World's Best Tzatziki Sauce Recipe - Greek Yogurt and Cucumber Sauce

(Photos updated November 2008) Tzatziki is one of the classic sauces in Greek cuisine, and there are as many versions as there are cooks who make it. I can get away with calling this the World's Best Tzatziki Sauce Recipe because it was made by my friend Georgette, who's not only 100% Greek, but also one of the best cooks I know. In the recipe archives you might have seen Georgette's Really Lemony Greek Pilafi or Georgette's Greek Zucchini. I keep telling Georgette that someday she'll have her own page in the recipe archives, and when she does, this Tzatziki Sauce recipe will be at the top of the list.

Georgette brought this sauce to my house over the weekend when I cooked some lamb. If you've had a Gyro (pronounced yeero), Tzatziki is the type of white sauce that's often served with the Gyro. I love Tzatziki on grilled meats like Salmon, Kubideh, Souvlaki, chicken, and of course lamb. I've never had a version of Tzatziki sauce I didn't like, but this was hands-down the best I've tasted. If you've never made this yourself, give it a try!

The sauce is best made with Greek Yogurt, and there are many good brands, some of which are fat free or low fat. In Utah, this brand is available at Wild Oats. If you can't find Greek yogurt, you can make something similar by straining regular plain yogurt for several hours to remove the liquid and thicken the yogurt. Georgette recommends using two coffee filters inside a colander, which is placed inside a bowl to catch the liquid, or there are inexpensive mesh yogurt strainers you can buy. Let the yogurt drain on the counter for 2 hours, or until it reaches the thickness you want.

Tzatziki (Greek Yogurt and Cucumber Sauce)

(Makes about 3 1/2 cups. You can cut the recipe in half, but it's so good, you really shouldn't. Recipe courtesy of Georgette.)

3 cups Greek Yogurt (or regular plain yogurt, strained as described above)
juice of one lemon (about 3 T)
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 medium cucumbers, seeded and diced
about 1 T kosher salt for salting cucumbers
1 T finely chopped fresh dill (can substitute mint leaves for a slightly different version)
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

If you don't have Greek yogurt, strain plain yogurt as described above. Peel cucumbers, then cut in half lengthwise and take a small spoon and scrape out seeds. Discard seeds. (If you use the small seedless or European cucumbers with few seeds, you can skip this step.) Dice cucumbers, then put in a colander, sprinkle on 1 T salt, and let stand for 30 minutes to draw out water. Drain well and wipe dry with paper towel.

In food processor with steel blade, add cucumbers, garlic, lemon juice, dill, and a few grinds of black pepper. Process until well blended, then stir this mixture into the yogurt. Taste before adding any extra salt, then salt if needed. Place in refrigerator for at least two hours before serving so flavors can blend. (This resting time is very important.)

This will keep for a few days or more in the refrigerator, but you will need to drain off any water and stir each time you use it.

South Beach Suggestions:
Yogurt is one dairy product where the South Beach Diet recommends always choosing non-fat or low-fat and there is a huge variation in the amount of fat in various brands of yogurt. The 3 Greek Gods brand of Greek yogurt I found in Utah was fat free and had only 7 sugar carbs in a six ounce container. I would check the label and choose the lowest fat and lowest sugar brand I could find when choosing yogurt. That said, Tzatziki is a condiment, and you won't be eating enormous amounts of it.

More Yummy Versions of Tzatziki
(Recipes from other blogs may or may not be South Beach friendly, check ingredients.)
Tzatziki with Mint from The Kitchen Pantry
Avocado Tzatziki from Anne's Food
Beetroot Tzatziki from Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once
Vegetable Dolmades with Yogurt-Garlic Sauce from Well Fed
Olympics Tzatziki from Seattle Bon Vivant
Swiss Chard Tzatziki from Simply Recipes
Tzatziki with a Secret Ingredient from Kalofagas - In Pursuit of Delicious foods
Fava Beans with Garlicy Turkish Yogurt from Almost Turkish Recipes
Tzatziki Salad from Accidental Hedonist

Things you might want to know:
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