Tatum’s Tzatziki: The Dip of the Summer
I did not get the chef genes in my family. Fortunately, my sister Tatum did. She's the one who will spend a Sunday afternoon enjoying the process of figuring out a recipe— testing ratios, adjusting seasoning, and doing it again until it's right. I'm the one who shows up at her place, eats she made, and asks her to send me the recipe I will then attempt once and claim as my own. This tzatziki is that situation.
Tatum nailed this one down and I've been making it ever since. It's become the thing I bring to everything (always a hit) without having to put in too much effort. It takes about ten minutes, it uses ingredients that are good for you, and it makes store-bought tzatziki taste like an insult by comparison.
The whole milk Greek yogurt base means you're getting protein and probiotics in what is technically a dip. The cucumber keeps it light. The fresh dill and mint are key. Avoid the urge to use dried herbs here, because it's just not the same.
We eat it with pretzel crisps at my house, and it has not gotten old. It also goes beautifully alongside Greek meatballs, grilled chicken, roasted vegetables, or honestly just eaten standing at the kitchen counter with whatever you have nearby. No judgment.
If you’re more of a visual learner, watch Tatum’s TikTok tutorial for this exact recipe right here.
The Recipe
What you need:
½ cucumber, grated and dried
1 cup whole milk Greek yogurt
1 clove of garlic, grated
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (half a lemon)
½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
Dash of salt
How to make it:
1. Start with the cucumber. Grate half a cucumber and then dry it out as thoroughly as you can with a paper towel. This step matters more than it sounds. If you skip the drying, you'll end up with watery tzatziki and that's not delectable. Squeeze it, press it, and really get after it.
2. Build it in your storage container. Add the Greek yogurt directly into whatever container you plan to store it in. Add the dried cucumber and grate the garlic clove straight in.
3. Add the flavor. Squeeze in your lemon juice, drizzle in the olive oil, add the chopped mint and dill, and finish with a dash of salt.
4. Mix and taste. Stir everything together. Taste it. Adjust salt if needed. And that's about it.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving if you can. The flavors come together more as it sits and it'll be noticeably better cold. It keeps in the fridge for up to four days.
The older I get the more I appreciate a recipe that is simple, made from real ingredients, and actually delivers. This one does all three. Thanks to Tatum for doing the hard part so I didn't have to. She's the real chef in this family and her page is worth your time, so check it out!
More from Food & Life → Greek Meatballs Recipe (another Tatum Specialty) and come find me on TikTok and Instagram if you make this — I want to see it!