The Best Tzatziki Recipe- No Straining Required!

This is the most delicious and best tzatziki recipe. The secret to my Greek tzatziki sauce is shredding cucumbers instead of chopping them, for a more silky and integrated sauce.

Tzatziki is a Greek yogurt sauce that is hands-down my favorite sauce to put on anything. It is the optimal spread to dunk hot pita in. It brightens up steamed fish or plain grilled chicken. It is the creamiest topping for perfectly roasted eggplant.

Simply put: tzatziki is bae.

This recipe is inspired by our trip to Crete a few years ago. I'm dying to go back to the laid back island where every summer meal ends with watermelon and ouzo.

What I love about this tzatziki sauce is how quickly it comes together, how it livens up anything you've already got in the fridge and how zesty it is! It's got creamy greek yogurt, cool cucumbers, bright lemon and of course, dill!

Dill is a classic herb for tzatziki sauce and I think that fresh dill is the most crucial ingredient which takes this from a cucumber-yogurt sauce to a true Greek tzatziki.

Let me show you how it's done!

What kind of yogurt should you use for tzatziki sauce?

You should use a very thick style of yogurt, such as traditional greek yogurt. I would not recommend using anything low-fat as it tends to have a grittier texture. You want full-fat yogurt.

Sheep milk or goat milk yogurt is traditional so if you can find it, that's always a great option. If not, whole-milk cow yogurt (like Fage, Chobani, or a favorite local brand) will all work well.

If you only have plain yogurt on hand, you can let it sit in a sieve lined with cheesecloth for a few hours (in the fridge) to help it thicken up.

I can't find fresh dill. What can I use instead?

You can use dried dill (1 tsp) in place of the fresh dill in this recipe. You can also add other fresh herbs such as parsley if you

Why do you use roasted garlic powder instead of fresh garlic?

Typically when I make this sauce, I make a double batch and eat it over the course of a few days (on literally, everything.) It's dangerous, I'm telling you.

With fresh garlic it tastes just right when I first make the sauce, but after a few hours in the fridge, WOAH! It's strong. Sometimes too strong and often times, downright overpowering.

To prevent that from happening, I prefer dried garlic. If you don't have any or you simply prefer fresh, just add a clove that's been very finely minced and see how it tastes!

If you need more, add some, but be cautious and know that the flavor will intensify with time.

Why do you grate your cucumber instead of chopping it for the tzatziki?

Use a box grater to grate cucumber on the finer setting. This creates a more cohesive sauce that easily spoons on top of everything.

If you preferred something chunkier that added a lot of crunch to a dish, you can certainly cube it up. That would be a little more like a chutney, but still delicious!

I noticed many other recipes require squeezing out the cucumber juice. Why don't you recommend this?

I use seedless cucumbers (such as Persian or Japanese variety) and they have less seeds, and therefore less moisture. I find that the combination of really thick yogurt with these cucumbers works really well- without the need for squeezing!

If you're using traditional cucumbers (like the Kirby variety) you should grate them, then place them into a cheesecloth or dish towel and squeeze out any excess moisture to prevent a watery sauce.

What do you like to serve this with?

I am not exaggerating when I say I can bathe in tzatziki. It is my favorite sauce and I love it on chicken, potatoes, bread, a n y t h i n g! It would also be delicious spread onto a sandwich or under some roasted vegetables. You can't go wrong here! Just eat it plain with a spoon and you'll be soooo happy.

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Want to know what would be insanely delicious served with tzatziki? My parmesan zucchini fritters! Check out the recipe here.