While there are many different variations of yogurt and cucumber sauces originating from countries across the Mediterranean and Middle East, tzatziki is the one that we are probably the most familiar with here. It is a simple recipe consisting of yogurt, cucumber, garlic, dill, lemon and salt. It’s is practically impossible to think of Greek Cuisine without it, however, tzatziki can be enjoyed with a multitude of different types of food.
I love making tzatziki all throughout the summer months. Cucumbers and fresh herbs grow in abundance and the cool and bright flavors of this creamy sauce go perfect with smoky grilled meats or crunchy fresh vegetables.
Here’s what you need.
Start off by grating and straining your cucumber. Place the grated cucumber in a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl. Sprinkle it with a small pinch of salt to help relieve it of its water. You could use a rubber spatula to press it into the strainer, releasing the liquid, but my preferred method is just squeezing it out with my hands. Which ever way you prefer to do, it’s crucial that you get as much liquid out of the cucumber as possible to prevent your tzatziki sauce from being watery.
Now, add your strained cucumber to a mixing bowl with the yogurt, (full fat yogurt works the best here to make the creamiest sauce) fresh chopped dill, salt, fresh squeezed lemon juice and grated garlic. If you don’t have a microplane, you could mince your garlic as well. Keep in mind that the garlic will be raw in this sauce so mince it very well!
Give the sauce a stir to combine everything and that’s it! So easy! Keep your sauce refrigerated before using. I recommend refrigerating it for at least 30 minutes before eating so all the flavors marry together and the sauce gets nice and cold. Give your self a break when entertaining by making this sauce a day ahead!
Enjoy your fresh, homemade tzatziki sauce with a big platter of fresh vegetables and warm pita bread, with grilled chicken, beef or lamb, or piled onto a piece of blackened salmon!
Other recipes to try:
- Mediterranean Farro Salad
- Greek Pasta Salad with Yogurt Dressing
- Green Goddess Dressing with Avocado
- Harissa Roasted Cauliflower!
Simple, Traditional Tzatziki Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup full fat greek yogurt
- 1 cup cup grated cucumber
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic grated on microplane or minced
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp fresh dill chopped
Instructions
- Stir together all the ingredients and refrigerate until serving.
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