Tzatziki recipe

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Tzatziki is a Greek dish made from cucumber, mint and Greek yogurt. So quick and simple to make - serve with toasted pitta bread or poppadoms for dipping.

tzatziki
(Image credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
  • healthy
  • Low-fat
  • healthy
Serves4
SkillEasy
Preparation Time10 mins
Cost RangeCheap
Nutrition Per PortionRDA
Calories24 Kcal1%
Fat1.5 g2%
Saturated Fat0.5 g3%

Tzatziki is a light and creamy Greek dip made using yoghurt and cucumber. Similar to the Indian raita, it can be served with crisps, vegetables or crusty bread for dipping, or can even be used inside sandwiches or baguettes to add a bit of easy flavour.

This dip recipe is relatively quick and simple to make, but there are certain tips and tricks that you can do to make sure it comes out perfectly.

To make this dip as creamy as possible, it's best to try and avoid as much excess water as you can. The best way to achieve this is to peel and deseed your cucumber and then grate it or finely slice (using a vegetable peeler would get the finest slices). Then put your cucumber in a cloth or tea towel and strain out all of the excess liquid.

This tzatziki recipe uses mint, cumin and lemon juice to add flavouring but there are many other ingredients you can add to make the flavour even more exciting.

For some extra zing add some dill or lemon zest along with your juice. Or if you want to add sweetness or spiciness, smoked paprika, chilli flakes or even a bit of grated red chilli would do the trick.

Add grated garlic for an extra treat.

Ingredients

  • Half a cucumber
  • 6-7 tbsp thick Greek yogurt
  • 8 finely chopped mint leaves
  • Pinch of ground cumin
  • 1-2 tbsp lemon juice and seasoning

WEIGHT CONVERTER

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Method

  1. Coarsely grate the cucumber and put it in a sieve over a large bowl. Push out the juice, using a wooden spoon. Throw away the juice, put the cucumber in the bowl.
  2. Add Greek yogurt, mint leaves, cumin, lemon juice and seasoning, to taste.
  3. Serve with toasted pitta bread or poppadoms and fresh vegetables. Use on the day of making.
Top Tip for making Tzatziki

Variations: Add some chopped dill and coriander along with the mint for extra flavour. You can also try adding a little finely chopped red onion or spring onion.

Jessica Dady
Food Editor

Jessica Dady is Food Editor at GoodtoKnow and has over 11 years of experience as a digital editor, specialising in all things food, recipes, and SEO. From the must-buy seasonal food hampers and advent calendars for Christmas to the family-friendly air fryers that’ll make dinner time a breeze, Jessica loves trying and testing various food products to find the best of the best for the busy parents among us. Over the years of working with GoodtoKnow, Jessica has had the privilege of working alongside Future’s Test Kitchen to create exclusive videos - as well as writing, testing, and shooting her own recipes. When she’s not embracing the great outdoors with her family at the weekends, Jessica enjoys baking up a storm in the kitchen with her favourite bakes being chocolate chip cookies, cupcakes, and a tray of gooey chocolate brownies