Homemade Tzatziki Sauce
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
1 hr 10 mins
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Total Time
1 hr 10 mins
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Servings
8 servings
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Calories
86 kcal
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Course
Condiments
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Cuisine
Greek
Homemade Tzatziki Sauce
Description
This Tzatziki Sauce starts by straining full-fat Greek yogurt through cheesecloth to thicken it. Cucumbers are minced, salted, and pressed to remove excess moisture, ensuring the sauce is not watery. Garlic, fresh lemon juice and zest, chopped dill, and olive oil are combined into the yogurt and cucumber base along with salt and pepper.
The resulting sauce is creamy and cool with a fresh bite from garlic and dill along with citrus brightness. It’s perfect as a dip or alongside grilled meats and vegetables, adding light acidity and herbaceous notes.
Optional toasted pita wedges seasoned with oregano and sumac or smoked paprika make a fitting accompaniment. The sauce can be refrigerated for several days for lasting freshness. Portion sizes of about 1/4 cup are typical servings, providing 8 to 10 servings total.
Ingredients
Tzatziki Sauce
- 2 cups Greek yogurt full fat, plain
- 1 cucumber minced, seedless or English
- 2 cloves garlic very finely minced
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice fresh is best
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 1/2 Tbsp dill chopped, fresh
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt divided
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- olive oil for drizzling (optional, extra
- cucumber for garnish (optional, extra
- herbs for garnish (optional, extra
Spiced Toasted Pita Wedges (for dipping - optional)
- 5 lices pita bread
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- oregano dried, pinch
- sumac pinch; or smoked paprika
Instructions
- Add yogurt to a large piece of cheesecloth, and place over a colander set inside a bowl for about 30-45 minutes. Keep refrigerated while it’s draining. This ensures a thicker sauce. *if you don't have a cheesecloth, add the yogurt to a fine mesh sieve*
- Add minced cucumbers to a mesh sieve placed over a bowl, and sprinkle with 1 tsp of the salt. Stir and let sit for 30 minutes.
- Fold a paper towel in half and press down gently but fairly firmly on the cucumbers, to get out as much liquid as possible. This ensures you don’t have a watered down sauce.
- To a mixing bowl, add yogurt, cucumbers, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, dill, olive oil, black pepper and remaining 1/2 tsp salt. Stir well to combine.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, but sauce will keep for about 4 days.
- While the sauce is chilling, slice each slice of pita bread into 6 triangles. Arrange on a baking sheet. Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush each triangle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with sumac and oregano to taste.
- Bake for 6-8 minutes, until pita is crisp at the edges.
Notes
- The sauce yields about 2 to 2 1/2 cups and serves 8 to 10 portions at roughly 1/4 cup each.
- Use cheesecloth or a fine mesh sieve to strain yogurt and drain cucumbers for proper thickness.
- The sauce keeps refrigerated for up to 4 days.
- Optional pita wedges are prepared by slicing, brushing with olive oil, and seasoning with oregano and sumac or smoked paprika, then baked.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 86 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 86kcal | 4% |
| Carbohydrates | 4g | 1% |
| Protein | 5g | 10% |
| Fat | 6g | 9% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 3mg | 1% |
| Sodium | 458mg | 19% |
| Potassium | 135mg | 3% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 2g | 4% |
| Vitamin A | 48IU | 1% |
| Vitamin C | 3mg | 3% |
| Calcium | 64mg | 6% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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