PLEASE 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
