Easy Tzatziki Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are the main ingredients in tzatziki? ›

Tzatziki is a salted yogurt and cucumber dip that's made of strained yogurt, shredded cucumber, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and herbs. Authentic Greek tzatziki is most often made with sheep or goat yogurt, but my tzatziki recipe calls for regular full-fat Greek yogurt.

You can thicken it by placing a piece of cheesecloth over the top of a wide mouthed jar and holding it in place with some rubber bands. Fill the cheesecloth with your sauce, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. The excess water will drain out and the sauce will be thicker.

Preferably swap garlic for finely chopped red onion. Soak the onion in a little water before adding to the mixture. If you have already made the dish, then take out some of the garlicky yogurt (NOT sour cream as suggested in another answer) and replace with more fresh yogurt.

The main flavor component of Greek Tzatziki sauce is typically tangy yogurt, combined with garlic, cucumber, and often a hint of dill or mint.

Conclusion. Tzatziki is not only a tasty, multi-use sauce, it's also a smart food pick. Its blend of yogurt, cucumber, olive oil, garlic, lemon, and herbs delivers key nutrients, which are proposed to support heart health, gut health, and may even lower diabetes risk.

How do you get the bitter taste out of tzatziki sauce? Your main ingredient – the cucumber – is often the culprit. To avoid this, make sure that you choose the right variety: English and Persian cucumbers have very little, or no, bitterness.

The biggest contributor to watery tzatziki is the cucumber, which is why it's important to try to remove as much water out of the cucumber as possible. To release the water from the cucumber, de-seed the cucumber then grate it. I suggest using a metal spoon to scoop the seeds out of the cucumber.

Tzatziki sauce should be kept in a sealed container and stored in the refrigerator when you're not using it. As long as it's stored properly, you can expect homemade tzatziki to last about three to four days.

A platter of salted raw tomatoes and cucumbers becomes an instant salad when topped with tzatziki as a dressing. Bread is smeared with tzatziki and topped with grilled meats or vegetables for a crostini or bruschetta style snack that pairs well with Greek wines, like these Artichoke and Eggplant skewers.

Is tzatziki healthier than hummus? ›

Yes, tzatziki is considered a healthier dip than hummus and sour cream. It contains several vitamins, a good amount of protein, and fewer carbohydrates and calories. The fat content of tzatziki is low too, which is not the case with other dips.

Tzatziki together with any kind of simple grilled, marinated, roasted or air fried meat or fish are a match made in heaven. Lamb chops or simply cooked salmon would be my top picks! Either spoon the sauce over the meat or fish or serve it on the side.

I replace thick sauces like my tzatziki sauce with homemade mayonnaise and coconut milk. Substituting ingredients will take some getting used to, but eventually, it will become second nature.

Ingredients: yogurt (milk ingredients, bacterial culture), sour cream(milk ingredients, bacterial culture, microbial enzyme), water,cucumber, canola oil, white vinegar, sea salt, garlic purée (garlic,canola oil), modified corn starch, garlic powder, citric acid.

Using Acid

Puréeing a whole head of garlic with lemon juice results in a mixture with robust but mellow garlic flavor and aroma, and none of the acridness.

Tzatziki is a creamy cucumber yogurt dip (or sauce) made from simple ingredients including strained yogurt (or Greek yogurt), cucumbers, garlic, and sometimes fresh herbs such as dill or mint.

Mix together cucumber, yogurt, sour cream, mayonnaise, and garlic in a serving bowl; season with salt and pepper.

Health-wise, tzatziki contains only 54 calories per a 45 gram serving; it also comes with only 8 grams of carbohydrates and a negligible amount of sodium. Which to Pick? If you make your determination based on health concerns, then hummus is clearly the less healthy dip, with high sodium being a particular concern.