Can tzatziki be frozen? - 5 tips for a perfect frozen tzatziki

Tzatziki is a popular Greek seasoning that is easy to make, yet adds a lot of flavor to other dishes.

Have you ever wondered if you can freeze leftover tzatziki or make more ahead of time?

Tzatziki sauce has less water content than other dairy-based sauces, making it more suitable for freezing. You can expect some changes in the texture of the sauce, but it won’t affect the quality of the flavor as long as you thaw it properly.

Read on to find out more about this delicious yogurt sauce and how you should freeze and thaw it correctly.

What is tzatziki?

Although there are multiple variations of tzatziki sauce, it is widely known as a Greek seasoning. It is a classic sauce made with yogurt, cucumber, lemon juice, garlic, herbs and spices.

Although these are the main components of classic tzatziki, the flavor can vary depending on the herbs and spices you decide to use.

I personally recommend using this spice pack from Amazon when making tzatziki.

The consistency of the tzatziki sauce can also vary depending on the type of yogurt used, diluted or strained.  Tzatziki made with diluted yogurt is naturally quite watery. Classic Greek tzatziki is made with Greek yogurt, which has a thicker consistency.

This sauce has a mild flavor. It is very fresh and smooth, which is why tzatziki is often paired with spicy food to balance it out.

Tzatziki can be served as a side dish, an appetizer, or a meze.  There are so many things you can do with this simple yet effective seasoning. It can be used as a salad dressing for a quick lunch.

You can make a light and flavorful Italian-style bruschetta by mixing the tzatziki with some fresh ingredients, like feta or tomatoes.

If you are a street food lover, you may have noticed a fresh sauce on your gyro wrapper. Well, it’s most likely tzatziki!

Tzatziki sauce is also served with the kebabs and the Greek chicken souvlaki.

how to make tzatziki

Making tzatziki is an easy task. You just have to chop up a few things and mix it all with some yogurt and the most refreshing sauce is ready to complete your table.

Tzatziki is made with plain Greek yogurt that you can find in any supermarket. If there is a Greek market near where you live, it would be a good idea to buy authentic Greek yogurt. Its flavor is always richer than locally made Greek yogurt.

Any plain Greek yogurt will do, but pay attention to the keyword “Greek.” Greek yogurt, unlike any regular yogurt, is strained.  The latter means that excess water is removed from the yogurt. Thus, Greek yogurt is much thicker than normal yogurts.

To make the classic Greek tzatziki sauce you will need

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 cucumber, grated or thinly sliced (do not remove seeds or skin)
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill (mint, parsley, thyme)
• 3 garlic cloves finely chopped or grated
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• salt and black pepper

To make a tzatziki sauce, prepare these ingredients and stir them all together. Serve it with a little olive oil drizzled on top.

Can tzatziki be frozen?

The refrigerator life of tzatziki sauce is about 4 days. If you think you can’t finish it in a few days, then freezing the sauce is a good idea.

Freezing tzatziki sauce does not pose any health risk. However, don’t expect it to be the same consistency as freshly made tzatziki.

You can keep the tzatziki sauce in the freezer for about 3 months.  Keep in mind that the longer you freeze it, the more its texture will be affected.

What happens when tzatziki is frozen?

Since the water content of the sauce is due to the yogurt, cucumbers, and lemon, when thawed, the tzatziki may become grainy and separate.

The lemon juice in the tzatziki sauce causes it to curdle . Cucumbers also change their texture. However, the acidity of the yogurt helps them retain the initial crunch.

As for the Greek yogurt itself, it oozes water while it’s in the fridge or freezer.  Thus, the texture and flavor undergo slight changes. The yogurt becomes looser in consistency and less smooth. The taste becomes more acidic.

Yogurt contains a lot of good bacteria. However, when frozen, part of them are destroyed. After all, frozen Greek yogurt and tzatziki made with it are still healthy to eat.

How to freeze and thaw tzatziki

If you want to be successful at freezing tzatziki sauce, you need to pay attention to how you store it in the freezer and how you thaw it afterwards.

How to freeze tzatziki sauce

To store tzatziki sauce in the freezer, you need to put it in a container with a tight-fitting lid. Wrap the container with several layers of plastic. 

To remove as much air as possible, place the wrapped container in a freezer bag and squeeze out all the air. Seal the bag well so that no air can penetrate.

Double-wrapping the container is the best way to keep the tzatziki tasting fresh once thawed. 

Don’t forget to put the date on the bag so you don’t eat an expired sauce a few months later.

How to thaw tzatziki

Taking the tzatziki out of the fridge and leaving it on the counter to thaw is not a good decision. The change in texture is unavoidable when it comes to freezing yogurt. However, there are a few steps you can take to get the best results.

Put the tzatziki sauce in the fridge for the “initial” phase of thawing.  And only when it has thawed a bit, take it out to completely thaw the sauce.

Once the seasoning is thawed, you will see that some water has exuded from it. Instead of trying to mix it back into the sauce, pour it over.  Removing as much water as possible will help achieve a better consistency and make the tzatziki less watery.

You can serve thawed tzatziki sauce as a dip for vegetables, chips, or crackers. It can also be used as a dressing for pasta or potato salads.

Tzatziki also goes perfectly with fried vegetables, such as zucchini and eggplant. 

Tips for Freezing Tzatziki Sauce

If you are preparing the tzatziki with the intention of putting it in the fridge later, here are some tips to make your sauce more suitable for being frozen.

The idea of these tips is to make the seasoning less watery. We all know by now that after thawing, all foods become watery. So it’s important to try to remove as much water as possible when making the sauce.

Tip #1

Greek yogurt is less watery than regular yogurt. What’s even thicker, though, is full Greek yogurt.

Using low-fat yogurt will not only make the thawed tzatziki sauce less watery, but it will also make the sauce more delicious and creamy.

If you don’t have low-fat Greek yogurt on hand, you can strain the plain Greek yogurt to make it thicker and more flavorful. 

Tip #2

Try to find Persian cucumbers for your tzatziki sauce. They are crunchy and contain less water. 

If you can’t find them, there is a way to “extract” as much water as possible from the cucumbers. You can, of course, remove the seeds, but you will lose the texture that the cucumber brings and you will also waste the product.

Instead of removing all the good parts of the cucumber, cut it into slices and sprinkle salt on the cut pieces.  The salt will draw the water out of the cucumbers and you will have less liquid in your tzatziki sauce.

Tip #3

Another tip to make the cucumbers less watery is to grate them half an hour before making the sauce . Put the grated cucumber in a colander and season it with a little salt. This is another great way to make vegetables strain out excess water.

Once it has set in the strainer for 20-30 minutes, give the grated cucumber a good squeeze to make sure you have removed as much water as possible.

This is a great way to prepare the cucumbers for the tzatziki sauce if you plan to make a large batch to last a week or freeze for future use.

Tip #4

Once frozen and thawed, tzatziki sauce can become grainy. To prevent the sauce from separating, you can add a little liquid cream to it and stir it well before putting the tzatziki in the freezer. 

Of course, the taste of the sauce can change. However, if you’re not using high-fat Greek yogurt, adding fat via heavy cream can help to better preserve the texture of the sauce.

Tip #5

Like almost any other food that is frozen, tzatziki also changes its texture. Some people enjoy it as much as fresh tzatziki, while others don’t find it quite as delicious.

The best advice is to freeze a small amount of tzatziki sauce, thaw it, and see if you like the flavor and texture.