Foolproof Tzatziki

Tzatziki is such a simple sauce, but my god is it delicious. It only has a handful of ingredients, but together they bind together to create a light yet vibrant sauce. Follow me…

Tzatziki Ingredients

Greek Yogurt – Preferably full fat. I find reduced fat alters the flavours too much. Try and find a good quality brand as this makes up the bulk of the sauce. Cucumber – No need to peel (more on prepping the cucumber in just a sec). Dill – I highly recommend fresh dill over dried. Extra Virgin Olive Oil – This adds richness to the sauce. Garlic – A little raw garlic in a creamy dip goes a long way! You’ll only need 1 small clove (promise!) Salt – This is used the help prep the cucumber and season the sauce. Black Pepper – Optional, but a little pinch works nicely.

Does Tzatziki contain mint?

Some recipes use mint instead of dill, and it is a nice addition, however I much prefer dill. I find it pairs with the cucumber better and allows the sauce itself to pair better with a range of different things. Mint is a much more acquired pairing with things such as chicken and fish (in my opinion).

Preparing Cucumber for Tzatziki

The only bit of elbow grease in this recipe is grating the cucumber. No need to peel, just grab a box grater and grate away!

How do you get moisture out of cucumbers?

Cucumbers are packed full of water. If you simply grated the cucumber and stirred it through the sauce, the sauce is going to be way too watery. So what we need to do is remove as much moisture as possible. Just so we keep the flavour and texture of the cucumber, without the pint of water that comes with it. A lot of people squeeze the shredded cucumber with their hands, but here’s what I like to do…

Salting the cucumber

By adding the cucumber to a sieve with a pinch of salt, the moisture will naturally seep out of the cucumber. The salt will of course also season the cucumber. From there you can just use a spatula to squeeze out the moisture.

How long should cucumbers sit in salt?

Around 30mins is great, but even just 5-10mins will do the trick!

Making Tzatziki

As you can imagine, it’s as easy as combining everything in a mixing bowl once you’ve grated and salted the cucumber. My number one tip would be to allow the Tzatziki to rest for an hour or so in the fridge before serving, just to give time for the flavours to marry.

How long can you keep Tzatziki in the fridge?

I find it stays good for 3-4days tightly sealed in the fridge. If you are making Tzatziki ahead of time I recommend not seasoning the sauce with salt at the end, and seasoning to taste just before serving. Reason being the additional salt will drawer out more moisture from the cucumber as the sauce rests. Make ahead Tzatziki will inevitably be slightly more watery anyway, just give it a stir before serving.

Serving Tzatziki

What goes with Tzatziki?

Tzatziki is great as a sauce for so many different things. From fish and burgers, right through wraps, sandwiches and of course Smash Beef Gyros or Chicken Gyros (photo below). It’s great as a dip for things such as Pita Chips and Greek Fries (photo below). I also use it to top my Greek Smashed Potatoes! If you’re serving in a bowl I recommend adding a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of fresh dill, just to garnish. Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this Tzatziki shall we?!