21 Greek Recipes to Master

By Bridget Hallinan
September 12, 2019
Whether you’re new to cooking Greek cuisine or a longtime pro, allow us to introduce you to some of our all-time favorite Greek recipes. Herby, tangy, tzatziki; irresistible rice-stuffed grape leaves with a hint of brine; fried dough with honey syrup; and a seriously indulgent moussaka. Once you get the hang of these recipes, you’ll have them in your dinner rotation forever.  
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10 Greek Recipes to Master

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Stuffed Grape Leaves

© Christina Holmes

For his supertasty vegetarian stuffed grape leaves, chef Scott Conant makes a simple rice filling with onion, tomato paste, parlsey and a bit of dried mint.

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Skordalia (Greek Potato Dip)

This smooth and delicious Greek dip from Andrew Zimmern combines potatoes, bread, almonds, lemon juice, garlic and capers. Zimmern prefers to pound the ingredients by hand in a large mortar fitted with a heavy pestle, but a food processor works just as well.

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Cucumber-Dill Tzatziki

This yogurt dip is incredibly versatile—serve it with toasted pita wedges as an appetizer, or pair it with grilled lamb, chicken, fish or vegetables.

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Greek Salad with Feta Mousse

Gavin Kaysen's Greek salad has most of the usual ingredients, like tomatoes and olives—but, in an inspired twist, he turns the traditional feta cheese into a creamy, light feta mousse. Kaysen invented the dish to impress his coach when he was training for the prestigious international Bocuse d'Or cooking competition, and he says, "It blew him away."

 

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Horiatiki Salad with Beet Hummus

Jen Causey

Horiatiki should embody the brightness of summer—the tomato should be ripe and syrupy, the cucumber crisp, the olives salty, and the feta tangy, and these should all be generously lubricated with the best olive oil you can find.

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Lemony Roasted Potatoes with Oregano (Psites Patates)

It's hard to resist that Greek diner specialty of potatoes bathed in a lemony oil. In this version, slices of lemon are roasted along with the potatoes, gently perfuming the dish making it fresher and very satisfying.

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Grilled Asparagus with Taramasalata

© Nicole Franzen

Taramasalata is a Greek dip or spread made with salted fish roe, olive oil and bread (or sometimes potatoes). Chef Zoi Antonitsas’s creamy version is a perfect accompaniment for grilled asparagus.

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Grilled Manouri Cheese with Caramelized Plums

Michael Psilakis likes to riff on saganaki—fried cheese with lemon. He uses manouri, a fresh, milky white cheese made from the whey that's drained off during feta production. Like nearly all Greek cheeses, it's produced from either sheep's or goat's milk.

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Pork Souvlaki with Tzatziki

Greeks make souvlaki by marinating chunks of meat (usually pork or lamb) in oil, lemon juice and oregano, then skewering and grilling them. Grace Parisi opts for pork shoulder because it's so tender and succulent. Instead of threading the meat onto skewers, she simply cooks it (with onions) in a grill pan until it's nicely charred, then serves it with store-bought pita and a garlicky tzatziki.

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Supper Spanakopita

Traditionally shaped into small triangles or made in large casserole dishes, the Greek spinach pies, known as spanakopita, are just as easy to roll into logs. This unconventional shape offers plenty of contrast between the crisp layers of buttered phyllo and the creamy, dill-flecked filling. Round out this vegetarian meal with a green salad.

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Greek-Style Leg of Lamb

This dish is best paired with a dark, cherry-flavored, peppery Chinon.

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Grilled Lamb Chops with Ladolemono

Michael Psilakis dresses these luscious lamb chops with ladolemono, a supersimple Greek sauce of lemon juice and olive oil. The sauce is often spooned over fish, but it's delicious on meat and vegetables, too. "This is real Greek cooking," he says.

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Shrimp Saganaki

For shrimp saganaki, Greeks sauté shrimp in a pan with tomatoes, olives and feta cheese, then serve it right out of the skillet with bread to soak up all the delicious juices. Grace Parisi stirs fresh dill into her quick version to brighten the flavor.

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Grilled Branzino with Skordalia and Ladolemono

© Nicole Franzen

Chef Zoi Antonitsas tops flaky grilled fish with a superlemony Greek ladolemono sauce and serves it with the tangy, garlicky skordalia.

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Greek Fish Stew

"On the Greek island of Kalymnos, fishermen make a stew with shellfish, whole fish, lemon, onion and water," says Andrew Zimmern. "They eat it straight from the pot with their hands—no bowls. It tastes of sweat and iodine, but it is easily one of the best soups I've ever had. I make my version with halibut, throwing in mussels at the end."

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Moussaka

Our moussaka features two shortcuts, neither of which sacrifices flavor: The eggplant is broiled rather than fried, and the topping is a mixture of cheese and milk instead of the usual béchamel sauce. Watch the eggplant carefully while it cooks; if it burns it will taste bitter. Let the moussaka sit briefly before cutting it, so the squares will hold together.

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Greek-Style Oven-Baked Chicken with Lemon and Oregano

This lemony chicken is perfect alongside a big Greek salad.

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Homemade Greek Yogurt

Homemade yogurt requires surprisingly little prep and keeps in the fridge for a month.

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Kourambiedes

Beating the butter until very fluffy—a good 10 minutes—makes these Greek shortcakes especially light.

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Fried Greek Pastry with Honey and Nuts

Michael Psilakis’ diples—fried dough—are coated in a warm honey syrup and sprinkled with chopped nuts and cinnamon.

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Chocolate-Hazelnut Baklava

Baklava gets a twist with bittersweet chocolate, cinnamon, and hazelnuts.

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