If you are fond of Greek food and restaurants, you are surely familiar with Tzatziki sauce. It’s a tasty chilled sauce used as a dip with pita bread, vegetable, or a sandwich spread that makes your meal extra flavorful. It makes Mediterranean dishes extra special! Surprisingly, it is easy to prepare at home using the common ingredients in your kitchen. Keep reading to know how to make homemade tzatziki sauce with our easy-to-make recipe.
What is a Tzatziki Sauce?
Tzatziki is a healthy sauce, popularly known as a Greek cucumber yogurt dip. It goes well when served with chicken, pita bread, and vegetables. What makes it a healthy meal is that it is full of fresh herbs. Its creaminess and rich texture make it more delicious and appetizing. And yes, it only takes 15 minutes to make it.
Strained yogurt, lemon juice, shredded cucumber, herbs, olive oil, garlic, and salt are the primary ingredients of an authentic Tzatziki sauce. The best yogurt to use is goat yogurt or the full-fat Greek yogurt bought in supermarkets. Using this type of yogurt will make the sauce extra creamier and thicker.
The tzatziki sauce is available in almost all Greek restaurants; there are also ready-made ones sold in some stores. However, learning how to make homemade tzatziki sauce is easy with simple mixing and whipping of ingredients.
How to Make Tzatziki Sauce
Here’s how to make homemade tzatziki sauce:
Ingredients
- Cucumber (peeled and shredded)
- Chilled Greek yogurt (plain)
- Garlic cloves (pressed)
- Olive oil
- Fresh dill
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Salt Black pepper
- Cheesecloth (optional)
Instructions
- Start with squeezing the cucumber tightly. The peeled and shredded cucumber must not be juicy or watery. To make the squeezing more convenient, place the cucumber inside a cheesecloth. It is important to remove excess cucumber juice to create a perfect sauce.
- After straining the cucumber, mix it with two cups of Greek yogurt together with about 20 ml of lemon juice, four pressed cloves of garlic, 1.5 oz of chopped dill, salt, and a portion of black pepper.
- Mix all these ingredients all together. You can also add more salt depending on your desired taste.
- After getting the desired creaminess of the mixture, place it in the fridge for an hour to achieve a perfect mix of the flavor. Leaving it in the refrigerator overnight will improve its taste.
- Serve with pita bread and vegetables, and enjoy.
What Goes with Tzatziki Sauce?
As you learn how to make homemade tzatziki sauce, you must also know how to serve it. You can enjoy pairing it with fresh veggies or crackers for snacks. It also makes the best dip for your Mediterranean salad.
You can make a delicious sandwich out of it or simply add it to your burger or grilled meats for taste enhancement. For a quick summer snack or dinner, try this tzatziki recipe at home. Greeks usually pair it with gyros made with ground beef and spices. The tzatziki sauce is healthy, like that of tomatillo salsa. It’s an awesome sauce that you can put with any food. It also contains fewer calories!
Tips in Making Homemade Tzatziki Sauce
- Use Greek yogurt to make the sauce thicker and yummier.
- You can substitute mint for dill, but you can also have both of the ingredients.
- For a smoother blended sauce, you can use a food processor to mix all the ingredients.
- The cucumber needs to be drained well to produce a creamier and less watery sauce. A fine-mesh sieve is the best to use. You can get this kitchen essential online.
- It is best to take time when making the sauce, but you can drain the water out of the cucumber using your hands if you are in a rush.
- Another method to produce a creamier and thicker sauce is to separate the cucumber and the dill as you combine the ingredients; let the mixture stay in the fridge overnight before mixing the cucumber and dill. It will give time for the cucumber to drain water fully.
- For the sauce to have a less sharp bite and better taste, let the garlic stay longer in the yogurt.
- The dill will override the sauce flavor, among other fixings; try to add the dill at the last minute.
- Try using coconut milk as a substitute for yogurt to make your tzatziki sauce more vegan.
- The tzatziki sauce is great with warm bread and raw vegetables.
Storing Sauce Leftovers
If you have some leftover Tzatziki sauce, you must place it inside an airtight food container and refrigerate it. It only needs to be chilled and not frozen. It will only taste its best for two days in the fridge. So, it is best to make the right amount of sauce so you will avoid wasting it.
You can also use leftover tzatziki sauce with Greek salsa. It’s also a good idea to mix it with beef or chicken gyro recipes.
Conclusion
The tzatziki sauce is a creamy, flavorful, and all-time favorite sauce to make summer dishes. It’s one of the versatile sauces that is easy and simple to make. Now that you already know how to make homemade tzatziki sauce, you won’t need to go to Greek restaurants to have one. It makes a good sandwich spread or simple dip with warm bread and veggies. Because it is healthy with fewer calories and loaded with herbs and spices, you won’t have to worry about consuming more of it. Get more tips on making Mediterranean dishes here.