A staple in Greek and Turkish cuisine, tzatziki is a sauce or dip made with Greek-style yoghurt, cool cucumber, punchy garlic, zingy lemon and fresh herbs.
Fantastic with breads, as part of a mezze, or with grilled meats and salad, tzatziki offers refreshing balance to your meal, and is a brilliant way to use up leftover yoghurt, too. For a step-by-step guide on how to make tzatziki, take a look at Leyla Kazim’s top tips.
Once you’ve got that covered, check out our favourite ways to use tzatziki, and bring a bit of The Med to your kitchen.
This Greek-inspired family dish from Jamie’s latest cookbook, 5 Ingredients Mediterranean, combines tzatziki-marinated chicken, pan-juice rice, jammy onions and roasted lemons. The yoghurt in the tzatziki has a natural acidity that makes it ideal for marinades, helping to carry flavour and break down the proteins in meat.
JAMIE SAYS:
“It’s untraditional used like this, but I can totally vouch for its deliciousness and ability to tenderise meat.”
A stand-out combo of spicy chicken, veg-packed couscous and homemade tzatziki, this colourful recipe from Jamie’s 15 Minute Meals is a fantastic mid-week meal. Punchy olives, zesty lemon, creamy feta and loads of fresh herbs ramp up the flavour, and bashing the chicken out until nice and thin will help to speed up the cooking time. Win-win!
Tzatziki is good friends with grilled and roasted meats, especially juicy lamb chops. Serve it up with a crunchy fattoush salad – a combination of torn pitta, cooling cucumber, ripe tomatoes, sweet lettuce and refreshing mint – for a bonus hit of fresh, summer flavour.
With gorgeously tender flesh and crispy skin, salmon pairs wonderfully with a dollop of zingy tzatziki. This gorgeous recipe from Jamie at Home celebrates the barbecue for a proper Med-inspired alfresco vibe.
JAMIE SAYS:
“When barbecued salmon skin is all smoky and crispy like this, it’s as good as pork crackling.”
If you fancy a proper Greek pork kebab recipe, look no further than this cracking pork souvlaki recipe from Jamie Does… Marinated pork is threaded onto skewers and grilled until sizzling, then stuffed into warm flatbreads with charred red peppers and a dollop of tzatziki to balance it all out. What more could you want?
For a vegan kebab recipe idea, simply blitz courgettes, chickpeas, fresh mint, garlic and toasted spices and shape into little vegan koftes. This recipe uses a vegan yoghurt dip, made with soy yoghurt, but you could swap it out with regular yoghurt tzatziki, if you like. Stuff it all into a pitta with a homemade cashew and peanut sauce, and dig in!
Flavourful lamb stands up well to heavy, fragrant spices, like these Yemeni-inspired lamb lollipops from Jamie’s Great Britain. Cumin, coriander, chilli and garlic are rubbed all over lamb cutlets and left to mix and mingle overnight, then griddled until sizzling and golden.
JAMIE SAYS:
“Ask your butcher for extra long lamb cutlets, untrimmed, so you have big Captain Caveman-style chops to gnaw on.”
Serve it up with tzatziki and a spicy tomato dip.
When it comes to Greek cuisine, you can never have too much grilled lamb. This time, chunks of tender lamb are marinated in a fennel and wild garlic paste, then threaded onto rosemary skewers, ready for the barbecue. A great recipe to get the kids involved with, and it tastes incredible!
Find out more about Jamie’s book 5 Ingredient Mediterranean and bag yourself a copy
FAQs
At the very least, serve it with some carrots, bell peppers, and other fresh veggies of your choice, but you can use it in many more ways with everything from the obvious gyros to pan-seared salmon, lamb rack, all sorts of kebabs including vegetable skewers, or even to top your baked potato!
How do Greek people eat tzatziki? ›
Greeks usually eat tzatziki with bread, it is also used for the famous souvlaki wrapped in a pita and ofcourse in gyros. Almost all Greeks love dipping bread and Greek fries in tzatziki that is served at every traditional restaurant.
Does tzatziki help gut health? ›
Key ingredients in Tzatziki include yogurt, cucumber, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and fresh dill or mint. Tzatziki provides essential macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals to support overall health. This versatile sauce may boost heart health, improve gut health, and potentially lower the risk of diabetes.
How do you use Trader Joe's tzatziki? ›
Trader Joe's Avocado Tzatziki is a super dip for veggies or chips. It's perfect for pita. And it's surprisingly scrumptious on salads and in sandwiches. Use it just as you would "regular" Tzatziki or "regular" guacamole.
How long does tzatziki last in the fridge? ›
Tzatziki will last about four days in the fridge before it starts to go bad. While you can freeze it, it will change a bit in regards to texture and consistency when it comes time to thawing it out.
Is tzatziki healthier than hummus? ›
Yes, tzatziki is considered a healthier dip than hummus and sour cream. It contains several vitamins, a good amount of protein, and fewer carbohydrates and calories. The fat content of tzatziki is low too, which is not the case with other dips.
Is tzatziki a healthy snack? ›
Tzatziki is a real powerhouse in terms of health benefits. Probiotics, which can aid promote gut health, vitamins A and C, calcium, and phosphorus are all included in this classic Greek meal. Together, these nutrients strengthen your immune system and maintain the health of your bones.
Can you eat tzatziki alone? ›
Yes, Tzatziki sauce can very safely be consumed by itself as it is merely a combination of Greek yogurt with cucumber, lemon, garlic, olive oil, and a variety of aromatic and crunchy herbs. You can likewise serve tzatziki sauce with chips rather than salsa. Tzatziki is particularly great with hand crafted pita chips.
What is a fun fact about tzatziki? ›
If you want to know more about this sauce, here are some historical and fun facts about it. Tzatziki started back in the Ottoman Empire. During this time, India loved their raita, a yogurt-based dip. They were also led by the Persian class, who loved the Indian rice dish called the biryani.
Is tzatziki inflammatory? ›
Tzatziki sauce is perfect healthy snack, especially thanks to protein-packed greek yogurt, shredded cucumber and anti-inflammatory garlic.
Is tzatziki healthier than sour cream? Yes, tzatziki is healthier than sour cream because it is made with Greek yogurt, which is higher in protein and lower in fat compared to sour cream. Greek yogurt contains beneficial nutrients like calcium and probiotics.
Is tzatziki good for blood pressure? ›
You can dip meatballs in tzatziki sauce or put it on top of grilled meats for a healthy, low-carb, and protein-packed meal. The tzatziki sauce is also high in calcium. It also has no cholesterol, so you won't have to worry about hurting your blood pressure and heart health.
What are 5 dishes that you could put tzatziki on? ›
Ways to use tzatziki from Jamie's 5 Ingredients Mediterranean
- Lemon-tzatziki chicken.
- Gorgeous greek chicken with herby vegetable couscous & tzatziki.
- Grilled lamb chops with fattoush.
- Crispy barbecued side of salmon with cucumber yoghurt.
- Souvlaki (Wicked kebabs)
- My special vegan kofte.
- Sizzling lamb lollipops.
Use it as a dip for fresh vegetables like cherry tomatoes, firm cucumbers (English cucumber or Persian cucumbers are good choices), carrots, or bell peppers. It's also great for pita chips or soft pita bread. Salad Dressing - Loosen the tzatziki with a bit of milk to make a fresh and tangy dressing for Greek salad.
Is it OK to heat up tzatziki sauce? ›
Can you heat up Tzatziki sauce? Yes, you can serve this sauce warm. Again, I'd leave the cucumbers out after straining to let them get up to room temperature. Meanwhile, add the rest of the sauce ingredients to a saucepan and warm up over medium-low heat until it's warmed all the way through.
Do you eat tzatziki by itself? ›
Tzatziki is a refreshing cucumber-yogurt dip or sauce that comes together quickly with basic ingredients. The creamy sauce is a staple in Greek cuisine, where it is served in wraps like gyros and souvlaki, or simply on its own as a dip or side dish.
Is tzatziki or mayo healthier? ›
You're using healthy fats: This Tzatziki's cashew base contains healthy fats compared to the mayo and sour cream of ranch, which is high in saturated fat and calories. You're using clean ingredients: Tzatziki uses nutritionally beneficial ingredients like lemon juice, herbs, cucumbers, and almond milk.
Can you eat tzatziki with tortilla chips? ›
Spread tzatziki sauce in even layer over bottom of serving dish. Layer tomato, cucumber, feta and olives over top. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 8 hours. Serve with tortilla chips for dipping.
