Creamy Thick Tzatziki

Creamy Thick Tzatziki

A refreshingly garlicky, cucumber and Greek yoghurt sauce that can be used as a dip and condiment.

Difficulty & Time: It can be made in a few minutes BUT the real key to deliciousness is straining the Greek yoghurt to remove excess liquid, leading to a thick and creamier texture!

Versatility: So many uses! It is great with baked pita or naan bread as a dip or smothered inside a wrap with our Easy Greek Gyros.

What ingredients are needed in Creamy Thick Tzatziki

• Big Greek Flavours:
  • Greek yoghurt: Adds a wonderful tangy flavour. Obviously, this is recipe has Greek origin and therefore it is recommended over natural yoghurt due to its thicker, richer flavour.
  • Garlic: Flavour flavour flavour! Fresh garlic contains a chemical called ‘Allicin’ that is activated when it is chopped, crushed etc. It is what gives garlic its distinct taste and aroma. I prefer to crush cloves with a garlic crusher to increase the amount of allicin as much as possible.
  • Lemon: The tanginess adds vibrancy and freshness to your mouth in each mouthful.
  • Mint: Slightly sweet flavour with a cooling sensation that comes from the menthol in contains. Menthol triggers a chilly sensation, telling the brain that it is consuming something cold. This is wonderful when paired with refreshing cucumber and tangy yoghurt to settle spicy foods or just uplift the palate.
  • Olive oil: Possibly the quintessential ingredient of Greek cuisine. Extra virgin oil is the least processed, it retains more vitamins and minerals and has a fruity, peppery flavour. 
• Cucumber: Cooling and refreshing flavour. You may sense a theme. This recipe is all about the light, bright and crunchy ingredients. Try scooping out the seeds to help keep the cucumber firmer and less waterlogged.
• Salt & Pepper: Salt enhances the flavour of all ingredients in the recipe.

How to make Creamy Thick Tzatziki

• Strain the Yoghurt: Place the strainer/sieve on top of a medium bowl or jug. Line it with chux dish cloth/muslin cloth/paper towel.
  • Spoon the yoghurt into the strainer/sieve and let it sit for at least 1 hour (or more) in the fridge to draw out any excess liquid. This helps create a thicker, creamier texture, the longer you leave it, the thicker it will get.
• Grate the cucumber into another dish cloth/muslin cloth/paper towel and squeeze out any excess water.
• Mix it all together & let flavours meld : Add the strained yoghurt into a large mixing bowl with the grated cucumber, olive oil, garlic, min, lemon juice then salt and pepper. Mix well. Let sit for at least 15-20 minutes to help the flavour meld.
• Taste and season with salt, pepper and garlic as desired.

How to use this Tzatziki

Easy Greek Gyros

Insanely delicious Greek Wrap consisting of juicy flavoured protein (chicken, lamb or beef), fresh tomato, lettuce, onion that is smothered in our Creamy Thick Tzatziki and served in our Easy Naan Bread.

Check out this recipe

Setting you up for success – Tips, Tricks & FAQs

• How long can this Creamy Thick Tzatziki last? as long as your using yoghurt within its used by date, keep the tzatziki covered in the fridge for 3-4 days.
• Do I have to strain the yoghurt? No you can continue with the steps BUT the real key to delicious, thick texture is straining the Greek yoghurt to remove excess liquid.
• Can you freeze Tzatziki?: its not really recommended because the yoghurt will split.

Creamy Thick Tzatziki

Servings 2 cups

A refreshingly garlicky, cucumber and Greek yoghurt sauce that can be used as a dip, condiment to make our Greek gyros and so much more!

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

straining time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Equipment

• 1 strainer/sieve
• 2 chux dish cloth/muslin cloth/paper towel
• large mixing bowl

Ingredients

 

0.5x1x2x3x

• 250 g Greek yoghurt
• ½ cup cucumber finely grated ( ~½-1 cucumber)
• ½ tsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic crushed or minced
• ½ tbsp fresh mint chopped (optional)
• ½ tsp lemon juice
• ¼ tsp salt to taste
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

• Place the strainer/sieve on top of a medium bowl or jug. Line it with chux dish cloth/muslin cloth/paper towel.
• Spoon the yoghurt into the strainer/sieve and let it sit for at least 1 hour (or more) in the fridge to draw out any excess liquid. This helps create a thicker, creamier texture, the longer you leave it, the thicker it will get.
• Grate the cucumber into another dish cloth/muslin cloth/paper towel and squeeze out any excess water.
• Add the strained yoghurt into a large mixing bowl with the grated cucumber, olive oil, garlic, min, lemon juice then salt and pepper. Mix well. Let sit for at least 15-20 minutes to help the flavour meld.
• Taste and season with salt, pepper and garlic as desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 114kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 348mg | Potassium: 71mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 170IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 161mg | Iron: 0.2mg

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Recipe Published: January 24, 2023 Last Updated: June 13, 2023

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