What makes tzatziki tzatziki?
The recognizable base is a cold combination of yogurt, cucumber and garlic, with oil, acid and salt for balance. Herbs such as dill and mint are found in recipes, but you don't have to use all the imaginable additions at the same time. There is room for a home version without pretending that each family maintains exactly the same ratio.
In this guide we distinguish the basic recipe from modern variants. Root, beet or a vegetable yogurt alternative change the dish noticeably. They can be delicious, but tell something other than a classic cucumber version. The goal is that you know what you're making and why you're doing a step.
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Choosing Yogurt: Thickness first, label afterwards
Sturdy leaked yogurt gives a good starting position. The fat percentage influences the feeling of the mouth, but does not in itself tell how much free moisture a product contains. Two yogurt brands with the same percentage of fat can therefore result in a different dip.
Taste the yogurt: is it mild, pronounced acidic or slightly sweet? That determines how much acid you may need later. If necessary, leave a thin yogurt in a clean cloth above a sieve in the refrigerator. Weigh the leaked amount for the recipes; 400 g of thin yogurt before leaking is not the same as 400 g of thick yogurt afterwards.
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Preparation of cucumber: peel, seed list and moisture
Wash the cucumber. A soft, thin skin can remain if you like it; a hard or bitter skin can be removed. A very soft, wet seed list can unnecessarily dilute the dip. Remove it with a spoon if necessary, without making any cucumber a solid ritual.
A little salt and a little leaking help remove moisture. The most important moment is after that: press or squeeze the grate well. Don't add much salt to the yogurt, because part of the cucumber salt goes with the dish. Do not judge the end result until everything is mixed.
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Three ways to cut the cucumber
Gruff grating gives a recognizable, juicy bite while the cucumber divides itself through the yogurt. Fine grating gives a more even result, but requires extra attention for free moisture. Very small cubes yield another, more salad-like texture; cut them small enough that the dip remains good on bread to create.
For a conscious comparison, make one yogurt base and divide it over two bowls. Use the same amount of well-drained cucumber, but another cut. So you can taste the effect of structure without changing the garlic, oil and herbs at the same time. It's a kitchen test, not a rule that one cut is the right one everywhere.
Dosing garlic: start with less than you think
The size and strength of a garlic toe vary. Therefore, a number of toes is a practical guideline, not an exact requirement for sharpness. Finely rubbed garlic divides itself differently than pieces; opt for an even dip a small amount that you finely crush.
Not only taste immediately after mixing, but also after resting time. For extra power, always add a little bit. If the dip is too strong, then more unspiced yoghurt usually helps better than sugar or a lot of extra acid. The roasted variant has a different, rounder profile; it is not an identical substitute for the classic raw garlic taste.
Olive oil, vinegar and lemon in balance
Olive oil is an ingredient here, not an order to add as much as possible. A pronounced oil can be noticeable in a simple yoghurt base. Begin modestly and use the olive oil guide to choose an appropriate bottle.
Vinegar vinegar and lemon juice give different aroma accents. When experimenting, use one of them as a starting point. If you add both generously at the same time, it becomes more difficult to understand what the dip brings out of balance. In addition, taste the yogurt first: an already sharp base may require less extra acid.
Dille, mint or just a quiet base?
Dille can give a green, spicy accent; mint makes it a different kind of fresh dip. For a first comparison it is instructive to use them separately. Chop soft leaves small and do not automatically add coarse stems.
A herb-free base is useful to learn the relationship between yogurt, cucumber and garlic. Then add one herb per small bowl. A kitchen with many different sauces sometimes benefits from a quiet tzatziki, while a simple meal offers room for a more accentuated spice.
Mixing order and rest time: keep control
First stir the yogurt base with a limited amount of garlic, oil and acid. Then pour in the squeezed cucumber and any herbs. So you can see if the base is solid enough before all the additives are mixed together.
Our recipes count on about 30 minutes of chilled rest and then taste again. That is a editorial cooking directive, no guarantee that taste is optimal exactly after half an hour. Serve later, then keep covered in the refrigerator and check structure and taste shortly before it goes on the table.
Too thin, too acidic or too strong: aim to recover
Improve one thing at a time. A dip with plenty of free moisture does not become fat by itself by adding extra oil. Carefully remove visible loose moisture and add sturdy, unspiced yogurt if necessary. For a subsequent preparation, squeeze the cucumber better remains the most convenient prevention.
Too much garlic, salt or acid can often only be diluted with extra raw base. As a result, the amount and portions change. Note your adjustment for the next time. When the dip is mainly flat, a small adjustment of salt, acid or spice can be sufficient; do not add everything at once.
Lactose-free, milk-free and vegetable are not the same
Lactose-free milk-based yoghurt still contains milk proteins. A recipe containing that product is therefore not suitable as a milk-free option in case of milk allergy. Read the label of the product that is actually chosen and let an individual nutritional need be guiding.
In a plant version, the basis determines which allergens can be present, such as soya or nuts. Ongesweet also does not always mean that a product tastes culinary neutral. Try before mixing and check also flavors and other ingredients. The plant variant below is its own dip in tzatziki style.
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Cooling, storage and transport
Prepare with clean hands, clean tools and fresh ingredients. Always leave yogurt in the fridge, not long on the counter. Store the dip covered at up to 4 °C and follow a shorter period on the packaging of the ingredients if applicable.
Preferably make a quantity that you use within 2.10.1993 days. This is a cautious household guideline, not a safety guarantee. The general food safety rule is perishable where to cool back within 2 hours at the latest, or within 1 hour at temperatures above 32 °C. Add time outside the refrigerator together.
When warm, put small bowls on the table and make up from the refrigerator. Use a clean spoon and avoid contact with raw meat or the associated tools. A normal smell does not prove that a too long warm dip is safe. Freezing can make the structure less beautiful; for this fresh dip is small and fresh preparation is more practical.
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Tzatziki as part of a meal
Use the dip with bread, toasted vegetables or an appropriate grill meal. First time put a small amount on the plate so that everyone can choose the ratio. A very garlic-rich version can quickly dominate a mild product.
For a tasting, make two variants and keep the rest of the meal the same. Compare the classic base with the dill lemon version, for example, or put a vegetable dip next to a yoghurt version without presenting them as identical. Note what you like and why. This will give you a more useful home recipe than a competition for most garlic.
BASIC RECIPE · OWN HOME VERSION
Classic tzatziki
4 small side dish portions · preparation approx 20 minutes · no heating · plus rest and if necessary leak.
Ingredients
- 400 g solid leaked Greek yoghurt
- 200 g cucumber, weight before grating and squeeze
- 1 clove garlic, start with less to taste
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tl white wine vinegar
- salt to taste
Preparation
- Wash the cucumber. Remove from a coarse, very wet seed list that soft core and grate the rest coarsely.
- Mix the rasp with a small pinch of salt and leave to drain in a sieve for about 10 minutes. Then squeeze the rasp firmly into a clean cloth.
- Rub the garlic finely. Stir part of it first with yoghurt, olive oil and wine vinegar; keep the rest for later dosing.
- Scoop the squeezed cucumber through the yogurt. Taste, add garlic and salt and cover if necessary.
- Put about 30 minutes in the refrigerator to make the flavors come together. Try again before serving and add some drops of oil if necessary.
For 4 small side dish portions. The rest time of 30 minutes is on top of the preparation. Dill or coin is optional; this is a neutral basis to compare with.
Allergens, milk.
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FRESH HOUSE VARIANT
Tzatziki with dill and lemon
4 small side dish portions · preparation approx 20 minutes · no heating · plus rest and if necessary leak.
Ingredients
- 400 g leaked Greek yoghurt
- 200 g cucumber before squeeze
- 1 toe garlic to taste
- 1 t of olive oil
- 2 tl lemon juice, then to taste
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill
- salt and possibly a little finely grated washed lemon peel
Preparation
- Grate the cucumber, salt light, let out for about 10 minutes and squeeze well.
- Stir the yogurt with finely rubbed garlic, olive oil and initially 1 teaspoon of lemon juice.
- Mix the cucumber and dill through. Taste and add the rest of the lemon juice only if necessary.
- Leave covered for about 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Add lemon peel if desired very sparingly just before serving.
Lemon replaces the vinegar here; do not add both complete quantities at once. Own cooking variant, no separately defined regional recipe.
Allergens, milk.
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SPICY HOME VARIANT
Tzatziki with mint and wine vinegar
4 small side dish portions · preparation approx 20 minutes · no heating · plus rest and if necessary leak.
Ingredients
- 400 g leaked Greek yoghurt
- 200 g cucumber before squeeze
- 1 toe garlic to taste
- 1 t of olive oil
- 2 tl white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint leaves
- salt to taste
Preparation
- Rasp and salt lightly drain the cucumber; drain for about 10 minutes and squeeze the grate dry.
- Mix yogurt, finely rubbed garlic, oil and first half the vinegar.
- Scoop the cucumber and mint through it. Taste and dose the remaining vinegar as needed.
- Leave to rest cooled for about 30 minutes. Stir briefly and taste again before serving.
Start with the mentioned coin: a lot of extra coin can dominate the cucumber. Let the steals go if they are coarse.
Allergens, milk.
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MODERN VARIANT · ROUNDER GARLIC FLAVOUR
Tzatziki with roasted garlic
4 small side dish portions · preparation approx 20 minutes · oven approx 25 minutes · plus rest and if necessary leak.
Ingredients
- 400 g leaked Greek yoghurt
- 200 g cucumber before squeeze
- 3 cloves garlic, in the skin
- 1 t of olive oil
- 2 tl white wine vinegar or lemon juice
- salt and possibly dill
Preparation
- Toast the garlic toes in the skin for approximately 20.02.25 minutes at 180 °C, until softness. Check in between; size and oven influence time.
- Allow to cool sufficiently to handle, squeeze the soft flesh from the peels and crush it smoothly.
- Rasp, salt and squeeze the cucumber as with the basic recipe.
- Mix yogurt, garlic puree, oil and some of the acid. Scoop cucumber and possibly dill.
- Taste and put covered in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Use the roasted garlic for this preparation; do not make it an uncooled garlic oil stock.
The profile is different from raw garlic. Less raw sharpness does not mean that the dish is guaranteed to be more digestible for everyone.
Allergens, milk.
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ADJUSTMENT · STILL CONTAINS MILK
Lactose-free tzatziki
4 small side dish portions · preparation approx 20 minutes · no heating · plus rest and if necessary leak.
Ingredients
- 400 g solid lactose-free natural milk-based yoghurt
- 200 g cucumber before squeeze
- 1 toe garlic to taste
- 1 t of olive oil
- 2 tl white wine vinegar
- 1 el dill or coin of your choice
- salt to taste
Preparation
- Choose an unsweetened lactose-free yogurt with firm structure. First, leave a thin product to leak into a clean cloth above a sieve in the refrigerator; then weigh 400 g.
- Grate the cucumber, salt light, drain for about 10 minutes and squeeze dry.
- Stir yogurt with garlic, oil and some of the vinegar. Bring cucumber and herbs through it.
- Gently season and leave to rest for about 30 minutes covered in the refrigerator.
Lactose-free is not milk-free. This version is not intended for anyone with a milk allergy. Any leaking time of the yogurt comes at the top of the indicated time.
Allergens, milk.
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MODERN PLANT VARIANT
Vegetable dip in tzatziki style
4 small side dish portions · preparation approx 20 minutes · no heating · plus rest and if necessary leak.
Ingredients
- 400 g of solid unsweetened vegetable yoghurt alternative, for example on a soya-based basis
- 200 g cucumber before squeeze
- 1 toe garlic to taste
- 1 t of olive oil
- 1 t of lemon juice, then to taste
- 1 tsp fresh dill
- salt to taste
Preparation
- Read the label: Choose an unsweetened product without vanilla or other dessert aroma. Taste the base before adding acid.
- Rasp and salt lightly drain the cucumber for about 10 minutes and squeeze thoroughly.
- Mix the yogurt alternative with garlic and oil. Bring cucumber and dill through.
- Add lemon juice in small steps. Put covered for about 30 minutes in the refrigerator and check the structure when serving.
The base used determines taste, thickness and allergens. In a soya base, this recipe contains soy; other products may contain nuts, for example. Always check the full label.
Allergens: Soy at a soy base; check selected product.
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MODERN VEGETABLE VARIETY
Tzatziki with root and mint
4 small side dish portions · preparation approx 20 minutes · no heating · plus rest and if necessary leak.
Ingredients
- 400 g leaked Greek yoghurt
- 150 g peeled root
- 1 toe garlic to taste
- 1 t of olive oil
- 2 tl white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp finely chopped mint
- salt to taste
Preparation
- Grate the root fine. Just press out clearly released moisture; do not treat carrot as if it were releasing as much fluid as cucumber.
- Mix the yoghurt with finely rubbed garlic, oil and initially half the vinegar.
- Create root and mint through, taste and add salt as needed and remaining vinegar.
- Leave covered for about 30 minutes in the fridge. The structure remains firmer and the vegetables gives their own sweet impression.
In this version root replaces the cucumber. This is a recipe ratio for an existing modern variant; no literal acquisition of a source recipe.
Allergens, milk.
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MODERN VARIANT · WITH COOKED BEET
Yogurt dip with red beet in tzatziki style
4 small side dish portions · preparation approx 20 minutes · no heating · plus rest and if necessary leak.
Ingredients
- 400 g leaked Greek yoghurt
- 150 g gross cooled red beet without dressing
- 1 toe garlic to taste
- 1 t of olive oil
- 2 tl white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp chopped dill
- salt to taste
Preparation
- Use weak, cold beet without added dressing. Dep excess moisture away and grate or cut the beet very fine.
- Stir the yogurt with finely rubbed garlic, oil and first part of the vinegar.
- Scoop the beet and dill. Try before adding extra acid or salt.
- Leave for about 30 minutes covered in the fridge and stir briefly. Biet colors the dip and can stain textile and worktops.
The preparation is based on all weird, cooled beet. Self yarn and cooling comes with a special feature. This is an inspired yogurt dip, not the classic cucumber version.
Allergens, milk.
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