Homemade 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.

Until recently, I never drained the cucumbers, but taking the time to do so has a twofold benefit: It prevents the tzatziki from becoming too liquidy. If you like a tzatziki with a thick consistency, draining the cucumbers is important.

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.

Tzatziki will last about four days in the fridge before it starts to go bad. While you can freeze it, it will change a bit in regards to texture and consistency when it comes time to thawing it out.

Tzatziki is made of strained yogurt (usually from sheep or goat milk) mixed with cucumbers, garlic, salt, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and dill or mint or parsley.

Step 3: Drain cucumbers

No matter what method you've chose above, you'll need to drain the cucumbers of excess water so the tzatziki isn't watery. The most effective way to do this is in a fine mesh sieve with a sprinkle of salt and not just squeezing with a paper towel. Add cucumbers to a sieve.

Drizzle 1 teaspoon olive oil over top. Cucumber Shred unpeeled cucumber with large holes of grater or food processor. Using a clean towel or paper towels, scoop a handful of shredded cucumber into towel and squeeze over sink. Allow the cucumber juice to drain out.

The watery sauce is due to the cucumbers, which hold lots of water. The best way to avoid a watery tzatziki sauce is to get the excess moisture out of the grated cucumber before it's added to the sauce mixture.

This cucumber sauce is easy to make and full of fresh flavor. You don't need any fancy ingredients to make it, just sour cream, garlic, mustard, and some fresh dill. You can serve it after just one hour in the refrigerator, but overnight is recommended.

What does tzatziki mean in Greek? ›

: a Greek yogurt sauce made with cucumbers and garlic.

Some Greek yogurt brands are very tangy so you may wish to use less lemon juice. Also, some lemons can be very tart. Start with 1/2 a lemon and add more if needed. If your sauce is too tart, you can fix this by adding a little sweetener.

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.

Eating tzatziki can help add a variety of healthy nutrients to your daily diet, maintain a robust microbial system, and maintain blood glucose levels. If you suffer from high blood pressure, use tzatziki often as it contains less sodium and carbs than hummus.

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.

Tzatziki is a real powerhouse in terms of health benefits. Probiotics, which can aid promote gut health, vitamins A and C, calcium, and phosphorus are all included in this classic Greek meal. Together, these nutrients strengthen your immune system and maintain the health of your bones.

Greek yogurt is made from cow's milk that is strained to remove the whey, this results in a thicker consistency compared to natural yogurt. It also has a tangier flavour and can often be used as a healthier substitute to mayonnaise, sour cream or crème fraîche.