Greek Tzatziki is a famous dip not only in Greece but internationally and there is a good reason for that! Tzatziki is a deliciously creamy appetiser that compliments beautifully grilled vegetables and meat. You can prepare the best Greek Tzatziki at home with this fantastic and easy-to-follow recipe.

WHAT IS TZATZIKI?

Tzatziki is a traditional Greek appetiser, sauce or dip made with yoghurt and cucumber and flavoured with garlic and fresh herbs.

HISTORY OF THE TZATZIKI YOGHURT DIP.

Tzatziki has a long history and has been a popular food in the Southern Balkans long before the commercial production of yoghurt ever started. The name tzatziki is believed to come from the Persian word zhazh, meaning herb mixture, and originated in Persian cuisine. As the name indicates, the original dip consisted of yoghurt and herbs. Nowadays, a similar yoghurt dip exists in Turkish cuisine called Cacik. It’s made with yoghurt and fresh mint.

It’s likely that the original yoghurt-and-herb dip was introduced to the Balkan by the Ottomans and was upgraded to what we know today to be the Greek Tzatziki with a few extra ingredients, like cucumber, garlic and sometimes even walnuts. This dip became deeply rooted not only in Greek cuisine but in the cuisines of neighbouring countries.

In Bulgaria, a variation of this dip known as Dry tarator or Snow-white salad, made with strained yoghurt, garlic, dill, walnuts, salt and olive oil, is an appetiser and traditionally served with Bulgarian brandy rakia or as a side dish to grilled meats and vegetables.

Have you tried yoghurt soup? It’s an authentic Bulgarian dish inspired by the traditional Bulgarian Tarator dip and made with exactly the same ingredients, but diluted in water. Being a cold soup, tarator is wonderfully refreshing and compliments beautifully most cooked dishes. You can view the recipe for tarator in my post, Authentic Bulgarian Yoghurt Soup (Tarator).

Dry tarator is a popular yoghurt dip in Albania as well. It resembles the Tzatziki dip and is served traditionally as a side to grilled squid.

IMPORTANCE OF THE BEST GREEK TZATZIKI DIP.

Yoghurt has been well-known and produced by the locals in the Balkans for centuries. It’s a Balkan staple and is only natural that this amazing dip became so rooted there. 

In Greece, Tzatziki is an extremely popular dip served in every tavern, restaurant and fast food shop.

HOW TO PREPARE THE BEST GREEK TZATZIKI?

📋 INGREDIENTS IN MY GREEK TZATZIKI RECIPE

Yoghurt: It’s super easy to make tzatziki with full-fat Greek yoghurt because you don’t need to strain it. Full-fat yoghurt has a creamy and thick texture that will produce a rich and creamy dip. It’s also a suitable option for people following a ketonic diet. If you prefer to use low-fat yoghurt that is possible, but you’ll need to strain the yoghurt through a muslin cloth first for a couple of hours before making the dip. Although tzatziki is typically made with cow’s milk yoghurt, you can use goat’s or buffalo’s milk yoghurt instead. They have a high-fat content and more intense flavours, resulting in a dip with a more complex texture and taste. I have tried buffalo tzatziki and it’s divine!

Fresh herbs: Always use fresh herbs! Most tzatziki recipes call for using fresh dill. However, if you do not like dill, you can substitute it with oregano, mint or thyme.

Lemon: Lemons are a much-treasured ingredient in Greek cuisine, used regularly in authentic recipes. In this recipe, we add a splash of fresh lemon juice to tzatziki to create a complexity of flavours and give a citrus tang to the dip.

Salt: Sea or Hymalaine salts are less processed than table salt and retain more minerals. they are better to use in cooking.

Oil: Traditionally, tzatziki is made with extra virgin olive oil. Using good quality virgin olive oil will ensure the dip is even more special!

Garlic: Not much garlic is needed, but it’s an important ingredient to jazz up the flavours in the dip.

📖 STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Making this delicious yoghurt dip is easy if you follow the steps below:

Step 1: PrepARE the yoghurt

If you are using low-fat yoghurt, you will need to strain it before making the dip:

Place a muslin cloth over a large colander. Make sure you have a bowl under the colander because the liquid will be coming down through the muslin cloth. Pour the yoghurt into the muslin cloth and tie the ends into a knot to prevent the yoghurt from spilling out. Let the yoghurt strain for 1-2 hours.

If you are making tzatziki dip with thick full-fat Greek yoghurt, you do not need to strain it. Place the yoghurt in a bowl.

Step 2: GATHER the rest of the ingredients

Peel and wash the cucumber, then pat it dry with kitchen paper to remove excess moisture.

To get the cucumber ready, you have two options: you can grate or dice the cucumber. In my opinion, it’s better to dice the cucumber. The texture of the grated cucumber is very soft and the taste is diluted. Dicing the cucumber gives the dip a lovely crunchiness.

Grate the cucumber: Use a large grater and place it inside a small colander over a bowl to collect the juice. Place it in the fridge for 20-30 minutes to drain it.

Dice the cucumber: Cut it into extra small cubes and press it with kitchen paper to remove excess moisture.

Peel the garlic and press it in a garlic press over the strained yoghurt. Wash and chop the fresh herbs finely. If you want to add walnuts, cut them finely.

Step 3: Make the tzatziki

Place the strained yoghurt and the diced cucumber into a large bowl, then add the garlic and the chopped herbs to the bowl and stir. 

Add salt, lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil to taste. Stir all ingredients to combine them.

🍲 SERVE THIS DELICIOUS YOGHURT DIP

There are several popular ways to serve tzatziki. You can have it as a dip, a salad or spread on pita bread.Tzatziki is a superb condiment for grilled meats. One of the best ways to eat it is as a condiment to grilled meat.

Another popular suggestion for serving Tzatziki is a dressing for grilled and batter-fried vegetables. View my recipe, Easy Batter-Fried Zucchini. Drizzle some Tzatziki over the batter-fried vegetables. It’s that delicious!

One of my favourite ways to serve Tzatziki is as a part of a mezze platter, in a combination with other appetising treats and pieces of toasted pita bread.

Enjoy! 👨‍🍳👨‍🍳👨‍🍳

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