Tzatziki
A cold Greek-style yogurt sauce with well-drained cucumber, garlic, and dill.
Preparation: 10 min · Cooking: 0 min · Total: 10 min · 6 servings
Ingredients
- 240 ml thick full-fat Greek yogurt — Volume measure: 1 US cup is treated as 240 ml; this is not a weight in grams.
- 120 ml grated cucumber — Measure after grating, before squeezing out the liquid.
- 1 clove garlic, finely grated
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
- 0.5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 0.3 tsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh mint (optional) — Optional.
Instructions
Prepare the cucumber and herbs
Wash the cucumber and herbs, then dry them. Grate the cucumber and measure 120 ml loosely into a measuring jug before squeezing. Finely grate the garlic; chop the dill and optional mint.
The cucumber volume is measured before draining.
Squeeze out the cucumber water
Place the measured cucumber in a clean kitchen cloth over the sink or a bowl. Gather the cloth and squeeze firmly until little liquid comes out. Use the squeezed cucumber; discard the extracted water.
The cucumber is moist but no longer dripping.
Mix the yogurt base—without heat
In a bowl, stir together 240 ml yogurt, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1/2 tbsp olive oil, the grated garlic, and 1/4 tsp salt.
Disabled: no timed cooking or resting required: 0 seconds
Mix the yogurt base—without heat (2/4)
Mix until smooth.
Mix the yogurt base—without heat (3/4)
This sauce is not cooked.
Mix the yogurt base—without heat (4/4)
Check with a clean spoon that the yogurt base is smooth and thick. Do not heat the olive oil or the sauce.
The base is smooth and thick.
Fold in cucumber and herbs
Stir in the squeezed cucumber, dill, and optional mint. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl so the herbs and garlic are evenly distributed. Taste with a clean spoon.
The sauce holds softly on a spoon without a watery pool.
Keep cold until serving
Cover and refrigerate until needed. Stir once before serving cold. Put out the portion you need and keep the rest in the refrigerator so it stays fresh and cool.
The sauce remains cold and creamy.
Tips
- Squeezing the cucumber is essential for a thick sauce.
- Contains milk; check yogurt and serving accompaniments for other allergens. No cooking is needed.
Common mistakes
- Do not replace the measured yogurt volume with the same number of grams without weighing a conversion.
- Thin yogurt or wet cucumber makes a runny sauce.
Substitutions
- If fresh dill is unavailable, replace its 1 tbsp with 1 tbsp chopped fresh mint; omit the separate optional mint addition.
Storage
Cover and refrigerate at 4°C or below within 2 hours of preparation; use within 3 days and stir before serving. Discard if left out longer or spoiled.
Reheating
Do not reheat; serve chilled.
About this recipe
Tzatziki is a Greek cold yogurt-and-cucumber sauce with garlic. This version uses dill and optional mint; household seasonings vary.
Editorial approval does not establish independent kitchen testing. Check allergens and follow safe food handling.