Tzatziki Sauce
This tzatziki sauce recipe makes a thick, tangy Greek dip with Greek yogurt, cucumber, garlic, and dill, and a 15-minute salt-and-drain step keeps it spoonable instead of watery.
Equipment
- Box grater - large holes for the cucumber
- Fine-mesh strainer - to hold the salted cucumber while it drains
- Medium bowl - to catch the cucumber liquid under the strainer
- Clean flour sack towel or double layer of cheesecloth - for squeezing the cucumber dry
- Glass mixing bowls - for combining the sauce
- Citrus juicer - to get the lemon juice without seeds
- Garlic press - or a sharp knife for the garlic
- Cutting board - for the dill
- Measuring cups and spoons - for the yogurt, oil, lemon juice, and salt
- Silicone spatula - for folding without breaking up the cucumber
- Regular spoon - for scooping out the cucumber seeds
- Airtight glass storage container - for the finished sauce
- Vegetable peeler - for peeling the cucumber
Ingredients
- 2 cups plain full-fat Greek yogurt - about 490 g, unsweetened and unflavored
- 1 large English cucumber - about 12 ounces or 340 g, peeled, halved lengthwise, and seeded
- 3 garlic cloves - about 9 g, finely minced or grated into a paste
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil - 30 ml
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice - 15 ml, from about 1/2 medium lemon
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill - about 3 g, finely chopped
- 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt - divided: 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) for salting the cucumber and 1/4 teaspoon (1.5 g) for the sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper - about 0.5 g
Instructions
- Wash and peel the cucumber completely, cut it in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds with a spoon.
- Grate the cucumber halves on the large holes of a box grater (about 1 1/2 cups), set in a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt, and rest 15 minutes.
- Transfer the cucumber to a flour sack towel or double cheesecloth, twist into a bundle, and squeeze over the sink for about a minute until only a few drops fall (you should have about 3/4 cup), then fluff apart with a fork without rinsing.
- Mince or grate the garlic into a paste, squeeze and measure 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and finely chop 1 tablespoon fresh dill.
- Stir the Greek yogurt, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and black pepper with a silicone spatula for about 30 seconds until smooth and glossy.
- Gently fold in the squeezed cucumber and chopped dill until evenly combined, then taste and adjust with a pinch of salt or a few drops of lemon juice if needed.
- Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour, stir before serving, and spoon into a shallow bowl to serve cold.
Notes
- Squeeze the cucumber harder than seems reasonable; a quick squeeze leaves a puddle of liquid on top by the next morning.
- Use full-fat strained Greek yogurt for the creamiest texture; nonfat versions make a looser, tarter sauce.
- Grate on the large holes and seed the cucumber every time; the seed core is the wettest part.
- English or Persian cucumbers have thin skin and few seeds, so they need less peeling and release less water.
- Grate or mince the garlic very fine; large raw garlic pieces stay sharp even after chilling.
- Garlic gets stronger over time, so lean toward less garlic if serving on day two or three.
- Chop the dill right before mixing; if unavailable, use 1 teaspoon dried dill, though the flavor will be flatter.
- Store in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; glass does not hold garlic odor like plastic.
- Do not freeze; thawed tzatziki turns grainy and separates. Serve cold and never reheat.
- Make ahead: squeeze the cucumber up to 1 day in advance, then mix the sauce the day you serve it.
- If the sauce looks loose, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of fresh Greek yogurt to bring back the body.
- Do not leave out more than 2 hours, or 1 hour if the room is above 90°F (32°C).
Nutrition
Serving: 1ServingCalories: 70kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 4gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 85mgSugar: 2g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!