Tzatziki Recipe: Authentic Greek Tzatziki Sauce

This tzatziki recipe makes the real thing: thick, garlicky Greek tzatziki, a cool dip of strained yoghurt, grated cucumber, garlic, dill and olive oil. It takes 15 minutes of work and a short wait while the cucumber drains, and it goes with grilled meat, souvlaki, pita, roast vegetables and almost anything else on a Greek table. The key to thick tzatziki sauce is simple: squeeze the water out of the cucumber and start with proper strained yoghurt.

Prep: 15 minutes, plus 30 minutes draining | Cook: none | Serves: 4 to 6 as a dip | Origin: Greece

What Is Tzatziki?

Tzatziki (τζατζίκι) is a Greek dip and sauce made from strained yoghurt, cucumber, garlic, olive oil and a little vinegar or lemon, usually with dill. It is served cold as part of a meze spread, as a sauce with grilled meat and gyros, and as a side for fried vegetables. It is not cooked, so the quality of each ingredient shows, especially the oil you finish it with.

Tzatziki Ingredients

• 500 g thick strained Greek yoghurt, full fat
• 1 large cucumber (about 300 g), or 2 small ones
• 2 to 3 garlic cloves, finely grated or crushed to a paste
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil, plus more to serve
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, or 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill (or mint)
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus a pinch for the cucumber
• A few cucumber slices and a sprig of dill, to serve

How to Make Tzatziki

If you are wondering how to make tzatziki that stays thick, the steps are short, and the draining is the one you should not skip.

1. Grate the cucumber. Wash the cucumber and grate it on the coarse side of a box grater. Peel it first if the skin is thick or bitter, but a thin skin can stay.
2. Salt and drain. Toss the grated cucumber with a pinch of salt and leave it in a sieve over a bowl for 30 minutes.
3. Squeeze it dry. Press the cucumber hard with your hands, or wrap it in a clean tea towel and twist. You want it as dry as you can get it, and the water should be discarded.
4. Mix the base. In a bowl, stir the yoghurt with the garlic, olive oil, vinegar and the remaining salt until smooth.
5. Fold in the cucumber and dill. Add the squeezed cucumber and the dill and fold gently.
6. Rest. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour. The garlic softens and the flavours come together.
7. Serve. Taste and adjust the salt and acidity. Spoon into a bowl, make a shallow well, pour in a generous swirl of olive oil, and top with cucumber slices and dill.

Which Olive Oil for Tzatziki?

Tzatziki is a cold dish, so the oil is tasted raw. Use an extra virgin olive oil you would happily eat with bread. We use two in the same bowl, and both come from our Greek olive oil collection:

• Memilon Lesvos goes into the yoghurt. It is pressed from the rare Kolovi olive from Plomari on Lesvos and is delicate and balanced, so the garlic, cucumber and dill stay in front.
• Memilon Crete, a high polyphenol, single origin Koroneiki oil from Phaistos, is the finishing oil. A swirl on top at the table gives the dip a fresh, green edge. Every batch of ours has a published lab report, which you can find with the LOT lookup.

Our guide on how to tell if olive oil is real explains what to look for on a label if you buy another oil.

Tips for Thick, Authentic Greek Tzatziki

• Use strained yoghurt. Greek-style, strained yoghurt is much thicker than regular yoghurt. If yours is loose, strain it in a sieve lined with muslin for an hour in the fridge.
• Do not skip the squeezing. Cucumber is mostly water, and it will thin the dip within the hour if you leave it in.
• Grate the garlic finely. A paste spreads through the yoghurt evenly, with no raw lumps. Start with two cloves, because the garlic strengthens as the tzatziki rests.
• Add acidity gently. A spoonful of red wine vinegar is the traditional choice in many Greek homes, and lemon juice is a fine alternative. Add a little, taste, and add more only if needed.
• Season at the end. After chilling, the flavour changes, so taste once more before you serve.

What to Serve With Tzatziki

Serve it with warm pita, grilled chicken or lamb, souvlaki, roast Greek lemon potatoes or fried courgettes. On a meze table it sits well next to an authentic Greek salad. It also works as a cooling sauce for anything spicy.

Storing Tzatziki

Keep tzatziki covered in the fridge and eat it within two to three days. It may release a little liquid as it sits, so stir it before serving. We do not freeze it, because the yoghurt and cucumber separate when thawed.

Tzatziki Recipe FAQ

What are the ingredients in authentic Greek tzatziki sauce?

Strained Greek yoghurt, cucumber, garlic, extra virgin olive oil and salt, with a little red wine vinegar or lemon juice and fresh dill. Some regions use mint instead of dill. There is no mayonnaise or cream.

What is the secret to great tzatziki?

Dry cucumber, thick yoghurt and a rest in the fridge. Squeeze the grated cucumber well, use strained yoghurt and give the tzatziki at least an hour for the garlic to mellow and the flavours to blend. A good extra virgin olive oil on top finishes it.

How do you make the perfect tzatziki?

Salt and drain the grated cucumber for 30 minutes, squeeze it dry, and fold it into yoghurt seasoned with grated garlic, olive oil and a little vinegar. Chill it for an hour, taste again, and serve with a swirl of olive oil and a sprig of dill.

Can I make tzatziki ahead?

Yes. It is better after an hour in the fridge, and it keeps for two to three days. Stir it before serving and add the final olive oil at the table.

Cook With Great Olive Oil

A few spoonfuls of olive oil decide how good tzatziki tastes. You can find our rare Kolovi olive oil from Lesvos and our single origin olive oil from Crete in our shop, both with free shipping on every order.