Tzatziki
- Total Time
- 10 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:2½ cups
- 3Persian cucumbers
- 2cups plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
- 2tablespoons finely chopped dill
- 1tablespoon lemon juice
- 1garlic clove, minced
- Salt and pepper
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
139 calories; 8 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 11 grams protein; 505 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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- Step 1
Using the large holes of a box grater, grate cucumbers. Using your hands, squeeze grated cucumbers to remove excess water, then place cucumbers in a medium bowl (you should have about 1 cup).
- Step 2
Add yogurt, dill, lemon juice and garlic; season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Anne
I put the gratedcucumbers in a colander with salt and let them stand for an hour. This removes excess water.
Valerie
I make tzaziki almost every week during the summer months. It's a very cool and refreshing dip. I follow this recipe except that I also add a tablespoon or two of virgin olive oil. I use a mortar and pestle to crush the garlic into the olive oil with a teaspoon of salt. And I use a potato ricer to squeeze the water out of the cucumbers. It works wonderfully and saves time! I don't use dill, but I will sometimes add other spices. This is an easy recipe to adapt to your personal taste.
Andrea
No sour cream. Why would you add sour cream to Greek yogurt?
ChasPDX
I'm Lebanese. We make it (and I've had it in Greek restaurants) with plane yogurt (tart is good), more garlic than this recipe, salt, lemon juice and mint - fresh or dried - not dill. It is most often used as an accompaniment to other dishes, as opposed to an appetizer.
Austro Girl
Greek grandmother's recipe called for only yoghurt, cukes, garlic, and a pinch of salt. Serve drizzled with olive oil, perhaps dotted with a single olive. NO other herbs necessary! (and make your own pita --- so easy, and far superior to the store stuff).
John in Brooklyn
Consider adding more garlic. It's supposed to have a kick, one garlic clove for two cups isn't going to get the job done. Ramp up slowly though, it takes some time for the garlic to infuse the yogurt, so taste to see whether you want it more garlicky and work your way up from there.
Name NMNene
Lived in Greece, recommend lightly salting grated cucumber, let sit for 30 min, the squeeze out excess moisture, use sheep’s milk yogurt if you can find it, and lots of garlic to taste. never sour cream. add mint if you like, rarely dill, mostly plain. drizzle a bit of good olive oil on top. meant to be thick for dipping.
Takis
I'm Greek. Authentic recipe calls for vinegar, not lemon juice, plus olive oil. A bit of chopped dill is common, but just as common is no dill at all, just salt & pepper. Other herbs people mention here, like oregano or mint, aren't traditional in Greek tzatziki. Current Greek cuisine allows for a bit of grated carrot as well (but I'm not sold on it)
Kitchen Potter
I add a little zatar and red wine vinegar for some zing.
DC Louise
This is how I make it, too, after a trip to Greece! I typically use English cucumbers and scrape out the seeds so it's not too watery.
AnnB
Add minced mint leaves with the fresh dill.
Mara
Just really curious....why would you freeze cucumbers?
Madison Cook
Yes! To Ann’s salt and AnnB’s mint additions, and ditto to Andrea’s “Why sour cream?” Save yourself some mess and laundering (and H2O) by pressing the grated cukes in your ricer. I use it to squeeze water out of frozen spinach as well.
Remy
We always use half sour cream and half yogurt to give the dip a bit more body. Also a couple finely chopped mint leaves are a pleasant addition.
Annie P
This might be blasphemy, but I make mine with finely chopped red onion. I like the little bite and the hint of color.
Kristin Lowry Kaya
I began making this when my cucumber harvest was getting out of hand. My Turkey-born husband has been known to knock off whatever's leftover from dinner (I make zucchini fritters with it) overnight, usually with whatever bread there is in the house...I always use mint, during the winter, European cucumbers work beautifully... I'm not fond of yogurt, except in tzatziki
christos
Recipe works but I prefer texture of finely chopped cukes (seeded with a spoon) instead of grated. Yes, more garlic. Dill okay. Optional. Never oregano. Salt and white pepper, sure. Little olive oil goes in anywhere. Best taverna on island of Hydra would put a capful of Ouzo in lieu of lemon juice or vinegar. And yes, have to use whole milk Greek (strained) yogurt. Great stuff.
Subs
Half recipe - an extra garlic pod and drizzle of olive oil.
Martin
I use fresh mint instead of dill. Yum.
PattyB
I thought was too much garlic- i used half mayo and half sour cream. Plus combo of shredded cucumber and diced for crunchy sauce!
Julie
Lebanese style yogurt, Lebneh, found at most Mid East grocers, is far better than any yogurt or sour cream. I think it would be easy for anyone living in an urban area to find. Definitely mint, not dill. And always a little good olive oil. And more garlic minced with salt.
bodhi
Use the recipe from the olive and caper cookbook instead.
Debra
Tasty. Added more cuke from my garden, plus dill, a bit of mint, and a little olive oil. As suggested, I used a potato ricer to squeeze the cukes, which worked well. I'm going to serve this as a dip for veggies and pita bread. Yum.
Carolina
Tzatziki is not a dip, which is anathema to its use in Greek gastronomy. Look at any menu in Greece and you will find it among the salads and meze.
Jane
Soo easy and good! Cut recipe down as there are only 2 of us; Didn’t bother squeezing grated cucumbers by hand; put them in a sieve And squeezed down with a rounded spoon; then rolled them in a bit of paper towel for further drying before tossing into the yogurt; perfect and not watery end result.
Marcia Florence
So very delicious, easy and quick to make, used slightly overgrown garden cucumbers, seeded, grated and squeezed out excess water. Added only 3/4 cup Greek yogurt and also zest from lemon. Served with pan fried salmon and rice. Big family hit!!
Dario
I've lived in Greece. No dill, no lemon juice, no pepper.. Just slivered cucumber, EVOO, salt, and good, full fat yogurt -- TJs Greek Yogurt is one the best I've found in the US, and unlike the bland Fage and many others, has a distinct flavor. Never, EVER use low fat.
Dario
Oh! And (missed on my previous) GARLIC -- lots of minced garlic. The tzatziki needs a few hours rest in the fridge for flavors to fully meld.
Nina
I used to make tzatziki, salsa and hummus to take on every back country canoe trip. Salsa had to be eaten immediately, followed by hummus because of their short shelf lives without refrigeration. But tzatziki would last the entire trip. It's shelf life is surprising long. I also let the cucumbers stand in a colander before using. Make sure that the colander is in the sink or over a bowl - it's suprising how much moisture the cucumbers produce.
Daniel P
So good, and so versatile. Doubled garlic, doubled lemon. 1/2tsp salt. Easy to make, and wonderful to have on-hand.
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