This quick & easy Tirokafteri recipe is our family’s favourite spicy, cheesy and creamy dip from Greece.
The healthy vegetarian Greek Feta Dip is flavoured with tangy yogurt, roasted red peppers, olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, hot red pepper flakes and dried oregano.
We love serving this traditional Tirokafteri recipe as a snack, scooped with toasted pita triangles, crunchy bagel chips or homemade crostini.
You can prepare the dish in just minutes using a food processor. It’s the perfect dip to serve at your next Greek themed dinner party as a mezze snack or appetizer.
Save this story to Pinterest!
What Is Tirokafteri?
Tirokafteri, is a cheese-based spread or dip from Greece.
Tirokafteri gets its name by combining two Greek words: tiri meaning cheese and kafteri meaning spicy.
The preparation of the dish varies, but the most common ingredients are feta cheese, hot peppers, roasted peppers, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, yogurt, and oregano.
It is commonly eaten as part of a mezze platter, or by itself as a snack.
We like to serve the dip with warm pita bread or pita chips, toasted crostini or crunchy bagel chips as they’re great tools for scooping. Healthier options include a selection of freshly cut vegetables like carrot and celery sticks, broccoli florets, radishes and sliced sweet peppers.
You May Also Enjoy These Greek Recipes…
- Creamy Cheesy Greek Spanakopita Dip
- Vegan Crispy Oven Roasted Cypriot Cyprus Potatoes
- Prasorizo Vegetarian Greek Leek Rice
- Strapatsada Greek Scrambled Eggs
- Air Fryer Halloumi Cheese
- Garides Saganaki Sizzling Greek Feta Shrimp
- Oven Baked Halloumi with Roasted Vegetables
- Fakes Soupa Healthy Vegetarian Greek Lentil Soup
- Baked Mediterranean Chicken Thighs
- Melitzanosalata Greek Eggplant Dip
Travel to Greece by Making A Tirokafteri Recipe at Home
I love traveling to Europe.
As a professional food and travel journalist, I’ve had the opportunity to enjoy amazing meals in Europe, from traditional markets to award winning restaurants.
During my first visit to the continent I traveled for 5 months by train and plane. I had the opportunity to eat my way through Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, Portugal, Spain, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Croatia, Bosnia, Hungary, Slovakia, Turkey and Italy.
For over ten years, I’ve been on the hunt for the best Tirokafteri recipe. In Greece, I enjoyed scooping the decadent cheese dip with warm pita at restaurants in Meteora, Tzitzikas Kai in Athens, Kokkalo The Bone in Santorini and Kiki’s Taverna in Mykonos.
After you’ve enjoyed your first few bites, you’ll realize why making homemade Tirokafteri is a fun and tasty way to eat your favourite feta cheese in the form of a spicy dip!
Where To Eat Greek Tirokafteri
If you live in a large city in North America you’ll likely have access to a local Greek restaurant that serves creamy Tirokafteri Dip.
Haven’t traveled to Greece before? It may be helpful to first sample the dip at a local restaurant to better understand how it is served. You’ll get an idea for the ideal consistency of the dip, blissful level of spicy heat and other complimentary Greek mezze to serve at the table.
In Toronto, celebrated Greek restaurants that may serve their own version of Spicy Greek Feta Cheese Dip include Mamakas Taverna, Mezes Greek Restaurant, Estiatorio Volos and Messini.
My Family Loves This Homemade Tirokafteri Recipe
My family are big fans of healthy Mediterranean cuisine.
We love cooking flavourful dishes from Greece, Bosnia, Croatia, Egypt, France, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Spain, and Turkey.
After traveling to Greece I wanted to share my love for Tirokafteri with friends and family so I recreated the dip at home so they could enjoy a taste of the Cyclades Islands.
I made this Spicy Greek Feta Dip at our family cottage in Muskoka on a hot summer day as an afternoon snack. It pairs well with a chilled dry white wine or hoppy craft beer.
The dish was served “almost farm to table,” as we were able to harvest oregano and garlic from our backyard herb and vegetable garden.
This spicy dip is a tasty way to incorporate fresh and flavourful ingredients into a healthy Mediterranean diet. It’s a real show stopper if you’ve got company coming for dinner.
Health Benefits
Our Tirokafteri Dip recipe is packed full of healthy ingredients!
Consuming dairy products (such as milk, yogurt and cheese) provides health benefits — especially improved bone health. Dairy foods provide nutrients that are vital for health and maintenance of your body. These nutrients include calcium, potassium, vitamin D, and protein.
Bell Peppers are an incredible source of vitamins C and A, which support your skin and immune system. They also provide beneficial carotenoid compounds such as beta-carotene, which has been shown to reduce the risk of certain cancers.
Olive Oil is ranked as one of the healthiest fats and is a staple in the Mediterranean diet. It contains vitamins E and K and plenty of beneficial fatty acids and antioxidants.
A rich source of phytochemicals and vitamin C, lemons help boost your immune system and neutralize free radicals that cause disease and skin aging. Lemons also protect against heart disease and help improve blood flow to the brain.
It is only recently that scientists have begun to identify the components responsible for garlic’s myriad health benefits. Rich in phytochemicals and potassium, garlic helps boost your immune system, fight cancer and protect your heart.
Oregano is rich in antioxidants, may help fight bacteria, could have anti-cancer properties and can decrease inflammation.
Tirokafteri Recipe Cooking Tips
Spicy Greek Feta Cheese Dip is quick and easy to make at home in a food processor. Here are some helpful cooking tips to get you started:
- You can make this recipe in under 20 minutes by using a food processor to blend all the ingredients in one place. This makes clean up a breeze!
- We’ve flavoured the dip with roasted red peppers but you can also add roasted spicy chili peppers to add additional heat beyond the chili flakes already in the ingredients list.
- We suggest using a firm Greek-style cow’s milk feta cheese. You can substitute for a sheep’s milk feta if you prefer.
- Use a full fat Greek yogurt for a decadent dip or 0% fat option if you’re looking to cut down on calories.
- We’ve added lemon juice to the dip to add acid and complexity to the recipe but you can also add 1/2 tsp lemon zest for additional citrus flavour.
- Remove the feta from the fridge an hour before you plan to prepare the dip as at room temperature it is softer and easier to blend into a smooth dip.
What To Serve with Tirokafteri
Tirokafteri is typically served in Greece as part of a mezze platter alongside other popular dips like tzatziki, hummus, taramasalata, and a selection of olives and marinated cheese.
This Spicy Greek Feta Dip recipe is the perfect snack or appetizer to serve at a Greek dinner party or when vegetarian friends are coming over for dinner.
We often serve this dip in a bowl with a serving spoon at family potlucks or summer BBQs where an easy “serve yourself” buffet is the name of the game!
We like to serve the dip with pita triangles, toasted crostini or crunchy bagel chips as they’re great tools for scooping. Healthier options can include a selection of freshly cut vegetables like carrot and celery sticks, broccoli florets, radishes and sliced sweet peppers.
Serve the dip as part of a larger Greek feast alongside your favourite fresh salads, grilled vegetables, barbecued meat and seafood.
If you have leftover Greek Feta Dip store it in your fridge in an airtight container. It will thicken when chilled so you can use it as a spread the following day for pita wraps or sandwiches.
Or warm it in the microwave to enjoy as a warm dip. We also love adding a few scoops to our scrambled eggs in the morning. It can also make for an excellent sauce when tossed with al dente pasta at dinner.
You May Enjoy These Dip Recipes…
- Jajik Middle Eastern Cucumber Yogurt Mint Dip
- Korozott Hungarian Cottage Cheese Spread
- Healthy Vegan Mexican Pepita Pesto
- Mashed Butter Beans Dip
- Mutabbal Vegan Middle Eastern Eggplant Dip
- Mihlama Kuymak Turkish Melted Cheese and Cornmeal
- Lebanese Toum Kebab Shop Garlic Sauce
- Za’atar Butter Bean Dip
- Tomato Chutney For Dosa
- Guasacaca Sauce Venezuelan Guacamole
- Keto Spinach Dip
- Mexican Queso Recipes
How To Make Spicy Greek Tirokafteri Feta Dip
Spicy Greek Feta Dip Tirokafteri
Equipment
- Food processor
- measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 10 oz Feta Cheese
- 2 tbsp Greek Yogurt
- 2 Roasted Red Peppers
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- 1/8 tsp Dried Oregano
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients (except the dried oregano) in a food processor and puree until smooth.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with dried oregano, chili flakes and crumbled feta.
Nutrition
Some of the links in this story use affiliate links. This means that if you make a purchase through our site, Dobbernationloves will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Your support helps us to produce comprehensive content.
Save this story to Pinterest!
