The One-Ingredient Fix You Need To Rescue Runny Tzatziki

There is more than one way to use tzatziki in your kitchen — be it as a topping on your gyro loaded fries or as a spread on your canned dolmas. But, unless you're using it as a salad dressing or marinade, you might not want it runny. Thankfully, CJ Jacobson — "Top Chef" contestant and chef and Partner of the Chicago Mediterranean restaurants, Aba and Ēma — has a one-ingredient fix to rescue your runny tzatziki.

Jacobson told Tasting Table that, "If your tzatziki is too runny, you can add labneh instead of yogurt, as it is thicker and creamier." Authentic Greek yogurt is usually used for tzatziki. Traditionally, it's made from strained goat or sheep's milk, but full-fat Greek yogurt derived from cow's milk might be the closest alternative you'll find in stores. The texture can still come up short depending on the brand you buy. Fortunately, that's nothing a scoop of labneh can't help to mitigate.

With additions of lemon juice and olive oil, plus the added liquid from chopped cucumbers, it's easy for your homemade tzatziki to come up short (or, in this case, thin) — and without access to truly thick and authentic Greek yogurt, it's almost like you're set up to fail. But, the truth is that even some people in Greece may prepare their tzatziki with labneh. Originating in the Middle East, labneh is an example of the ways Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines mirror one another.

Labneh is a Lebanese version of cream cheese that's made by straining yogurt through a cheesecloth. The result is thick and spreadable but saltier and tangier than U.S.-style cream cheese. It tends to be served very similarly in the Middle East to the way tzatziki is served in Greece — drizzled with olive oil, dusted with herbs, and dipped, drizzled, or spread. Labneh has taken steam in the West too. While it should be relatively easy to find at the store, it's also very possible to make without having to pick up any extra ingredients for your tzatziki.

Knowing that labneh is made from strained yogurt, you can create your own by reserving a cup and straining it through a cheesecloth. This will, essentially, remove the liquid from it, so you can then add it back into the rest of your ingredients to make classic tzatziki sauce.