Tzatziki

This delicious Tzatziki sauce is the perfect recipe to jazz up any meal. It is so fresh-tasting, creamy, and makes the perfect dip. Serve this with my Feta Meatballs or alongside my White Bean Hummus.

What is Tzatziki

If you are wondering how to pronounce tzatziki, it is pronounced tsah-see-key. “Tsah” is pronounced the same way as “za” in Pizza.

Tzatziki is a dip or sauce that originally comes from Southern Europe and the Middle East. It is made with Greek yogurt, cucumbers, garlic, salt, olive oil, and herbs. The reason strained yogurt is used is so that it can be extra rich and thick. Also, special attention is made to the cucumbers so that they are shredded and then all of the water is squeezed out of them so that the yogurt keeps its thickness.

Most preparations of tzatziki that I see are made with dill as the main herb used. I have also seen a few recipes that use mint in addition to the dill.

Tzatziki is traditionally served with meat, such as souvlaki and gyros, but it can also be used as a dip for grilled vegetables, warm pita bread, or crudite. I have also seen some variations that add more liquid into the recipe and essentially make a cold soup to be enjoyed during the summer months.

I added my tzatziki to cubed chicken and made the most delicious tzatziki chicken salad. Then, I added it to warmed up mini pita breads and made the best little lunch out of it. A healthy and delicious lunch that I can eat again and again.

How to make Tzatziki Sauce

The base of tzatziki is yogurt. Greek yogurt is best for this recipe because of it’s thickness, but any plain yogurt will work.

Next, you will shred your cucumbers using a box grater. It is very important to squeeze all of the water out of the cucumbers once they are shredded.

I very rarely use only 1-2 cloves of garlic in a recipe, but trust me on this one. Do not go overboard on garlic or you will have an extremely over powering dip. I love garlic just as much as everyone else, but you want to be able to also taste the cucumber and dill. A little bit of garlic goes a long way.

I love a little splash of lemon juice in this recipe and just a little bit of olive oil also goes a long way.

Finished it up with a healthy dose of fresh dill and this dip came together in less than 20 minutes.

What to eat with Tzatziki Sauce

There are so many meals you can make with this tzatziki sauce. One of my favorites is my Tzatziki Chicken Salad which is made with seasoned grilled chicken that I chop up and then I pour some tzatziki over it, mix it all up and add it to some warm pita bread.

I also love using it as a dip for falafel, grilled summer vegetables or grilled meat. It tastes great on grilled zucchini or as a side to a flank steak.

Tzatziki Sauce Recipe

INGREDIENTS  

• 1 cup Plain Greek Yogurt whole milk is best for this, but I have also used non-fat Greek yogurt and it also tastes good. It just depends on how rich you want this dip to be.
• 1 English Cucumber these are the long straight cucumbers you see in grocery stores that are usually in a plastic wrapper. It is about double the length of a regular cucumber.
• 1 clove Garlic grated or very finely minced. If you like a lot of garlic, use 1.5 cloves but do not use more or it will start to be overpowering.
• 2 tsp Olive Oil Extra virgin
• 1/2 Lemon
• 1.5 tbsp Fresh Dill chopped
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• warm pita bread for serving
• grilled meat and vegetables for serving

INSTRUCTIONS 

• Peel and grate the cucumber. Then, squeeze out all of the water from it and add the remaining cucumber to a bowl.
• Add in your yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and dill . Mix Well
• Once it is mixed well, add it to a serving bowl and drizzle olive oil on top.