Most tzatziki is watery. The cucumber goes in undrained, the yoghurt is too thin, and by the time it reaches the table it has pooled at the bottom of the bowl and lost most of its body. This version fixes both problems. The cucumber is salted, drained for 30 minutes, and squeezed dry before it goes anywhere near the yoghurt. The yoghurt is proper strained Greek — thick enough to hold its shape. Made ahead and refrigerated overnight, it only gets better.
Ingredients
- 0.5 Cucumber, grated, before draining
- Fine sea salt, for salting the cucumber, plus to taste
- 300 g Full-fat Greek yoghurt, thick — FAGE or similar
- 20 g Fresh lemon juice
- 20 g Extra virgin olive oil
- 8 leaves Fresh mint, finely chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic, finely minced
- To serve
- 1 tbsp (14g) Extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle
Equipment
- Fine sieve or colander
Grate the cucumber and toss with a generous pinch of fine sea salt until well coated. Transfer to a fine sieve set over a bowl and leave to drain for 30 minutes.
While the cucumber drains, combine the full-fat Greek yoghurt, fresh lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, fresh mint, and garlic in a bowl. Mix until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning with fine sea salt.
Once the cucumber has drained, take it in your hands and squeeze out as much remaining moisture as possible — push it firmly against the sieve or wrap it in a clean cloth and wring it hard. More water will come out than it looks like there should be.
Add the dry cucumber to the yoghurt base and stir until evenly distributed. Taste and adjust the seasoning one more time.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving — overnight is better. Spoon into a bowl and drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil to serve.
Notes & Substitutions
Yoghurt: Use proper strained Greek yoghurt — FAGE Total or similar. Standard yoghurt, even full-fat, is thinner and will make a runny tzatziki even after draining the cucumber properly. If you can only find regular yoghurt, strain it overnight through a cloth-lined sieve before using.
Mint: Fresh mint is the right call here — dried mint gives a dusty, muted flavour that doesn’t work as well. If you can’t find fresh mint, leave it out rather than substitute dried.
Make-ahead: Tzatziki keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days. It often improves on the second day once the garlic has fully mellowed. Give it a stir before serving if any liquid has separated to the top.
Serving: Works alongside grilled meat, as a dip with warm bread or crudités, or as a sauce for pork souvlaki. The olive oil drizzle on top is not optional — it adds richness and rounds out the acidity.
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Greek Tzatziki
COOKED
PROPERLY
Ingredients
- 0.5 Cucumber (grated, before draining)
- Fine sea salt (for salting the cucumber, plus to taste)
- 300 g Full-fat Greek yoghurt (thick — FAGE or similar)
- 20 g Fresh lemon juice
- 20 g Extra virgin olive oil
- 8 leaves Fresh mint (finely chopped)
- 2 cloves Garlic (finely minced)
- 1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil (to drizzle)
Equipment
- Fine sieve or colander
Method
Salt and drain the cucumber
0.5 Cucumber · Fine sea salt
Grate the cucumber and toss with a generous pinch of fine sea salt until well coated. Transfer to a fine sieve set over a bowl and leave to drain for 30 minutes.
Make the yoghurt base
300 g Full-fat Greek yoghurt · 20 g Fresh lemon juice · 20 g Extra virgin olive oil · 8 leaves Fresh mint · 2 cloves Garlic
While the cucumber drains, combine the full-fat Greek yoghurt, fresh lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, fresh mint, and garlic in a bowl. Mix until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning with fine sea salt.
The garlic will taste sharp when freshly mixed. If you can, make the base now and leave it covered in the fridge — even 30 minutes of resting mellows it considerably. Overnight is better still.
Squeeze and combine
Once the cucumber has drained, take it in your hands and squeeze out as much remaining moisture as possible — push it firmly against the sieve or wrap it in a clean cloth and wring it hard. More water will come out than it looks like there should be.
Add the dry cucumber to the yoghurt base and stir until evenly distributed. Taste and adjust the seasoning one more time.
Squeezing is where most people stop too early. The cucumber should feel almost dry — keep going until it genuinely is. The difference between a properly squeezed tzatziki and an under-squeezed one is visible within ten minutes of serving.
Rest and serve
1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving — overnight is better. Spoon into a bowl and drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil to serve.
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