My Big Fat Greek Appetizer | Feta Dip
My Big Fat Greek Appetizer is an easy to make layered Feta Dip with good olive oil, feta cheese, cucumber, green onion, tomatoes, and Kalamata olives. Scoop it up with a pita!
Need a quick appetizer for a summer party? I’ve got you covered with My Big Fat Greek Appetizer Feta Dip! I took some of my favorite Greek and Mediterranean ingredients and put them all together in one dish for this irresistible recipe.
This platter of Greek goodness is so refreshing on a hot afternoon outside or when everyone’s standing around waiting for dinner to come from the grill. I like it best with a glass of cold, crisp wine but beer drinkers tell me it’s pretty good with that libation as well.
I do think it’s important to use the very best ingredients you can afford in this delicious appetizer. Particularly the olive oil. A really good extra virgin is a requirement.
And feel free to add whatever you like! I sometimes put dollops of Greek yogurt around. Or use purple onions instead of green onions. They’re much more colorful anyway. Don’t like Kalamata olives? Okay, leave them out. Take the base idea and make it your own.
I’ve given you some measurements in the recipe, but honestly, they’re just guidelines. You hardly need them. Just start building your appetizer on a big, shallow plate or platter and add or leave out whatever looks right to you! Include some crispy pita chips or warm pita bread to tear into pieces for scooping and you’re all set.
❤️ Why We Love This Recipe
- No cooking or heating the kitchen on a hot day!
- It’s easy to prep. Just a little chopping and slicing and you’re good to go.
- It’s a communal dish shared from a single platter so there’s just one plate to wash.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING …
“This is my kind of app, so simple and natural. Delish!”
— Tori
🛒 Ingredient Notes
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- Pitas – Serve with either pita bread or pita chips (or both!) for dipping and scooping the dip.
- Olive Oil – Choose a good quality extra virgin olive oil. I recommend California Olive Ranch brand.
- Feta Cheese – Purchase either crumbled feta or a block of feta cheese and crumble it yourself.
- Cucumber – I like English cucumbers. They have almost no seeds so there’s less waste.
- Onion – You can use any onion you have on hand; green onions, red onions, mild yellow onions all work.
- Tomatoes – I prefer Roma tomatoes because they’re lower in moisture and won’t water down the finished dip.
- Kalamata Olives – I love these salty, sharp olives! Substitute another variety if you like.
- Fresh Lemon Juice – Use freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Ground Black Pepper – Black pepper lends its own touch of background heat and brightens the other flavors. Salt isn’t needed in this recipe because of the other salty ingredients.
- Pepperoncini – I use Mazzetta brand. Delallo is also great.
The complete ingredient list with detailed measurements is included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
🔪 How to Make Layered Feta Dip
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the pita bread in the oven to warm while you prepare the rest of the recipe. I just put the pitas right on the oven rack. No pan to wash!
- On a large, shallow plate or platter, pour olive oil to cover the bottom.
👉 PRO TIP: Measurements aren’t really important, but I did check and noted that I used about 1/3 cup of olive oil. Because it’s eaten raw and is a major flavor component, you do want to use a very good, extra virgin olive oil for this.
- Scatter over the crumbled Feta cheese. I just crumble it with my fingers but you could cut it into cubes if you like that better.
- Add the diced cucumber and green onion.
- Next, add the diced tomatoes and Kalamata olives.
👉 PRO TIP: I always like plum tomatoes for this recipe because they have less moisture than other tomatoes. That keeps them from watering down the recipe. You could also use halved grape or cherry tomatoes. If you’re using regular tomatoes, be sure to remove the seeds before you dice them.
- Sprinkle over the lemon juice and freshly ground black pepper. You probably won’t need any salt since the Feta is usually pretty salty but taste to see what you think.
- Serve with warm pita bread torn into pieces and pickled Pepperoncini.
Must Have Serving Platter
- Made from Melamine
- BPA free, Drop-proof and dishwasher safe
- Not microwaveable
- Package dimensions: 16.0inches L x 1.0inches W x 14.0inches H
☝️ Just for fun, I thought I’d show you what it looks like around here after the photo shoot is finished. It took us about 5 minutes to nearly destroy the whole platter. Then again, it was about 3:00 in the afternoon and neither of us had had lunch :-)
🔀 Recipe Variations
- Very lightly sprinkle the feta layer with crushed red pepper flakes. You only need a few!
- Before juicing the lemon, remove the lemon zest and sprinkle it over as well for a pronounced lemon flavor.
- Add a tiny bit of chopped fresh dill.
- Sprinkle a small amount of crushed dried oregano over top of the dip.
- Add a few chopped sun-dried tomatoes to the mixture.
🍚 Make Ahead and Storage Information
This layered feta dip can be made about 30 minutes before serving. As with most recipes using fresh vegetables, they begin to exude their juices fairly quickly and can cause the dip to become watery if left to sit too long. My recommendation is to serve and enjoy the dip fairly quickly after making it.
Think of storing a fresh salad with cut tomatoes and cucumbers. It just wilts in the fridge, right? You’ll get the same results from storing this dip.
❓ Questions About Layered Feta Dip
Use your feta dip as the centerpiece of a lovely Greek meze table. “Meze” means a taste or bite and in Greece, the meze table or mezze platter is a mix of dishes and dips, similar to tapas. Families and friends gather around and enjoy sampling the different flavors in a communal style.
Ideally, you’d use feta imported from Greece that is packed in brine. If that’s not available to you or is outside your budget, most any feta in your grocery’s deli case will work.
🧾 More Recipes You’ll Like
Questions? I’m happy to help!
If you have more questions about the recipe, or if you’ve made it and would like to leave a comment, scroll down to leave your thoughts, questions, and/or rating!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
📖 Recipe
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My Big Fat Greek Appetizer (Feta Dip)
Ingredients
- 4 Pitas
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 ounces Feta cheese crumbled
- ½ cup diced cucumber
- ¼ cup diced green onion
- ½ cup diced fresh tomatoes
- ¼ cup Kalamata olives chopped
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 8 Pepperoncini
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the pita bread in the oven to warm while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
- On a large, shallow plate or platter, pour the olive oil to cover the bottom.
- Scatter over the crumbled Feta cheese, diced cucumber, green onion, tomatoes, and Kalamata olives.
- Sprinkle with a little lemon juice and freshly ground black pepper.
- Serve with crispy pita chips or warm pita bread torn in pieces and pickled Pepperoncini.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
— This post was originally published on May 6, 2014. It has been updated with additional information and revised photos.
I made this recipe last evening and my guests loved it, as did I. They now want the recipe too. I’m giving it 5 stars from 6 different people!
Thank you so much! I’m glad that you and your guests enjoyed it!
I’m going to give this a try but I will add a sprinkling of freshly torn oregano to make it really Greek!
This contains a lot of my favorite flavors, and I love the simplicity. I know what you mean about 5 minutes after the photo shoot. As soon as the food is being served, my kids start circling like vultures. They often complain about my blog being the reason for their starvation. Once, I had the perfect photo set up, turned around to pick up the camera, and the plate was gone.
Patti – that is so funny! I’m surprised I haven’t had plates disappear yet!
Lovely Lana! This is my kind of app, so simple and natural. Delish!
What a perfect refreshing appetizer that you can make all summer long!
I will DEFINITELY be making this. It’s just too simple. And all those wonderful flavors? Yum!
Oh man! If I went to a party and this was there I would probably just sit next to it and eat it all….totally cool, right?
I used to work in a Greek restaurant. Love their food. This is spectacular. I need to try this next time my sis in law visits.
Sometimes for dinner after a day at work, I love to have a glass of wine and make an appetizer plate. Holey Moley this would be perfect—and easy. But easy is not the point, it feel kind of special. Its also amazing how full you get too.
Looks like a great lunch even
Greek salads are so refreshing. I love your recipe!!
I feel inspired… I’m thinking dinner tonight! :)
It’s 10am and you have me drooling. And you have me jealous of everyone that had the privilege of emptying that plate. I want, I want, I want.
Lana – that’s it – I’m coming over for cocktails and apps! :) In all seriousness – this looks utterly delicious!
Come on over, Aly! This is perfect with a little glass of wine :-)
Greek flavors have always been a favorite of mine. Love this!
I hope you’ll try it and enjoy it, Ashley.
I love this! And the name is so cute. Who could resist all those yummy Greek flavors?
Thanks, Angie!
OH YUM!! I would love this for lunch!
Thanks, Stephanie!
Love that movie and love Greek appetizers. This would make me very happy today for lunch!!
It is a great lunch or appetizer. It’s also fantastic with a grilled steak or lamb chops for dinner.
I’ve always had a hard time with Greek food, I think because of the olives. But this might completely change my mind! It looks delicious and so fresh!
I really enjoy the Kalamatas, but you can totally leave them out if you want to.
I love this! Feta and Pepperoncini…. and olives… oh man. Yes please!
Yes, all the good stuff!
My other half would love this. He adores a Greek salad.
Miss P
That’s just about what this is – a Greek Salad without the lettuce!
I’m Greek …. Yummy Lana!!
Thanks, Alexis. I’m so glad you like it!