Tzatziki is a thick sauce made with yogurt, grated cucumber, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and fresh herbs like dill, mint, or parsley.

Where does Tzatziki come from?

Greece. The sauce is based on the Indian Raita sauce but the Greeks made it their own and that's where it's most common now. The work Tzatziki is derived on the Turkish word "cacık".

What do you eat with tzatziki?

You can add it to pita pockets, gyros, salads, bowls, sandwiches, or use it as a dipping sauce.

Is tzatziki good for you?

Yes, it's made of fresh herbs, cucumber, and yogurt so it is but as you know everything is best in moderation.

Is tzatziki healthier than ranch?

In short, yes. Ranch dressing is usually made with sour cream or mayonnaise and Tzatziki only has Greek yogurt so you could say it's healthier than ranch.

Tzatziki Sauce with Greek Yogurt

Name: Tzatziki Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: ½ cucumber, grated (makes 1 ¾ cup); 1 clove of garlic, minced (or 1/4-1/2 tsp dried garlic powder); 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill (or more to taste)*; 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint (or more to taste)*; 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 1-2 tbsp lemon juice (½ lemon, or sub lime); 1 cup greek yogurt (300g); ¼ tsp sea salt; ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Description

Tzatziki Sauce is a great staple in the Mediterranean cuisine. Add it to salads, bowls, sandwiches, pitas, or use it as a dip.

Ingredients

Units Scale

1/2 cucumber, grated (makes 1 3/4 cup)
1 clove of garlic, minced (or 1/4-1/2 tsp dried garlic powder)
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill (or more to taste)*
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint (or more to taste)*
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tbsp lemon juice (1/2 lemon, or sub lime)
1 cup greek yogurt (300g)
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

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Instructions

Grate the cucumber and squeeze out as much liquid out of it as you can. It shrinks down to 1 cup after squeezing.
Add the cucumber, minced garlic, chopped dill and mint, extra virgin olive oil, greek yogurt, sea salt, and black pepper to a bowl and stir to combine everything well.
Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Notes

* You can substitute the fresh herbs for dried. Use 1 tsp of each dried dill and dried mint.

This sauce is best made a few hours in advance because it gives all the flavors time to come together.

If you don’t have Greek yogurt, use any kind of thick yogurt - cow, sheep, goat, or vegan yogurt are all great here. If you use thinner yogurt, it will make the sauce thinner but it works just as well.