Make this Easy Tzatziki Recipe to add flavor to chicken bowls, pita pockets, or as a vegetable dip. The cucumber yogurt sauce is flavored with garlic, salt, olive oil, white wine vinegar, and fresh dill. Low fat Greek yogurt is used to increase the protein.
Why You’ll Love Easy Tzatziki Recipe
I travelled to Greece for the first time earlier this month and enjoyed eating a lot of tzatziki sauce. It’s fresh and adds great flavor. When I returned home, I was still craving it so I decided to try making my own!
Tzatziki is a cucumber yogurt sauce that is actually pretty simple to make. The hardest part (that isn’t that hard) is draining the water from the cucumber. Anyone can do it though. Just grate the cucumber and use a cheesecloth or paper towels to squeeze out liquid.
Traditional tzatziki uses full fat yogurt, but I used low fat Greek yogurt to make it higher in protein. The dip is great to add flavor to chicken bowls and sandwiches or a healthy dip for vegetables. I set the serving size at a half cup so you can enjoy a good amount of dip for just around 100 calories and 8 grams of protein.
Ingredients
- English cucumber: this type is seedless which makes it easier to use. If you replace with regular cucumbers, then remove the seeds.
- Salt: pulls water from the cucumbers and adds flavor.
- Greek yogurt: the base of tzatziki. I used low fat Greek yogurt to make the sauce higher in protein while still being creamy. Traditional tzatziki recipes use full fat Greek yogurt.
- Garlic: adds flavor. If you don’t want it too garlicky, start with one clove, then taste test it. You can always add more.
- Extra virgin olive oil: adds flavor, creaminess, and healthy fats.
- White wine vinegar: the acidic component. I’ve seen recipes use lemon juice, but I had a food tour guide in Athens who said to never use lemon juice in tzatziki, always use wine vinegar. Red or white wine vinegar can be used.
- Dill: a classic Mediterranean fresh herb that adds flavor.
How to Make Easy Tzatziki Recipe
Peel the cucumber. Line a medium-sized bowl with a cheese cloth or two layers of paper towels. Using the smallest hole, grate the cucumber into the bowl (watch your fingers).
Wrap up the cucumber in the cloth or paper towels and gently squeeze the water out in the sink or in the bowl. Toss the water out of the bowl. Then, place cucumber and cloth back in bowl. If using paper towels, line with new ones. Add ½ teaspoon salt to cucumber and let sit for about 5 minutes to draw out more water and then squeeze again.
In a dry medium-sized bowl, add Greek yogurt and the cucumber. Use the smallest hole again to grate the garlic cloves (watch your fingers). Depending on how garlicky you like your dip, start with one clove and you can always add more after taste testing.
Add ½ teaspoon salt, olive oil, white wine vinegar, and dill to bowl.
Stir to evenly combine. You can enjoy right away, but the flavors taste best after being refrigerated for about an hour.
How to Store Easy Tzatziki Recipe
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Tzatziki should last as long as the yogurt’s expiration date, but tastes best within the first week.
Tips
- Don’t skip removing the water from the cucumber. If you don’t have a cheese cloth, use paper towels, or let the grated cucumber sit in a colander with the salt for about 20 minutes and let the water drain out. Then, push on the cucumber to remove any excess water.
- Enjoy tzatziki sauce as a dip with pita bread and vegetables, spread on a sandwich, or mix into a Mediterranean Chicken Bowl.
Try These Recipes Next:
- Mediterranean Chicken Bowls
- Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Chipotle Lime Dressing
- Avocado Cilantro Sauce
- Mediterranean Chicken Salad
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Easy Tzatziki Recipe
Equipment
- grater
- cheese cloth or can use paper towels
Ingredients
- 1 English cucumber
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 16 ounces low fat (2%) Greek yogurt, (~ 2 cups)
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons fresh dill, chopped
Instructions
- Peel the cucumber. Line a medium-sized bowl with a cheese cloth or two layers of paper towels. Using the smallest hole, grate the cucumber into the bowl (watch your fingers).
- Wrap up the cucumber in the cloth or paper towels and gently squeeze the water out in the sink or in the bowl. Toss the water out of the bowl. Then, place cucumber and cloth back in bowl. If using paper towels, line with new ones. Add ½ teaspoon salt to cucumber and let sit for about 5 minutes to draw out more water and then squeeze again.
- In a dry medium-sized bowl, add Greek yogurt and the cucumber. Use the smallest hole again to grate the garlic cloves (watch your fingers). Depending on how garlicky you like your dip, start with one clove and you can always add more after taste testing.
- Add ½ teaspoon salt, olive oil, white wine vinegar, and dill to bowl. Stir to evenly combine. You can enjoy right away, but the flavors taste best after being refrigerated for about an hour.
Notes
- Don’t skip removing the water from the cucumber. If you don’t have a cheese cloth, use paper towels, or let the grated cucumber sit in a colander with the salt for about 20 minutes and let the water drain out. Then, push on the cucumber to remove any excess water.
- Enjoy tzatziki sauce as a dip with pita bread and vegetables, spread on a sandwich, or mix into a Mediterranean Chicken Bowl.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Tzatziki should last as long as the yogurt’s expiration date, but tastes best within the first week.
