332 Greek and Cypriot recipes · Every dish with its Greek nameCyprus · Crete · The Cyclades · Epirus · The Peloponnese · The Mainland · Asia Minor
Kalliopi's KitchenGreek food recipes

Occasion

Greek Taverna Favourites

The dishes you actually order on holiday, done properly at home: saganaki, grilled octopus, gyros, fried courgettes and cold retsina.

Advertisement

The Greek year has a shape, and food follows it closely. The Orthodox calendar sets out long fasting periods and then breaks them with enormous feasts, and much of the repertoire exists because of that rhythm rather than in spite of it.

This page collects Mousakas, Tzatziki, Horiatiki salata, Spanakopita, Souvlaki and Melitzanosalata and others suited to the occasion.

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.

Greek Taverna Favourites

62 recipes on the site so far.

A tray of Greek moussaka with a browned bechamel top, one square lifted outMoussakaMousakas ΜουσακάςMain Courses · 1h 55m · serves 8A bowl of thick white tzatziki with olive oil pooled on top and a sprig of dillTzatzikiTzatziki ΤζατζίκιDips and Sauces · 15m · serves 6A Greek village salad with tomato wedges, cucumber, red onion and a whole slab of feta topped with oreganoGreek SaladHoriatiki salata Χωριάτικη σαλάταSalads · 12m · serves 4A tray of spanakopita cut into squares showing green spinach filling under crisp golden phylloSpanakopitaSpanakopita ΣπανακόπιταBreads and Pies · 1h 30m · serves 8Charred pork souvlaki skewers on a wooden board with lemon wedges and oreganoPork SouvlakiSouvlaki ΣουβλάκιMain Courses · 32m · serves 4A bowl of rough-textured aubergine dip with olive oil, parsley and a scattering of walnutsSmoky Aubergine DipMelitzanosalata ΜελιτζανοσαλάταDips and Sauces · 45m · serves 6Lemon PotatoesPatates lemonates Πατάτες λεμονάτεςSide Dishes · 1h 35m · serves 6A bowl of golden loukoumades glossy with honey, dusted with cinnamon and chopped walnutsLoukoumadesLoukoumades ΛουκουμάδεςDesserts · 45m · serves 6A barley rusk topped with grated tomato, crumbled white cheese, olives and oreganoCretan DakosDakos ΝτάκοςSalads · 12m · serves 4Thin strips of crisped pork gyros piled in a warm pita with tomato, onion and tzatzikiPork GyrosGyros ΓύροςMain Courses · 2h · serves 6A plate of golden brown Greek meatballs with lemon wedges and fresh mintKeftedesKeftedes ΚεφτέδεςMeze and Appetisers · 45m · serves 6A slice of golden fried Greek cheese in a small pan with a lemon wedgeSaganakiSaganaki ΣαγανάκιMeze and Appetisers · 15m · serves 4A square of Greek cheese pie with crisp layered phyllo and a pale creamy fillingTiropitaTiropita ΤυρόπιταBreads and Pies · 1h 15m · serves 8Charred grilled octopus tentacles dressed with olive oil, vinegar and oreganoGrilled OctopusHtapodi sta karvouna Χταπόδι στα κάρβουναMeze and Appetisers · 1h 30m · serves 4Prawns baked in tomato sauce with melting feta and parsley in a small panPrawns with Feta and TomatoGarides saganaki Γαρίδες σαγανάκιMain Courses · 37m · serves 4Golden grilled halloumi slices with lemon wedges and dried mintGrilled HalloumiHalloumi ΧαλλούμιMeze and Appetisers · 11m · serves 4Golden Greek courgette fritters piled on a plate with tzatziki and lemonCourgette Fritters with FetaKolokithokeftedes ΚολοκυθοκεφτέδεςMeze and Appetisers · 55m · serves 6Grilled Cypriot sheftalia sausages wrapped in caul fat with charred edgesCypriot Sausages in Caul FatSheftalia ΣεφταλιάMain Courses · 45m · serves 6Cypriot afelia pork in a dark red wine and coriander seed sauceCypriot Pork in Red Wine and CorianderAfelia ΑφέλιαMain Courses · 1h 30m · serves 4Brandy SourBrandy sour Μπράντι ΣάουρDrinks · 5m · serves 1Charred Greek paidakia lamb chops on a grill with lemon and oreganoPaidakiaPaidakia ΠαϊδάκιαMain Courses · 25m · serves 4A Greek bifteki patty cut open showing melted feta insideBiftekiBifteki ΜπιφτέκιMain Courses · 40m · serves 4Kontosouvli pork chunks slow-turning on a spit over charcoalSpit-Roasted PorkKontosouvli ΚοντοσούβλιMain Courses · 3h 30m · serves 6Cretan hochlioi boubouristi fried snails with rosemary and vinegarCretan Fried SnailsHochlioi boubouristi Χοχλιοί μπουμπουριστοίMeze and Appetisers · 35m · serves 4Corfu bourdeto fish stew in a bright red paprika sauceCorfu Spicy Fish StewBourdeto ΜπουρδέτοMain Courses · 55m · serves 4Thessaloniki giaourtlou kebab with tomato sauce and garlic yogurtThessaloniki Kebab with Yogurt and TomatoGiaourtlou ΓιαουρτλούMain Courses · 45m · serves 4Greek soutzoukakia oval meatballs in a rich tomato sauceSmyrna-Style Cumin Meatballs in Tomato SauceSoutzoukakia ΣουτζουκάκιαMain Courses · 1h 10m · serves 6A Pontic Greek peinirli boat-shaped cheese bread fresh from the ovenPontic Boat-Shaped Cheese BreadPeinirli ΠεϊνιρλίBreads and Pies · 2h · serves 4A bowl of Greek lachanosalata cabbage and carrot saladCabbage and Carrot SaladLachanosalata ΛαχανοσαλάταSalads · 15m · serves 6A pot of Greek rakomelo, warm spiced raki with honeyWarm Raki with Honey and SpicesRakomelo ΡακόμελοDrinks · 13m · serves 4Grilled Greek sardines dressed in ladolemono olive oil and lemonGrilled Sardines with Lemon OilSardeles ladolemono Σαρδέλες λαδολέμονοMain Courses · 25m · serves 4Golden Greek fried baby squid rings with lemonFried Baby SquidKalamarakia tiganita Καλαμαράκια τηγανητάMeze and Appetisers · 30m · serves 4Oven Roasted Potatoes with OreganoPatates riganates Πατάτες ριγανάτεςSide Dishes · 1h · serves 4Grilled yogurt-marinated chicken souvlaki skewers with charred edgesYogurt-Marinated Chicken SouvlakiSouvlaki kotopoulo me giaourti Σουβλάκι κοτόπουλο με γιαούρτιMain Courses · 37m · serves 4A small jug of Greek ladolemono olive oil and lemon sauceOlive Oil and Lemon SauceLadolemono ΛαδολέμονοDips and Sauces · 5m · serves 6A plate of golden Greek marides tiganites fried whitebait with lemonFried WhitebaitMarides tiganites Μαρίδες τηγανητέςMeze and Appetisers · 23m · serves 4Golden fried Greek barbouni red mullet with lemonFried Red MulletBarbouni tiganito Μπαρμπούνι τηγανητόMain Courses · 25m · serves 4Fried Metsovone smoked cheese saganaki with lemonFried Smoked Cheese from EpirusSaganaki Metsovone Σαγανάκι μετσοβόνεMeze and Appetisers · 18m · serves 4Sliced Cretan apaki smoked pork, pan-fried and served with lemonCretan Smoked Marinated PorkApaki Kritis Απάκι ΚρήτηςMain Courses · 40m · serves 8Fried Peloponnese Sfela CheeseSaganaki sfela Σαγανάκι σφέλαMeze and Appetisers · 18m · serves 4Sliced pastourma cured beef coated in red fenugreek and paprika pasteCured Spiced Beef from Asia MinorPastourmas ΠαστουρμάςMeze and Appetisers · 40m · serves 10A chilled glass of Greek retsina resinated white wineRetsina Serving GuideRetsina ΡετσίναDrinks · 5m · serves 4Fried Batzos Cheese from MacedoniaSaganaki me batzo Σαγανάκι με μπάτζοMeze and Appetisers · 18m · serves 4Greek astakomakaronada lobster pasta in rich tomato sauceLobster with PastaAstakomakaronada ΑστακομακαρονάδαMain Courses · 1h 15m · serves 4A small glass of Greek tsipouro with ice and a meze plateTsipouro Serving GuideTsipouro ΤσίπουροDrinks · 5m · serves 4A glass of ouzo turned milky white with water and iceOuzo Serving GuideOuzo ΟύζοDrinks · 5m · serves 4Fried BogueGopes tiganites Γόπες τηγανητέςMain Courses · 30m · serves 4Greek loukaniko sausage braised in red wine sauceSausage Braised in WineLoukaniko krasato Λουκάνικο κρασάτοMain Courses · 50m · serves 4A glass of Greek Metaxa brandy served neatMetaxa Serving GuideMetaxa ΜεταξάDrinks · 5m · serves 4A small chilled glass of Chios mastiha liqueurMastiha Liqueur Serving GuideMastiha ΜαστίχαDrinks · 5m · serves 4A bowl of Greek patsas tripe soupTripe SoupPatsas ΠατσάςSoups · 4h 40m · serves 6A pan of Greek spetzofai sausage and pepper stewSausage and Pepper StewSpetzofai ΣπετζοφάιMain Courses · 50m · serves 4A pan of Greek mydia saganaki mussels in tomato and feta sauceMussels in Tomato and Feta SauceMydia saganaki Μύδια σαγανάκιMeze and Appetisers · 40m · serves 4Fried Fresh AnchoviesGavros tiganitos Γαύρος τηγανιτόςMeze and Appetisers · 30m · serves 4A small chilled glass of Naxos kitro citron liqueurKitro Liker Serving GuideKitro ΚίτροDrinks · 5m · serves 4A whole baked Greek tsipoura sea bream with lemon and herbsWhole Baked Sea BreamTsipoura psiti Τσιπούρα ψητήMain Courses · 40m · serves 2Grilled Swordfish SkewersXifias souvlaki Ξιφίας σουβλάκιMain Courses · 40m · serves 4Octopus with Small PastaHtapodi makaronaki Χταπόδι μακαρονάκιMain Courses · 1h 35m · serves 4Symi Shrimp Fried WholeGarides Symis Γαρίδες ΣύμηςMeze and Appetisers · 15m · serves 4Bougiourdi, Thessaloniki baked feta with tomato and peppers, bubbling in a clay dishThessaloniki Baked Feta with PeppersBougiourdi ΜπουγιουρντίMeze and Appetisers · 35m · serves 4Slices of Greek lakerda, salt-cured bonito, with raw onion and olive oilLakerdaLakerda ΛακέρδαMeze and Appetisers · 45m · serves 10A glass of Cypriot ayrani, cold salted yogurt drink with mintCypriot Salted Yogurt DrinkAyrani ΑϊράνιDrinks · 5m · serves 4
Advertisement

Browse other occasions

Greek Christmas RecipesGreek Easter RecipesGreek Lent and Nistisima RecipesSunday Greek Family MealsMezedes and Ouzo RecipesSummer Greek RecipesGreek Name Day and Celebration Recipes