Turkish Tzatziki Sauce Recipe (Cacik)

This Tzatziki Sauce Recipe is crafted with an epic Mediterranean twist—made Turkish-style. Designed with the same ingredients, but with a spin from across the border.

You can drizzle the sauce on just about anything!

Tzatziki is called Cacik [pronounced ja-jik] here in Turkey. Both are crafted with thick creamy yogurt, herbs, lemon, and garlic all as the base. I’d say that in Greek tzatziki, the cucumbers are diced a wee bit smaller. Furthermore, this creamy cucumber sauce can be really thick and serve as a meze or it can be on the thinner side and used as a sauce. I prefer it on the thicker side so that I can eat it together with my rice.

Tzatziki Details

You’ll need a few fresh ingredients.

• Cucumbers: use thin-skinned Persian cucumbers for two very good reasons. Reason one, you don’t have to peel the skin. Reason two, you don’t have to ditch the seeds. By all means, you may use American cucumbers, but peel the skin and discard the seeds.
• Yogurt: use a full-fat, thick and creamy yogurt. None of that nonfat stuff here. We are aiming for that velvety mouthfeel.
• Herbs: there are so many different directions we can go here, but I’ll go over what I like to use. Fresh parsley, dried mint, and dried oregano are my favorite. Sometimes, I’ll swap the parsley for dill, but since I have a brother-in-law who doesn’t like dill, I go for parsley.
• Garlic: will add flavor and rich aromatics.
• Lemon: you will need the zest and the juice.
• Secret Ingredient: Ok, here it is…Honey! That’s right. This natural sweetener will help cut the sharpness of the lemon and yogurt. Both can be on the sour side.

I hope that you love this Tzatziki Sauce Recipe as much as we do. Enjoy with all meats, veggies, rice, and quinoa.

Mediterranean Cravings I know you’ll love

• Garlicky Cabbage and Carrot Yogurt Meze
• Celery Root & Potato Hash
• Better than TURKISH EGGS (cilbir)
• Mediterranean Scrambled Eggs

Turkish Tzatziki Sauce Recipe (Cacik)

Makes about 5 cups

Author: Ashley Altan Cooking Method: Mixing Cuisine: Greek, Mediterranean, Turkish-Inspired Courses: Mediterranean Cravings, Meze, Sides, Vegetarian, Yogurt Recipes Recipe Keys: D Dairy G Gluten Free S sides

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Ingredients

Servings

• 6 Persian cucumbers, diced
• zest of one lemon
• ¹⁄₄ cup lemon juice (that's 1-2 lemons)
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoon sea salt
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 3 cups Whole milk yogurt
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried mint
• 1 bunch parsley, finely chopped

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, add the diced cucumber, lemon zest + juice, garlic, honey, sea salt, and pepper. Mix well to combine, then let the cucumber sit in the seasoning for 15 minutes on your countertop. 

2. When ready, add the yogurt, parsley, oregano, and mint to the cucumbers. Fold and mix to combine. Taste for seasoning (adding salt or pepper if necessary). Serve cold.