Greek cuisine is a celebration of fresh, wholesome ingredients and bold, distinct flavors. It offers a diverse range of flavors and textures. In this blog post, here are some of my favorite authentic Greek recipes that are sure to transport your taste buds to the sun-drenched shores of Greece.

Traditional Greek Hummus

Serves 4–5 | Prep. time 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 clove garlic
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can chickpeas
• 1 tablespoon tahini paste
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (or more as needed)
• Black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add more olive oil and blend again.
2. Spoon the hummus into a serving bowl and top with some more black pepper and a drizzle of oil.
3. Serve with vegetable sticks, toasted bread, olives, or crackers.

 

 

Spanakopita – Spinach Cheese Pie

Serves 12 | Prep. time 30-40 minutes | Cooking time 45 minutes 

Ingredients

• 2 pounds fresh spinach, chopped
• 3 bunches scallions, white and green parts, chopped
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 4 ounces feta cheese
• 2 cups grated kefalotiri or Romano cheese
• ⅓ cup chopped dill
• ⅓ cup chopped mint
• ⅓ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 tablespoons farina

For the pie

• 1 pound phyllo, at room temperature
• ½ – ¾ cup butter
• 1 egg yolk, beaten
• 1 tablespoon water

Directions

1. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, steam the spinach for about 4 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Return the pan to the burner and add the scallions and olive oil. Sauté for about 3–4 minutes.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine the spinach with the scallions. Stir in the cream cheese, feta, kefalotiri, dill, mint, parsley, pepper, eggs, and farina. Mix well.
4. Prepare the pie. Preheat the oven to 400°F and butter a 9×13 baking dish.
5. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt ½ cup of butter.
6. Lay out 1 phyllo sheet in the baking dish. Brush it with butter. Repeat layering and buttering for the next 11 phyllo sheets.
7. Top the phyllo evenly with the prepared filling.
8. Top it with 1 phyllo sheet, butter it, and repeat for the next 11 sheets, buttering each. (Melt more butter if needed.)
9. Combine the egg yolk with the water, and mix well.
10. Brush the egg yolk and water mixture over the top.
11. Bake for 45–60 minutes, until the top is brown.
12. Serve warm.

 

 

Greek Burger with Kefalotyri

Serves 12 | Prep. time 15 minutes | Cooking time 12 min. for grilling or 1 hour in the oven

Ingredients

• 12 pieces bread of choice (burger buns or pita)
• 4 small tomatoes, sliced

For patties

• 1 cup kefalotyri cheese, grated
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• ½ carrot, grated
• 2 sprigs parsley, finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon spearmint
• ½ teaspoon oregano
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ salt or to taste
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 loaf or 10-12 slices crustless bread, slightly soaked and strained well
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Juice of ½ an orange
• Dried bread crumbs, as needed

Directions

1. Combine all the patties’ ingredients until thoroughly blended EXCEPT the kefalotyri cheese and dry bread crumbs. Gradually add some dry breadcrumbs if too moist or sticky.
2. If baking, preheat the oven to 375°F.
3. Divide the meat mixture into 12 portions and form each into a patty.
4. Sprinkle each patty with kefalotyri.
5. Place patties on a baking sheet and bake for about 1 hour or until cooked through.
6. May also be cooked on a grill or in a skillet over medium-high heat (about 3 minutes). Flip over until some bits of meat are slightly charred and of the desired doneness. Sprinkle with cheese just before removing from heat.
7. Place in the bread and serve topped with tomato and tzatziki, if desired.

 

 

Chicken Gyro

Serves 4 | Prep. time 15–20 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 Greek pita breads (find recipe below)
• Tzatziki sauce to taste (find recipe below)
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2–4 Greek-style grilled chicken breasts, sliced (find recipe below)
• Crumbled feta cheese and dried Greek oregano to taste

Directions

1. Lay out the pita breads and spread with tzatziki sauce to your liking.
2. Top with the tomato and onion and arrange the chicken on top.
3. Top with some more tzatziki sauce if desired.
4. Sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese and dried oregano.
5. Roll into wraps and serve warm.

 

Basic Greek Pita Bread

Yield 8 pitas | Prep. time 1–2 hours | Cooking time 5–10 minutes 

Ingredients

• 1 cup warm water
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 3 cups flour (white or wheat)
• 1 (0.25 ounce) yeast packet

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients in the order listed.
2. Combine to prepare a dough and knead it on flat, lightly floured kitchen surface for 4–5 minutes.
3. Roll to make a ball and coat it with some more olive oil. Cover it loosely with plastic wrap and set it aside for 1 ½ hour to rise.
4. Preheat the oven to 450°F and prepare two baking pans with parchment paper.
5. Make 8 small balls from the dough and roll each of them into a round pita shape.
6. Place them on the prepared baking pans. Bake for 5–7 minutes, until they are cooked through and puffy.

 

Tzatziki – Yogurt and Cucumber Sauce

Serves 5–6 | Prep. time 10 minutes | Cooking time 0 minutes 

Ingredients

• 1 cucumber
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 ¼ cups strained Greek yogurt
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2–3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Peel the cucumber and discard the seeds. Grate it finely, and place it in a colander. Season with black pepper and salt.
2. Set it aside for 10 minutes, and then press to squeeze out excess liquid.
3. Combine the cucumber, garlic, and olive oil in a mixing bowl.
4. Mix in the yogurt, lemon juice, and mint. Taste, and season with salt and pepper to your liking.
5. Serve with pita bread or any souvlaki recipe.

 

Greek-Style Grilled Chicken

Serves 4 | Prep. time 5 min. plus 30–60 min. marinating time | Cooking time 10 min. 

Ingredients

• ½ teaspoon chopped rosemary
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts

Directions

1. In a resealable bag, combine the rosemary, oregano, thyme, salt, pepper, cayenne, garlic, vinegar, lemon juice, and olive oil. Mix well.
2. Add the chicken breasts. Combine and refrigerate for 30–60 minutes.
3. Preheat the grill to high heat, and grease the grates with some olive oil.
4. Place the chicken breasts on the grill and discard the marinade. Cook for 5–6 minutes per side.
5. Serve warm.

 

 

Greek-Style Ice Cream

Serves 10–12 | Prep. time 20 min. plus 4–6 hours freezing time | Cooking time 15 min. 

Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups 2% milk, divided
• 2 cups heavy cream, divided
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs, beaten
• ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
• 3 tablespoons chopped Greek basil
• 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm ½ cup of milk, ½ cup of heavy cream, the sugar, eggs, and ¼ cup of olive oil.
2. Cook for about 15 minutes, until the base turns a light yellow and thickens. Do not let it boil.
3. Remove the pot from the heat and let it cool down completely. Cover and refrigerate for 40–60 minutes.
4. When it is chilled, add the remaining ingredients. Mix well.
5. Churn the mixture in an ice cream maker for 30–45 minutes, until it is thick and creamy. Freeze in an airtight container for at least 4 hours before serving.
6. Alternatively, to make it without an ice cream maker, freeze the mixture in a baking pan in your freezer for 2 hours. Take it out and stir to combine the mixture.
7. Place it back in the freezer for 1 ½ hours, then freeze and churn again. Repeat until you get an ice cream consistency.

 

 

 

***These recipes and more can be found in Sarah Spencer’s A Taste of Greece: Greek Cooking Made Easy with Authentic Greek Recipes. To get your own copy, click on the cover below or click here.

To download a copy of the featured recipes, click here.