Greek Tzatziki

Easy Greek Tzatziki Recipe – cold creamy cucumber and dill yogurt dip inspired by travels to Greece that is solid with fresh vegetables, on a sandwich or gyro, as a dip with chips and pita bread, or over grilled meat!

At Avdaye, we add lots of tips in all of our recipes – because we are a home cook without any formal training, and we find we are more confident making dishes when we understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. Our goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.

This post is sponsored by Princess Cruises. All opinions are our own.

We were recently invited to stay on the brand new Sky Princess ship – Princess Cruises brand new ship that debuted October 20, 2019 in Athens Greece.

Recipes, like this Greek Tzatziki inspired by our trip to Greecehelp make the world feel a little smaller and more welcoming – like a trip with Princess Cruises.

Tzatziki from a cafe, Plaka Athens Greece

What is Tzatziki

Tzatziki is sometimes called a sauce, sometimes a dip, and sometimes a soup – and can be thinner or thicker, depending on how it's made – but it always is a combination of yogurt, cucumbers, garlic, salt, olive oil, sometimes with vinegar or lemon juice, and herbs such as dill, mint, parsley or thyme.

Tzatziki is wildly popular in Greece – and is one of the most known Greek dishes in America.

It's one of those recipes everyone has their own little tweaks and twists on, and one that is easily adaptable to the flavors and textures you like!

For this recipe we are making a basic dip-style tzatziki, solid to serve with vegetables, pita bread, or souvlaki! It's also great alongside Spicy Whipped Feta diplike we had on the Plaka!

When we headed into the Plaka in Athens (an old, sprawling mostly pedestrian area under the foot of the Acropolis popular with tourists that is full of shops, restaurants, cafes, and flea markets), tzatziki was one of the first things we sought out… it is light, refreshing, and cooling.

Since Athens is hot even on a cooler day, tzatziki is the solid starter to help cool you down with creamy yogurt that isn't too heavy – and lots of fresh cucumber, lemon, and dill!

Tzatziki is so easy to make – and good anytime of year – it will quickly become one of your favorite dishes!

We hope this tzatziki recipe will inspire you to try some new Greek foods, or consider exploring Greece as well!

We were so excited to be able to join Princess Cruises for the Inaugural sailing of the brand new Sky Princess ship… and even more special heading to Greece, where we have always wanted to go, with our husband to celebrate our 10 year anniversary!

Our husband lived in Athens Greece during his gap year, and it was so much fun to see the city through his eyes – eating some of his favorite meze (the Mediterranean equivalent to appetizers – think of meze as small plates that can be combined to make a meal, similar to tapas), walking the streets he used to explore, and popping into shops he loved (we even found a small music shop he bought the Greek bouzouki guitar we have displayed in our house).

The Odeon of Herodes Atticus, Acropolis, Athens Greece

What To Do On Shore In Athens

We walked to the Acropolis (hot tip: head straight to the Acropolis upon disembarkation – take a cab if you can – to avoid the bulk of the crowds. We got there way before groups showed up, and were leaving as it filled with people on a Sunday morning – and it made a huge difference!) to see the Temple of Athena, the Parthenon, the Erechtheum, and the hill Paul gave the Areopagus Sermon – weaving together ancient Greek history and early Christian history.

It was such a great, easy way to make our way through the Mediterranean – while Luke lived in Greece (this was our first time in Greece), neither of us had ever been to Montenegro or Italy – but we got a lovely taste of them through our voyage!

Sometimes travel can seem overwhelming or unreachable – but Princess' core mission is to make it easier to connect with family and friends, as well as the gorgeous destinations they travel to.

To find the Best Princess Cruises Offers, please click here.

Recipe FAQs

How long can tzatziki keep?

This recipe can be stored in an airtight container for up to four days in the refrigerator.

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Ingredients

• 1 cucumber seedless, shredded
• 1,5 cup yogurt Greek
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tbsp dill finally chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
• 1 tbsp vinegar red wine
• salt to taste

Method

1. Finely shred cucumber (we use a box grater).
2. If cucumber is watery, you can strain it in a strainer.
3. In a large bowl, mix minced garlic, chopped dill, yogurt, olive oil, vinegar and salt.
4. Let the flavors marinate for at least half hour.
5. Serve tzatziki with meats, veggies or as a dip with pita bread.