Picture a spoonful of cold, thick yogurt on a warm pita or next to grilled meat. The sharpness of raw garlic and vinegar meets the fat and the browned, smoky edges of the meat, and each mouthful feels lighter. Tzatziki (τζατζίκι) is the Greek dip that does this: strained yogurt, cucumber and garlic, finished with olive oil and vinegar, and served cold. Its texture is what makes it work. A tzatziki that slumps into a puddle on the plate can't do its job, so almost every step here comes back to getting water out of the cucumber before it meets the yogurt.
Tzatziki in Greece and Cyprus
Tzatziki is a cold Greek dip built on strained yogurt, cucumber and garlic, finished with olive oil and vinegar. It is usually a sauce rather than the star. In Athens, souvlaki is served with tomato, onion and tzatziki, and the cool yogurt makes the meat easier to eat.
Many recipes outside Greece add dill or mint as a matter of course, but those herbs aren't always part of Greek tzatziki. Cypriot talatouri is a related style made with mint and lemon, and it's best treated as its own dish.
Recipes within Greece vary too. One version uses 1 lb (500g) yogurt, ½ cup (100 ml) olive oil, 3.5 tbsp (50 ml) vinegar, half a cucumber, dill and garlic, for 4–6 portions. That's a much oilier, more acidic balance than the recipe below. For more dishes from the same table, see the Greece country page.
Ingredients: One Batch
This batch makes about 3 cups.
Equipment
- Vegetable peeler or knife
- Teaspoon (for scooping out the seeds)
- Coarse grater
- Fine grater or knife for the garlic
- Clean cotton cloth or cheesecloth
- Two bowls
- Spoon for mixing
- Clean container with a lid
Choosing Yogurt for Tzatziki
The yogurt decides the thickness. Unsweetened strained Greek yogurt is the one to use, straight from the tub. Thick plain yogurt sold in other styles can stand in, though the texture won't be quite the same.
If all you have is ordinary plain yogurt, strain it in a cloth in the refrigerator until it thickens, then weigh out 1 lb (500g) of the strained yogurt. Used as is, thin yogurt adds water and loosens the dip.
Lemon juice belongs to the Cypriot talatouri style. Swap it in for the red wine vinegar and you're moving toward that dish rather than making a direct substitution.
Tzatziki contains milk (yogurt). Check the ingredient labels of the yogurt you buy.
Method: Draw Out the Water First, Then Combine
The cucumber is salted, rested and squeezed before it ever touches the yogurt. Squeeze the cucumber before mixing to keep its excess water out of the dip.
Fixing Watery or Sharp Tzatziki
| Condition | Main cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Loose or watery | Cucumber not squeezed enough; yogurt too thin | If water appears after mixing, stir it back in with a clean spoon. Next time, squeeze the cucumber harder and use thicker yogurt |
| Garlic too strong | Some garlic is sharper than others | If your garlic is very pungent, start with less than 2 cloves and add more to taste |
| Too sharp | Too much vinegar too early | Start with 1 tbsp and stop there if it tastes balanced. Don't go beyond 2 tbsp in total |
| Flat | Not enough acidity or salt | Add vinegar toward the 2 tbsp limit, then a little more salt or pepper |
Serving and Storing Tzatziki
The Athens souvlaki plate is a good model at home: spoon tzatziki next to grilled meat or onto warm pita, where its cold, thick body and raw garlic balance the richness of the meat. Keep the bowl itself simple, with no herbs or oil on top, and let the bread and meat sit alongside it. For a milder dip, stop at 1 tbsp red wine vinegar; for a brighter one, use the full 2 tbsp.
Put leftovers in a clean, covered container and refrigerate them promptly, with your refrigerator at 39°F (4°C) or below. Eat it soon, and throw it out if it smells off or has been left out at room temperature for a long time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is dill required?
No. Some Greek recipes include dill, but it isn't always part of Greek tzatziki, and this version leaves it out.
Why salt the cucumber and then squeeze it?
The salt draws water out of the cucumber during the 10-minute rest, and the cloth removes it. Without this step the yogurt loosens and the dip loses its body.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes, keep it covered in the refrigerator, but eat it soon.
