Best Greek Tzatziki Recipes

GREEK TZATZIKI

Steps:

• Stir together yogurt, grated cucumber, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil in a bowl. Add lemon zest, dill, salt, and pepper; whisk until smooth. Pour into a serving dish, cover tightly, and refrigerate 8 hours before serving.

TZATZIKI SAUCE-- GREEK CUCUMBER/YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• Peel cucumbers and dice. Put them in a colander and sprinkle with the tablespoon of salt (draws water out). Cover with a plate and sit something heavy on top. Let sit for 30 minute Drain well and wipe dry with a paper towel.
• In food processor or blender, add cucumbers, garlic, lemon juice, dill and/or mint, and a few grinds of black pepper. Process until well blended, then stir into yogurt. Taste before adding any extra salt, then salt if needed. Place in refrigerator for at least two hours before serving so flavors can blend.
• This will keep for a few days in the refrigerator, but you will need to drain off any water and stir each time you use it.
• ** If you can't find the thicker Greek Yogurt Cheese, you can use regular, plain yogurt that is either full fat or low fat. To thicken, spoon yogurt into cheese cloth that has been quadrupled. Draw the corners of the cloth up and tie together. Suspend above a bowl for 2 hours so that water can drip out. The consistency of the yogurt should be like that of sour cream.
• You can skip this draining process, if you want, but you will have a moderately messier, runnier result.

AUTHENTIC GREEK TZATZIKI

Steps:

• Stir together olive oil, vinegar, and garlic in a bowl and let sit while you prepare the cucumber.
• Peel cucumber and cut in half lengthways; scrape out all the seeds. Grate cucumber with a cheese grater into a sieve set over a bowl. Sprinkle with salt. Strain out as much liquid as possible by pressing down in the sieve with the palm of your hand. Alternately you can wring cucumber out in a clean tea towel. Add cucumber and yogurt to the garlic mixture. Mix until well combined and season with salt to taste.

GREEK TURKEY BURGERS WITH TZATZIKI SAUCE

Steps:

• In small bowl, mix 1/2 cup of the yogurt and remaining sauce ingredients; refrigerate until serving.
• Heat gas or charcoal grill. In medium bowl, mix all burger ingredients and remaining yogurt. Shape mixture into 4 patties, about 1/2 inch thick.
• Place patties on grill over medium heat. Cover grill; cook 8 to10 minutes, turning after 5 minutes, until meat thermometer inserted in center of patties reads 160°F. Place burgers on buns; top with tomato slices and sauce.

GREEK MEATBALLS AND TZATZIKI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place a cooling rack over 2 baking sheets for roasting the meatballs and toasting the pita.
• Soak the bread in the milk. Peel the cucumber and grate into a strainer. Salt it and let it drain for 20 minutes.
• Pour the EVOO into a bowl, then add the meat and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Squeeze out the bread and crumble between your fingers as you add it to the meat. Add the mint, onions, oregano, cinnamon, 2 of the garlic cloves, egg and 1/2 of the lemon juice, and mix to combine.
• Using a small ice cream scoop, form the meat mixture into about 24 balls and place on the baking sheet. Roast to golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove the meatballs from the oven and place the broiler on high. Char the pita under the broiler, 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side.
• Press the cucumber in the strainer to get out the excess water and add to a food processor. Then add the yogurt, dill, remaining 1 clove garlic, zest and remaining juice of the lemon. Season the sauce with cumin and salt and process until smooth.
• Serve the meatballs with the sauce and pitas.

BARBECUED GREEK LAMB WITH TZATZIKI

Steps:

• Mash the garlic to a paste with a pestle and mortar. Mix with the olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, thyme and bay, and season with a little salt and plenty of pepper. Place the lamb in a large porcelain dish. Pour the marinade over the lamb and massage into the meat. Leave the lamb for at least 1 hr at room temperature, or longer in the fridge, but no longer than overnight or the meat will become too soft.
• To cook the lamb, fire up the barbecue, or heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. To cook on the barbecue, wait for the coals to turn ashen, then lay the lamb on the grill and cook for 15 mins on each side for meat that is pink, or 20 mins on each side for well done. To cook in the oven, place the lamb in a shallow roasting tin and roast for 30 mins for pink or 40 mins for well done, turning the lamb halfway through. Leave the meat to rest for 10 mins before carving.
• Meanwhile, make the tzatziki. Coarsely grate the cucumber, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and squeeze out all the liquid. Tip into a bowl with the yogurt, garlic and mint, and mix well. Carve the lamb into thick slices and serve with the tzatziki wrapped up in warm flatbreads.

GREEK LAMB MEATBALL SLIDERS WITH TZATZIKI

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler.
• For the lamb meatballs: Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk for 5 minutes. In a large bowl, combine the lamb, coriander, cumin, garlic, oregano, mint, some salt and pepper, and the soaked breadcrumbs. Mix well, but do not overwork. Fold in the feta, then form the mixture into eight 2-inch meatballs.
• Place the meatballs in a large, greased cast-iron pan. Place the pan 7 to 8 inches from the heating element; broil for 10 to 12 minutes, or until cooked through, turning once halfway through.
• For the tzatziki: Grate the cucumber into a small strainer and squeeze out excess water. Combine the grated cucumber with the yogurt, lemon zest, olive oil, dill and garlic and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• To assemble the sliders: Load a meatball onto each bun. Top with tomato slices and some tzatziki. Secure the sliders with bamboo skewers. Serve on a large platter with extra tzatziki on the side.

GREEK PITA BURGERS WITH SPINACH, FETA AND TZATZIKI SAUCE

Steps:

• Place shredded cucumber in clean dish towel; squeeze to remove any excess liquid. In small bowl, mix cucumber and remaining sauce ingredients. Cover; refrigerate until serving time.
• Heat gas or charcoal grill. In large bowl, mix all burger ingredients except buns, tomatoes and lettuce. Shape into 8 patties, 1/4 inch thick. Place patties on grill over medium heat. Cover grill; cook 5 to 8 minutes, turning once, until meat thermometer inserted in center of patties reads 160°F.
• Spoon 2 tablespoons sauce on bottom half of each bun. Top with burger, tomato and lettuce. Cover with top halves of buns.

ROAST GREEK LAMB WITH TZATZIKI, ROASTED VEGETABLES, AND GREEK SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Open the "pocket" on the wide end of the leg of lamb and stuff with some garlic slices, 1 rosemary sprig, 1 bay leaf, and salt. Make 3 long incisions in the top of the leg with your knife. Stuff remaining garlic, rosemary sprigs, bay leaves, and some salt into the incisions. Season well with salt all over.
• Season eggplant, zucchini, and 1 red onion with salt and tumble into a roasting pan. Place the leg of lamb on top.
• Roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) and cover pan with aluminum foil. Continue baking until lamb is tender, about 2 hours 30 minutes.
• Spread potatoes on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with sea salt. Place in the bottom third of the oven. Bake lamb and potatoes for 30 minutes. Remove lamb and let rest while potatoes finish cooking, about 30 minutes more.
• Combine grated cucumber, mint, oregano, and salt in a bowl. Mix in yogurt until well combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Combine tomatoes, sliced cucumber, sliced red onion, and black olives in a deep-sided dish. Drizzle 3 tablespoons olive oil and red wine vinegar on top. Place feta on top and cover with dried oregano.
• Carve lamb and serve on a big platter. Scoop out vegetables and juices from the roasting pan and add to the platter. Place roasted potatoes, tzatziki, and Greek salad nearby.

GREEK CHICKEN BURGERS WITH TZATZIKI SAUCE

Steps:

• Set oven control to broil. Chop enough cucumber to equal 1/2 cup; place in small bowl (slice 8 slices from remaining cucumber for sandwiches; set aside). Stir in remaining sauce ingredients; refrigerate until ready to use.
• In large bowl, mix chicken, spinach, olives, cornstarch, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper. Shape into 4 oval patties, each about 1/2 inch thick. On broiler pan, place patties. Broil with tops about 5 inches from heat 10 to 12 minutes, turning once, until thermometer inserted in center of burgers reads at least 165°F.
• Place burgers in pita pocket halves. To serve, top each burger with tomato, cucumber slices and about 3 tablespoons sauce.

GREEK-STYLE CHICKEN WITH PICKLED ONIONS, TOMATOES, AND TZATZIKI

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine onion and vinegar; season with salt and pepper. In another medium bowl, combine chicken, lemon zest, and oregano; season with salt and pepper.
• In a third medium bowl, make tzatziki: Combine cucumber, yogurt, parsley, and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper.
• In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add chicken and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes to pickled onions and serve with chicken, tzatziki, and rice.

MINI GREEK MEATLOAVES WITH TZATZIKI SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 8 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray.
• In medium bowl, mix meatloaves ingredients. Scoop generous 1/3 cup meat mixture into each muffin cup, pressing down slightly.
• Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until meat thermometer inserted in center of one loaf reads 160°F. Let stand in pan 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix tzatziki sauce ingredients; refrigerate until serving time. Serve meatloaves with tzatziki sauce.

KITTENCAL'S TZATZIKI (GREEK CUCUMBER AND YOGURT SALAD)

Steps:

• Put the finely chopped cucumbers in a sieve and press out as much excess liquid as possible.
• In a large bowl mix the minced garlic with the salt into a paste.
• Add in the Greek yogurt (or strained yogurt) with garlic/salt paste, add to the drained cucumbers, mint, olive oil, more salt and pepper to taste.
• Cover and chill for a minimum of 2 hours before serving (you won't be able to keep you spoon out of the bowl lol!).

GREEK TZATZIKI SAUCE

Steps:

• Place yogurt in a coffee filter or piece of cheesecloth, and place in a strainer over a dish. Let drain for 2-4 hours in the refrigerator. If using Greek yogurt you do not need to drain it, as it is already a thick consistency.
• Meanwhile, put the chopped or grated cucumber in a tea towel and squeeze to remove liquid. Discard liquid. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and mix into the cucumber. Set aside 20 minutes. Rinse a little to wash out the extra salt, if you want to. Then squeeze again to express as much liquid as possible.
• Draining the yogurt and cucumber make for a thick and authentic consistency of tzatziki sauce.
• Combine the drained yogurt and cucumber, sour cream, pinch of salt, olive oil, red wine vinegar, mint and garlic. Note: we love garlic, so I tried adding more once. It made for an overpowering and almost bitter taste, so now I stick to only 1 clove.
• Place sauce in the refrigerator for 1 hour or more to meld flavors. Stir before serving. The sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week. Makes 1 1/4 cups.

GREEK MEATBALL STUFFED PITAS WITH SIMPLE TZATZIKI SAUCE

Steps:

• For the Tzatziki
• Place the grated cucumber in the center of a clean kitchen towel. Roll up the towel and squeeze out the excess water from the cucumber. Place the cucumber in a medium bowl. Add the yogurt, garlic, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. This can be made several days in advance.
• For the Meatballs
• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly grease the foil with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, stir together the bread crumbs and milk and let the mixture sit for a few minutes to let the crumbs soften. Add the parsley, egg, oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Add the turkey and mix until well combined.
• Portion the meatballs into tablespoon-sized balls and place ½-inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes until the meatballs are no longer pink in the center.
• To Serve
• Slice the pita breads in half. Dollop a spoonful of tzatziki sauce on the bottom of each pita. Add a layer of tomatoes and greens. Stuff meatballs inside and serve.

GRILLED EXTRAORDINARY CHICKEN WITH GREEK TZATZIKI

Steps:

• For the chicken: Blend the turmeric and some salt with the yogurt in a large bowl and add the chicken. Toss to coat and marinate chicken for at least 10 minutes or up to 2 hours (in the fridge).
• Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill for a few minutes on each side, until cooked through.
• For the vegetables: Drizzle olive oil on the onion, tomato and lemon and season with salt. Grill all until a bit charred on each side.
• For the tzatziki: Incorporate the yogurt, dill, mint, lemon juice and cucumbers. Season with salt and set aside.
• To serve, drizzle the chicken with garlic herb oil and spoon a scoop or two of tzatziki directly on top. Plate each dish with a few pieces of grilled veggies and, before serving, squeeze 1 grilled lemon half over the chicken and sprinkle with oregano.

TRADITIONAL GREEK CHICKEN GYRO WITH TZATZIKI SAUCE

Steps:

• In a small bowl combine Greek yogurt, garlic, cumin, sugar, cucumber, and salt and pepper. Stir and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Pound chicken as thin as you can get it. Even if you have purchased the thin sliced chicken you still want to get it as thin as possible. Place chicken in a bowl and combine with vinegar, oregano, paprika, and salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• In the mean time, peel you potato and cut into 1/4 inch strips. Place cut potato in cold water for at least 15 minutes. Blanching the potatoes before frying will ensure a crispier fry.
• In a large skillet heat vegetable oil. Personally, I regulate the temperature by instinct. I let the oil heat up and test it with a drop of water; if the water shoots back I know the oil is hot enough. If you aren't comfortable with this method you want the oil to stay around 360 degrees. When the oil is hot enough drop fries inches Depending on the thickness of your fry and your temperature control your fries will take anywhere from 10-20 minutes. You want your fries to have a deep golden brown. Keep a careful eye on them and flip if necessary.
• Heat a medium DRY skillet. No oil is necessary to sauté the chicken. Begin to sauté chicken. It should only take about 1 minute on each side depending upon how thinly you pounded it. Let chicken rest under tin foil until you are ready to assemble.
• You can either toast your pita or microwave it. I prefer to microwave it so it is more pliable (only about 20 seconds). Place 2 heaping tablespoons of the tzatziki sauce and spread over pita. Then place half of the chicken, place mostly in the center, making sure that you are able to fold in the sides. Traditionally, fries are to be placed on top of chicken WITHOUT drying off the oil; however this is entirely up to you. Place fries on top of chicken and top with tomatoes, lettuce, and red onions. Serve with extra tzatziki sauce on the side for dipping.

GREEK SALMON WITH TZATZIKI SAUCE

Steps:

• Salmon: Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Line a baking sheet with tinfoil and coat generously with cooking spray.
• Brush salmon fillets with olive oil and sprinkle with the Greek Seasoning. Place on baking sheet. Bake on the middle rack for 13-15 minutes or until the Salmon is no longer opaque and it flakes easily.
• Tzatziki: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together. Store in fridge until ready to use. (flavor becomes better when it's stored in the fridge.).

GREEK LAMB BROCHETTES WITH CUCUMBER AND TOMATO TZATZIKI

Steps:

• Cut trimmed lamb into 1 1/4- to 1 1/2-inch cubes. Mix lamb and next 6 ingredients in glass baking dish. Cover mixture and refrigerate at least 4 hours and up to 8 hours, turning lamb occasionally.
• Preheat broiler or prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Divide lamb cubes among skewers. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange skewers on broiler pan or grill. Drizzle with any remaining marinade. Broil or grill lamb to desired doneness, turning occasionally, about 9 minutes for medium-rare. Serve hot with tzatziki.

GREEK CHICKEN WINGS WITH TZATZIKI SAUCE

Steps:

• In large resealable food-storage plastic bag, mix 2 tablespoons of the yogurt, the oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, the garlic, 1 tablespoon dill weed, 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Add chicken. Tightly seal bag; turn several times to coat chicken. Refrigerate 2 to 3 hours, turning occasionally.
• Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix remaining yogurt and sauce ingredients until well blended. Cover; refrigerate until serving time.
• Heat oven to 425°F. Line 15x10x1-inch pan with foil. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Arrange chicken in pan.
• Bake 50 to 55 minutes, turning once, until chicken is no longer pink in center. Serve with sauce.