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    Cooking Gorgeous » Turkish Recipes

    Cacik (Turkish Yogurt with Cucumbers)

    Published: Feb 14, 2022 · Modified: Sep 5, 2022 by Ayla Clulee · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    Cacik is a delicious and refreshing Turkish Yogurt dish made with cucumbers, yogurt, and herbs. This wonderful yogurt dip is similar to its Greek cousin known as "tzatziki". It is very easy to prepare, ready in just 10 minutes, and only needs a few fridge ingredients.

    cacik Turkish yoghurt dip with cucumber
    Cacik (Turkish Yoghurt with Cucumbers) is a delicious & refreshing dip
    Jump to:
    • What is Cacik?
    • Cacik vs Tzatziki
    • Why This Recipe Works?
    • Ingredients and Substitutes
    • Step-by-Step Instructions
    • Top Tips From the Chef
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Related Recipes
    • Cacik (Turkish Yogurt with Cucumbers)

    What is Cacik?

    Cacik is a very popular Turkish side dish that is perfect for warm summer days and pairs perfectly with grilled meat, rice dishes, or stews.

    Cucumbers and yogurt are the two main ingredients to make this refreshing yogurt and cucumber dip. Other ingredients such as olive oil, salt, herbs (mint, dill, parsley), garlic, and water are optional and totally up to your personal taste.

    Cacik is also known as "Tarator" (a simple meze of yogurt, walnut, and vinegar) in the Balkans and Southeast Europe. This light and refreshing yogurt dish is usually served as a cold appetizer, a part of meze selection, as a dip, a cold soup, or even as a sauce.

    Cacik vs Tzatziki

    Turkish Cacik is typically served as a cooling soup during summer, either alone or as a side dish to hot food. It can also, however, be served thicker and more similar to tzatziki, like a cacik dip.

    Greek Tzatziki is always served as a meze, or as a side dish. The cucumber is grated, salted, and then squeezed off most of its water, ensuring a thick and spreadable dip.

    Turkish Cacik usually uses dried mint, fresh mint, and sometimes dill, and rarely lemon juice as a flavoring.

    Greek Tzatziki is heavier on dill and lemon juice or vinegar and also uses oregano as a flavoring.

    Why This Recipe Works?

    • This Turkish yogurt recipe is very easy to make, ready in 15 minutes, and only requires a few basic ingredients you might already have in hand.
    • Cacik is perfect to serve as a cooling soup on hot summer days, a great addition to your Turkish meze spread, or a side dish to most barbecued and grilled meats, vegetables, and casserole dishes.
    • This Turkey's most loved yogurt recipe is also very healthy and only contains 124 kcal per portion.

    Ingredients and Substitutes

    Labelled picture of ingredients for cacik

    Yogurt

    You can use a thick strained Turkish yogurt (known as süzme yogurt) or Greek yogurt to achieve a rich & creamy texture. You can then add a tiny bit of cold water and beat it if you want to make it thinner.

    Avoid using flavored or fruit yogurt for cacik, only use plain natural yogurt.

    You can substitute it with a dairy-free version to make this delicious dip vegan!

    Cucumber

    Use fresh cucumbers that are firm and bright in color. I prefer using mini cucumbers or Persian cucumbers as they have a better flavor, are slightly sweeter with tender skins and contain less water than regular English cucumbers.

    However, half of a regular English cucumber will work too as long as you peel and remove the seeds before grating them!

    • Dried mint - It is a staple in Turkish cuisine and I use it in many Turkish recipes such as Yaprak Sarma - Dolma (Stuffed Grape Leaves), Mucver (Crispy Zucchini Fritters), and Kapuska (Turkish Cabbage Stew). It has a stronger aroma and flavor compared to fresh mint and tastes great with yogurt.
    • Fresh Herbs - I use a mixture of dill and mint but you can also use parsley or oregano if you prefer. Adjust the amount to your taste.
    • Olive oil - I add olive oil to give this yogurt dish a creamier texture but you can omit it if you prefer.

    Step-by-Step Instructions

    This Turkish yogurt recipe is very easy to make and to achieve the best results, you need to follow a few simple steps:

    Peel and grate the cucumbers with the large size of your grater. Alternatively, you can leave the skin on or finely chop the cucumber for a crunchier texture.

    grated cucumber is placed in a bowl

    Add the fresh herbs and dried mint to the cucumbers.

    herbs are added to the grated cucumbers

    Whisk the yogurt, salt, and olive oil together to make a smooth mixture. At this stage, if you want your cacik thin, more like a drink consistency, whisk in some cold water.

    yoghurt is mixed with olive oil

    Add the cucumbers, dried mint, and finely chopped fresh herbs to yogurt, and mix thoroughly until smooth.

    cucumbers and herbs are mixed with yoghurt

    Transfer it to individual bowls and garnish it with some fresh herbs and extra virgin olive oil.

    Cacik is served in a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh herbs

    Top Tips From the Chef

    • Avoid using flavored or fruit yogurt for cacik, only use plain natural yogurt.
    • Make cacik as late as possible before serving. Once mixed, the cucumbers quickly lose their crunch and the yogurt starts releasing whey.
    • You can also finely chop the cucumbers if you want to have a crunchier texture.
    • The consistency of cacik depends on how you want to serve it. Adjust the amount of water you add to your yogurt to make it thicker or runnier.

    Serving Suggestions

    You can serve Cacik (Turkish Yogurt with Cucumbers) as a part of a meze platter or as an appetizer along with Lebanese Falafel, Arnavut Cigeri - Turkish Liver, and Cerkez Tavugu- Circassian Chicken.
    It can be enjoyed as a refreshing summer "soup" both during and before a meal.
    Cacik is also a great side dish to grilled meats such as Grilled Lamb Kofta (Izgara kofte), Lamb Shish Kebab, or Inegol Kofte.
    It also works as a treat alongside hearty stews such as Turkish Lamb Stew with Chickpeas, Slow Cooked Lamb Tagine With Apricots, or Kuru Fasulye, and grains such as Bulgur Pilavi(Turkish Bulgur Pilaf) and Turkish Rice (Sehriyeli Pilav).

    Recipe FAQs

    Can I freeze cacik?

    I don't recommend freezing this refreshing yogurt dish as the cucumbers would get mushy when defrosted.

    What is Turkish yogurt?

    Turkish yogurt is made from the milk of sheep, goats, cows, and buffalo, although cow milk is preferred for commercial production. For thousands of years, yogurt has been a crucial part of Turkish Cuisine. It is used to make soups, sweets, and the favorite drink ayran, which is made by mixing in water, mineral water, and salt. Also, it is more often served as an accompaniment for other main dishes rather than consumed at breakfast meals.

    How to store the leftovers?

    If you have any leftovers, simply keep them in an airtight container refrigerated for up to 3 days. It won't be as tasty as when it is freshly made so better to make it in small batches to avoid having any leftovers.

    Related Recipes

    For more delicious Turkish dips why not try:

    • Tirokafteri (Spicy Whipped Feta Dip)
    • Haydari (Turkish Yoghurt Dip)
    • Mediterranean Hummus Dip
    • Baba Ganoush Without Tahini

    Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

    I hope you enjoy the process of making this light, cooling, and delicious yogurt dish as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂

    Bon appétit! / Afiyet Olsun! 

    cacik is usually garnished with fresh mint and dill

    Cacik (Turkish Yogurt with Cucumbers)

    Ayla Clulee
    Cacik is a refreshing and delicious Turkish Yogurt dish made with cucumbers & herbs, a very similar dip to its Greek cousin known as "tzatziki".
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Total Time 10 mins
    Course Appetizer, Side Dish
    Cuisine Mediterranean, Turkish
    Servings 4 portion
    Calories 124 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 kitchen scale
    • 1 grater
    • 1 whisk
    • 1 Sharp knife
    • 1 measuring spoons

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 500 g thick strained yogurt or Greek yogurt
    • 2 small Turkish cucumbers (or 1 large cucumber)
    • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon fresh mint (finely chopped)
    • 1 tablespoon fresh dill (finely chopped)
    • ½ teaspoon dried mint
    • ¼ teaspoon salt

    Instructions
     

    • Peel and grate the cucumbers with the large size of your grater. Alternatively, you can leave the skin or finely chop the cucumber for a crunchier texture.
    • Add the fresh herbs and dried mint to the cucumbers.
    • Whisk the yogurt, salt, and olive oil together to make a smooth mixture. 
    • At this stage, if you want your cacik thin, more like a drink consistency, whisk in some cold water
    • Add the cucumbers, dried mint, finely chopped fresh herbs to yogurt, and mix thoroughly until smooth.
    • Transfer it to individual bowls and garnish it with some fresh herbs and extra virgin olive oil.

    Notes

    • Avoid using flavored or fruit yogurt for cacik, only use plain natural yogurt.
    • Make cacik as late as possible before serving. Once mixed, the cucumbers quickly lose their crunch and the yogurt starts releasing whey.
    • You can also finely chop the cucumbers if you want to have a crunchier texture.
    • The consistency of cacik depends on how you want to serve it. Adjust the amount of water you add to your yogurt to make it thicker or runnier.
    • You can substitute it with a dairy-free version to make this delicious dip vegan!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 124kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 14gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 194mgPotassium: 389mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 180IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 163mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @cookingorgeous or tag #cookingorgeous!

    This post use affiliate links. This means that if you click on them and then buy something, we get a small amount of commission to keep the site running, but it doesn’t cost you anything more.

    « Imam Bayildi (Turkish Stuffed Eggplant)
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Debbie

      February 22, 2022 at 12:21 pm

      5 stars
      Lovely fresh flavours, and easy to make. Thanks for the recipe.

      Reply
    2. Sylvie

      March 19, 2022 at 2:59 pm

      5 stars
      Refreshing and delicious. Didn’t even take me 10 minutes to put together!

      Reply
    3. Naomi

      April 10, 2022 at 6:51 am

      5 stars
      I think this recipe is perfect. It’s so delicious and it makes a bunch. My family loves it! Thanks for this recipe!

      Reply
      • Ayla Clulee

        April 11, 2022 at 6:15 am

        You’re welcome, Naomi! Thank you for your review.

        Reply
    4. Rebecca

      April 22, 2022 at 2:37 pm

      5 stars
      Turned out delicious on the first try, thanks so much!

      Reply

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    Welcome to Cooking Gorgeous, where delicious recipes and culinary inspiration await you! I'm Ayla, a passionate and professional chef based in the UK, and I'm thrilled to have you here. The kitchen is my happy place and cooking is my therapy. To me, food is more than ingredients and nutrition; it is a language of love, a way of expressing compassion.

    More about me →

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