Turkey · Nationwide

Cacık

Make Turkish cacık with yogurt, cucumber, garlic, dried mint, cold water and olive oil—a cool, spoonable companion to grilled dishes.

Traditional Turkish recipe Cold side / yogurt dish
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Cold Turkish cacık with yogurt, cucumber, dried mint, garlic and olive oil
Cold Turkish cacık with yogurt, cucumber, dried mint, garlic and olive oil
Prep 15 minutes
Total 45 minutes
Serves 6
Ingredients ↓
Overview

About Cacık

Cacık is a cold Turkish yogurt-and-cucumber side served with a spoon beside kebabs, pilaf, beans and other savoury dishes. It is generally looser than Greek tzatziki: plain yogurt is whisked smooth and diluted with cold water before cucumber, garlic and dried mint are added. Olive oil forms a fragrant finish rather than a heavy emulsion.

The exact thickness varies from bowl to bowl, so add water gradually. Dice the cucumber for crisp pieces or grate it for a more integrated texture; if it is unusually watery, squeeze only lightly. Chilling gives the garlic and mint time to disperse and is part of the dish, not merely storage.

A dependable Cacık begins before the heat is switched on. Measure 600 g plain full-fat yogurt, 200–300 ml ice-cold water, 300 g cucumber, 2 garlic cloves, 3 g dried mint, and 6 g fine sea salt and keep the remaining ingredients grouped in the order in which they enter the recipe. Have Whisk, Box grater or sharp knife, and Chilled serving bowl ready as well. The planned sequence is Mix and Chill and serve. This mise en place protects the stated 6-serving yield and prevents a temperature-sensitive or fast-moving stage from being interrupted while an ingredient is still being weighed.

Use the clock as a planning guide, not as the only test of progress: allow 15 minutes of preparation and 45 minutes overall. During Chill and serve, Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. The useful observation is specific: The mixture should be thoroughly cold and slightly more aromatic. At the finish, Drizzle with remaining olive oil and add optional dill, mint or ice only if serving immediately. Do not serve merely because the nominal time has elapsed; wait until serve cold with a spoon.

Practical

Practical

  • YogurtOrdinary full-fat yogurt gives the right lightness; strained yogurt needs considerably more water.
  • GarlicIts strength increases during chilling, so start modestly.
  • Make-aheadCacık is best the day it is made because cucumber softens and releases water.
Ingredients

Ingredients

Cacık

  • 600 g plain full-fat yogurt
  • 200–300 ml ice-cold water
  • 300 g cucumber
  • 2 garlic cloves crushed with salt
  • 3 g dried mint
  • 6 g fine sea salt or to taste
  • 25 ml extra virgin olive oil

Optional finish

  • 10 g fresh dill finely chopped
  • 1 g dried mint
  • 4 ice cubes only for immediate service
Directions

Directions

Mix

  1. Smooth the yogurtWhisk yogurt until completely smooth before adding water.

    No thick lumps should remain.

  2. Dilute graduallyWhisk in 200 ml cold water, then add more until the yogurt pours slowly from a ladle.

    It should be spoonable and fluid, not as thick as a dip.

  3. Prepare cucumberCoarsely grate or finely dice cucumber; squeeze very lightly only if it releases excessive water.

    The cucumber should retain freshness and crunch.

  4. SeasonStir in cucumber, garlic paste, dried mint, salt and half the olive oil.

    Garlic and mint should be evenly distributed.

Chill and serve

  1. Rest coldCover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

    The mixture should be thoroughly cold and slightly more aromatic.

  2. Adjust once moreStir, taste for salt and add a splash of cold water if it has thickened.

    Cucumber should remain suspended rather than sink in a heavy mass.

  3. Finish the bowlDrizzle with remaining olive oil and add optional dill, mint or ice only if serving immediately.

    Serve cold with a spoon.
Practical

Practical

Organise the measured components

Keep 600 g plain full-fat yogurt, 200–300 ml ice-cold water, 300 g cucumber, 2 garlic cloves, 3 g dried mint, and 6 g fine sea salt visible and separate until their stated stage. Whisk yogurt until completely smooth before adding water. This opening action establishes the moisture, seasoning and texture that later cooking can preserve but cannot fully repair. Before moving on, confirm that no thick lumps should remain. If the sign is absent, correct the immediate mixture, heat or handling rather than compensating with an unrelated ingredient.

Read the food at every stage

The key checkpoints across Mix and Chill and serve are No thick lumps should remain. and The mixture should be thoroughly cold and slightly more aromatic.. These observations are more reliable than colour alone because pan material, starting temperature, ingredient size and heat output vary between kitchens. Work in the stated order, keep the batch dimensions similar and pause when a cue has not appeared. The final confirmations are Garlic and mint should be evenly distributed. and Serve cold with a spoon.; together they describe texture, moisture and safe doneness more accurately than a single minute count.

Plan service and leftovers before cooking

Drizzle with remaining olive oil and add optional dill, mint or ice only if serving immediately. Serve when the final texture is at its best, then move leftovers promptly to the storage condition specified for this dish. Keep yogurt at 4°C or below and return cacık to the refrigerator promptly. Use within 24 hours for best quality and discard if left above 4°C for more than 2 hours. Use within 24 hours for best quality and discard if left above 4°C for more than 2 hours. This closes the recipe as deliberately as it began: service, cooling and reheating are part of quality control, not an afterthought once the pan has left the heat.

Control points

Control points

  • It is too thick Whisk in ice-cold water a tablespoon at a time.
  • It separates Stir before serving; excessive cucumber water or very thin yogurt can increase separation.
  • Garlic dominates Add more yogurt and cucumber; next time use one small clove.
Nutrition

Nutrition

  • Calories135 kcal
  • Protein7 g
  • Carbohydrates8 g
  • Fat9 g
  • Saturated fat5 g
  • Fiber1 g
  • Sugars6 g
  • Sodium430 mg

1 of 6 side servings — Approximate values; actual nutrition varies with ingredients and serving size.

Allergens · Food safety

Allergens · Food safety

Allergens: Contains milk.

Food safety: Keep yogurt at 4°C or below and return cacık to the refrigerator promptly. Use within 24 hours for best quality and discard if left above 4°C for more than 2 hours.

Storage: Keep yogurt at 4°C or below and return cacık to the refrigerator promptly. Use within 24 hours for best quality and discard if left above 4°C for more than 2 hours.

FAQ

FAQ

How is cacık different from tzatziki?

Cacık is commonly diluted to a spoonable, sometimes soup-like consistency and often uses dried mint.

Should cucumber be peeled?

Only if the skin is tough or waxed.

Can I omit garlic?

Yes, though it is a defining flavour in the classic version.

What matters most

What matters most

Cold, light yogurt with crisp cucumber, measured garlic, mint and fruity olive oil.

Whisk smooth, dilute gradually and serve thoroughly chilled.

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