Tzatziki Sauce

This is a great tasting Tzatziki sauce that goes well with chicken, whole wheat pitas and more. It's a process to make but definitely well worth the effort.

3 c. plain yogurt
3 Tblsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. chopped garlic
2 cucumbers, seeded & diced
1 Tblsp. finely chopped fresh dill
salt & pepper to taste


Before you make your sauce you will need to drain your yogurt. Begin by placing two paper coffee filters inside of an automatic drip coffee dispenser. Set drip dispenser on top of a bowl or other type container to catch liquid as it drains.


Spoon the yogurt from original container and place into coffee filter. Allow to drain for several hours or overnight in the refrigerator. (You can do this at room temperature on the counter for about 2-4 hours, but personally I don't like to allow my yogurt to get that warm.)


This is after only 2 hours of being in the refrigerator. So you can see by the amount of liquid in the bowl that you will need a deep enough bowl to catch it all. Once yogurt has drained well, transfer it to a small bowl.



Next, begin peeling your cucumbers. Cut each in half lengthwise. Scrape out and discard seeds. Slice cucumbers and place in a colander. Sprinkle ! tablespoon of salt over cucumbers and toss lightly to coat. Allow to sit for about 30 minutes or until the majority of water has drained out. Rinse lightly with cold water. Drain well pat dry with a paper towel.


Place cucumbers, garlic, lemon juice, dill, and pepper (amount to suit your taste) into a food processor bowl. Process until well blended. Add mixture to yogurt and stir to mix well.Adjust salt & pepper at this point to suit your taste.


Return mixture to refrigerator and allow to chill for about an hour before serving. Store any left overs in the refrigerator. (Mixture may need to be drained and stirred before using again as more liquid will extract itself from the yogurt.)

Click HERE for printable recipe