Tangy Tzatziki

By Eric Kim

Updated July 9, 2025

Tangy Tzatziki
Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Sophia Eleni Pappas.
Total Time
15 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Rating
4(60)
Comments
Read comments

Inspired by the tzatziki served at Sto Kastro, a Greek restaurant in Germersheim, Germany, this thicker, fluffier iteration of the sauce lets the pairing of cucumber and yogurt shine. The main technique here is to really squeeze the liquid out of both the cucumbers and the yogurt, which results in tzatziki that’s both creamy and almost fluffy. A second trick, from the cookbook author Suzy Karadsheh, is to use distilled white vinegar instead of lemon juice. The vinegar’s straightforward acidity delivers the best of the cucumber and yogurt. This cool, creamy mix tastes fantastic when spread on warm pita bread and crackers or used as a dip for chips and fresh crunchy vegetables.

Featured in: A Tzatziki With More Heft and Punch

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Ingredients

Yield:2 cups
  • 1garlic clove, finely grated
  • 2teaspoons distilled white vinegar, plus more to taste
  • 2cups/16 ounces plain, full-fat Greek yogurt
  • 3 to 4mini cucumbers (about 8 ounces), cut into large chunks
  • Salt
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

109 calories; 6 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 9 grams protein; 403 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a mixing bowl, combine the garlic and vinegar and set aside to mellow.

  2. Step 2

    On a flat surface, lay a clean kitchen towel flat. Add the yogurt to the center of the towel, then bring the four corners together and twist to create a tight bundle of the yogurt. Place in a small bowl and set aside.

  3. Step 3

    In a food processor or blender, coarsely chop the cucumbers with a pinch of salt so they’re still chunky and not soup. Transfer to another clean kitchen towel and bundle like the yogurt. Over the sink and using your hands, squeeze as much of the excess liquid out of the cucumbers as you can. Then, do the same with the yogurt bundle (you’ll be surprised how much water can come out of both).

  4. Step 4

    Transfer the yogurt and cucumbers to the bowl with the garlic and vinegar. Season generously with salt, then mix to combine. Taste and add more salt and vinegar to taste. Stored in an airtight container, this keeps in the refrigerator for up to a week.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
60 user ratings
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Comments

Paula

For the yogurt- Try using an unbleached coffee filter in a colander over a bowl or use a coffee filter with the plastic funnel for pour over coffee and place this in the center of a pasta bowl. This is so much easier to clean up! You can just set it in the fridge. It goes really fast.

Tina

A little fresh dlll can also be added to this recipe.

A reader

Needs good quality olive oil to finish

Carolina

Not enough garlic in this earthy dish. Three-four cloves to two or two and a half cups of strained yogurt is standard in Greek households. It's meant to deliver a punch. Also, it needn't be fluffy, but it should be more delicious than this recipe produces. Most of all, no vinegar in a dish that deserves to be called tzatziki. And, yes, always good olive oil and fresh, chopped dill or mint. In Greece, this is a salad, often a meze. Never a dip, which is deeply anathema to Greek culinary ways.

Bibi

Drizzle of olive and oil and fresh dill if you have it. I do not recommend dried dill. Black pepper also an option.

Joe

No dill? No olive oil?

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