Traditional tzatziki relies on grated cucumber—salted, squeezed, and drained within an inch of its life—to keep the sauce thick and creamy rather than watery. This version happily ignores that rule. Instead of wringing out moisture, we swap in cucumbers’ briny cousin: the dill pickle—and we keep every drop of that flavorful juice.
Finely grate (or very finely chop) your dill pickles and resist the urge to squeeze them dry. Unlike cucumbers, you want that pickle juice. Stir it straight into the yogurt along with the grated pickles. It adds tang, salt, and that unmistakable dill flavor that makes this dip punchy, crunchy, creamy, and just a little bit addictive.
Full-fat plain Greek yogurt is key—my go-to is Fage Total 5%. The richness balances the acidity of the pickles and gives the dip body. While any dill pickle will work, I’m partial to the refrigerated kind, especially Grillo’s Pickles. They’re extra crisp and taste fresher to me.
Here’s the other secret: make it the day before. When I first stirred it together, I thought, “It’s good.” The next day? It was great. The garlic mellowed, the dill bloomed, and the flavors fully developed overnight.
Speaking of garlic, I went all in and added an extra clove. Pickles already bring a garlicky backbone, so adjust if you prefer a lighter touch. Taste before adding additional salt—pickles can vary widely in saltiness, and if you’re serving this with potato chips, you don’t want to overdo it. Ed was relieved to find it perfectly seasoned and not overly salty.
I served this for Bunco and it was a hit. This is a group that has tasted its fair share of dips and gave it enthusiastic approval. That dill-forward tang makes it memorable. It’s equally good with wavy or thick cut potato chips, pita chips and makes a fantastic sauce for crab cakes. You can also thin it with a splash of olive oil or water if you’d like more of a drizzle than a dip.
Dill Pickle Tzatziki Dip
Ingredients
- 4 whole dill pickles coarsely grated but not drained, about 1 cup (see Notes)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped dill
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus more for serving
- 1 medium garlic clove minced
- 2 cups (16 ounces) full-fat plain Greek yogurt see Notes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Serve with wavy or thick cut potato chips or pita chips
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, stir together the grated pickles (with juices), dill, olive oil and garlic until combined.
- Add the yogurt and stir until combined.
- Season to taste with salt (the pickles are already salty so you might not need more) and black pepper.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight (strongly preferred) so the flavors can develop. If you are making this the same day give it at least 2 to 3 hours for the favors to develop.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and drizzle with additional olive oil.
- Serve with wavy or thick cut potato chips or pita chips.
- Leftovers will keep refrigerated for 2 days.
Notes
- I recommend Grillo's Pickles found in the refrigerated section.
- It can be tricky to grate pickle spears, chips or slices. If that’s what you have, skip the grater and finely chop 1 cup.
- I used Fage Total 5% plain Greek yogurt which is whole milk/full-fat. Three 5.3 ounce containers are just what you need.
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