This is my very best authentic Greek tzatziki sauce recipe (yogurt, garlic, cucumber dip) for you to recreate it from scratch just like you have tasted it at the best taverns!
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What is Greek tzatziki sauce?
Tzatziki is a traditional Greek garlic, yogurt and cucumber sauce, that is known and loved around the world. It is also known as “gyro sauce”, because it is commonly used in stuffed pita bread with gyro meat (souvlaki).
Reading: how to make tzatziki sauce youtube
Tzatziki is cool and refreshing with creamy and light texture. It is a very versatile dip and of course the ideal match for that super tasty souvlaki or grilled meat!
Ingredients for an Authentic Greek Tzatziki sauce recipe
The main ingredients for making an authentic Greek tzatziki recipe are plenty of fresh garlic, extra creamy thick yogurt and cucumber. A great Tzatziki sauce is all about the garlic. If you are not afraid of the smell use a little extra. Your tastebuds will thank you!
Most tzatziki recipes outside Greece call for the use of chopped dill or mint. However, for the authentic Greek tzatziki sauce recipe it is rarely, if ever, used! In Cyprus tzatziki is called Talatouri, and is made with fresh or dry mint, and lemon juice instead of vinegar.
What does Greek Tzatziki sauce taste like?
Tzatziki is a very refreshing sauce, that is very popular during the summer. As you can see the ingredients used in this tzatziki recipe are Greek yogurt, cucumber, garlic, olive oil and vinegar. So you can imagine it tastes sour and creamy, with a crunchy bite. One can also taste a light background acidity from the vinegar and of course garlic flavor and aroma.
How to make the best Greek tzatziki sauce
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Although this tzatziki recipe sounds very simple to make, in order to achieve the perfect texture, you have to pay attention to the details!
First of all it is important to use the garlic minced or grated. If you chop the garlic in pieces with a knife – even if you finely chop it! -your Tzatziki sauce will be lumpy. Making it possible to taste a less than pleasant piece of garlic..
Secondly, in order to achieve the perfect texture for the tzatziki sauce it is necessary to use strained Greek yogurt, as it is smoother and creamier than other yogurts. Also make sure to use the yogurt cold from the fridge.
Tip: Probably the most important part when making a Greek tzatziki sauce recipe is the preparation of the cucumber.
Preferably use some seedless cucumber or in case you use a seeded one, make sure you remove the seeds. Cucumber seeds give a little too much moisture which will make the Tzatziki sauce more watery. Furthermore their texture is not the desirable.
To grate the cucumber use the large holes of your box grater and make sure to drain the pulp really really well. The key is to remove as much of the moisture as possible, so that the tzatziki sauce can remain creamy. Removing the excess water of the cucumber also helps concentrating the flavor of the cucumber and makes it crispier.
To drain the cucumber use a cloth and squeeze it with your hands. I find this is the easier and more efficient way to remove the excess moisture, as the alternative of salting the cucumber and wait for the moisture to drip, takes a bit longer.
How long does homemade tzatziki last in the fridge?
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Homemade tzatziki sauce is best consumed fresh. You can freeze it, if you have some leftover, but don’t expect the result to be perfect. The cucumbers will become a bit mushy and the sauce a bit more watery.
You can store your homemade tzatziki sauce in the fridge in an airtight container. It will last for about 3 days before it starts going bad. If it has gone bad you can tell by the smell. If it smells sour, like yogurt or milk gone bad, then it is time to get rid of it.
What to eat and serve with Greek tzatziki sauce?
Greek tzatziki sauce can be served as part of a meze platter. I meze platter is a combination of Greek starter dishes like dolmades, meatballs, pita breads and vegetables like plump tomatoes, cucumbers and black olives. Also, slices of Greek cheeses like graviera and feta cheese are a very nice addition to a meze platter.
Tzatziki is also perfect to accompany grilled meat of any kind, chicken, pork or lamb and of course if you serve with some juicy chicken and pork skewers you will have a match made in heaven!
If you are a vegetarian try pairing tzatziki sauce with grilled vegetables like carrots, corn, peppers and green beans or even a delicious Greek lentil salad!
How to Make Authentic Τzatziki sauce recipe (Video tutorial)
We love this tzatziki sauce recipe so much that we made a short video showing you how to make it to perfection. Check it out below and don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more delicious quick recipes here: familycuisine.net/mygreekdish
Looking for some more inspiration? Check out also my favorite taramasalata (Greek fish roe dip), Hummus, melitzanosalata and feta cheese dip recipes.
Oh and you can always read this delicious recipe in Greek here Τζατζίκι συνταγή (Εύκολο σπιτικό τζατζίκι με σκόρδο).
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