Once you’ve tried this easy homemade Tzatziki recipe, you’ll never go back to buying it from the shops! It’s incredibly easy and takes just a few minutes to make.
A creamy yet light and refreshing Greek dip that’s great with pita bread, vegetables or with this air fryer Chicken Shawarma!
WHAT IS tzatziki?
Tzatziki (pronounced Ta-Zee-Kee) is a refreshing, cooling yoghurt and cucumber dip that’s great with flatbread, pitta and vegetable sticks. It’s also a fantastic accompaniment to grilled meats or fish. I think it’s particularly lovely with lamb.
Tzatziki can also be used as a salad dressing or a spread for sandwiches. It elevates any dish it touches.
What are the main ingredients in Tzatziki?
There are just a handful of simple ingredients in this creamy Greek dip –
- Full Fat Greek Yoghurt
- Cucumber
- Fresh garlic adds a kick of intensity
- Lemon juice makes the flavours come alive!
- Fresh mint or dill give the dip a wonderful freshness and aroma
- salt and pepper is the final but most important step in making good Tzatziki
How do you make a thick and creamy Tzatziki?
The Greek yoghurt must be full fat – and the best quality you can get your hands on. Try and stay away from “Greek style” yoghurt – they are too runny. You need a thick strained yoghurt. I like Fage 5% Greek yoghurt.
I like to scrape out the seeds of the cucumber using a teaspoon before adding it to the yoghurt. This will also help prevent your Tzatziki from becoming too watery.
squeeze the excess water out of the cucumber
It’s very important to squeeze out the excess water from the cucumber. I grate it into a sieve and squeeze it over the sink. If you don’t like the thought of throwing those nutrients away, you could drink it or save it to make a smoothie.
If you have time, salting the cucumber to draw out excess water is also a good thing to do. Grate the unpeeled cucumber and place it in a sieve. Sprinkle over ½ teaspoon salt and leave for about 10 minutes. This helps to remove excess water from the cucumber.
Pat the cucumber dry with paper towels before adding to the Greek yoghurt.
How do you shred cucumbers for Tzatziki?
Use a box grater to coarsely grate the cucumber. I leave the skin on the cucumber, but you can remove it if you wish.
If you prefer, you can finely chop the cucumber into very small pieces.
easy tzatziki recipe
Once you prepared your cucumber, all that’s left to do is combine it with the yoghurt, garlic, lemon juice and fresh herbs. Season the Tzatziki with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and that’s it! It really is that easy.
Much like Guacamole, Tzatziki is a recipe that once you’ve made a couple of times, you can really learn to adapt it to your own taste. You may prefer to use just one herb or like myself, you might prefer a mixture of mint and dill. You might prefer to use more lemon juice, or even add the zest.
is tzatziki good for you?
As well as tasting amazing, Tzatziki is actually very good for you. Greek yoghurt is a source of protein, probiotics and calcium which is great for your gut health.
Cucumbers contain antioxidants and garlic is believed to offer immune-boosting properties.
make this easy tzatziki recipe your own – variations
There are quite a few different things to could try to adapt this Tzatziki recipe. Here are a few ideas…
- For an extra lemon hit, add grated zest of the lemon as well as the juice.
- Add some ground cumin for a spicy flavour
- Add a swirl of olive oil to the dip for a pretty finish
- Instead of grating the cucumber, you could chop it up finely for a chunkier texture
- Dried Greek mint can be used instead of fresh – it has quite a strong, pungent flavour so you will need to use much less. Start with a teaspoon and then decide if you want to add more.
How long will homemade Tzatziki stay fresh?
Tzatziki will keep in the fridge for up to two days. Make sure it is well covered or it will taint other food. I store Tzatziki in a lidded tupperware box.
After storing in the fridge for a while, the Tzatziki might look like it’s beginning to separate slightly. All you need to do is give it a good stir before serving and it should thicken up nicely.
what to serve with tzatziki dip
Tzatziki is one of the most versatile dips I can think of. It goes so well with chicken, fish, lamb, kebabs and as I’ve mentioned above, we love it with chicken Shawarma. It’s a winner with Greek or Middle Eastern inspired dishes.
It’s also great with lamb burgers, meatballs, roasted vegetables or with a vibrant salad, such as Tabbouleh or a Greek salad.
Tzatziki is also perfect as a dip – spoon it into a bowl, grab a large plate and load it up with flatbread, pitta bread and lots of fresh vegetables such as peppers, halved cherry tomatoes or carrots. This makes a delicious and healthy snack to serve with drinks, along with some (hopefully) good company!
Easy Tzatziki Recipe
This easy Tzatziki recipe is so creamy and full of flavour! A delicious cucumber and yoghurt Greek inspired dip that's great served with breadsticks, flatbread and vegetables or with grilled meat or fish.
Ingredients
- 1/2 large cucumber
- 250g full fat Greek yoghurt
- 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped mint or dill (or one tablespoon of each)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cut the cucumber in half lengthways. Scrape out the seeds with a teaspoon and discard. Roughly grate the cucumber flesh, then place in a sieve and squeeze it over the sink to remove as much water as possible. If you have the time, read the notes below on salting the cucumber to remove excess water.
- Pat the grated cucumber dry with paper towels. Place the Greek yoghurt in a bowl and add the grated cucumber, garlic and lemon juice. Stir to mix, then season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. You might also want to add a little more lemon juice.
- Serve the Tzatziki with burgers, grilled chicken, fish or use as a sandwich spread or dip with pitta bread or crunchy vegetables.
Notes
If you have time, salt the cucumber to draw out excess water. Grate the cucumber and place it in a sieve. Sprinkle over ½ teaspoon salt and leave for about 10 minutes. Squeeze the cucumber to remove the water.
For a more lemony Tzatziki, add the zest of the lemon as well as the juice.
Tzatziki will keep in the fridge for up to two days. Cover well so it doesn't taint anything else in the fridge.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 75Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 312mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 0gSugar: 10gProtein: 4g
Calories and nutritional information are provided by a third party application and should be viewed as indicative figures only.