Greek Food Dips

Htipiti: Greek Whipped Feta Dip with Roasted Peppers

Name: Htipiti (Whipped Feta Dip)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 large red bell peppers (or 150 g jarred roasted Florina peppers, drained); 1 small red chilli (or 1/2 tsp chilli flakes); 200 g Greek feta (crumbled); 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (plus extra to serve); 1 tbsp lemon juice (or red wine vinegar); 1 small garlic clove (optional); 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt (optional, for a softer dip); 1/2 tsp dried oregano (to serve)

Salty feta whipped with sweet roasted red peppers, a little chilli and olive oil. Creamy, smoky and made in a food processor.

Serves

Calories

170 kcal

Cuisine

Greek

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Bowl of Greek htipiti, whipped feta and roasted red pepper dip with olive oil and oregano

On this page: What is it · History · What you need · Step by step · Serving & storage · Recipe card

Htipiti is a Greek whipped feta dip made with roasted red peppers, a little chilli, olive oil and lemon. It is creamy, salty, gently smoky and slightly sweet, and it takes about ten minutes once the peppers are roasted.

It sits on the meze table next to tzatziki, but it tastes completely different: richer, bolder and bright orange-pink from the peppers. Spread it on warm pita, spoon it next to grilled meat or use it as a sandwich spread.

Whipped feta has become a favourite far beyond Greece, and this pepper version is one of the best reasons why.

What Is It?

Htipiti (χτυπητή) means ‘beaten’ or ‘whipped’, from the Greek verb for beating. It is a dip of feta cheese blended or mashed with roasted sweet red peppers, olive oil, a splash of vinegar or lemon and, often, hot chilli.

It is closely related to tirokafteri, the ‘spicy cheese’ dip. The two names are sometimes used for the same thing, but htipiti usually leans on roasted peppers, while tirokafteri is mostly about the heat.

The texture can be smooth and whipped or left a little rough and chunky. A food processor gives you the creamy version; a fork gives you the rustic one.

A Little History

Htipiti whipped feta dip on a Greek meze table with pita, olives and ouzo

Htipiti is most closely associated with northern Greece, especially Macedonia and Thessaloniki, where roasted red peppers are a big part of the local table.

The best-known peppers from the region are the long, sweet red peppers of Florina, which hold Protected Designation of Origin status in the EU. They are roasted, peeled and sold in jars all over Greece, and they are the classic choice for this dip.

Like most meze, htipiti grew out of everyday ingredients: brined feta, peppers from the garden and olive oil, beaten together to go with bread, ouzo and good company.

At a glance

Serves

Calories

170 kcal

Protein

6 g

Course

Dip, Meze

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Why it works

01 Ready in 30 minutes, or 10 with jarred peppers

02 Salty, sweet and smoky in one spoonful

03 Keeps for 4 days and gets better overnight

Greek whipped feta and roasted red pepper dip with pita, seen from above

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What You Need

Exact amounts are in the recipe card

For the Peppers

large red bell peppers, or 150 g jarred roasted Florina peppers, drained
small red chilli, or 1/2 tsp chilli flakes

For the Dip

Greek feta, crumbled
extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
lemon juice, or red wine vinegar
small garlic clove, optional
Greek yoghurt, optional, for a softer dip
dried oregano, to serve

Ingredients for htipiti: red peppers, red chilli, feta, olive oil, lemon, garlic, Greek yoghurt and oregano

Step-by-Step Instructions

The only real work is roasting the peppers. If you use jarred roasted peppers, skip straight to step 3.

Red peppers and a chilli roasted until blistered and charred for htipiti

1. Roast the peppers

Heat the oven to 220 °C (200 °C fan). Roast the whole peppers and chilli on a tray for 20 minutes, turning once, until the skins blister and blacken in places. You can also char them over a gas flame or on a grill.

Peeling the charred skin off steamed roasted red peppers for htipiti

2. Steam and peel

Put the hot peppers in a bowl, cover and leave for 10 minutes. The steam loosens the skins. Peel, remove the stems and seeds, and pat the flesh dry.

Tip: Don’t rinse the peppers under the tap. You wash away the smoky flavour.

Feta, roasted peppers, chilli and olive oil pulsed into a creamy dip in a food processor

3. Blend the dip

Put the feta, peppers, chilli, olive oil, lemon juice and garlic (if using) in a food processor. Pulse until creamy but still with a little texture. Add the yoghurt if you want it softer.

Tip: Taste before adding salt. Feta varies a lot, and most batches need none.

4. Rest and serve

Spoon into a shallow bowl, swirl the top and finish with olive oil and dried oregano. It tastes even better after 30 minutes in the fridge.

Serving & Storage

Serving

Serve htipiti with warm pita, crusty bread or raw vegetables as part of a meze spread with tzatziki, olives and dolmades.

It is excellent with grilled meat, chicken souvlaki and keftedes, and makes a great spread inside a pita wrap or on toast with a fried egg.

Storing Leftovers

Keep htipiti in an airtight container in the fridge. A little oil on top helps keep it fresh.

Htipiti	up to 4 days
Roasted peppers, peeled	up to 5 days
Freezer	not recommended

Take it out of the fridge 15 minutes before serving so the olive oil softens and the flavour opens up.

Htipiti (Whipped Feta Dip)

Salty feta whipped with sweet roasted red peppers, a little chilli and olive oil. Creamy, smoky and made in a food processor.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Greek

Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 170

Equipment

Baking tray
Food processor
Bowl with a lid or plate
Spatula

Ingredients

Peppers

2 large red bell peppers or 150 g jarred roasted Florina peppers, drained
1 small red chilli or 1/2 tsp chilli flakes

Dip

200 g Greek feta crumbled
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil plus extra to serve
1 tbsp lemon juice or red wine vinegar
1 small garlic clove optional
2 tbsp Greek yoghurt optional, for a softer dip
1/2 tsp dried oregano to serve

Jarred roasted Florina peppers are the quickest route and very authentic. Drain them well and pat dry.

For more heat, add a second chilli or a pinch of cayenne. For a milder dip, leave the chilli out.

Instructions

Heat the oven to 220 °C (200 °C fan). Roast the whole peppers and chilli on a tray for 20 minutes, turning once, until the skins blister and blacken in places. You can also char them over a gas flame or on a grill.
Put the hot peppers in a bowl, cover and leave for 10 minutes. The steam loosens the skins. Peel, remove the stems and seeds, and pat the flesh dry.
Put the feta, peppers, chilli, olive oil, lemon juice and garlic (if using) in a food processor. Pulse until creamy but still with a little texture. Add the yoghurt if you want it softer.
Spoon into a shallow bowl, swirl the top and finish with olive oil and dried oregano. It tastes even better after 30 minutes in the fridge.