Recipes · Starters & salads
Tzatziki
AI-written · not yet kitchen-tested
The most common mistake with tzatziki is watery cucumber: salt the grated cucumber, let it rest, then squeeze it hard until barely any liquid comes out. Thick Greek yogurt matters too, otherwise the dip runs off the plate.
This recipe was written with AI assistance and has not yet been kitchen-tested. Check quantities and times as you cook, and follow safe core temperatures for meat, poultry, fish and eggs.
Ingredients
- 1 cucumber about 14 oz (400 g), coarsely grated
- 500 g (1.1 lb) Greek yogurt full-fat
- 2 clove garlic finely grated
- 0.5 bunch fresh dill finely chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil plus a little for serving
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- salt 1/2 teaspoon for the cucumber, then to taste
- black pepper freshly ground, to taste
Method
- Wash the cucumber, peel it if you like and grate it coarsely. Toss with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and let it drain in a colander set over a bowl for 15 minutes.
- Squeeze the grated cucumber in handfuls, in your fist or in a clean kitchen towel, until hardly any liquid comes out. You should get about 1/2 cup (100 ml) of water.
- Finely grate the garlic and finely chop the dill. Stir the yogurt, cucumber, garlic, dill, olive oil and lemon juice together in a bowl.
- Season with salt and pepper and chill, covered, for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator; the garlic mellows and the dip firms up. Taste again before serving and drizzle with a thin stream of olive oil.
Tip: Greek yogurt with 10 percent fat is thick enough. Regular plain yogurt only works if it drains for 1 to 2 hours in a strainer lined with a kitchen towel in the refrigerator first.
Tip: Covered in the refrigerator, tzatziki keeps for up to 2 days. If water separates, stir briefly and adjust the seasoning.