Diet
25 High-Protein Greek Recipes
Grilled meats, pulses, seafood and thick strained yogurt. Greek food does protein without much processing.
Grilled meat, pulses, seafood and thick strained yogurt. Greek food does protein without much processing.
Most of this list is meat or fish cooked plainly over heat: pork and chicken souvlaki, paidakia, lamb souvla, a roast leg of lamb with lemon, grilled octopus, grilled sardines, small fish fried whole. Kleftiko and stifado are among the slow ones.
Yogurt does the rest. Strained yogurt with honey and walnuts is breakfast, and the list includes how to strain your own. The nutrition figures on each recipe are calculated estimates, so treat them as a guide and not as a measurement.
Every recipe on Kalliopi's Kitchen carries the dish's Greek name and a pronunciation, its region where that is meaningful, ingredient quantities in both metric and imperial, and an honest note on what commonly goes wrong. Nutrition figures are calculated estimates and are labelled as such.
1. Pork Souvlaki
Souvlaki · Σουβλάκι · soo-VLAH-kee
Little skewer is what the word means, and to a Greek it is the meat, not the wrap. Order one in Athens and two bare skewers may arrive with bread, lemon and raw onion. The meat is nearly always pork, and shoulder has the fat to survive a hard fire. Beef barely comes into it.
Yiayia’s tip: Leave gaps between the cubes. Meat packed tightly against itself on a skewer cannot brown on the touching faces. Small gaps let the fire get in and give you crust on all sides.
Make Pork Souvlaki2. Pork Gyros
Gyros · Γύρος · YEE-ros
Nobody has a vertical rotisserie at home and nobody needs one. Marinated pork slices are pressed onto an upright skewer in a tin and roasted as one piece, so the fat runs down and bastes what is below. Then the meat is sliced thin and crisped in a hot pan. Most home versions skip that.
Yiayia’s tip: Freeze briefly before slicing. Forty minutes in the freezer firms the joint enough to slice thin and evenly. Trying to slice soft pork shoulder thinly is genuinely difficult.
Make Pork Gyros3. Turkey Stuffed with Chestnuts
Galopoula gemisti me kastana · Γαλοπούλα γεμιστή με κάστανα · gah-loh-POO-lah yeh-mee-STEE meh KAH-stah-nah
Turkey came late to the Greek Christmas table, and Greek cooks gave it their own filling: minced meat, rice, chestnuts and pine nuts, cooked with warm spices before it goes anywhere near the bird. There is no bread in it at all. It takes five hours, so plan the day around it.
Yiayia’s tip: Stuff loosely, never tightly. The rice expands considerably as it finishes cooking inside the bird. Packing it tightly risks uneven cooking and a food safety issue.
Make Turkey Stuffed with Chestnuts4. Lobster with Pasta
Astakomakaronada · Αστακομακαρονάδα · ah-stah-koh-mah-kah-roh-NAH-thah
The showpiece of the Cyclades, and of Mykonos above all, where the taverna price follows what lobster costs that season. The name joins astakos, lobster, to makaronada, pasta. At home a smaller lobster, frozen tails or langoustines will do. The lobster needs eight to ten minutes in the sauce, no more, or it turns rubbery.
Yiayia’s tip: Do not rush the tomato sauce. A full twenty-five to thirty minutes is what gives it the rich, concentrated depth this showpiece dish needs.
Make Lobster with Pasta5. Avgolemono Soup
Kotosoupa avgolemono · Κοτόσουπα αυγολέμονο · ahv-gho-LEH-mo-no
Avgo is egg and lemoni is lemon. Whisked together and loosened with hot broth, they thicken a soup with no flour and no cream. It is what a Greek kitchen makes when somebody has flu. The broth goes into the eggs one ladle at a time, away from the heat, or they scramble.
Yiayia’s tip: Room temperature eggs. Cold eggs hitting hot broth is a bigger temperature shock and a bigger curdling risk. Take them out of the fridge half an hour ahead.
Make Avgolemono Soup6. Kleftiko
Κλέφτικο · KLEF-tee-koh
Kleftis means thief. The klefts were mountain fighters under Ottoman rule who stole a sheep and had to cook it with no smoke to give them away, so it went into a closed pit over embers. A sealed parcel does the pit's job now. Twenty-five minutes of work, then four hours unopened in the oven.
Yiayia’s tip: Two layers, paper inside foil. Foil alone can react with the lemon and leave a metallic edge on the meat. Baking paper next to the food and foil outside it gives you a reliable seal without that risk.
Make Kleftiko7. Grilled Octopus
Htapodi sta karvouna · Χταπόδι στα κάρβουνα · htah-POH-thee stah KAR-voo-nah
Octopus on a line outside a taverna is the picture everyone knows, and the drying does help. What makes it tender is a long, gentle simmer in the liquid the octopus gives up, with no water added. The grill only finishes it, in about four minutes. Raw on the fire, it turns to rubber.
Yiayia’s tip: Frozen is better than fresh here. One of the few cases where this is true. Freezing does the tenderising work that would otherwise take beating or luck.
Make Grilled Octopus8. Prawns with Feta and Tomato
Garides saganaki · Γαρίδες σαγανάκι · ghah-REE-des sah-ghah-NAH-kee
Prawns in sharp tomato sauce with feta on top, finished under the grill or in the oven. Saganaki is the pan, not a cheese. Timing is the only way to spoil it: the sauce needs twenty minutes and the prawns three or four. A splash of ouzo flamed in the pan gives the taverna taste.
Yiayia’s tip: Do not let the feta fully melt. Feta softens and browns rather than melting smoothly. Pull it out while there are still distinct pieces, which is the texture you want against the sauce.
Make Prawns with Feta and Tomato9. Grilled Halloumi
Halloumi · Χαλλούμι · hah-LOO-mee
Cypriot, protected, and made from sheep and goat milk. The curd is heated in whey before it is brined, which is why the cheese browns and softens on the heat and still keeps its shape. Mint belongs to it from the start: a dried sprig is folded in before the brine. Cook it last.
Yiayia’s tip: No oil, hot pan. Halloumi releases its own fat. Oil just makes it greasy and encourages it to spit.
Make Grilled Halloumi10. Stifado
Στιφάδο · stee-FAH-thoh
A stew defined by its onions. They go in whole, a kilo of them to a kilo of meat, and come out sweet and translucent. Red wine vinegar gives it a sharpness no other Greek stew has, with cinnamon, clove and bay behind it. Beef is usual. Rabbit is arguably the more traditional choice.
Yiayia’s tip: Blanch the onions to peel them. One minute in boiling water then into cold, and the skins slip off. Saves half an hour and a lot of unpleasantness.
Make Stifado11. Paidakia
Παϊδάκια · pah-ee-THAH-kee-ah
Thin lamb rib chops, among the most ordered dishes in any Greek taverna. There is almost no technique in them, so the lamb you buy and how hot the grill gets decide everything. A grill that is not hot enough gives grey, steamed chops. Leave them alone, two to three minutes a side.
Yiayia’s tip: Do not over-marinate. Beyond about four hours, the lemon's acid begins to cure the surface of the meat rather than simply flavouring it.
Make Paidakia12. Grilled Sardines with Lemon Oil
Sardeles ladolemono · Σαρδέλες λαδολέμονο · sar-THEH-les lah-thoh-LEH-moh-noh
Outside Greece the sardine mostly comes in a tin. Along the Greek coast it is grilled fresh, a few minutes on hot coals, then dressed with olive oil, lemon and oregano. The dressing goes on at the end, never as a marinade. On a lukewarm grill the fish steams instead of searing.
Yiayia’s tip: Freshness is not negotiable here. This dish has almost nowhere to hide a fish that is past its best. Buy from a source you trust and cook the same day.
Make Grilled Sardines with Lemon Oil13. Gavros Marinatos
Γαύρος μαρινάτος · GAHV-ros mah-ree-NAH-tos
No heat touches these anchovies. The fillets sit in vinegar until the flesh goes from translucent to opaque white, the same idea as ceviche, then get olive oil, garlic and parsley. Left in the vinegar too long they turn hard and harsh. A small, sharp plate for ouzo or cold white wine.
Yiayia’s tip: Freeze the fish before you cure it. Vinegar firms raw anchovies but it does not kill parasites. Seven days at -20C (-4F) or colder does. Thaw them in the fridge before you fillet and cure them.
Make Gavros Marinatos14. Yogurt with Honey and Walnuts
Giaourti me meli kai karydia · Γιαούρτι με μέλι και καρύδια · yah-OOR-tee meh meh-LEE keh kah-REE-thyah
Three ingredients and no cooking, so each one is on show: thick yogurt, honey and roughly crushed walnuts. The honey is where a little extra money pays back most. Greeks eat it at breakfast, mid-afternoon and as dessert after a heavy meal: a lot of work for one bowl.
Yiayia’s tip: Buy properly strained yogurt. Look for full-fat, Greek-style or strained yogurt specifically. A thin, unstrained yogurt cannot hold the honey and nuts the way this dish wants.
Make Yogurt with Honey and Walnuts15. Yogurt-Marinated Chicken Souvlaki
Souvlaki kotopoulo me giaourti · Σουβλάκι κοτόπουλο με γιαούρτι · soov-LAH-kee koh-TOH-poo-loh meh yah-OOR-tee
Chicken breast dries out fast on a hot grill, and yogurt is the fix. Its mild acidity tenderises the surface and helps the meat hold moisture, which oil alone does not do. Lemon, garlic and oregano do the flavouring. Shake off the excess before grilling, or it drips and flares.
Yiayia’s tip: Do not skip the marinating time. At least two hours is what lets the yogurt actually tenderise the chicken, rather than just sitting on the surface.
Make Yogurt-Marinated Chicken Souvlaki16. Fish Soup
Psarosoupa · Ψαρόσουπα · psah-ROH-soo-pah
Two courses out of one pot. The fish and vegetables come out first and are eaten on their own, with olive oil and lemon. The broth is then strained, finished with avgolemono and served afterwards as a soup. Much of Greece eats it this way, and the fish does not overcook in a bowl.
Yiayia’s tip: Use a whole fish if you can. The bones and head contribute real depth to the broth that fillets alone cannot replicate.
Make Fish Soup17. Lamb Souvla
Souvla arni · Σούβλα αρνί · SOOV-lah ar-NEE
Greek Easter Sunday is built around this. Large chunks of lamb, often on the bone, turn on a long skewer over charcoal from morning into the afternoon while the family waits. The fire must be moderate and steady, or the outside chars before the inside is tender. A motor saves hours of turning by hand.
Yiayia’s tip: Keep the seasoning simple. Salt and perhaps oregano is genuinely enough. The slow render of fat and smoke is doing most of the flavour work over such a long cook.
Make Lamb Souvla18. Roast Lamb Leg with Lemon
Arnaki lemonato · Αρνάκι λεμονάτο · ar-NAH-kee leh-moh-NAH-toh
The oven answer to souvla, for Sundays when nobody is lighting charcoal. A whole lamb leg gets lemon, garlic and oregano and a long, covered roast at moderate heat, closer to a braise than a roast. That is why it pulls off the bone instead of slicing chewy. The oven does the middle hours.
Yiayia’s tip: Brown it before the slow roast. A brief sear develops real surface flavour that a purely covered, low roast alone would not achieve.
Make Roast Lamb Leg with Lemon19. Fried Whitebait
Marides tiganites · Μαρίδες τηγανητές · mah-REE-thes tee-gah-nee-TES
Tiny fish, fried whole and eaten whole: head, tail and bones in one bite. Nothing to fillet, and nothing to clean beyond a rinse. The oil must be hot enough to crisp them in a couple of minutes, or they sit and drink it. Tavernas sell them constantly, with ouzo or cold white wine.
Yiayia’s tip: Dry the fish thoroughly before flouring. Any surface moisture stops the flour sticking properly and causes dangerous spitting in the hot oil.
Make Fried Whitebait20. Fried Red Mullet
Barbouni tiganito · Μπαρμπούνι τηγανητό · bar-BOO-nee tee-gah-nee-TOH
Often the most expensive fish on a taverna menu, and one that needs very little done to it. Whole red mullet is floured lightly and fried in a hot pan, and that is the classic preparation. The flesh is delicate and slightly sweet, nothing like common white fish. Turn it gently or it breaks.
Yiayia’s tip: Freshness is essential. Red mullet's delicate flavour and texture do not forgive a fish that has been sitting for days. Buy from a source you trust.
Make Fried Red Mullet21. Kokoretsi
Κοκορέτσι · koh-koh-REH-tsee
Nose-to-tail cooking in its most traditional form. Lamb heart, liver and kidney are seasoned and wrapped in the cleaned intestines, a casing like the one on a sausage, then turned over charcoal until crisp outside. It belongs to Holy Saturday evening, when everyone is waiting for midnight and for Lent to end.
Yiayia’s tip: Order the offal and intestines ahead. A good butcher can supply both properly cleaned, especially around Easter, but it is worth calling ahead given the seasonal demand.
Make Kokoretsi22. How to Make Strained Greek Yogurt at Home
Giaourti stragisto · Γιαούρτι στραγγιστό · yah-OOR-tee strah-ghee-STOH
There is no special culture and no additive behind thick Greek yogurt. It is plain yogurt left in a cloth-lined sieve in the fridge until the whey runs out. Four hours gives a light thickening, and overnight gives something a spoon will stand up in. Keep the whey for bread dough or a marinade.
Yiayia’s tip: Use whole-milk yogurt. Low-fat yogurt has less body to begin with and strains to something thin and grainy rather than rich and thick.
Make How to Make Strained Greek Yogurt at Home23. Roast Goat with Lemon
Katsikaki lemonato · Κατσικάκι λεμονάτο · kah-tsee-KAH-kee leh-moh-NAH-toh
Outsiders think of Greek Easter as lamb. In the Cyclades and Crete, where goat has long been as common as sheep, it is on the table as often. The method is that of arnaki lemonato: lemon, garlic, oregano and a long covered roast. Goat tastes a little stronger and more mineral, and can need longer.
Yiayia’s tip: Ask for kid goat specifically. Katsikaki, young goat, is considerably more tender than older goat meat and is the right choice for this dish.
Make Roast Goat with Lemon24. Corfu Fried Fish in Vinegar and Rosemary
Savoro · Σαβόρο · sah-VOH-roh
Corfu's answer to keeping a catch edible in August with no ice. The fish is fried, then covered in hot red wine vinegar with garlic, rosemary and currants. Saor, the Venetian word, gave it its name. The currants are there to sweeten the vinegar. Eat it cold, a day or two later.
Yiayia’s tip: Dry the fish before flouring. Any surface water turns the flour to paste and the fish steams instead of crisping. A crisp crust is what holds the fish together once the vinegar goes over.
Make Corfu Fried Fish in Vinegar and Rosemary25. Lakerda
Λακέρδα · lah-KER-thah
Constantinople's Greeks salted the bonito that passed the Bosphorus each autumn, and brought the method to Greece in 1922. Nothing is cooked or smoked. Salt firms thick steaks over four to six days until dense and silky. Timing is the hard part: cut short it tastes raw, left long it turns dry and salty.
Yiayia’s tip: Use coarse salt only. Fine salt penetrates far too quickly and gives a harsh, over-cured result. Coarse sea salt draws water out gradually, which is the whole mechanism of the cure.
Make Lakerda
More High-Protein Greek Recipes
16 more, 41 in all.
Politiko Spiced Beef StewTas kebap Τας κεμπάπMain Courses · 2h 20m · serves 6
Cypriot Salted Yogurt DrinkAyrani ΑϊράνιDrinks · 5m · serves 4Get one proper Greek recipe a week
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