There are many versions of this popular easy Greek Feta Dip, known as Htipiti or Tirokafteri. Some use sweet red bell peppers and cayenne pepper, others use spicy red pepper flakes or fresh spicy red peppers.

Different varieties of vinegar (such as red wine vinegar or plain white vinegar) or added oregano or Greek yogurt are all possible ingredients. The base for any Tirokafteri recipe, however is the liberal use of feta cheese. 

This spicy feta cheese spread is wonderful on warm pitas or crusty bread. It’s also a nice dip for grilled meats and vegetables or when used as a sandwich spread. 

We often found it on our appetizer platters (called Mezze) during our visits to Greece, and have since made it many times. (Here’s our article about What to Eat on Crete, if you ever find yourself inspired to visit yourself). 

Beyond being a versatile recipe, the other wonderful thing about Tirokafteri Dip is that it’s actually really easy to make!

For our Tirokafteri recipe, we use roasted red bell peppers to add a little sweetness. You can buy them in the jar, or you can easily make your own homemade roasted red peppers.

How to make Roasted Red Bell Peppers

Take one or more whole red bell peppers, and place on an outdoor grill or grilling pan under the broiler of your oven.

Use tongs to turn the peppers occasionally, until most the flesh of the pepper has blackened, and the peppers themselves have softened.

Remove from the grill/oven, and then immediately wrap the peppers in plastic wrap. Be careful at this point – they’ll be very hot, so you may want to wear oven mitts to protect your hands.

Once the peppers have cooled, unwrap them, and peel off the blackened skin (it should remove very easily). Cut the pepper open and scrape away the seeds. You now have delicious roasted red pepper to use in this (or any other) recipe!

Adding a Little Spice to the Feta Dip

Some recipes use spicy hot red peppers to add a spicy kick to the feta dip. Instead of using hot red peppers, the spicy kick in this version comes from Sambal Sauce.

It’s one of my go-to favorite hot sauces. But you can use sriracha sauce or any other hot chili sauce you prefer.

Here are a few additional appetizer recipes you might enjoy! 

Peruvian Ceviche with Rocoto Paste

Gluten Free Cheese Puffs – Pão de Queijo

Pan Toasted Cheese and Guava Appetizer

Curried Black Eyed Peas