This spicy feta dip is one of the best appetizers of all time! Inspired by the Greek feta dip - tirokafteri - this stuff is addicting! Creamy, salty and just spicy enough, you can use this as a dip, sandwich spread or addition to salads, grain bowls and more.
I could, and often do, make an entire meal out of dips. Chips and salsa? Easy. Cucumber and hummus. Yes please. Crunchy kettle chips and my smoked paprika yogurt dip? The best.
And now, warm fluffy pita and this spicy feta dip. DONE.
If you are familiar with the CAVA (a fast-casual, Mediterranean restaurant) you might be a fan of their crazy feta. This is a take on that incredible spicy greek feta dip - with a little spin. It's also similar to traditional tirokafteri - a popular greek feta dip (often made with roasted red peppers).
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Spicy, smokey, bright
What makes this spicy feta dip SO GOOD is that you roast the peppers, garlic and lemon (!) before adding it to the feta. So along with some spice from the peppers, you are also getting sweet, caramelized garlic, roasted lemon (which mellows out the zing just a bit!) and smokiness from the charred pepper skins.
Mixed with crumbled feta, creamy greek yogurt and extra virgin olive oil it’s the stuff dreams are made of. Truly.
If you like salty, smokey, spicy flavors than this is basically your perfect dip. It's one of my most favorite party snacks and I'm so excited to share it!
What you’ll need
You only need a handful of ingredients for this delicious dip, but feel free to add more flavors like roasted red pepper, fresh chili peppers or toasted sesame seeds. This one is super customizable!
Feta: You can't make a spicy feta dip recipe without the star of the show. If possible, buy a brick of feta and crumble it yourself for the best, creamiest results. If pre-crumbled feta is all you can get, this dip will still be good!
Greek yogurt: I love the tang greek yogurt gives here, but plain yogurt or even sour cream will work too. If you want a thicker dip, try cream cheese.
Jalapenos: I use two pepper for a moderately spicy dip, but you can use less or more depending on how spicy you like things.
Garlic: You'll roast an entire bulb of garlic for this recipe, which sounds crazy until you remember how sweet and delicious roasted garlic is. It's just enough, I promise.
Lemon: The lemon gets roasted here as well to add a little extra smokiness. I think the lemon flavor is best for this cheese dip, but you could also use red wine vinegar if you don't have any lemons on hand.
Olive oil: You're not using a ton, so try to use an extra-virgin olive oil you really enjoy. It doesn't have to be super expensive, just something you like the taste of.
Salt & pepper: You are mostly adding these at the end to taste, as feta is quite salty. You can also add some chili flakes, extra lemon zest or a pinch of dried oregano if you want to amp up the flavor a bit more.
How to do it
- Roast the jalapenos, garlic and lemon until peppers are charred and garlic is soft and caramelized. Let cool slightly and then dice up the jalapenos (I remove most of the seeds).
- Add chopped pepper, lemon juice (from the roasted lemon!) and all the roasted garlic cloves to greek yogurt. Mix to combine.
- Crumble up feta with your fingers and add to the yogurt mixture, along with olive oil. Stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and black pepper as needed. Depending on the level of heat you like, feel free to throw in some crushed red pepper flakes too.
- That’s it!
- Store this dip in an airtight container in the fridge, but serve at room temperature for peak deliciousness.
What to serve with spicy feta dip
I think this dip is best with fluffy, warm pita bread or naan to scoop it up, but you can also serve it with crispy pita chips, crackers, carrot sticks or cucumber slices. It’s also really good with raw red bell pepper slices! Honestly, any kind of fresh vegetables are great with this dip. It's a great appetizer for a party, alongside some hummus or part of a mezze platter.
The flavors and creamy texture in this dip also make it a great sandwich spread, addition to burgers or inside a quesadilla. I also love to dollop this over grain bowls, especially this roasted fig and butternut squash grain bowl or spiced salmon grain bowl and salads (obviously a greek salad is SO GOOD) or alongside grilled or roasted chicken.
So many options!
Spicy Feta Dip
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: ~2 cups
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Greek
Description
This spicy feta dip is one of the best appetizers of all time! Inspired by the Greek feta dip - tirokafteri - this stuff is addicting! Creamy, salty and just spicy enough, you can use this as a dip, sandwich spread or addition to salads, grain bowls and more.
Ingredients
- 2 jalapenos
- 1 garlic bulb (or 10-12 peeled garlic cloves)
- 1 lemon, halved
- ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- ½ cup greek yogurt
- 8-ounce block feta cheese
- Salt + pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425.
- Cut top off garlic bulb and place on a small sheet pan or cast iron pan, along with 2 whole jalapeno peppers and both lemon halves. Drizzle everything with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with some salt. Wrap garlic in foil.
- Roast everything for 20-25 minutes, turning peppers once, until garlic is soft and caramelized, peppers are blackened and lemon is brown around the edges (I roast the lemons cut-side up). Let cool slightly.
- Chop up jalapenos (you can keep the seeds, but I try to remove most) and combine in a bowl with ½ cup greek yogurt. Squeeze out roasted garlic cloves and juice lemon into yogurt and mix well to combine.
- Add ¼ cup olive oil and crumble 8 ounces of feta into bowl and mix until everything has come together. You still want some chunks of feta in there, but the mixture should be cohesive.
- Taste and season with salt and black pepper, as needed.
- Serve at room temperature with warm pita, fresh vegetables or as a spread for sandwiches and more!
Notes
- If you want a smoother dip, you can combine everything in a food processor.
- I find I get the best results crumbling a block of feta, but if you can only buy crumbled feta that will work too.
- Roasting the jalapenos takes away some of the heat, so don't be scared that there are two here. If you're really worried you can totally just use one though (and if you decide that you do want more heat, just add some cayenne or red pepper flakes!).
- Store this dip in an airtight container in the fridge. If serving as a dip, leave out to come to room temperature before eating.
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