I love Tzatziki and make it pretty often in the summer. It’s so refreshing, a perfect way to balance spicy dishes or meats coming off a barbecue grill. After making it in many different ways, I’ve decided on a recipe: I chose to use kirby cucumbers because the regular or garden cucumbers can be watery and flavorless (at least in NY). I specified Fage yogurt because it is my favorite yogurt and I would not use any other yogurt to make Tzatziki. If you want to try other yogurts, use a strained yogurt or ones as thick as Fage. American yogurts are too loose and will not work.
Jessica’s Tzatziki
~serves 2-3 as appetizer or side
- 2 kirby cucumbers, thinly sliced with a mandolin (yields a bit more than 1 cup)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- 1 (7 oz) container Fage 2% yogurt
- Salt and pepper to taste
1. Sprinkle kosher salt over the kirby slices and let sit for 30 minutes.
2. Drain and pat dry with paper towels.
3. Add garlic, dill, and yogurt. Stir together and rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.
4. Season (taste the tzaziki before seasoning because you’ve already salted the cucumbers) and serve immediately.
*note: This is a reasonable portion to eat in one sitting with 2-3 people so you should try to finish it. Leaving it in the fridge overnight is ok but sometimes the cucumbers will let out more water.
Filed under Mediterranean, Recipes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
I finally found Fage in my area (extraordinarily expensive, but I bought it anyway). I am soooo trying your tzatziki recipe but I think I might add some red onion to use up some of my massive bumper crop. I even have a huge pile of fresh dill at the ready! Thanks for the recipe!
Yay! Can’t wait to hear what you think of Fage!
I tried the recipe, but sadly did not have dill. It was really quite good (I also used extra garlic). I’ll definitely do this again, with dill and I might even add a couple of drops of lemon to bring out some high notes. Of course tzatziki is meant to be creamy, but I like a touch of acid in mine.
I hate to break it to you guys but changing ingredients means that you’re not actually using my recipe, but I’m glad it inspired you. What’s important is that you enjoy what you are eating!
I followed the recipe to the letter and it turned out excellent. It balanced the spicy gyro recipe perfectly. Thanks Jessica
JonB, so glad you enjoyed my Tzatziki recipe! This posting is more than 2 years old but I just made it a few weeks ago. =)