Once upon a time, I was a young and unadventurous eater who didn’t want to try anything new. One day, I decided to try my first gyro. Had I known what the tzatziki sauce was, I’m sure I would have politely declined it. Instead, naively thinking that the white sauce was ranch dressing, I asked for double the normal amount. I realized my mistake at the first bite, but to my surprise I wasn’t upset about it. The sauce was creamy, herbaceous, bright and refreshing. It caught my attention, and it’s held it ever since.
Today, I think this is the best tzatziki recipe to use throughout the summertime. It’s there for me when I need a creamy dip for pita bread or an all-purpose sauce for grilled meat and vegetables. I honestly can’t imagine my life without it!
What is tzatziki?
Tzatziki is a sauce made with yogurt, salted cucumber, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and fresh herbs like dill or mint. It’s a staple of Greek cuisine and you’ll find it served alongside many Mediterranean recipes, like kabobs and gyros. Traditional tzatziki is made with goat or sheep’s milk yogurt, but we use full-fat Greek yogurt because it’s easier to find at the grocery store—and because the sauce is just as delicious.
How to Make Tzatziki Sauce
This tzatziki recipe requires a little planning, but the process is straightforward. We’ll get into the full step-by-step instructions in a minute, but here’s a basic overview of the steps.
Strain the yogurt: You’ll want to do this at least four hours ahead of time. Straining removes some of the whey (the liquid on top of yogurt) that would otherwise make tzatziki watery. This step is the key to creating a tzatziki sauce that’s thick and creamy.
Salt the cucumber: Salt draws out excess moisture, concentrating the cucumber’s sweetness and ensuring the tzatziki won’t turn out watery.
Bring it all together: Once everything’s stirred together, you can serve tzatziki right away, or let it chill in the refrigerator for later.
Tzatziki Ingredients
Greek yogurt: Greek yogurt has the same ingredients as regular yogurt, but it’s strained until it becomes thick and tangy. You can substitute regular yogurt for this recipe, but the sauce will be thinner and less creamy.
Cucumber: We like English cucumbers for this tzatziki recipe. The seeds are small and edible, so you don’t have to remove them. If you use another type of cucumber, cut it in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon.
Olive oil: The fat in olive oil enriches the yogurt to give the sauce a rich finish.
White vinegar: You don’t have to add vinegar to tzatziki, but we like how it perks up the sauce with a bright acidity.
Fresh dill, lemon juice and garlic: These ingredients add flavor, giving tzatziki a perfect balance of herby, tangy and spicy notes.
Serving suggestions: When serving tzatziki as a dip, we suggest using baked pita chips and fresh vegetables for dipping.
Directions
Step 1: Strain the yogurt
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Line a fine mesh strainer with two layers of cheesecloth. Place the yogurt in the strainer over a bowl. Cover and refrigerate the yogurt for at least four hours or overnight. Then, drain and discard the liquid in the bowl. Set the yogurt aside.
Editor’s Tip: Straining the yogurt makes it thicker and creamier. If you keep going for up to 48 hours, the yogurt will become labneh, a homemade cheese that has the consistency of cream cheese.
Step 2: Salt the cucumber
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Place the grated cucumber in a fine mesh strainer over a bowl.
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Sprinkle it with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Let it stand for 15 minutes, then discard the liquid.
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Editor’s Tip: If you hate waste as much as I do, save that salty cucumber liquid and add it to lemonade or cocktails like gin and tonic or margaritas.
Step 3: Mix the tzatziki
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In a small bowl, whisk the oil and vinegar until blended. Stir in the dill, lemon juice, garlic, yogurt, cucumber and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Serve it with pita chips and fresh vegetables.
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How to Serve Tzatziki
Tzatziki can be served as a dipping sauce or as a condiment. Serve it with pita chips or vegetable crudites as a snack or appetizer, or perhaps as part of a mezze meal with hummus, olives, tabbouleh and pita bread.
For lunch or dinner, use this tzatziki recipe to dress up grilled or roasted meats and vegetables. Try it with lamb chops or roast leg of lamb, grilled chicken souvlaki skewers or the chicken cutlets from this tzatziki chicken recipe. It’s also fantastic with vegetarian dishes like roasted potatoes or falafel.
Tzatziki Variations
Use mint: You can use any fresh herb in tzatziki, and mint is particularly refreshing. Fresh is best, but dried mint works in a pinch.
Finish it with olive oil: Just before serving, drizzle the tzatziki with extra olive oil and garnish it with herbs for a photo-friendly finish.
Make it with sour cream: It’s not traditional, but you can make tzatziki with sour cream. Substitute sour cream for some (or all) of the yogurt in this recipe. Sour cream’s higher fat content will give the dip a sweet, velvety character.
Can you make tzatziki ahead of time?
Tzatziki is a great make-ahead sauce because it gets better over time. The garlic, cucumber and dill flavors meld together as the sauce chills, giving the sauce depth and a bold character. Keep tzatziki in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve.
How long does tzatziki last?
Homemade tzatziki lasts up to four days in the refrigerator when stored in an airtight container. The yogurt may release some water as it sits in the fridge. You can stir it into the dip for a looser consistency, or pour it off to keep the tzatziki thick.
Tzatziki Tips
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Do you have to peel and de-seed cucumbers for tzatziki?
Technically, you don’t have to peel or de-seed cucumbers for this tzatziki recipe, but you may want to.
Cucumber peels can contain bitter compounds, and removing them is an easy way to ensure you’re making the best tzatziki. Plus, some cucumber varieties have thick peels that can distract from the sauce’s smooth nature.
When it comes to the seeds, we generally leave them in if they’re small. Large seeds can water down tzatziki, so you may prefer to remove them.
How do you fix a watery tzatziki?
If your tzatziki is watery, place it in a fine mesh strainer with two layers of cheesecloth (just like we did to strain the yogurt). Let it sit, covered, over a bowl in the refrigerator for a few hours to drain some of the excess liquid.
Tzatziki
Prep Time
15 min
Yield
4 cups.
Ingredients
4 cups (32 ounces) whole milk plain Greek yogurt1 English cucumber, peeled and grated (about 1-1/2 cups)1 teaspoon salt, divided1/4 cup olive oil1/4 cup white vinegar3 tablespoons snipped fresh dill2 teaspoons lemon juice3 garlic cloves, mincedOptional: Baked pita chips and fresh vegetables
Directions
Line a fine mesh strainer with two layers of cheesecloth. Place yogurt in strainer over a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Drain and discard liquid in bowl; set yogurt aside. Place cucumber in a fine mesh strainer over a bowl; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Let stand 15 minutes; discard liquid. In a small bowl, whisk oil and vinegar until blended. Stir in dill, lemon juice, garlic, yogurt, cucumber and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. If desired, serve with pita chips and fresh vegetables.
Nutrition Facts
1/4 cup: 99 calories, 9g fat (4g saturated fat), 15mg cholesterol, 183mg sodium, 3g carbohydrate (3g sugars, 0 fiber), 2g protein.
A Greek staple for many dishes, this Tzatziki sauce offers a refreshing and tangy flavor to cooked meats. The removal of water from both the Greek yogurt and cucumbers results in a nice, thick sauce. Layer it on a lamb burger, pair it with falafels and gyros or use it as a dip for a vegetable platter. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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