Tzatziki Recipe
Tzatziki is a fresh cucumber yogurt sauce you can serve with chicken, grilled veggies, pita chips, gyros, or as a raw veggie dip.
Ingredients
- 1/2 English cucumber
- 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
- 16 oz plain Greek yogurt, cold, (either full fat or fat-free will work)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, Juice of 1/2 lemon; please squeeze a real lemon
- 3 to 4 garlic cloves, peeled and grated
- 1/3 cup chopped dill
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more to drizzle
- 1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
- 1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste
Instructions
Prep the Cucumber:
- Peel and finely dice the cucumber, or you can grate on the large holes of a box grater if preferred. Transfer to a bowl lined with a cheesecloth* and sprinkle cucumbers with 1/2 tsp salt and give them a light stir. Set aside for the cucumbers to release their juice while you prep the remaining ingredients.
How to Make Tzatziki Sauce:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine plain Greek yogurt, lemon juice, grated garlic cloves, chopped dill, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, or season to taste.
- Use the cheesecloth to squeeze out as much juice as you can from your chopped cucumber. You'll be surprised how much juice comes out. Discard the juice and add squeezed cucumber to your mixing bowl.
- Stir everything to combine and season to taste with more salt and pepper if desired. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until ready to serve. I love serving drizzled with a little more extra virgin olive oil.
Notes
*If you don't have a cheesecloth, you can use a clean, lint-free kitchen tea towel, or set cucumbers over a fine mesh strainer, then squeeze out as much liquid as you can with your hands.
**Nutrition label is based on using fat-free Greek yogurt.
Nutrition Facts
Tzatziki Recipe
Amount per Serving
Calories
57
% Daily Value*
Fat
4
g
6
%
Saturated Fat
1
g
6
%
Trans Fat
1
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
3
g
Cholesterol
2
mg
1
%
Sodium
160
mg
7
%
Potassium
85
mg
2
%
Carbohydrates
2
g
1
%
Fiber
1
g
4
%
Sugar
1
g
1
%
Protein
4
g
8
%
Vitamin A
116
IU
2
%
Vitamin C
2
mg
2
%
Calcium
47
mg
5
%
Iron
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
