World's Best Tzatziki Sauce Recipe - Greek Yogurt and Cucumber Sauce

World's Best Tzatziki Sauce Recipe - Greek Yogurt and Cucumber Sauce

(First posted in 2007, updated with step-by-step photos and printer-friendly recipe and added to Recipe Favorites August 2009) Tzatziki is one of the classic sauces in Greek cuisine, with as many versions as there are cooks who make it. I can get away with calling this the World's Best Tzatziki Sauce Recipe because it was made by my friend Georgette, who's not only 100% Greek, but also one of the best cooks I know. In the archives I also have Georgette's Really Lemony Greek Pilafi and Georgette's Greek Zucchini. I keep telling Georgette that someday she'll have her own page in the recipe archives, and when she does, this Tzatziki Sauce recipe will be at the top of the list.

Georgette brought this sauce to my house when I cooked some lamb. If you've had a Gyro (pronounced yeero), Tzatziki is the type of white sauce that's often served with it. I love Tzatziki on grilled meats like Salmon, Kubideh, Souvlaki, chicken, and of course lamb. I've never had a version of Tzatziki sauce I didn't like, but this was hands-down the best I've tasted. Try it if you've never made Tzatziki yourself!

The sauce is made with Greek Yogurt, and there are many good brands, some of which are fat free or low fat. If you can't find Greek yogurt, you can make something similar by straining regular plain yogurt for several hours to remove the liquid and thicken the yogurt. I use the yogurt strainer you see in this photo, but if you don't have one Georgette recommends using two coffee filters inside a colander, placed inside a bowl to catch the liquid. This photo shows the yogurt starting to drain.

Let the yogurt drain on the counter for 2 hours, or until it reaches the thickness you want. This photo shows how much liquid had drained out after 2 hours, when the yogurt was nice and thick.

Since Tzatziki contains finely-chopped cucumber, it's best to remove the seeds of the cucumber so the sauce doesn't get too watery. Use a sharp pointed spoon to scrape out seeds as shown in this photo.

Then cut cucumbers into thick slices and put in a colander placed in the sink. Sprinkle on salt and let cucumbers release water and drain for at least 30 minutes or more. (The water released rinses off most of the salt, but if you're limiting salt in your diet you can rinse them and pat dry with paper towels.)

Tzatziki traditionally contains fresh dill, which makes me glad I have this lovely dill from my garden. Use the fine dips of the dill leaves and discard the thick stems. Some versions of Tzatziki use mint, and I'm thinking dried dill weed would also work in a pinch.

Put the cucumbers, garlic, lemon juice, dill, and black pepper into food processor and process with the steel blade until cucumbers are finely chopped. When you see the liquid in this photo you can tell why it's important to drain the cucumbers first.

Then stir the pureed cucumber mixture into the Greek yogurt (or yogurt you've drained.) Let this refrigerate for at least 2 hours before using to give flavors a chance to develop.

Tzatziki (Greek Yogurt and Cucumber Sauce)

(Makes about 3 1/2 cups. You can cut the recipe in half, but it's so good, you really shouldn't. Recipe courtesy of Georgette.)

3 cups Greek Yogurt (or regular plain yogurt, strained as described above)
juice of one lemon (about 3 T)
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 medium cucumbers, seeded and diced
about 1 T kosher salt for salting cucumbers
1 T finely chopped fresh dill (can substitute mint leaves for a slightly different version)
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

If you don't have Greek yogurt, strain plain yogurt as described above. Peel cucumbers, then cut in half lengthwise and take a small spoon and scrape out seeds. Discard seeds. (If you use the small seedless or European cucumbers with few seeds, you can skip this step.) Slice cucumbers, then put in a colander, sprinkle on 1 T salt, and let stand for 30 minutes to draw out water. Drain well and wipe dry with paper towel.

In food processor with steel blade, add cucumbers, garlic, lemon juice, dill, and a few grinds of black pepper. Process until well blended, then stir this mixture into the yogurt. Taste before adding any extra salt, then salt if needed. Place in refrigerator for at least two hours before serving so flavors can blend. (This resting time is very important.)

This will keep for a few days or more in the refrigerator, but you will need to drain off any water and stir each time you use it.


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South Beach Suggestions:Yogurt is one dairy product where the South Beach Diet recommends always choosing non-fat or low-fat and there is a huge variation in the amount of fat in various brands of yogurt. I would check the label and choose the lowest fat and lowest sugar brand I could find when choosing yogurt. That said, Tzatziki is a condiment, and you won't be eating enormous amounts of it.