Spicy Feta Dip
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Whip up the most flavorful Spicy Feta Dip in just 10 minutes with 5 ingredients. This traditional Greek dip, known as tirokafteri, is made with roasted red peppers for a mild spice level. Whipped feta cheese and Greek yogurt make this dip creamy, salty and so delicious! This recipe is perfect paired with veggies or pita bread for dipping, or wrapped up in a gyro.
Table of contents
While on our honeymoon in Greece, my husband and I absolutely fell in love with this spicy feta dip. It was on the menu everywhere we went and you bet I ordered it at every meal! We even ate it at the breakfast buffet at our hotel in Santorini. Because this dip is literally delicious any time of the day!
One of my favorite things about this dip is that it’s simple. It’s made with just 5 ingredients. To make sure that it’s as good as it was in Greece, I always use the most authentic ingredients that I can get my hands on. If you can find somewhere near you that makes their own feta cheese, definitely buy that!
Fresh feta cheese was one of my top 3 favorite things about Greece. And I found a market in San Diego that makes 5 types of feta, including Greek feta. The market is Balboa International Market, located in the Clairemont neighborhood. If you’re in San Diego, I highly recommend checking it out!
If you can’t find fresh feta cheese locally, I recommend picking up a block of feta cheese at the grocery store vs. buying crumbled feta cheese. A block cut up into large chunks will whip into the dip better than crumbles.
This dip is the perfect summer appetizer! Serve it with fresh veggies, like cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes and carrots. It’s also delicious as a grilled veggie dip, tossed into a gyro, or used as a sandwich spread. If you need me this summer, I’ll just be over here putting this dip on everything!
Ingredients
- Roasted red peppers – you can either purchase a jar of roasted peppers at the grocery store, or make your own using this recipe for how to roast red peppers. You’ll need one cup of diced roasted peppers. This will equal approximately one 12 ounce jar of peppers found at the grocery store.
- Feta cheese – purchase a block of feta cheese, then slice it into large cubes at home.
- Greek yogurt – always use plain Greek Yogurt, without any added flavors. I recommend a high quality, whole milk Greek yogurt for the best flavor. I’ve tested this recipe with Greek Gods and Chobani (pictured above), and would recommend both of these brands.
- Sugar – just a touch of granulated sugar balances out the salty, tangy flavors in this dip.
- Extra virgin olive oil – if you can find Greek olive oil, even better!
- Red pepper flakes (optional) – while this dip has “spicy” in the name, it’s actually very mild in spice. If you’d like to give it a kick, you can add a teaspoon (or more) of red pepper flakes.
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Add feta cheese, roasted red peppers, Greek yogurt and sugar to a food processor. Pulse for 10-15 seconds. Turn the food processor on and pour in the olive oil while the food processor is running.
- Blend until the dip is smooth and creamy. Transfer the dip to a bowl and stir in the crushed red pepper flakes (if desired), cover and place the dip in the refrigerator to chill for one hour.
Ways to serve it
- With veggies – cucumber sticks, carrot sticks, celery sticks, bell pepper strips, broccoli florets, cauliflower florets, cherry tomatoes and sugar snap peas are all delicious dunked into this dip!
- With chips or crackers – I recommend pita chips or crackers for this dip. You could also use a thicker cracker that can hold up to a creamy dip, like Triscuit’s or Wheat Thins, or homemade Bagel Chips.
- With warm pita bread – warm up a couple pieces of pita bread, then slice them into triangle pieces to dip up this spicy whipped feta dip.
- As part of a mezze platter – arrange raw vegetable sticks, kalamata olives, pita chips and feta cheese on a plate with bowls of eggplant salad, tzatziki dip, hummus and this spicy Greek feta dip to make the ultimate Greek appetizer!
- With grilled or roasted vegetables – this is the perfect dip for Grilled Brussels Sprouts or to go on this Mediterranean Grilled Vegetable Plate.
- On bread – spread the dip onto a piece of toast, or dip pieces of crusty bread right into the dip! You can even serve the dip spread on toasted pieces of a baguette to make a wonderful crostini.
- In a gyro – add it to these Ground Turkey Gyros for an easy, flavorful weeknight meal!
- As a sandwich spread – spread this red pepper feta dip on your favorite deli sandwich, or try it on this Steak Sandwich, Grilled Vegetable Panini, or Greek Chicken Salad Pita Sandwich.
- Add it to bowls – dollop it on top of this Greek Chicken Zoodle Bowl or this Greek Beef Bowl.
Pro tips
- Always allow the dip to chill before serving. As the dip sits in the refrigerator, all of the ingredients begin to meld together. The flavors are enhanced and you’ll get the best results, even hours after the dip is made!
- The dip will thicken in the refrigerator. Right after you’ve blended the dip it might seem more like a sauce than a dip, but it will thicken in the fridge and become a thick, creamy dip.
- Taste and season! Once the dip is chilled, try it out and feel free to add salt if you’d like, or more red pepper flakes. Feta cheese is already very salty, which is why I don’t add any additional salt to the dip initially.
- This dip will last in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. So feel free to make it ahead of time if you’re planning to serve it an event or party.
- I do not recommend freezing the dip, as dairy-based dips do not freeze well. The dairy will separate when frozen and the texture will not be the same once the dip is defrosted.
- This dip is naturally gluten free. Serve with veggies or gluten free crackers for dipping.
More dip recipes
Serve a combination of dips, veggies and crackers at your next gathering with a trio of these delicious dip recipes!
And don’t miss the other recipes inspired by our honeymoon in Greece, including my favorite Pasta Salad recipe, Pastitsio and Greek Zucchini Pie!
Spicy Feta Dip
Ingredients
- 1 cup roasted red peppers, large dice
- 16 ounces feta cheese, cut into large chunks
- ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt, recommended: whole milk
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional – for spice
Instructions
- Add the roasted red peppers, feta cheese, greek yogurt and sugar to a food processor.
- Pulse for 10-15 seconds.
- Turn the food processor on and pour in the olive oil with the food processor running.
- Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Transfer the dip to a bowl and stir in the red pepper flakes (if desired), cover and place the dip in the refrigerator for one hour to chill.
- Serve with veggies, crackers or pita bread for dipping. For more serving suggestions, refer to the blog post above.
Notes
- Always allow the dip to chill before serving. As the dip sits in the refrigerator, all of the ingredients begin to meld together. The flavors are enhanced and you’ll get the best results, even hours after the dip is made!
- The dip will thicken in the refrigerator. Right after you’ve blended the dip it might seem more like a sauce than a dip, but it will thicken in the fridge and become a thick, creamy dip.
- Taste and season! Once the dip is chilled, try it out and feel free to add salt if you’d like, or more red pepper flakes. Feta cheese is already very salty, which is why I don’t add any additional salt to the dip initially.
- This dip will last in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. So feel free to make it ahead of time if you’re planning to serve it an event or party.
- I do not recommend freezing the dip, as dairy-based dips do not freeze well. The dairy will separate when frozen and the texture will not be the same once the dip is defrosted.
- This dip is naturally gluten free. Serve with veggies or gluten free crackers for dipping.
Nutrition Facts
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