Cacık is one of the most popular side dishes in Turkish cuisine. Made with yogurt, cucumbers, garlic and dried mint, it's refreshing, flavorful and ready in just 5 minutes. As a Turkish family, we make it several times a week because it goes well with almost any home-cooked meal.
A Popular Turkish Side Dish
Cacık is one of the popular side dishes in Turkish homes.
We usually go for cacık when we don't feel like chopping lots of vegetables for a salad.
It's especially good with dishes made with pepper paste or tomato paste, as its refreshing flavor balances the richness.
It is really populat at lokantas (casual restaurants serving home-style Turkish dishes) too.
When we lived in Türkiye, one of our favorite lunches at our favorite lokanta was Turkish moussaka, rice pilaf and a bowl of cacık.
It's one of the classic combinations you'll find at many lokantas and homes. The main dish may change, but rice pilaf and cacık are two of the most common side dishes.
About the Ingredients
You only need a handful of simple ingredients to make authentic Turkish cacık: plain yogurt, cucumber, garlic, dried mint and water.
In Türkiye, plain yogurt usually has a nice tanginess that gives cacık its refreshing flavor. If your yogurt isn't tangy at all, add a small squeeze of lemon juice to get a similar flavor of Turkish yogurt.
Dried mint is another key ingredient in cacık. Unlike fresh mint, it has a deeper, more concentrated flavor and aroma. That's what gives traditional cacık its distinctive taste. Fresh mint is lovely as a garnish, but we wouldn't use it instead of dried mint.
Some people also like adding a little fresh dill. We do this from time to time too, but dried mint is still the main herb.
The amount of water is completely up to you. Some people like their cacık thick, while others prefer it thinner. Adjust it to your taste.
The toppings you see here are completely optional. A drizzle of olive oil is the most common finishing touch.
Pul biber (Turkish red pepper flakes) is entirely a matter of personal taste. Some people love the gentle heat, while others prefer to leave it out. In southern Türkiye, you might also see a pinch of sumac.
We enjoy all of these toppings, but cacık is just as delicious without them.
You'll find the full list of ingredients with exact measurements in the recipe card below.
How to Make Cacık
Making cacık couldn't be easier!
To be honest, we almost never measure the ingredients when making cacık. We simply mix everything together, tasting and adjusting as we go.
Don't worry! We measured everything for this recipe, but there really isn't one "correct" way to make cacık. Feel free to make it thicker or thinner, or add a little more garlic or dried mint to suit your taste.
Start by mixing the yogurt with the salt and dried mint. Gradually add cold water until the yogurt reaches your preferred consistency.
There's no right or wrong consistency. Some people enjoy a thicker cacık, while others prefer it thinner.
Our recipe here makes a cacık that's somewhere in the middle—not too thick and not too thin—which is exactly how we like to serve it as a side dish. When serving it as a meze, though, we prefer it a little thicker.
Stir in the grated or mashed garlic.
Next, stir in the diced cucumber. That's it. Super easy!
You can grate the cucumber using the large holes of a box grater if you prefer, but we like to dice it so it stays nice and crunchy.
Just before serving, drizzle with a little olive oil if you like. You can also sprinkle on some extra dried mint, pul biber or sumac. They're all optional, but we love every version.
You'll find the full step-by-step instructions in the recipe card below.
Leave Out the Water to Serve It as a Meze
If you're serving cacık as part of a meze spread, simply leave out the water. This version is known as kuru cacık (dry cacık) because it's made without water.
Many people in Türkiye also make it with a mixture of strained yogurt (süzme yoğurt) and regular yogurt. It gives the dip a thicker, creamier texture that's perfect for scooping up with bread.
If you enjoy Turkish yogurt-based mezes, be sure to check out our Haydari and Carrot Tarator (Turkish Yogurt and Carrot Dip) recipes too.
Is Cacık a Cold Soup?
At first glance, cacık might look like a cold soup. It's served chilled in individual bowls and eaten with a spoon.
But in Türkiye, we don't think of it as a soup.
Cacık is always served alongside a main dish, not on its own. You take a spoonful of cacık between bites of your meal, much like you would enjoy a salad or another side dish.
Outside Türkiye, cacık is sometimes described as a sauce because it's served with so many dishes. In Türkiye, though, we don't think of it that way. It's meant to be enjoyed on the side, not poured over the food.
What Goes with Cacık?
One of the best things about cacık is that it goes with almost any Turkish meal. But there are a few combinations that are especially popular.
These are classic meal combinations served in many Turkish homes and lokantas (casual home-style restaurants). Here are a few of them:
- Kuru Fasulye (Turkish white bean stew) + Rice Pilaf + Cacık
- Turkish Moussaka + Rice Pilaf + Cacık
- Karniyarık + Rice Pilaf + Cacık
Cacık is also commonly served with:
- İzmir Köfte (Turkish meatballs with potatoes in tomato sauce)
- Stuffed Peppers
- Turkish Green Beans (Taze Fasulye)
- Tomato Bulgur Pilaf
- Eggplant Kebab
The thicker, meze-style version of cacık is also a delicious side for Turkish kebabs.
Storage
Cacık is best enjoyed on the day it's made, when the cucumber is at its crunchiest. As it sits, the cucumber will release some water and lose a little of its crisp texture, but it will still taste delicious.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Give it a good stir before serving.
Can I Make It Ahead?
Yes. You can make cacık a few hours ahead and keep it in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve. In fact, the garlic and dried mint have a little more time to flavor the yogurt.
More Turkish Side Dishes
- Turkish Red Cabbage Salad
- Piyaz (White Bean Salad)
- Shepherd Salad
- Turkish Lettuce Salad
- Purslane Salad
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📖 Recipe
Cacık (Turkish Yogurt and Cucumber Side Dish)
Video
INGREDIENTS
- 300 g / 1¼ cups plain yogurt
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried mint
- 60 ml / ¼ cup cold water
- 1 clove garlic grated or mashed
- 150 g cucumber (about ½ English cucumber or 2 medium Persian cucumbers) diced into small cubes
Optional toppings (per serving):
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 pinch dried mint
- 1 pinch pul biber Turkish red pepper flakes (or Aleppo pepper)
- 1 pinch sumac
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, salt and dried mint.
- Gradually pour in the cold water, whisking until smooth. Add a little more or less water if you prefer a thinner or thicker cacık.
- Stir in the mashed or grated garlic.
- Now add the diced cucumber into the yogurt mixture. Combine everything well.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Divide the cacık into serving bowls. If desired, drizzle each bowl with olive oil and sprinkle with a little dried mint, pul biber and/or sumac.
- Serve immediately, or chill until ready to serve.
NOTES
NUTRITION
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Christine says
This is so refreshing. I didn't add any water to the Greek yogurt because I like it thick. I also used baby cukes, so I put a whole cup instead of half a cup. So delicious!!
Zerrin & Yusuf says
That sounds wonderful! We sometimes prefer it thick too. So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for your comments and the five-star ratings!
Hollis Ramsey says
I add lemon juice and serve with a confit of grape tomatoes, artichoke hearts, scallions, lemon peel, and garlic. I’m heating the confit now and will serve with cold cacik made with the confited garlic and olive oil. I also like that the cucumber water isn’t squeezed out.
I’m in love with Turkish cuisine. Last week I made Menemen with leftover Confit Tandoori Chickpeas recipe (from Yotam Ottolenghi’s OTK) as the base, with a little shredded mozzarella and a LOT of feta and chopped coriander. It was the best scrambled eggs I’ve ever had!
I’ve also made a Güveç, which is so easy and delicious!
Zerrin & Yusuf says
Hi Hollis,
You turned it into an amazing new recipe! Sounds super tasty!
We never squeeze or deseed cucumber when making cacik. We don't mind it.
Thank you for sharing your twist on cacik and menemen. We will have to try your way.
Cheers!
Marielle says
This was great! I did use fresh mint, finely chopped. I grated the cucumber and put it in a piece of cheesecloth and squeezed out the excess water. I dressed it with some nice olive oil and sumac.
I'll be making this again real soon.
Yusuf says
Hi Marielle,
So happy to hear that you loved it!
Fresh mint is so good in cacik! We never remove the juice of cucumber.
Thanks for the tip! That olive oil and sumac on the top make it even tastier. Right?
Marielle says
It looks pretty and the flavours complement the taste of the cacik. Yes i made it again today 😀 and Lavash as well. So good!
Deniz says
Yummmmm is all I can say.. We served this with the stuffed capsicum and omg soooooo good... Thanks for sharing 🙂
Yusuf says
Glad you liked it! Any stuffed vegetable goes perfect with cacik!
Ece says
Zerrin,
Cacik is one of my favourites! As well as dried mint, I also add some "sumac" to cacik. Give it a try! 😉
Hugs & kisses.
Love,
Ece
Zerrin says
Hi my lovely friend,
Sumac is a great idea! Will try it next time for sure.
Big hugs & kisses!
Lydia says
This has always been one of my 2 1/2 year old daughter's favorites! BUT, my adaptation is to keep it thick so it is less messy for a toddler (and me!) to eat. I use about 1 cup thick, strained yogurt, 1 or 2 pressed garlic cloves (depending on size), salt and dried or fresh chopped mint, and one peeled and finely chopped little "perisan" or "japanese" cucumber (the small, slender ones that aren't as watery or seedy as typical cucumbers for sale here in the US ) --either from the international market or a young "Tendergreen" variety from my own garden (a young "burpless" variety of homegrown cucumber is similar to the exotic types), Walmart has started selling a 6 pack of "gourmet" cucumbers for $2.50 which is very suitable and which I used today, since my cucumbers aren't bearing yet. It is more of a cucumber salad than a cold soup for me. But the taste is fantastic! It is also a good dip for vegetables!
kaia says
thanks for this recipe! made it and it was deelicious. also added a dash of black pepper and bit of lemon juice and olive oil. thanks again!
Zerrin says
These are great additions! Can't wait to try it with your version!
Jae Blakney says
Made this once and it was so delicious! Went well with Buffalo wings. Now we're in the Dominican Republic. It's so hot here that it's hard to eat hot food and we are craving creamy-cold cacik. If we can find plain yogurt anywhere, we'll make it.
Mrs Ergül says
yay! And I add another Turkish dish into my repertoire!
JMom says
I like it! Just in time too our cucumbers are at their peak now 🙂
Cajun Chef Ryan says
Oh I like that, looks really great! Thanks!
Miya says
wow ! simple and delicious at the same time.. Thanx alot 🙂
Gera @ SweetsFoods says
A healthy and refreshing appetizer...never tasted both yogurt and cucumber all together 😉
I'd try the cacik soon to know this particular and neat flavor!
Cheers,
Gera