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Tzatziki Sauce

Tzatziki Sauce Recipe

Creamy Greek Tztaziki Sauce recipe with cucumber, yogurt, and garlic. Add a tablespoon or two of fresh dill or mint, if you like. Do not skip draining the cucumbers or your yogurt dip will be too watery. And for best texture, cover and refrigerate anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours before serving. This versatile cucumber yogurt sauce can be used in many ways, be sure to read my post for all the ideas!
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Course: Dips and Appetizers
Cuisine: Greek
Calories: 16.3
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3/4 English cucumber (partially peeled (striped) )
  • 1 tsp kosher salt (divided)
  • 4 to 5 garlic cloves,
  • 1 tsp white vinegar
  • 1 tbsp Early Harvest Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 2 cups plain Greek yogurt
  • Handful of chopped fresh dill or mint (optional)
  • 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
  • Warm pita bread for serving
  • Slice d vegetables for serving

Equipment

  • Box grater
  • Cheesecloth or a heavy kitchen towel
  • large mixing bowl

Method
 

  1. Grate and salt the cucumber
    Use the medium holes of a box grater to shred the cucumber directly into a bowl. Toss the shredded cucumber with ½ teaspoon of kosher salt and let it sit for five minutes. The salt draws the excess moisture to the surface and makes the squeezing step far more effective.
  2. Squeeze it completely dry
    Transfer the salted cucumber into a doubled cheesecloth or a heavy kitchen towel and twist it into a tight ball over the sink. Squeeze until no more liquid comes out. The amount of water that leaves the cucumber during this step will surprise you. A properly squeezed cucumber produces a thick, stable dip. An under-squeezed cucumber produces a watery mess that separates within ten minutes of serving.
  3. Build the garlic base
    Add the minced garlic, remaining ½ teaspoon of kosher salt, white vinegar, and olive oil to a large mixing bowl. Stir them together so the salt begins to mellow the raw garlic slightly before the yogurt goes in.
  4. Combine everything
    Add the squeezed cucumber to the garlic mixture and stir to distribute it evenly. Fold in the Greek yogurt, white pepper, and fresh herbs. Stir until the dip looks uniform. A few slightly larger cucumber pieces are fine and add texture.
  5. Refrigerate before serving
    Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, ideally two hours. The resting time allows the raw garlic to soften in flavor and the cucumber to release any remaining moisture into the yogurt base, which the yogurt absorbs and thickens back up.
  6. Serve
    Stir the dip once before transferring to a serving bowl. Drizzle with a generous pour of extra virgin olive oil across the top. Serve with warm pita bread, sliced raw vegetables, or alongside grilled meats as a sauce.

Recipe Notes

🥒 Squeeze the cucumber twice, not once.
One pass through the cheesecloth removes most of the moisture. A second twist removes what the first pass missed. The difference between a properly squeezed cucumber and a lazily squeezed one determines whether you end up with a dip or a puddle. Take the extra thirty seconds. Your pita bread will thank you. ✅
🧄 Raw garlic keeps intensifying in the fridge.
A dip made with five cloves tastes balanced on the first day and powerful enough to clear a room by day two. Start with two garlic cloves for a mild result, taste the finished dip after it chills for thirty minutes, and add more if you want a stronger flavor. You can always add garlic. You cannot remove it. ⚠️
🥛 Full-fat Greek yogurt is the only yogurt for this recipe.
Low-fat Greek yogurt runs thinner and produces a dip that spreads rather than holds its shape. Regular plain yogurt produces a pourable dressing. Full-fat strained yogurt produces a thick, stable tziki sauce that scoops cleanly onto a piece of pita and stays put. Buy the full-fat version and don't substitute it. 🔥
🌿 Add fresh herbs right before serving if storing for multiple days.
Fresh dill and mint wilt in the refrigerator and turn brown after about 48 hours in a yogurt-based dip. Stir the herbs into the full batch if you plan to eat it within a day. Keep them separate and add a fresh pinch to each bowl at serving time if you want the dip to look vibrant on day three or four. ✨