Authentic Greek Tzatziki made with thick yogurt, cucumber, garlic, lemon, and mint or dill is a refreshing Mediterranean sauce for summer meals.
What Is Authentic Tzatziki?
I first learned about traditional Tzatziki through the Greek families I cooked with while attending the Greek Orthodox Church growing up, and later through my former husband’s Greek relatives. What surprised me most was how much the recipe varied from region to region, some grated cucumber, while others salted and diced it, a method that keeps the yogurt thick and beautifully textured.Tzatziki has been a Mediterranean favorite sauce, dip, salad and meze for centuries!
So what makes my Tzatziki recipe Authentic? Because, I was once married to a Greek, and during travels throughout Greece with him, I observed how different Tzatziki was made, depending on where we were.
However, shhhh, don’t tell the Greeks, Tzatziki, known as Kh’yar bi laban in Arabic, originated in the Middle East, specifically Turkey! So yes, my tzatziki is authentic, because my mom was Syrian and she often made this, making the yogurt herself!
Authentic Recipes Have History
There are few sauces more refreshing on a warm day than a bowl of cool, creamy Tzatziki. This beloved cucumber yogurt recipe is a simple marriage of strained yogurt, fresh cucumber, garlic, olive oil, and herbs, ingredients that come together to create one of the Mediterranean’s most iconic flavors.
The authenticity of Tzatziki will depend on what part of Greece of the Mediterranean regions it is being prepared from. Preserving recipes from every immigrant, that made America their home, is what has made America the best dining experience in the world! If you don’t believe me, then you might want to be watching The Great American Recipe, with PBS, of which I brought my traditional foods to, as did nine other contestants.
REAL Yogurt Makes Authentic Greek Cucumber Tzatziki
Go to the grocery store and buy the yogurt, cucumber and herbs?
Nope! The real, healthful yogurt, in my home, was always made at home.
I learned to make yogurt since I was a kid, the old fashion way, in a big pot with a gallon of milk and only my finger as the temperature tester!
Greek Yogurt Tzatziki
The homemade yogurt needed to be thickened, which is what we, here in America, call Greek yogurt. Any yogurt can be made into Greek yogurt.
Place a large cheese cloth (a thin cotton fabric with lots of tiny holes), over a bowl. Tie the ends of the cheese cloth so the yogurt stays inside and the watery substance from the yogurt drips out. Allow it to drip for about 2 hours.
There, you have thick Greek yogurt! This can be made at anytime and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Cucumbers In Greek Yogurt Tzatziki
Next is the intensely nutritious cucumber.
While visiting Greece (and relatives), I noticed that many restaurants on the islands had huge gardens behind them.
Cucumbers grew all year, as did the herbs.
While we were out in the garden to gather the cucumber, we cut dill and mint as well.
I swore that one day I would have a garden like this.
Now I do, except here where I live in the states, I only have a summer garden.
Preparing Cucumbers For Tzatziki
The cucumbers for the tzatziki sauce, back in that taverna in Greece, were prepared a little differently than I’ve seen it done here.
Cucumber skins were left on, the seeds were sliced out, therefore eliminating the need to drain the cucumbers.
Greek style cucumbers were cut into large chunks for the tzatziki that would be served as a salad, side dish or meze (appetizer).
For a dipping sauce, the cucumbers were cut into tiny chunks.
I loved having the skin left on, because it gave the tzatziki color and substance, and the removing of the seeds kept the tzatziki from getting watery.
Herbs In Authentic Greek Cucumber Yogurt Tzatziki Sauce
Both dill and mint are used interchangeably in the tzatziki, or together, both of which I prefer to grow in my garden or in pots in window sills, something I like to call my Dirt To Dish lifestyle.
I think the use of dill or mint really depends on preference.
In my opinion, dill is very dominant in tzatziki, where as I find mint to compliment the other gentle flavors of the yogurt and cucumber.
In my tzatziki, I use mint.
Summertime Tzatziki
Tzatziki is a recipe I make often throughout the summer months.
It is an easy and refreshing addition to many of my summertime meals.
It also gives me a reason to grow my own mint and cucumbers and a reason to make my own yogurt.
I guess I’m still hanging on to old fashioned traditions, in hopes it will rub off on my kids!
With plenty of farmer’s markets scattered throughout America, you too can easily find the fresh ingredients to use in your Greek cucumber tzatziki yogurt recipe.
Greek Cucumber Yogurt Tzatziki On Television
Authentic Mediterranean Tzatziki here in America? I can’t think of a better place to showcase an authentic recipe than on TELEVISION! Yep!
I had the most exciting opportunity to make my tzatziki recipe while cooking on Guy’s Grocery Games!
The show aired August 14, 2019 and was called Grandma Grocery Games, sometimes found on YouTube Season 20 Episode 24.
I made my recipe for tzatziki to be served as a refreshing side salad to go along with a Kofta on Pita bread that I made.
While the kofta was met with a few crazy challenges, the judges raved about my authentic tzatziki recipe.
I am elated to share my Mediterranean Tzatziki recipe with you here!
More Like This
Summertime calls for cool, refreshing additions to our grilled foods.
For this reason, I often make Cold Greek Yogurt Lemon Cucumber Soup, to be enjoyed as a light lunch, or an appetizer while food is grilling.
If you aren’t into cold soups (a Mediterranean ‘must try’), perhaps you would enjoy Lemon Cucumber Salad, made from homegrown heirloom lemon cucumbers.
Ingredients for Authentic Greek Tzatziki
One of the beauties of traditional Tzatziki is that it relies on just a handful of fresh ingredients. When each element is simple and seasonal, the flavor becomes something far greater than the sum of its parts.
- Yogurt – The creamy base of Tzatziki is thick, tangy Greek yogurt. Authentic versions traditionally use strained sheep or goat milk yogurt, which gives the sauce its signature richness and body. For home kitchens, full-fat Greek yogurt works beautifully. Its thick texture allows the sauce to cling to warm pita, grilled meats, and roasted vegetables without becoming watery.
- Cucumber – Freshly chopped Cucumber brings a crisp, cooling freshness that makes tzatziki so refreshing on warm days. For the best texture, remove the cucumber seeds, and then cut into small chunks. This simple step keeps the sauce thick and creamy while allowing the delicate cucumber flavor to shine.
- Mint – Many traditional versions of Tzatziki include fresh Mint, which adds a bright herbal note that pairs beautifully with cucumber and yogurt. Mint brings a cooling garden freshness that makes this sauce especially perfect alongside grilled lamb, chicken, or vegetables during the warmer months.
- Garlic – A small amount of fresh Garlic gives tzatziki its unmistakable depth of flavor. When finely crushed, garlic melts into the yogurt, infusing the sauce with a gentle savory warmth.
- Lemon – Fresh Lemon juice brightens the entire sauce, balancing the richness of the yogurt while enhancing the clean flavors of cucumber and herbs.
- Salt – A simple pinch of Salt brings all the ingredients into balance and helps draw out the natural juices from the cucumber.
- Olive oil – A final drizzle of good Olive oil adds a silky finish and subtle fruitiness that ties the sauce together.
Simple Tools for Making Tzatziki
One of the reasons I love making Tzatziki at home is how little equipment it requires. With just a few basic kitchen tools, this fresh cucumber yogurt sauce comes together in minutes.
- Cutting Board – A sturdy cutting board gives you a safe surface for preparing your herbs, and cucumber.
- Chopping Knife – A sharp chopping knife makes quick work of preparing the cucumbers and fresh herbs so their flavor distributes evenly throughout the sauce.
- Measuring Tools – Simple measuring spoons and cups help balance the ingredients so the tangy yogurt, fresh Lemon, and seasonings stay perfectly in harmony.
- Spoon – A sturdy spoon is all you need to mix everything together once the ingredients are prepared.
- Mixing Bowl – A medium mixing bowl gives you enough room to combine the creamy Greek yogurt, grated Cucumber, herbs, and seasonings.
- Citrus Press – A citrus press makes it easy to extract fresh juice from your lemon while keeping seeds out of the sauce.
- Garlic Press – Using a garlic press helps finely crush the Garlic, allowing its flavor to blend smoothly into the yogurt without biting into a piece of garlic.
How To Make Authentic Greek Tzatziki
Here is the easy step-by-step instructions for making this tzatziki recipe (print-friendly below).
Authentic Greek Cucumber Yogurt Tzatziki Sauce
Equipment
- Cutting board and knife
- Airtight container
Ingredients
- 2 cups Greek yogurt or homemade yogurt drained to thicken
- 1 1/2 cups Cucumber skin on, seeds removed, cubed
- 2 tbsp Mint finely chopped, extra for garnish
- 2 Garlic cloves crushed
- 2 tbsp Lemon juice about 2 lemons
- 1/2 tsp Salt or to taste
- 1 tbsp Olive oil more for final drizzle
Instructions
- If using Greek yogurt, which is already thick, you do not need to strain it. If using homemade yogurt or other type of yogurt, strain the yogurt with cheesecloth over a bowl for about 2 hours, which drains the watery aspect of yogurt and retains the thick texture of yogurt. This step can be done days in advance.
- Place the cubed slices of cucumber in a large bowl. Add the mint, garlic, lemon juice, salt and olive oil. Toss and let stand a few minutes. Add the yogurt and mix gently. Chill and serve.
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.