Cacik (Turkish Yogurt Sauce)

Name: Cacik (Turkish Yogurt Sauce)
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Turkish
Ingredients: 1 cup strained yogurt (or 1 and 1/2 cups homemade yogurt); 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon dried mint; 1/4 cup cold water; 1 clove garlic,mashed; 1/2 cup cucumbers; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 teaspoon dried mint; 1 teaspoon sumac; 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

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Turkish Cacik is such a tasty side dish that pairs well with any dish. It is made with plain yogurt, cucumber, garlic and mint. So easy to make and ready in less than 10 minutes.

Yogurt cucumber cacik in a white bowl accompanied by chicken kebabs, shepherd salad, lettuce leaves, roasted garlic, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, bulgur pilaf, tomatoes and cherries.

This Turkish yogurt sauce recipe is a staple in Turkish cuisine. We pair it with several dishes from kebabs like doner kebab, chicken kebabs and Turkish meatballs to meatless dishes like imam bayildi and menemen.

If you eat at a Turkish restaurant, you will definitely see cacik as the first or second item in the side dish or meze section on their menu. It is one of the side dishes served with kabobs too.

We have an obsession for meze type of dishes and cacik is our all-time favorite. We make it almost everyday to serve with whatever we cook for dinner. You can’t imagine how easy and simple yet so addictive it is.

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What is Cacik?
How To Pronounce It
Are Cacik and Tzatziki The Same?
Why You Will Love This
Ingredients
How To Make It
Expert Tips
Serving Suggestions
FAQs
More Turkish Dishes
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What is Cacik?

Cacik is one of the oldest dips or sauces. It is originally a Middle Eastern food and probably the most popular side dish in Turkey today. You can pair any food with this Turkish yogurt sauce.

Cacik is basically a combination of plain yogurt, cucumbers, garlic and dried mint. Turkish restaurants, lokanta as we say in Turkish, even have meal deals including cacik.

Some main dishes from these meal deals are kuru fasulye (Turkish bean stew), izmir kofte (meatballs and potatoes in tomato sauce) and karniyarik (Turkish style stuffed eggplants). These are always paired with rice pilaf or bulgur pilaf and cacik.

There are two versions of cacik in Turkey.

One is in the form of a thick dip and called kuru (dry) cacik as it contains very little amount of water or no water at all. This one is made with strained yogurt, which is known as Greek yogurt in Europe or in the US. It is the one served as a meze dip.

The second version is in the form of a cold soup and has a thin and runny texture. It is made either with homemade Turkish yoghurt or strained yogurt. No matter which yogurt you use, you mix it with some water to make it runny like a soup. The amount of water you use depends on how runny or thick you prefer it. This one is like a cold cucumber soup served as a side dish to pair with a main dish.

When made with strained yogurt, it might be confused with yogurt and feta dip called haydari, but cacik contains cucumber and no feta cheese.

Want more recipes with yogurt? Check out Turkish yogurt soup with rice, cold yogurt drink ayran and cilbir aka Turkish eggs.

How To Pronounce It

Cacik is pronounced ja-jik. The Turkish letter 'c' is always pronounced 'j', so it won't be correct if you say it with 'k' sound as you do when saying 'cat' or with 's' sound as you do when saying 'center'. And the 'i' sound in the second syllable is pronounced like the 'i' sound in the word 'cousin'. If you want to learn how to pronounce it correctly, watch our cacik recipe video.

Cacik garnished with spices in a bowl on a dark background.

Are Cacik and Tzatziki The Same?

Although Turkish cacik and Greek tzatziki look and sound the same, they are not completely the same. Let's learn how different they are.

The first difference between these two dishes is about the texture. For one thing, tzatziki is always thick and served as a dip while cacik could be either thick or as runny as a soup.

Also, the cucumbers added are in different forms. In a tzatziki recipe, you grate them first and then strain the grated cucumbers with the help of a cheese cloth or a fine mash strainer to remove the excessive juice. The seeds of cucumbers are often removed as well. On the other hand, in a cacik recipe, you just dice the cucumbers into small pieces and seeds are never removed.

Another difference is about the flavorings. Authentic cacik is flavored with dried mint, which has a more aroma than fresh mint. The dried mint used is mostly known as spearmint. There is a variation with fresh dill too, but not as common. On the other hand, authentic tzatziki doesn't use any spice or herbs. The main aroma of tzatziki comes from garlic. Turkish cacik also has garlic but the amount is not as much as in its Greek cousin.

Also, there is vinegar (or lemon juice) and olive oil in a tzatziki recipe while we don't have these in a cacik recipe.

As for the toppings, cacik is often topped with extra virgin olive oil and some extra spices like dried mint, red pepper flakes (pul biber) and sumac. Fresh mint leaves or chopped fresh dill might also be used for garnish. Similarly, tzatziki is optionally topped with olive oil and fresh dill.

Why You Will Love This

It is super easy to make and ready in less than 10 minutes. Just mix everything in a bowl and serve in individual portions.
It calls for a few ingredients that you probably have in your fridge.
It is a great side dish that goes very well with chicken, meat or vegetarian dishes. You can serve it with literally any dish.
You can make it ahead and keep it in the fridge until serving. If you are planning to serve it later, it's better to store it without any toppings. Give it a good stir and top with olive oil and spices right before serving.

Ingredients

We can put the ingredients in two categories: Main ingredients and optional ingredients.

Main ingredients to make cacik are as follows:

Yogurt in a large bowl, halved cucumber, a whole cucumber, garlic, water in a small bottle, salt and dried mint in a wooden bowl on a dark background.

Yogurt: You can use any plain yogurt you can find. We recommend whole fat for the best taste. If you like making things from scratch, make your own yogurt or homemade strained yogurt. They both work fine.
Dried mint: It is the main aromatic ingredient. There are two types of dried mint sold outside Turkey: Spearmint and peppermint. We recommend spearmint for any Turkish recipe calling dried mint including this yogurt dip recipe.
Garlic: We don't like the dip too garlicky, so we prefer using just one clove of garlic, finely mashed or pureed. It is up to you to decrease the amount of it. If you are not a big fan of garlic, just leave it out.
Cucumbers: Baby cucumbers, Persian cucumbers and English cucumbers all work fine. Use whichever you can find.
Cold water: It is to dilute yogurt. The amount depends on the type of yogurt you use. It is better to add it gradually so that you can decide on the creamy consistency of your cacik.

Optional ingredients for topping:

Olive oil: It adds richness to this creamy yogurt dip. Use extra virgin olive oil if you can find.
Dried mint: It is great for extra refreshing flavor. You can use fresh mint instead if you want, but just for the topping.
Red pepper flakes: It is called pul biber in Turkish. If you want a nice spicy kick on this yogurt dip, use it. Your taste buds will thank you!
Sumac: This is a spice with a sour or tangy flavor, so it complements the flavor of creamy yogurt.

How To Make It

Turkish Cacik is ready in 4 super easy steps:

Hands mixing yogurt, dried mint and salt in a large blueish bowl with a spoon.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk yogurt, salt and dried mint well.

Hands pouring water from a small glass bottle into the mixture of yogurt, dried mint and salt in a blueish bowl. A spoon inside it.

Pour cold water in the bowl gradually and mix well. Decide on the amount of the water by checking the consistency of your dip. If you want it thicker, use less water than we give in the recipe. For a thinner consistency, add more water.

Mashed garlic in the yogurt, salt, dried mint mixture in a blueish bowl and a spoon inside it.

Add in mashed garlic and mix well.

Chopped cucumber on the yogurt, salt and dried mint mixture in a large bowl and a spoon inside it.

Add in diced cucumbers and give it a good stir. At this point, taste it and adjust the amount of salt if needed.

Although it's not a must to have toppings on cacık, you can take this simple yogurt cucumber dip to a whole new level with a few extra additions. So after sharing it into small bowls, drizzle some extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle dried mint, red pepper flakes and sumac on it. Serve immediately.

Turkish cacik topped with olive oil, dried mint, sumac and red pepper flakes in a bowl and two wooden bowls with spices on both sides of the bowl on a dark background.

Expert Tips

You can use strained yogurt for a thicker dip and plain regular yogurt for a thinner dip. You will need a little more water to dilute strained yogurt if you want a soup like consistency. No need for water if you are happy with a thick result. The consistency really depends on your preference.
There is no need to peel cucumbers or to remove the seeds inside. They are not bothering at all.
If you want to make it vegan, use your favorite plat-based yogurt. Just make sure it is not flavored.
You can always taste and adjust the amount of salt or garlic. Make sure you mix it well if you make any additions.
Keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days. Give it a good stir before serving. you can add more yogurt and/or cucumbers if needed.

Yogurt Cucumber Dip Cacik is such a tasty dip that makes your mouth water even when making it. It is our favorite go to dip in summer.

Serving Suggestions

If you make it in the form of a thick yogurt cucumber dip, serve it as a meze with breads like pide bread, lavash bread or Turkish flat bread. You can also pair it with other meze dishes like eggplant salad, baba ganoush and acili ezme. All these are served together at local Adana kebab restaurants.

If you make it in the form of a cold soup, serve it in small individual bowls and spoons. It is traditional to serve delicious dishes like beef stew, stuffed peppers (biber dolma) or Turkish style green beans with a bowl of fresh cacık.

FAQs

What is Greek yogurt called in Turkey?

It is known as suzme yogurt, which means strained yogurt. And it is way thicker than the ones sold under the name 'Greek style yogurt' in the US or Europe.

How long does cacik last in the fridge?

It lasts 2-3 days, but it won't be as tasty as when it is freshly made. It is better to make it in small batches so that you won't have any leftovers.

Can I freeze cacik?

We don't recommend that. Cucumbers in the yogurt become mushy and watery when thawed. So it tastes much better when fresh.

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