Tzatziki recipe: how to make the the mythical Greek yogurt and cucumber sauce

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The tzatziki (τζατζίκι) is a sauce made with yogurt and cucumbers, flavored with garlic and various aromatic herbs which can be: parsley, oregano, mint. Traveling through Greece you will find many twists of this incredible sauce: some ingredients change, especially the herbs, but every time you sit at the table you will find this delicious sauce waiting for you.

It is the first thing they bring you and, once you have tasted it you can no longer live without it. The recipe is very simple and starts from the Alpha of the Greek cuisine: fatty, tantalizing yogurt.

Tzatziki goes well with Greek salad, gyros, souvlaki, and all grilled meat. But with its creamy and refreshing flavor, it is also excellent for soothing the spiciness of the super-hot dishes like chicken curry and tandoori. Here is the original recipe.

Ingredients and doses to make the perfect Tzatziki

6 servings

• 400 grams of Greek yogurt
• 3 cucumbers
• 3 chopped garlic cloves
• the juice of half a lemon
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper
• oregano or parsley or mint or dill

How to make the original tzatziki sauce

Making tzatziki is easy and will always be a great success: with these ingredients, it is a force of nature, just be careful to squeeze the cucumbers before putting them in yogurt, otherwise, they will release water ruining the consistency of the sauce. But don’t worry, today our Naked Nick will guide you step by step in this recipe with practical cooking tips and explanatory photos for each step of the recipe.

Ok, let’s go! Take the cucumbers and cut the ends.

There are two theories about tzatziki. You can peel the cucumbers and remove the seeds, however, if they are sweet and not too big, you can just grate them.

It depends on whether you want a more rustic, but tasty and colorful, sauce or a more stylish, but less yummy.

In this regard, it is strictly forbidden to blend cucumbers, the sauce must be consistent and the cucumber must crack under the teeth.

Let’s go on! Take a bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and grate the cucumbers on it.

Close the towel and squeeze firmly to remove all the excess water.

Put the cucumber pulp in a bowl and add plenty of Greek yogurt.

Season with salt, pepper, dill, 6 spoons of EVOO, the juice of 1 lemon, then let it cool in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.

How to serve tzatziki and which dishes to pair it with

Serve the tzatziki with grilled meat, grilled sausages, chicken skewers, Greek salad, kolokithokeftedes or even on its own spread on a slice of bread.

As a variant, you can try flavoring with a sprinkling of oregano. It is not included in the original recipe, but it is very tasty.