Yogurt-and-cucumber sauces span the eastern Mediterranean and South Asia (cacık in Turkey, raita in India, mast-o-khiar in Iran). The Greek version with garlic and olive oil settled into its current form in the 20th century alongside the rise of gyros and souvlaki street food, where it functions as the cooling counterweight to charred meat.
Strained sheep-milk yogurt, grated cucumber wrung dry in a cloth, garlic, olive oil, dill. Wringing the cucumber is the step amateurs skip — wet tzatziki is failed tzatziki.
Strained Greek yogurt mixed with grated cucumber, raw garlic, olive oil, salt, and either dill or mint. Served cold and thick enough that a spoon stands briefly. Eats as a dip for bread or grilled meat, or layered into gyros wraps. Watery tzatziki is the universal sign the cucumber wasn't drained — that's the one move that distinguishes a good batch from a failed one.
Two drainings: the yogurt overnight in cheesecloth, and the grated cucumber salted and squeezed in a towel. Skip either and the sauce thins within an hour. Garlic should be raw and minced fine, not crushed to paste — paste turns sulfurous. Rest at least 30 minutes for the garlic edge to mellow into the yogurt before serving.
Variations
Cypriot talattouri uses mint instead of dill; Turkish cacık is thinner, often eaten as a soup; Iranian mast-o-khiar adds raisins and walnuts; Bulgarian tarator dilutes it into cold soup.
On the Palate
Where Tzatziki sits in the Greek flavor cloud
Drain twice — hang the yogurt overnight and salt-and-squeeze the grated cucumber dry — or the sauce turns watery within the hour.
Ingredients
How it's made
4 steps · 15 min active + 30 min waiting
- 15 min
Grate the cucumber and place it in a fine-mesh strainer. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and let it sit for 10 minutes to draw out excess water. Squeeze the cucumber to remove any remaining liquid.
Watch outAfter salting, wring the cucumber in a towel until it's barely damp — leftover water is what thins the sauce.
- 23 min
In a mixing bowl, combine the strained yogurt with minced garlic, a drizzle of olive oil, and a splash of red wine vinegar. Stir until smooth and creamy.
Watch outStir until the yogurt looks smooth and creamy with the garlic and oil worked evenly through.
- 35 min
Fold the grated cucumber into the yogurt mixture. Add finely chopped dill, mint, parsley, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Mix gently until all ingredients are well incorporated.
Watch outBe gentle when folding to maintain the texture of the dip.
- 42 min
Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and an additional splash of lemon juice if needed. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Watch outGive it at least 30 minutes cold; the raw garlic bite should mellow before you taste again.
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