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
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.
Did you make this recipe?
Let us know how it turned out for you! Comment below, tag @missmolly_makes on Instagram using #missmollymakes or visit us LIVE at twitch.tv/missmollymakes.com
Creamy Thick Tzatziki
Equipment
- 1 strainer/sieve
- 2 chux dish cloth/muslin cloth/paper towel
- large mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 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
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Hey, we are Molly & Exceede
Former operating room Nurse and self-taught home cook + IT Engineer passionate about Approachable, No-Nonsense recipes to help you level up in the kitchen. We create simplified dishes for busy people with easy-to-find ingredients!
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Super delicious and easy to make! I was worried about draining the yogurt, but it was simple.
My only “surprise” was how much a whole cucumber condensed down after shredding and draining. 1 cucumber = half a cup for me.
OM NOM. Bringing to work to share since it’s so good.
So thrilled you enjoyed the dip! Thanks for taking the time to review 🙂 Molly x