I have always loved Greek food, and tzatziki specifically. But after traveling to Greece this summer (read more about that here), I came back craving the dish like never before. Luckily the dip is as easy to make as it is delicious. Tzatziki is also extremely versatile. It goes perfectly with grilled meats, or as a dip with warm pita or veggies. This tzatziki recipe will show you just how simple it is to bring those flavors to your home. I’ll list all my tips and tricks to getting the most yummy tzatziki dip (outside of Greece).
Jump to RecipeThe Base
To Greeks, hearing me mention sour cream is probably blasphemy, but here in the states it’s one of the most common components in a dip. Luckily good Greek yogurt is also fairly easy to find these days (make sure its PLAIN and not vanilla or some other flavor). To me, both are very good options for the base of this delicious dip. Sometimes I even do a combination of both for the perfect consistency.
The Oil
Extra virgin olive oil is one of the most important parts of this dip. I’ve tried to make it with regular olive oil in a pinch before and it just isn’t the same. When it comes to the olive oil, I can’t recommend enough that you use EXTRA VIRGIN. It gives the dip a richer, deeper flavor.
The Produce
In this recipe, because there are so few ingredients, the ones that you use should be good quality. Cucumber is another essential part of the recipe. For me, I always grate the cucumber directly onto a cheesecloth or kitchen towel (or paper towels in a pinch). Once the cucumber is grated, make sure to ring out all the liquid that you can so you’re just left with the cucumber pulp. For the lemon juice, try to use fresh squeezed if you can, but beware of seeds! For the garlic I also recommend using a fresh clove instead of store bought minced for a more intense flavor. I generally grate the garlic on a zester to get a small uniform mince.
The Seasoning
The seasoning for this dip is simple: good salt, ground pepper and dill. For this dip I recommend sea salt or himalayan pink salt for a subtle flavor. And for the dill, fresh is always an option, but I generally use freeze dried and it works beautifully.
Tasty Tzatziki
Ingredients
- 2 cups greek yogurt or sour cream (or a combination of both)
- 3-4 oz cucumber grated (about a 4 inch piece)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1/2 lemon juiced
- 1/2 tsp dill fresh or dried
- salt to taste
- ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- First, grate the cucumber into a kitchen towel or cheesecloth. Squeeze as much moisture as possible out of the grated cucumber through the cloth.
- Combine greek yogurt/sour cream (or a combination of both), grated cucumber, olive oil, lemon juice (watch for seeds) and minced garlic. Add in dill, salt and pepper to taste.
- Refridgerate overnight, if possible, to allow flavors to combine.
- Enjoy!
Serve this tzatziki with pita, crackers, in a chicken gyro or with veggies. I hope you enjoy this tzatziki recipe as much as I do!
If you’re looking for more fun Mediterranean inspired dishes, check out the Mediterranean Orzo Salad recipe!
