Tzatziki is a delicious Mediterranean mezze that complements a variety of dishes. It’s a fragrant and luscious dip… or condiment… or sauce, depending on how you use it. I usually serve it with lighter meatless meals, or as an accompaniment to fish. Tzatziki is a delicious accompaniment to freshly baked flatbread, pita bread, falafel, grilled veggies, stuffed grape leaves, or grilled fish. It’s very healthy, too!
Tzatziki is often served with a soupy, runny texture, but that’s not the way I like it. I crave a tzatziki with teeth… something so thick and rich that you can eat it with a fork. The secret is strained yogurt.I usually start the process with Greek yogurt, since it takes less time to strain than regular yogurt. If you’ve got the time, feel free to use plain yogurt, but you’ll need to strain it for 14-15 hours to get it really nice and thick.
Be sure to use fresh herbs and lemon juice. I like using Persian cucumbers (the small, thin ones) in this dish. You may substitute English cucumbers—those are the long thin ones wrapped tightly in plastic. Avoid using regular fat cucumbers, they are coated with wax and prone to bitterness. Nobody wants a bitter tzatziki.
If you’re a garlic fiend, feel free to add more than the recipe calls for. I’m sensitive to raw garlic, so I don’t add very much, but this dip could easily include two more cloves if you’re feeling frisky.
This dish is vegetarian, gluten free, heart healthy, high protein, low carb, lowfat, and delicious. Enjoy!
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Tzatziki
How to make thick, rich tzatziki with strained yogurt, cucumber, dill, mint, lemon juice and garlic.
COURSE: Appetizer
Kosher Key: Dairy
Servings: 6 servings
Prep Time: 2 hours hours
Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
Total Time: 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups plain lowfat Greek yogurt
- 1 pound Persian or English cucumbers, peeled and seeded
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped mint or dill
- 1 clove garlic, crushed (or more to taste)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (or more to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
- Fresh mint sprig for garnish (optional)
NOTES
You will also need:Cheesecloth or clean dishtowel, colander, bowl
Instructions
Strain the Greek yogurt for 2-3 hours in the refrigerator. If you'd prefer to use plain yogurt and not Greek, you'll need to strain it for 14-15 hours to get the right consistency. If you don't know how to strain yogurt, you can find instructions here: How to Strain Yogurt
See AlsoBEST Tzatziki Sauce RecipePulse the cucumbers in the food processor or hand chop to desired texture. I like them chopped small, but not minced. Bigger chunks will result in chunkier tzatziki. It’s a matter of preference. You can also grate them, if you prefer.
Cut out an 18-inch rectangle of cheesecloth and fold into two layers. Place chopped cucumbers in the center of the double-layered cloth. Gather up the cheesecloth and twist at the top to form a bundle. Squeeze the bundle several times over the sink, twisting the bundle tightly to get rid of as much liquid as possible. If you don't have cheesecloth, use a thin dishtowel instead.
Place strained yogurt in a medium mixing bowl.
Add the drained cucumber pieces from the cheesecloth to the bowl along with the olive oil, chopped fresh mint or dill, crushed garlic, lemon juice, and salt.
Use a fork or whisk to blend the ingredients together. Taste the tzatziki; add more garlic, lemon juice, or salt to taste if desired. Serve cold. Store in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Tzatziki
Amount Per Serving
Calories 117Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Fat 8g12%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Cholesterol 3mg1%
Sodium 121mg5%
Potassium 111mg3%
Carbohydrates 5g2%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 6g12%
Vitamin A 125IU3%
Vitamin C 3.2mg4%
Calcium 78mg8%
Iron 0.3mg2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
tried this recipe?
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Nutritional information should be considered an estimate only; please consult a registered dietician, nutritionist, or your physician for specific health-related questions. Read more here. Please note that the recipe above is published using a recipe card plugin, with preexisting software which can auto-calculate metric measurements, as well as change the number of servings. Metric conversions and changes to the number of servings (resulting in different ingredient amounts) will only appear in the ingredient list, and are not changed within the step-by-step directions of the recipe.
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