Greek Tzatziki

Name: Greek Tzatziki
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 1 medium (about 10 oz) (280 g) English (seedless) cucumber, unpeeled if skin is thin, or peeled in alternating stripes; halved lengthwise, and coarsely grated; ¾ tsp (4 g) kosher salt, divided: ½ tsp for the cucumber, ¼ tsp for the dip, adjusting to taste; 2 cups (450 g) plain whole-milk Greek yogurt, cold, straight from the fridge; 2 medium cloves (8 g) garlic, peeled and finely grated into a paste; 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice, freshly squeezed; 2 tbsp (6 g) fresh dill, fronds finely chopped, thick stems discarded; 2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided: 1 tbsp stirred in, 1 tbsp for drizzling; black pepper, freshly ground, to taste

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Thick, creamy, garlicky Greek yogurt dip with salted and well-drained cucumber, fresh dill and a lemony kick. Perfect with warm pita, grilled meats, gyros or raw vegetables.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: —
Wait: 1 hr
Total: 1 hr 15 min
Makes: About 2 cups (480 g), serving 8 as a dip

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Ingredients

8 servings

1 medium (about 10 oz) (280 g) English (seedless) cucumber, unpeeled if skin is thin, or peeled in alternating stripes; halved lengthwise, and coarsely grated
¾ tsp (4 g) kosher salt, divided: ½ tsp for the cucumber, ¼ tsp for the dip, adjusting to taste
2 cups (450 g) plain whole-milk Greek yogurt, cold, straight from the fridge
2 medium cloves (8 g) garlic, peeled and finely grated into a paste
1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice, freshly squeezed
2 tbsp (6 g) fresh dill, fronds finely chopped, thick stems discarded
2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided: 1 tbsp stirred in, 1 tbsp for drizzling
black pepper, freshly ground, to taste

Equipment (6)

Box grater
Fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl
Clean lint-free kitchen towel or cheesecloth
Medium mixing bowl
Rubber spatula
Microplane or fine grater (for garlic)

Steps

Before you start

Use full-fat (5–10%) plain Greek yogurt; low-fat or regular yogurt will make a runny dip.
Plan on at least 1 hour of chilling; the garlic mellows and flavors meld, and the dip tastes best after 2–4 hours.
Have a clean kitchen towel, cheesecloth or fine-mesh sieve ready for squeezing the cucumber dry.

1
Grate the cucumber
- Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise.
- If it has noticeable seeds, run a spoon down the center to scoop them out.
- Coarsely grate both halves on the large holes of a box grater into the fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl.
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Ready when: You have about 1¾ cups of loosely packed grated cucumber.
Tip: Don't use a food processor; it turns the cucumber to mush and releases too much bitter liquid.
2
Salt and drain
- Toss the grated cucumber with ½ teaspoon of the kosher salt.
- Let it drain in the sieve for 15 minutes, stirring once halfway through, so the salt draws out the water.
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Ready when: A few tablespoons of liquid have collected in the bowl underneath.
3
Squeeze very dry
- Gather the cucumber in a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth, twist it into a tight bundle over the sink and squeeze hard until almost no liquid drips out.
- Fluff the pulp with a fork.
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Ready when: The cucumber looks like damp shreds and is reduced to roughly 1 cup (about 120 g).
Tip: This is the most important step; any water left in the cucumber will thin the tzatziki as it sits.
4
Mix the base
- In a medium bowl, stir together the Greek yogurt, grated garlic, lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil with a spatula until smooth and uniform.
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Ready when: The mixture is smooth with no streaks of garlic or oil.
Tip: Grate the garlic to a paste rather than mincing it, so it disperses evenly and doesn't leave sharp bites.
5
Fold in cucumber
- Add the squeezed cucumber and chopped dill to the yogurt.
- Fold gently until evenly combined.
- Stir in ¼ teaspoon kosher salt and several grinds of black pepper.
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Ready when: The dip is thick, creamy and flecked evenly with green.
Tip: The cucumber is already salted, so go easy on the added salt before tasting.
6
Chill to meld
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, ideally 2–4 hours, so the garlic mellows and the flavors blend.
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Ready when: The dip is cold and the garlic aroma is rounder, less sharp.
7
Taste and serve
- Stir the tzatziki, then taste and adjust with a pinch more salt, a squeeze of lemon or a little more garlic if you like.
- If a little liquid has pooled, stir it in or pour it off.
- Spoon into a shallow bowl, make a swirl with the back of a spoon and drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- Serve cold.
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Ready when: Thick enough to mound on a spoon and tangy, garlicky and fresh-tasting.
Tip: Garlic strengthens over time, so go lightly when adjusting if you're making it a day ahead.

Good to know

Tips

Squeeze the cucumber until it's really dry; this is the difference between thick and watery tzatziki.
Use a fine grater or microplane for the garlic so it melts into the yogurt without harsh chunks.
Use a good extra-virgin olive oil for the drizzle, since its flavor really comes through.
For an even thicker dip for spreading on gyros, strain the yogurt 30 minutes in a sieve before mixing.

Make ahead

"Make up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate covered. Stir before serving and add the olive oil drizzle and a little fresh dill just before serving."

Storage & reheating

"Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days; stir off any liquid that separates. Not recommended to freeze, as the yogurt becomes grainy and watery when thawed. Serve cold; do not reheat."

Substitutions

plain whole-milk Greek yogurt → Regular plain whole-milk yogurt, strained. Strain 3 cups in a cheesecloth-lined sieve in the fridge for 3–4 hours to get about 2 cups thick yogurt.
fresh dill → Fresh mint (same amount). Common in some Greek homes; gives a cooler, brighter flavor.
fresh lemon juice → Red wine vinegar. Use 2 teaspoons for a more traditional, tangy bite.
English (seedless) cucumber → Persian or regular slicing cucumber. Peel and seed regular cucumbers, as the skin is tougher and the seeds are watery.