Simple Tzatziki with Feta – Cucumber Yogurt Dip

We love this thick and creamy tzatziki yogurt dip with fresh cucumber, lemon, dill and feta cheese. It’s brightly flavored and is perfect to serve with veggies, pita chips, grilled meats and even on sandwiches.

Keys to the Best Tzatziki

Tzatziki is very simple to make. To make the best, however, you must to remember this: too much moisture is tzatziki’s enemy. It makes things watery and prevents all the flavors like lemon, garlic and dill from mingling. So, for these best tasting dip, keep the following in mind:

Yogurt Dip Starts with Thick, Creamy Yogurt

There are two options for the yogurt. The easiest is to use Greek yogurt. We like using the Fage brand (it seems to be a bit thicker than others). If you’re lucky and live near gourmet or specialty markets, you may also find Greek yogurt there.

The second option is to strain plain yogurt (not Greek yogurt). This removes extra moisture. To do this, place the yogurt in a fine mesh strainer that has been lined with cheesecloth or paper towels and rest it over a bowl. Place into the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours so the yogurt can drain. Then, discard the liquid.

Deseed, Grate, Salt and Squeeze the Cucumber

We use a whole cucumber for this and prefer to use English or hothouse cucumbers. (They’re the ones sold in plastic wrap and have a thinner skin). Baby cucumbers work well, too.

It’s important to remove the seeds from the cucumber – that just removes unnecessary moisture. Then, grate it. Scatter the grated cucumber over a clean dishcloth and season with salt. The salt does two things. First, it seasons and makes the cucumber taste more “cucumbery.” Second, it helps draw moisture out.

Finally, wrap the dishcloth up and squeeze all the liquid out – you’ll be shocked at how much actually comes out.

Let it Sit

If you’re in a pinch, you can totally enjoy the dip immediately after making. But, if you have the time let the yogurt dip sit covered in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours. The flavors will become much more developed.

Did you enjoy our Simple Tzatziki with Feta (Greek Cucumber Yogurt Dip)? If so, we bet you’ll love these:

• Baked Cheese Dip with Tomato and Basil Recipe from Inspired Taste
• Tzatziki – Greek Cucumber Yogurt Dip from Good Life Eats
• World’s Best Tzatziki Sauce Recipe – Greek Yogurt and Cucumber Sauce from Kayln’s Kitchen
• More tips for the best Tzatziki found here from Serious Eats
• Our Favorite Guacamole Recipe from Inspired Taste

5.0 from 1 reviews

Simple Tzatziki with Feta – Greek Cucumber Yogurt Dip

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

We love this thick and creamy yogurt dip with fresh cucumber, lemon, dill and feta cheese. It’s brightly flavored and is perfect to serve with veggies, pita chips, grilled meats and even on sandwiches. There are two options for the yogurt. The easiest is to use Greek yogurt. However, you can also use strain plain yogurt. This removes extra moisture. To do this, place the yogurt in a fine mesh strainer that has been lined with cheesecloth or paper towels and rest it over a bowl. Place into the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours so the yogurt can drain. Then, discard the liquid.

Created By: Joanne and Adam Gallagher

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 hothouse cucumber
• 2 (7-ounce) containers Greek yogurt (We use Fage)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely minced garlic (1 large clove)
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar (can substitute white wine vinegar)
• 2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
• 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste

Method

1. Cut cucumber in half, lengthwise. Use a spoon to scrape out the seeds then discard them. Grate cucumber.
2. Scatter grated cucumber over a clean dishcloth (or paper towels). Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Then let sit at least 10 minutes. Then, gather up the corners of the dishcloth and squeeze as much liquid from grated cucumber as possible.
3. In a medium bowl, combine squeezed cucumber with yogurt, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, chopped dill, garlic and the feta cheese. Season with 3/4 teaspoon of salt then taste and adjust as necessary with more salt. (We used about 1 1/4 teaspoons).
4. Serve immediately or if you can spare the time, cover dip with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 to 4 hours to develop flavor.

3.2.1596

About the Author

Adam

I'm Adam Gallagher and alongside my wife, Joanne, I photograph and share favorite recipes from our kitchen. Sharing our recipes began as a hobby, turned into a dream and now has become our business. I just love that.