Greek Tzatziki Sauce - A tangy, delicious yogurt dip with cucumber, lemon, garlic and oil. Perfect with a pita, in a gyro or on a burger.
Have you ever had Tzatziki Sauce? I worked at a Greek/Fast food restaurant for 7 years and I could NOT get enough of it. EXCEPT - homemade is sooo much better! It requires a little bit of forethought and some time, but it's not hands on time - so easy!
First, you need to peel your cucumber (or not, your choice) and then grate it into a sieve/mesh strainer. Set your strainer over a bowl to catch the water, and then sprinkle the cucumber with salt, which helps draw out the moisture.
Then just let it sit for about twenty to thirty minutes, until a lot of the moisture drains out. I always squeeze the cucumber after this, just to make sure to get as much water as possible. If you don't get a lot of liquid out, you'll have a really thin Tzatziki - and you don't want that!
Tip - if you can't find a thick Greek yogurt at your grocery store, try setting some plain yogurt in a piece of cheesecloth over a mesh strainer. Put that in the fridge and forget about for a couple of hours . You should find quite a bit of liquid had drained out when you go back and check.
Also, most recipes call for dill. I love dill, but not in my Tzatziki sauce. So while my version may not necessarily be authentic - it's still totally amazing and delicious.
Do you prefer with or without dill?
By the way, I love this Greek Tzatziki Sauce on the Greek Turkey Burgers I posted this week - try that out! It's also so good serve very simply, with some grilled pita breads.
It'll also show up in another recipe I'll post soon - Greek Style French Fries!
How do you serve your Tzatziki Sauce?
Tzatziki Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups plain greek yogurt
- ½ cucumber (peeled grated/shredded, drained)
- 1 large clove garlic (microplaned)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Peel and then grate the cucumber into a mesh sieve. Place the sieve over a bowl and sprinkle the cucumber with salt. Let sit 20-30 minutes or so until a lot of water drains out. Squeeze any remaining water out by hand.
- In a small bowl, add the drained cucumber and the remaining ingredients and mix with a spoon. This dip is best if you let sit in the fridge for a few hours before serving.
I am a HUGE fan of Tzatziki, it is one of the greatest sauces ever created, and your version sounds so good!
I love it too! Thanks Albert 🙂