater or in a food processor.
Cucumbers are filled with water, which will dilute the tzatziki if you don’t wring it all out. I first use my hands to squeeze out as much liquid as possible, then I wrap the shredded cucumber in a dish towel and wring again.
Combine the yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper and mint in a mixing bowl.
Mix to combine.
Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. That’s all there is to it!
You May Also Like
- Greek-style Lamb Burgers
- Hummus
- Israeli Salad with Feta
- Middle Eastern Chicken Kebabs
- Middle Eastern Lamb Kofta
- Labneh
Tzatziki (Yogurt & Cucumber Dip)
Tzatziki is a refreshing and good-for-you yogurt and cucumber dip. Serve it with pita, grilled meats, gyros, or just eat it with a spoon!
Ingredients
- 1½ cups plain 2% Greek yogurt (I use Fage)
- 1 medium English or hothouse cucumber, seeded, coarsely grated and squeezed as dry as possible (about 1 cup)
- 2 small garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Scant ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary (I often add a generous pinch of sugar to balance the flavors). Cover and chill until ready to serve. Before serving, drizzle with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with fresh mint, if desired.
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1/4 cup
- Calories: 77
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 4g
- Sugar: 3 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Sodium: 223 mg
- Cholesterol: 3 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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I’ve made this recipe so many times that I have to comment! I never tzatziki could be a.) so easy to make and b.) taste this good! Thank you for such a delicious recipe.
This recipe is so simple to make. It is so creamy and delicious. I made it to serve with your Jen’s falafel recipe. Perfect combo. Delicious.
You mention zucchini twice-I think you mean cucumber??
Thank you, Lynn! It has been corrected.
Just made it! Fantastic! We have pickling cucumbers galore. We love all the effort we put into building our new victory garden. So it is wonderful when we can find recipes that utilize the bounty that we harvest each day. I expected dill, but I utilized the garden mint we had, as mentioned in the recipe. I rung out the shredded cucumber using a clean dishcloth. It didn’t say if it needed to sit for any length of time. We had our first bites with naan just after 30 minutes. Thank you. I will be making this throughout our growing season.
Easy to make. Pairs great with Zucchini Fritters. I normally eat my Tzatziki with dill but I thought I’d try with mint for something different to my normal recipe & it was really nice with the mint especially with the fritters. Super quick to put together. I added an extra 1/4 tsp of salt & thought that it was perfect!!!
I only have dried mint. Do you think it would work?
Hi Christine, dried will work, but you won’t need as much- add to taste. Fresh (or dried) dill also works nicely.
I love both mint and dill – do you think it would work to use half of each or would the flavors be too muddled?
Thanks!
This tasted wonderful with your Moroccan chicken recipe and I’m sure would go with many other things. I lightly brushed some whole wheat pita bread with olive oil and salt and threw them on the grill. Was very tasty. We kept the water from the cucumbers and threw in a smoothie the next day!
Very good!
No more store bought tzatziki for me, ever!!!! Thank you so much for this fantastic recipe, I’m a fan now!