This Creamy Dip Is The Refreshing Topping Your Summer Burgers Need

You could smear ketchup on your burger's buns and call it a day. You could add barbecue sauce to the meat patties and settle for its familiar taste. But when summer rolls around and the blazing hot weather is calling for something fresh and cool, maybe it's time for a change. Why not give them the light and breezy twist the season demands, something that not only ties everything together but also mellows out heavier elements? We're talking about tzatziki sauce. While you wouldn't typically expect to find this beloved dip when biting into a flavor-packed burger, it's just the thing that makes its summer rendition crave-worthy.

When you've already got fatty meat, melted cheese, and hefty bread buns stacked on top of each other, tzatziki can be quite the palate cleanser. The moment the grilled patties' heat comes into play, the sauce instantly cools your taste buds with its freshness. Greek yogurt — an absolute must have in tzaztiki sauce, gives it the mildly tangy base that balances out a burger's richness. Tagging along is a swirl of hidden complexity, where soothing cucumber and aromatic herbs dance with pungent garlic while acidic lemon juice sparkles in the back. That's the multifaceted beauty of tzatziki — it can bring a whole other flavor dimension to your dish while still keeping things pleasantly light.

Tzatziki plays well with other burger toppings

With just how flexible tzatziki is, there's no doubt it can fit right into a wide range of burger recipes. Have it as a dipping bowl on the side or slather it right onto the beef patties of classic burgers for the ultimate crowd-pleaser at summer cookouts. A lighter flavor profile can be found in salmon burgers, where the sauce melds right into the delicate sweetness of the fish. Other types of fish such as tuna or cod will also work with tzatziki.

However, you can also take the opportunity to segue into making Mediterranean burgers. Get creative with staple ingredients from the cuisine such as feta cheese, halloumi, fresh dill, cucumber, eggplants, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, capers. A side of Greek lemon potatoes — in which potato wedges are tossed in a lemon dressing and roasted — also makes a fantastic companion to your burgers. Sticking to the fresher side, a Greek salad is also a great fit.

The meat patties in particular can be swapped from ground beef to turkey or lamb, or even chickpeas if you want a vegetarian option. Obviously, this works with burger-adjacent dishes as well; just imagine how great a plateful of tzatziki-slathered loaded Greek turkey burger sliders will be. Since the ingredients are largely similar, you can even take the gyro approach by mixing beef with lamb, with the addition of herbs like Greek oregano, coriander, and spices such as nutmeg and sumac. You can really make this a Greek-flavored summer to remember.

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