Homemade Tzatziki

This is proper Greek tzatziki: thick strained yoghurt loosened with grated, squeezed cucumber, sharpened with garlic, lemon and good olive oil. It comes together in ten minutes with no cooking, and a short rest in the fridge lets the flavours settle into something cool, creamy and genuinely moreish.

Shop-bought tzatziki is usually thin and shy on garlic. The homemade version is a different thing entirely: thick Greek yoghurt, cucumber squeezed properly dry so it never turns watery, and enough raw garlic and lemon to wake it up. Fold in fresh dill and a generous slick of olive oil, and you have a cooling meze that belongs on every table.

Ingredients

• 400 g full-fat Greek yoghurt — the strained, thick kind, not Greek-style
• 1 cucumber — about 300g
• 2 cloves garlic — finely grated or crushed
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil — plus extra to finish
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp fresh dill — finely chopped
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar — optional, for extra tang
• ½ tsp fine salt — plus extra for the cucumber
• 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Coarsely grate the whole cucumber, skin and all, into a bowl. Toss through a good pinch of salt and leave it to sit for 5 minutes while the salt draws out the water.
2. Tip the grated cucumber into a clean tea towel or a fine sieve. Gather it up and squeeze hard over the sink until barely any liquid comes out. This step is what keeps the tzatziki thick, so be ruthless.
3. Spoon the Greek yoghurt into a mixing bowl. Grate or crush in the garlic, then add the olive oil, lemon juice and the red wine vinegar if using.
4. Add the squeezed cucumber and chopped dill to the yoghurt. Season with the salt and a pinch of black pepper.
5. Stir everything together until evenly combined and creamy. Taste and adjust, adding more lemon, salt or garlic to suit.
6. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes if you have time, to let the garlic mellow and the flavours come together.
7. To serve, spoon into a shallow bowl, make a well in the top with the back of the spoon and drizzle with olive oil. Finish with a little extra dill.

Serve it with

• Warm pitta or flatbread
• Grilled lamb or chicken souvlaki
• A meze spread with olives and feta
• Crunchy raw vegetable crudités
• Roasted or fried potatoes

Why this works

Salting and squeezing the cucumber removes the water that would otherwise thin the dip, so the strained yoghurt stays thick and the garlic and lemon read clearly rather than being diluted.

Common swaps

• Swap dill for chopped fresh mint for a lighter, fresher finish
• Use plain strained yoghurt and stir in a spoon of soured cream if you can't find Greek yoghurt
• Coconut yoghurt makes a decent dairy-free version, though the flavour shifts
• Add a little grated lemon zest in place of vinegar for brighter acidity

Common mistakes to avoid

• Not squeezing the cucumber dry, which leaves the dip watery within the hour
• Using thin Greek-style yoghurt instead of proper thick strained yoghurt
• Going easy on the garlic, then wondering why it tastes flat
• Skipping the rest in the fridge, so the raw garlic stays harsh

Storage, freezing & reheating

Storage: Keep covered in the fridge and eat within 3 days; give it a quick stir before serving as a little liquid may separate.

Allergen notes: contains Milk. Always check individual product labels.

Estimated nutrition

Per serving, estimated from typical ingredient values — not a substitute for precise dietary calculation.