A cold Greek sauce of strained yogurt and grated cucumber, seasoned with garlic, wine vinegar, dill and mint.
The skewers are coming off the grill, the pita is still warm, and all thatโs missing is that well-chilled bowl in the middle of the table. The tzatziki holds its shape on the spoon, thick and glossy, with strands of cucumber and green flecks of dill and mint.
The garlic has just the right amount of bite, the vinegar wakes up the yogurt and the olive oil rounds everything out. You dip a piece of bread in for a taste, and the bowl empties faster than the grilled meat does.
What Is Tzatziki?
Tzatziki is a cold Greek sauce made with strained yogurt, grated cucumber, garlic, wine vinegar and olive oil, flavored with dill and mint. Itโs served as a meze with warm flatbread and olives, or alongside grilled meats such as souvlaki and gyros. It should be thick enough to sit on bread without running.
The word ฯฮถฮฑฯฮถฮฏฮบฮน entered modern Greek in the mid-20th century, borrowed from the Turkish cacฤฑk. That word is thought to come from the Persian zhazh, a term for culinary herbs.
From Turkish Cacฤฑk to Greek Tzatziki
Mixing fermented milk with herbs and vegetables is a very old habit, from the Middle East to the Balkans. In Ottoman times, yogurt sauces were part of the meze spread, and Ottoman dictionaries describe cacฤฑk as an herb salad with yogurt.
The same base gave rise to a whole family of recipes: Indian raita, Bulgarian tarator served as a cold soup with walnuts, or Turkish cacฤฑk, which is thinner and made with diced cucumber. Greece went the opposite way. There, strained yogurt and thoroughly squeezed cucumber make a dense sauce that stands up to spiced meats and bread.
The Main Ingredients in Tzatziki
Whole-milk Greek yogurt, thoroughly strained, is the base: 400 g for five servings, thick enough to carry the garlic and oil without releasing any whey. The cucumber brings freshness, as long as you draw out its water. Grate only the firm flesh, then salt it and squeeze it out thoroughly, otherwise the sauce turns runny.
Two to four garlic cloves crushed to a paste spread evenly through the yogurt, with no raw chunks to bite into. Fans of garlicky dishes like garlic chicken will go all the way to four. Wine vinegar gives the tang of the classic Greek version, whereas many recipes outside Greece switch to lemon. Olive oil binds the sauce and mellows the garlic.
Fresh dill is the herb that defines tzatziki, with its subtle anise note. A small amount of mint freshens the finish. Both are finely chopped and added last to keep their color.
Technical Pointers for Good Tzatziki
Good tzatziki holds the mark of a spoon, with visible strands of cucumber and green specks of herbs. If it weeps water in the bowl, the cucumber wasnโt squeezed enough or the yogurt wasnโt strained enough. Mix with a spoon: a food processor breaks down the texture and makes the sauce too thin.
A spell in the refrigerator mellows the garlic and lets the herbs infuse the yogurt, and tzatziki is even better the next day. Serve it well chilled with warm pita, grilled meats, chicken satay skewers, or on its own by the spoonful. It keeps for three days in the fridge in a tightly sealed glass jar.
Ingredients
Cucumber
- 1 cucumber
- A little salt, for the cucumber
Assembly
- 400 g Greek yogurt drained (2 containers)
- 2-4 cloves garlic, crushed to a paste
- 2 tablespoons wine vinegar
- 6 tablespoons olive oil, plus a few drops for serving
- 1 tablespoon dill, finely chopped
- A little mint fresh, finely chopped
Instructions
Cucumber
- Grate the cucumber, holding it almost upright against the grater, so you only take the firm flesh.1 cucumber
- Stop when you reach the core of the cucumber: it’s left in your hand at the end and isn’t used.
- Put the grated cucumber in a colander.
- Salt to taste and mix well so the salt is evenly distributed.A little salt,
- Let it stand for a few minutes, until the cucumber releases its water.
- Press the cucumber firmly in the colander to squeeze out the liquid.
- Place the cucumber in a clean dish towel.
- Gather up the edges of the towel and twist gently to wring out all the remaining moisture, or the creamy texture of the tzatziki will be diluted.
Assembly
- Crush the garlic to a paste, using more or fewer cloves depending on how strong you want it.2-4 cloves garlic,
- Finely chop the dill and mint.1 tablespoon dill,, A little mint
- Put the yogurt and garlic in a mixing bowl.400 g Greek yogurt
- Add the squeezed cucumber.
- Add the wine vinegar and olive oil.2 tablespoons wine vinegar, 6 tablespoons olive oil,
- Stir with a spoon until you have a creamy, smooth sauce.
- Taste, then adjust the salt and acidity, adding a little more vinegar if needed.
- Add the dill and mint.
- Stir to distribute them evenly.
- Refrigerate the tzatziki before serving so it’s nicely chilled.
- Serve chilled, with a few drops of olive oil on top.
