Tzatziki, a culinary marvel from the heart of Greek cuisine, is a refreshing and versatile cucumber-based sauce that has captivated taste buds worldwide. This delectable dip, pronounced as "dzaht-zee-kee," is not only a staple in Greek meze platters but also a beloved accompaniment to grilled meats, roasted vegetables, and crispy pita bread. Beyond its classic form, tzatziki has inspired a myriad of culinary interpretations, each adding a unique twist to this timeless recipe.
From the classic Greek tzatziki, characterized by its creamy texture and the perfect balance of tangy yogurt, crisp cucumber, and aromatic garlic, to innovative variations like the roasted red pepper tzatziki, which infuses a smoky sweetness, or the herb-infused tzatziki, where fresh dill and mint add a burst of herbaceousness, this article offers a comprehensive guide to crafting the perfect tzatziki. Whether you prefer a traditional approach or are eager to explore contemporary interpretations, these recipes provide a culinary journey that will tantalize your taste buds and leave you craving more.
TZATZIKI SAUCE (YOGURT AND CUCUMBER DIP)
Drain some low-fat yogurt overnight to make this yummy cucumber dressing. This is a delicious topping for grilled chicken or meat. It's also a great dip for veggies and pita chips.
Provided by Lobbylady
Categories Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Recipes Sauce Recipes Tzatziki
Time 10h25m
Yield 16
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Line a colander with two layers of cheesecloth and place it over a medium bowl. Place the yogurt on the cheesecloth and cover the colander with plastic wrap. Allow yogurt to drain overnight.
- Lay grated cucumber on a plate lined with paper towel; allow to drain 1 to 2 hours.
- Combine the drained yogurt, cucumber, garlic, parsley, mint, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 21.1 calories, Carbohydrate 2.8 g, Cholesterol 1.7 mg, Fat 0.5 g, Fiber 0.1 g, Protein 1.6 g, SaturatedFat 0.3 g, Sodium 44.6 mg, Sugar 2.3 g
TZATZIKI SAUCE -YOGURT AND CUCUMBER DIP
Drain some low-fat yogurt overnight to make this yummy cucumber dressing. This is a delicious topping for grilled chicken or meat. It's also a great dip for veggies and pita chips. Added another clove of garlic ( werewolves in Florida). Eliminated the parsley and go a little bit heavier on the fresh dill.
Provided by jslingo
Categories Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Recipes Sauce Recipes Tzatziki
Time 10h15m
Yield 16
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Line a colander with two layers of cheesecloth and place it over a bowl. Place yogurt on the cheesecloth and cover the colander with plastic wrap. Allow yogurt to drain, 8 hours to overnight.
- Place grated cucumber in a fine mesh strainer; allow to drain 1 to 2 hours.
- Mix yogurt, cucumber, dill, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Refrigerate for flavors to blend, at least 2 hours.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 20.3 calories, Carbohydrate 2.5 g, Cholesterol 1.7 mg, Fat 0.5 g, Fiber 0.1 g, Protein 1.6 g, SaturatedFat 0.3 g, Sodium 20.3 mg, Sugar 2 g
TZATZIKI SAUCE RECIPE
Creamy Greek Tztaziki Sauce recipe with cucumber, yogurt, and garlic. Add a tablespoon or two of fresh dill or mint, if you like. Do not skip draining the cucumbers or your yogurt dip will be too watery. And for best texture, cover and refrigerate anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours before serving. This versatile cucumber yogurt sauce can be used in many ways, be sure to read my post for all the ideas!
Provided by Suzy Karadsheh
Categories Dips and Appetizers
Time 10m
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Use a box grater to manually grate the cucumbers or you can use a small food processor to finely chop the cucumbers as I do in this recipe. Toss the grated cucumbers with 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Spoon the grated cucumber into a cheese cloth or a double thickness napkin and squeeze dry. (There will be a lot of liquid).
- In one large mixing bowl, place the garlic with remaining 1/2 tsp salt, white vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil. Mix to combine.
- Add the grated cucumber to the bowl with the garlic mixture. Stir in the yogurt, and a pinch of white or black pepper, and the fresh herbs (if using. I did not use fresh herbs in the video). Stir to combine well.
- Cover and refrigerate for a bit (anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple hours before serving). This will help thicken the sauce and give it the best texture, while allowing the flavors to meld.
- When ready to serve, stir the tzatziki sauce to refresh and transfer to serving bowl, drizzle with more extra virgin olive oil, if you like. Serve with your favorite veggies, pita chips or wedges (be sure to read the post for more ideas on how to use this sauce)!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 16.3 kcal, Sugar 0.7 g, Sodium 78.7 mg, Fat 0.7 g, SaturatedFat 0.2 g, Carbohydrate 1 g, Fiber 0.1 g, Protein 1.5 g, Cholesterol 0.8 mg, UnsaturatedFat 0.4 g, ServingSize 1 serving
TZATZIKI: CUCUMBER YOGURT DIP
Steps:
- Gather the ingredients.
- In a medium bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix until well combined.
- Using a whisk , blend the yogurt with the sour cream in a separate bowl. Add the olive oil mixture to the yogurt mixture and mix well.
- Add the cucumbers and chopped fresh dill. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving and garnish with an additional sprinkle of fresh dill.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 64 kcal, Carbohydrate 2 g, Cholesterol 9 mg, Fiber 0 g, Protein 2 g, SaturatedFat 2 g, Sodium 76 mg, Sugar 1 g, Fat 5 g, ServingSize About 2 cups (16 servings), UnsaturatedFat 0 g
TZATZIKI CUCUMBER DIPPING SAUCE
Make and share this Tzatziki Cucumber Dipping Sauce recipe from Food.com.
Provided by Rita1652
Categories Sauces
Time 15m
Yield 6 cups
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Line a sieve with a double thickness of dampened cheesecloth.
- Spoon in yogurt and set the sieve over a bowl.
- Refrigerate for two to three hours or until yogurt is about half its volume, nicely thick and creamy.
- Shred or cut cucumber into julienne strips.
- Place in a colander in sink or over a bowl, sprinkle generously with salt, mix well and let drain for at least 30 minutes to an hour.
- Rinse and gently pat dry.
- In a mortor and pestal muddle the garlic into a bit salt.
- Add to the thickened yogurt, cucumber, lemon juice, olive oil, and if desired, the pepper and mint.
- Mix well.
- Serve or refrigerate for a day or two so flavors mingle.
- Stir again before serving and sprinkle with additional minced mint leaves if desired.
TZATZIKI SAUCE
Easy dressing for gyros or Greek salad. Also makes a nice dipping sauce for Veggies. HINT: Tastes best when chilled for at least 1 hour after preparation.
Provided by DEBNJAMES
Categories Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Recipes Sauce Recipes Tzatziki
Time 20m
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- In a food processor or blender, combine yogurt, cucumber, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, dill and garlic. Process until well-combined. Transfer to a separate dish, cover and refrigerate for at least one hour for best flavor.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 74.8 calories, Carbohydrate 6.4 g, Cholesterol 3.4 mg, Fat 4.4 g, Fiber 0.7 g, Protein 3.4 g, SaturatedFat 1.1 g, Sodium 41.5 mg, Sugar 4 g
TZATZIKI SAUCE-- GREEK CUCUMBER/YOGURT SAUCE
This is the cool and creamy sauce that usually is served as a condiment on Greek Gyro sandwiches. The recipe calls for the thicker, Greek Yogurt, also called, "Greek Cheese". If you can't find this type of yogurt, you can use plain, regular yogurt from the grocery store. But in order to get the sauce to the desired thicker consistency, you need to suspend the yogurt in a cheesecloth for a couple of hours to drain some of the water off. If you don't mind it moderately runny, you can just make it as is and it is still delicious, just a little more messy. Make this with Recipezaar recipe #285900, Gyros- An Authentic Recipe For Making Them At Home Enjoy!
Provided by Miracle Miriam
Categories Sauces
Time 3h
Yield 3 1/2 Cups, 12 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Peel cucumbers and dice. Put them in a colander and sprinkle with the tablespoon of salt (draws water out). Cover with a plate and sit something heavy on top. Let sit for 30 minute Drain well and wipe dry with a paper towel.
- In food processor or blender, add cucumbers, garlic, lemon juice, dill and/or mint, and a few grinds of black pepper. Process until well blended, then stir into 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 will keep for a few days in the refrigerator, but you will need to drain off any water and stir each time you use it.
- ** If you can't find the thicker Greek Yogurt Cheese, you can use regular, plain yogurt that is either full fat or low fat. To thicken, spoon yogurt into cheese cloth that has been quadrupled. Draw the corners of the cloth up and tie together. Suspend above a bowl for 2 hours so that water can drip out. The consistency of the yogurt should be like that of sour cream.
- You can skip this draining process, if you want, but you will have a moderately messier, runnier result.
Tips:
- Use fresh, high-quality cucumbers. English or Persian cucumbers are best, as they have fewer seeds and a milder flavor.
- Peel the cucumbers if desired. This is not necessary, but it will give the tzatziki a smoother texture.
- Grate the cucumbers using a box grater or a food processor fitted with the grating blade. Do not use a blender, as this will make the tzatziki too watery.
- Salt the grated cucumbers and let them sit for 15 minutes. This will help to draw out excess moisture.
- Squeeze the grated cucumbers in a cheesecloth-lined colander to remove as much liquid as possible.
- Combine the grated cucumbers, strained yogurt, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, dill, and mint in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Cover the tzatziki and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. This will allow the flavors to meld.
- Serve the tzatziki with pita bread, vegetables, or grilled meats.
Conclusion:
Tzatziki is a refreshing and flavorful dipping sauce that is perfect for summer gatherings. It is easy to make and can be tailored to your own taste preferences. Whether you like it garlicky, lemony, or herby, there is a tzatziki recipe out there for you. So next time you are looking for a delicious and healthy appetizer, give tzatziki a try.
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