Agile in the kitchen

Tzatziki

On a wooden cutting board background with a pink plaid cloth napkin in the left corner, a glass bowl with tzatziki with a sliced cucumber twisted on top.
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A cool, fresh dipping sauce with cucumber and Greek yogurt, this tzatziki will enhance your dishes. Use a large dollop of tzatziki with my Mediterranean hamburger instead of mayonnaise or ketchup to keep it really fresh and rich. I also use the tzatziki with my Mediterranean meatballs, rather than a more traditional brown gravy.

On a wooden cutting board background with a pink plaid cloth napkin in the left corner, a glass bowl with tzatziki with a sliced cucumber twisted on top.
Tzatziki in a bowl

Watery cucumbers

If your cucumber is very watery, you can cut out the seeds and use only the flesh of the cucumber. This will make the tzatziki less watery. You have to decide once you cut open your cucumber and see how watery it is.

Some recipes call for shredding the cucumber, personally I don’t like the texture of shredded cucumber, but go for it, if you prefer smaller pieces of cucumber. The advantage is that you can get even more water out from shredded cucumbers compared to if you leave them quartered.

On a wooden chopping board with a pink plaid cloth napkin a piece of kitchen towel with cucumber pieces, sliced then quartered.
Cut cucumbers

Substitutes

Any plain yogurt will work for this recipe. I used Greek yogurt because that is what I most often have at home. I have tried this recipe with Turkish yogurt and regular store brand plain yogurt with the same results.

On a wooden chopping board, a folded pink plaid cloth napkin, a piece of cucumber cut lengthwise, a glass bowl of Greek yogurt, a clove of garlic and a teaspoon with salt and white pepper
Making tzatziki

No waste cooking

Unfortunately this tzatziki does not freeze well because of the consistency of the sauce when it thaws. I often find that ingredients such as cucumbers and yogurt does not freeze well. You are better off making a new batch every time and make just enough for what you need for the next few days.

Variations

Looking for other versatile sauces? I have both warm and cold sauces collected on this Pinterest board.

On a wooden cutting board background with a pink plaid cloth napkin in the left corner, a glass bowl with tzatziki with a sliced cucumber twisted on top.
Print Recipe

Tzatziki

A fresh dipping sauce with cucumber and Greek yogurt, this tzatziki will highlight your dishes.
Prep Time20 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keyword: cucumber, yogurt
Servings: 4 portions

Ingredients

  • ½ cucumber
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 200 ml Greek yogurt
  • ½ tsp salt
  • A pinch of white pepper

Instructions

  • Slice the cucumber and then quarter the slices. Press dry between two pieces of paper, to get out as much of the water as you can.
  • Mince garlic and mix with cucumbers, Greek yogurt, salt and pepper.
  • Let rest in the fridge for at least an hour before serving to Mediterranean hamburgers.

Notes

Some recipes call for shredding the cucumber, personally I don’t like the texture of shredded cucumber, but the advantage is that you can get even more water out from shredded cucumbers compared to if you leave them quartered.
Serve your tzatziki with these delicious Mediterranean hamburgers. 

One response to “Tzatziki”

  1. Mediterranean hamburger in the oven – Agile in the kitchen

    […] love to add tzatziki to this hamburger. The freshness of the cucumber and coolness of Greek yogurt, the tzatziki is the […]