Homemade Tzatziki Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are the main ingredients in tzatziki? ›

Tzatziki is a creamy cucumber yogurt dip (or sauce) made from simple ingredients including strained yogurt (or Greek yogurt), cucumbers, garlic, and sometimes fresh herbs such as dill or mint. Traditionally, it is made from strained sheep or goat's milk yogurt, but a full-fat Greek yogurt works just fine in this dip.

Although tzatziki is readily available in the grocery stores, it is also easy to prepare at home. While the recipe varies depending on region, the sauce, or a variation, is considered healthy. Tzatziki contains many minerals and vitamins and is low in carbs.

Try my hummus, tahini sauce, chipotle sauce, cilantro lime dressing, pico de gallo, tomatillo salsa, or guacamole next!

Tzatziki will last about four days in the fridge before it starts to go bad. While you can freeze it, it will change a bit in regards to texture and consistency when it comes time to thawing it out.

Health-wise, tzatziki contains only 54 calories per a 45 gram serving; it also comes with only 8 grams of carbohydrates and a negligible amount of sodium. Which to Pick? If you make your determination based on health concerns, then hummus is clearly the less healthy dip, with high sodium being a particular concern.

Key ingredients in Tzatziki include yogurt, cucumber, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and fresh dill or mint. Tzatziki provides essential macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals to support overall health. This versatile sauce may boost heart health, improve gut health, and potentially lower the risk of diabetes.

Yes! Tzatziki sauce is perfect healthy snack, especially thanks to protein-packed greek yogurt, shredded cucumber and anti-inflammatory garlic. It's as simple as it sounds: yogurt cucumber sauce!

It is served as a cold appetizer (meze), a side dish, and as a sauce for souvlaki and gyros sandwiches and other foods.

Tzatziki sauce should be kept in a sealed container and stored in the refrigerator when you're not using it. As long as it's stored properly, you can expect homemade tzatziki to last about three to four days. This will depend on how fresh the yogurt was when you made the sauce.

While the recipe can vary from region to region in Greece, it is served with the mezes, or small plates appetizer portion of the meal, and can remain on the table as a condiment with roasted meats and vegetables. Street foods like gyros or kabobs are always garnished with tzatziki.

How do you thicken homemade tzatziki? ›

When I make yogurt based sauces, cold (tzatziki) or hot (curries etcetera), I strain the yogurt to remove some of the liquid (whey), which thickens it. Greek yogurt is strained yogurt. It isn't necessary to use additives for thickening. I now use cheese cloth to do the straining.

Some Greek yogurt brands are very tangy so you may wish to use less lemon juice. Also, some lemons can be very tart. Start with 1/2 a lemon and add more if needed. If your sauce is too tart, you can fix this by adding a little sweetener.

Some of the recipes I found call for finely chopping or mincing the cucumbers and in that case I can see why you might have some issues. I wouldn't freeze tzatziki sauce. Dairy practically never freezes well. It is a fat-water emulsion, and it is likely to change its structure a lot upon thawing.

Salt – Without this, your tzatziki will taste very bland! I like sea salt but table would work just as well. Dill – You could also use mint but I prefer dill's pickle like flavour. It works so well in creamy dips and sauces!

VERDICT: Trader Joe's tzatziki had a lovely, refreshing taste and a mellow garlic flavor that I found simply irresistible.

In fact, both regular and Greek yogurt are made with the same main ingredients — fresh milk, plus Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus as starter cultures (2). Yet, their taste and nutrients differ due to how they're made.

Tzatziki started back in the Ottoman Empire. During this time, India loved their raita, a yogurt-based dip. They were also led by the Persian class, who loved the Indian rice dish called the biryani. However, since Indian people love herbs and spices, some Persians think that the dish was too spicy.

Tzatziki (Greek: τζατζίκι, tzatzíki, [d͡zaˈd͡zici]), also known as cacık (Turkish pronunciation: [dʒaˈdʒɯk]) or tarator, is a class of dip, soup, or sauce found in the cuisines of Southeastern Europe and West Asia.