This is the best tzatziki recipe I know. This Greek yogurt and cucumber sauce gets better with time. Serve with pita bread, in gyros, on lamb, or with whatever you like!
Yummy! One tip: if you use Greek yogurt you don't have to drain first. It is available in almost every supermarket near the regular yogurt.
Read MorePLEASE do yourself a favor and convert the "1 Tablespoon salt" to about half that or less. Same with the pepper. The recipe is completely inedible with that much salt.
Read MorePLEASE do yourself a favor and convert the "1 Tablespoon salt" to about half that or less. Same with the pepper. The recipe is completely inedible with that much salt.
Yummy! One tip: if you use Greek yogurt you don't have to drain first. It is available in almost every supermarket near the regular yogurt.
This is so good! To make it creamier, I put the yogurt in a strainer lined with a paper towel (or coffee filter) to get rid of some of the whey for about an hour or two. I substitute balsamic vinegar for the lemon juice and zest. Use the large side of the grater for the cucumber or you will get a wet mush. I will use the whole cucumber. We always serve this with pork tenderloin or on our lamb burgers. It lasts several days. Efharisto(thank you)
My husband's cousin from Greece taught me how to make a Tzatziki sauce a lot like this recipe but without the dill.I make this sauce whenever I fix a pork tenderloin. I use the Souvlaki recipe by Abby Benner to marinade the tenderloin.I use Fage Fat-free yogurt which I buy at Trader Joe's. It's thick and doesn't need to be strained.
Awesome recipe. I didn't have zest on hand and it's fine! I used the juice from the plastic lemon. Perfect on sandwiches too! Help tips! 1. To make the dip less runny, strain the yogurt! This will leave you with 16oz, half the size the yogurt that you started with! That means you will need to halve all the other ingredients too so that it won't over power the yogurt taste. 2. Lessen the SALT. Add to taste. 3. Considering 16oz of yogurt, I would use 1 whole English cucumber seeded and CUBED to the size of a centimeter (elegance and crunch!). Your preference! 3. Tip to make the dip less runny, sprinkle a little salt on your cubed/grated cucumber and wrap it in a paper towel to soak up the cucumbers juice. 4. Add the cucumber to the dip when you're about to serve it. If it isn't added to the yogurt yet, keep the cucumber in a container with a fold paper towel to soak up excess moisture, keeping the cucumber crunchy.
This is a wonderful dip. Don't change it. Greek cooking doesn't call for feta cheese in everything, and never in this recipe. It's supposed to be mild and refreshing. Cooling. A similar dip is served in our favorite Greek restaurant. Do as others have suggested make the yogurt cheese (draining the yogurt) so that it will be better supported by the vegetables you use for dipping. Also is good with good sturdy crackers, but a standout with raw veggies.
I do not strain the yogurt because I like a slightly thinner tzatziki. Leaving it over night thickens it just enough.
Tasty, but I made the mistake of straining the yogurt as most reviewers suggested, but failed to cut back on salt and lemon. If you strain the yogurt, you should cut back on the lemon zest and the salt by half. It's amazing how much liquid strained out of the yogurt. Very important step-- think it would have been runny otherwise.
Just a note for everyone trying this recipe The yogurt should be placed in cheese cloth and put in a strainer to drain all the liquid out.Then add the other ingredients It will have a better taste and texture
This is a great, easy sauce. The only changes I made was to reduce the salt to a teaspoon and increase to a whole cucumber. I followed the advice of reviewers and strained the yogurt. I strained nearly one cup of water out of the yogurt container! If you do not have cheese cloth, a thin dishtowel or good quality paper towel will work. I grated the cucumber and strained the water from it too. In the end it was a perfect texture and gobbled up quickly by the family. We used as a dip ans well as a sauce for falafel and pita sandwiches. This dip keeps getting better as the days go by.
A great tip I learned from Yiayia (Greek for Grandmother) while this sauce is being refrigerated put a piece of sliced bread on top while it cools in the refrigerator then remove before serving. This will draw out excess liquid rewarding you a wonderful rich creamy Tzatziki sauce
I just made this dip, and it was really easy. I used half a container (32oz) Greek yogurt in case it didn't turn out well, so I wouldn't have a lot of waste. Then I added 2 small Persian cucumbers (what I had on hand). I reduced the lemon juice, dill, garlic and salt since I was only making half. I also skipped the olive oil. I didn't see what the point of adding it was, because it was smooth and creamy already and I didn't want to add the extra fat. I only gave 4 stars because I made so many alterations. It was so easy to make, I'm sure I'll be making it often!
I would suggest squeezing out or salting and placing the cukes in a colander as they will slowly 'thin' the dip as they leach out water.
I used this recipie as the base, I omitted the lemon rind, cucumber rind and olive oil. I replaced the yogurt with sour cream thined it out with some milk, and used lemon juice in place of the rind. I chopped up cucumbers and put them in the sauce and added Goat Feta Cheese. The goat feta made the flavor so authentic.
This tzatziki was a huge hit for my husbands birthday dinner. I served it with crisp pita and greek olives. Went wonderfully with my roasted lamb. I did learn though a little goes a long way.
I have made this a few times, and everyone LOVES it. Great w/ pitas, crackers, fresh veg, whatever. I have learned, however, that your $2 is well spent to buy some really nice Greek style yogurt to start with. I made it initially with lower priced plain yogurt - - I will not ever do that again!!! The nice Greek style yogurt really makes better flavor and texture. This recipe does make A LOT of sauce so I will probably cut it in half unless it's for a very large gathering. The only adjustment I will do henceforth is reduce the salt a bit. Not so much for taste as for blood pressure ;-) Thanks for posting this !!!!
Delish! I didn't use any lemon zest, used dried dill, put the cucumbers through the Ninja chopper, soaked up water with paper towel and used Greek yogurt. It saved me a lot of time and still tasted great. Everyone commented on how good it was!
Yum! Had to use double the ingredients (not the yogurt but everything else) for good flavor. Important to let it sit for a few hours before adding anything though to see where it is at flavor wise, then proceed with modifying.
Great recipe, just use 1/2 tsp of sea salt, cut out the lemon rind and use 1/2 tsp white pepper and real Greek yogurt and its authentic
I made this to go with some naan bread that I had and it was wonderful! I did omit the garlic and the olive oil. I alo scaled the recipe back some by using a 4oz container of plain greek yogurt. Its best to use Greek yogurt, this way you don't have to strain the yougurt. I also added a bit of Greek seasoning to my mixture.
I strained the yogurt and cucumber (after I squeezed it) but only for about 30 minutes because I was short on time. Really needs to sit in the fridge for about an hour or so. Didn't add the lemon zest and it was still great.
Another helpful tip is to use plain greek yogurt because it's thicker, and set a piece of bread on top of the Tzatziki before you cover and store it overnite. This will create a less watery sauce.
This is easily the best tzatziki I've made. And I've tried several recipes from this site and others. Excellent recipe. The only change I would make is to leave out either the lemon juice or the lemon zest, because both, I felt, were a little too strong. That being said, this recipe replicates my favorite Greek restaurant's tzatziki. And I was beginning to think I'd never find a recipe so delicious! Love this!! Will make it again and again!
I did enjoy this recipe, but next time I will cut WAY back on the pepper. The pepper flavor was too strong for me, and I had to go back and add more of everything else to balance it out. I served this with pita bread and the "Summer Feta Burger with Cream Cheese Spread" burger patties from this site(in place of the cream cheese spread). Our friends were fighting over the leftovers!
This is the perfect tzatziki!! I make it almost weekly. I use Greek plain yogurt and I half the recipe. It's great as a veggie dip
Very refreshing and tasty. I added dried dill flakes to it as well, which was very good. I used Greek yogurt. Next time I will strain the liquid from the cucumber first to try that- as I have read many recipes call for it done that way. Thank you for this very delicious recipe.
This is exactly what you are looking for if you are craving tzatziki. I cut back a touch on the garlic - I hate that I can't tolerate garlic anymore! Give this a whirl - you won't be sorry.
This is the best! I use part of the salt(sea salt) to sprinkle over the grated cucumber to release the water so the sauce will be more creamy. I put the cucumber in a strainer, lined with paper towel, then put a weight on it to press the water out. Certainly is a hit with all our guests. Serve it over baked potatoes and listen to the " mmmmm." Bed and Breakfast owner in Hanover, Ontario,Canada
Ok this is really good. It taste like restaurant style. I was not able to add dill, it tasted good anyway. For the summer this has no price as is lite and refreshing. I would recommend to adjust the lemon to your taste and the salt too, but if you don't do anything to the recipe you would not be dissapointed. I agree with others about the runny texture. I solved using regular yogurt strained or greek yogurt and to allow the cucumber to drain the water . To drain the cucumber you could add a little of salt and drain for half to an hour - don't forget to adjust salt in the recipe if you do this).
This was awesome! The only change I made was I added chopped cucumber. So refreshing!
Don't buy greek yogurt, strain plain yogurt through coffee filters..its cheaper. Also strain the grated cucumber or squeeze out the liquid, doesn't need olive oil, I use a lot more garlice pressed or grated. Make in the morning for dinner that night.
This is a great recipe especially if you are looking for things to use your garden cucumbers in. I used regular cucumbers and it still turned out great. I do believe it was a little runny but I heard no complaints, so five stars from me.
Go with less cucumber and add in if necessary after tasting. The first time I made this I bought a small cucumber thinking I could use the whole thing - bad idea. We ended up throwing most of it away.
I have made several differnt recipes, this is the best!!! LOVE IT! Used plain yougurt, drained, and added more garlic - perfect!
Yummy! It's kind of thin but I think it makes a great, light salad dressing this way.
I think the tablespoon of salt + pepper is definitely a type-o for teaspoon, but its still very good.
I have used this as a dip with pita chips and as a sauce on top of a grilled veggie sandwich. Perfect either way. Using Greek yogurt and chopping,salting and draining the cucumber really worked well.
I made this as is except for the salt - I took JOHNN11102's advice and only added about half a teaspoon. I got RAVE reviews on this one - I had this with "Beef. It's What's for Dinner's" Mediterranean Beef Meatball Kabob and "araxjan's" Authentic Tabbouleh on lavash bread and pizza at a barbecue. It's a compliment when people ask for the recipe so I point them to this site!
I have been trying for years to find a recipe as good as the local Greek restaurant and this is finally it!! thanks so much!!!
LeeleeCooks wasn't lying when she said it "only gets better with time". It was great the moment I made it but now that it's been 2 days later I must say the taste really improved. I'm impressed. I've tried making another version of this sauce in the past but didn't have ANY luck due to my lack of knowledge w/ draining yogurt. I was timid with making this again so rather than buying plain yogurt I went ahead and bought a Greek Yogurt Spread (I forget the brand). No draining needed and it was thick! We used this tonight for dipping fried steak fingers and we plan to incorporate the rest into a couple more meals over the week. Love it love it, thanks Leelee.
Got rave reviews and had one friend literally just eating it with a spoon. LOL I found the Greek yogurt in our health food store without a problem. My vegetarian friend said it is a MUST for this dish. Thanks for sharing.
Yummy! Used 16 oz. of Greek yogurt and halved the recipe as follows: 1 tsp. minced garlic, 3/4 Tbs. dried dill, 1 tsp. lemon Juice, 1 tsp. lemon zest, 1/2 tsp. salt/pepper, 1/2 Tbs. Olive oil, then 1/2 English cucumber shredded on the large grater and 1/2 cucumber diced fine. Salt cucumber in the strainer and let it sit for several minutes to bring out the water then dab with paper towels.
Great recipe. Even my finicky 8yr old ate it. Now that's a real proof of good taste!
This is a almost perfect recipe, you must strain the yogurt, and cut down on the salt a bit, creamier is always better for dipping, so keep that in mind! Otherwise, this is a fantastic recipe, very similar to my families! ;)
Good! Exactly what I was looking for. I'm not positive that the olive oil is necessary. I used Greek yogurt and cut the recipe by at least a half, adding the ingredients to taste but more or less in the proportions recommended. Thanks!
This came out really great. I used greek yogurt so there was no need to strain. Also, i grated the cucumber onto a paper towel and dried it off a bit before mixing it in to get rid of some of the moisture. I also used much more dill than 3 tablespoons, and it was delicious.
Great recipe, but is the salt quantity a typo? I used less than 1 tsp. I took some reviewers' advice and squeezed moisture from the shredded cuke; really glad I did. Will use again.
This recipe had exactly the taste I was expecting. I also used the non-fat greek style yogurt so I didn't have to do any straining. I found the 3 tbl spns of Dill to be a little too much (changed the texture of the Tzatziki Sauce), next time I will try 1 tbl spn and add more if desired.
I made this as written and at first it was crazy-salty but after resting in the fridge overnight, the saltiness went away and it had good flavor.
I've made this countless times- and every time it gets better and better!! I always add feta just for fun and some cayenne for some "feisty feta" occasionally. Thanks for sharing!
Although i do not eat tzatziki, i made it for my spouse. Instead of low fat i used 3% Greek yogurt. I also seeded the cucumber, diced it very fine, and put it in a colander with the salt. After 1 hour i rinsed it under cold water and dried it on paper towels. She had it with Greek ground meat kabobs and pitas. She said it was the best she has ever tasted, bar none. Mike
I made this for a class project and now have made it several more times. I love it and have even played around wtih adding a little more cucumber and dill that the recipe calls for. Definitely one of my favorite dip recipes ever!
I used Greek yogurt so no draining required. I just increased the garlic to 2 cloves, used a whole cucumber (drained it couple hours) and eliminated the zest. Only 1/4 tsp salt and pepper. Perfect!
This IS the real deal!! I only made a 1/3 of this recipe and doubled the called for garlic. This was the best Tzatziki! Thank you!! I used lowfat yogurt and let it drain with a coffee filter for about an hour. SO good!
still not as good as the tzatziki I bought at a local deli...but it's getting there. it had a little bite to it - too sour rather than creamy i thought. Maybe sour cream rather than tangy yogurt? less lemon? i'll keep experimenting.
We found this a bit too lemony for a dip. I think it would be nice served with fish, however, given the lemon flavor. I agree with another reviewer who noted that the salt and pepper are a bit too heavy.
I've been wanting to make Tzatziki for awhile now and I think this was a good recipe to start with. I added an extra cucumber because I like the thicker consistency and texture. I also added more garlic and lemon juice because they are flavors I love. Yummy and easy to make. Thank you.
Great. A really authentic flavour and virtually calorie free when made with fat free yoghurt. Made a massive quantity Even though I only made a third.
Whoa. WAYYYYYY too salty. I should've trusted my gut and used half the salt and slowly added more... Definitely cut back the salt, people.
Excellent. I did use 5% Greek yogurt, however. The fat free kind just doesn't do it for me.
After spending a long vacation in Greece we came home and craved this sauce something fierce. After playing around with numerous recipes and yogurts (very important to get the right one) this recipe won out. So our favorite yogurt to use is Cabot Greek Yogurt. Beats anything else by a mile! Also a note on the cucumber. After using the shredder sprinkle with salt to let it sweat for a few minutes and then just squeeze out the juice by picking up and squeezing a handful at a time. This way your sauce doesn't get runny. Enjoy!
Hmm, kinda hard to get past the sweetness...didn’t realize I bought a Vanilla flavoured Greek yogurt until I tasted the creation. Oops! Wipl never make that mistake again. Perhaps my kids will really like it now.
Delicious! This is a fantastic recipe! However I only added a pinch of salt, omitted the lemon zest and used the juice from the plastic lemon.
Turned out exactly like the wonderful Greek tzatziki I was craving. You may want to strain your grated cucumber if it's very juicy. I seasoned to taste rather than following the recipe exactly. Also, 32 oz is a huge amount...I would only make a full recipe if I were serving it with gyros. I only made about a cup to use as a veggie dip for 8 people.
Wish I would have read reviews first. Choked on the salt and pepper. Use like half. So surprized. First bad recipe from Allrecpies.
This turned out so good. I didn’t use as much salt as recipe called for though. My 17 year old son is in love with it.
This Tzatiki recipe is great! Next time I will cut the salt and pepper amount in half. It was a little too salty for my taste. I added sour cream to make it less salty and a little creamier, it tastes amazing! I highly recommend this recipe!
Loved this tzatziki recipe! I didn't have a real lemon on hand, so used lemon juice and omitted the zest. Next time I'll use a real lemon but it was still great without it. Also drained the yogurt, which really made it thick and creamy. This is a keeper!
I didn't have to let mine marinate and it was still very tasty. I can only imagine letting it sit in the fridge would have made it better.
Very good! I only used 1 tbs of olive oil and regular plain greek yogurt, but very tasty on chicken pita for supper and a greek omelet for breakfast.
This was too salty for my liking. I wish I would have read the previous reviews about the salt. The second time I made it, I cut down on the salt and and it was much better.
i skipped out on olive oil, added WAY less salt and less black pepper. yummy!
Delicious! I just cut in half the portions on the recipe to make it smaller. I used a 17 ounce Greek yogurt container instead.
I think a bit less lemon juice next time. Used the Greek yogurt everyone recommended, really enjoyed it.
This sounded so good, and I'm trying to find new things for lunches that are low calorie. I grilled some chicken breasts and made this sauce exactly as is. I cut up the chicken into strips, take 2-3 of those and about 1-2 oz of the sauce to work and it is perfect! It tastes better every day! Thank you for this recipe! I will make it over and over!
I suspect there is a typo in this recipe: The amount of salt and pepper should be one teaspoon and not one tablespoon! I recommend straining the grated cucumber to make it less runny.
The people having issues with the saltiness, it is probably your choice of salt, not all salts are created equal. Based upon the amounts listed they should have been specific about the type of salt. Use Kosher salt in this recipe not table salt and you will find it is just right.
I have been trying to make a tzatziki I like for such a long time and I finally did it thanks to this recipe! The only things I changed were to eliminate dill (blecch) and roast the garlic before mincing to smooth out the flavor. This sauce is so good I want to lick the plate!
Very good but in my opinion way too much lemon and not enough garlic. I say do half the lemon twice the garlic and you’re good to go! I used plain Greek yogurt nice consistency to it. Will definitely make again once I dilute mine with ingredients to get the insane lemon taste out
drain cucumber 1st - per chef john. Don't add salt as its already been added when cucs were drained. split dill and mint, used greek yougurt
This is excellent. I used 24 oz of Greek yogurt because that's what my grocery store sells, not 32 oz. And it is safe to assume the TBSP of salt and pepper are typos so I used a tsp of each. Other than that I made exactly as written. I let it sit in frig for 24 hours and the flavor just got better. My family loved it.
Delicious. We went with the full fat yogurt. We always do. Don't skimp or settle on taste is our motto. And as a nod to the dish, we went with greek yogurt. turkish yogurt is good as well.
Very good! I did think it was too peppery, but otherwise, it's a great recipe. I didn't use the highest-quality pepper, so that may have been the issue. I used about 1.5 tablespoons of lemon zest rather than the full 2 tbsp, but otherwise, followed the recipe as is. I paired this with a Greek lemon chicken and potato bake from the site.
