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Kopanisti is a Greek cheese dip that is creamy, cheesy, salty, and exploding with flavor. Everything goes into a food processor and whipped until fluffy and smooth. This dip could not be any easier for whatever occasion you are celebrating! It pairs perfectly with a crudité platter, dip for chips or fries, and so much more!

A Taste of Greece: Kopanisti Dip
I first discovered kopanisti in 2013 and I’m actually surprised it hasn’t taken off more here in the United States. It’s so luxe and flavorful. I love how creamy and smooth it is. The whipped feta cheese along with the roasted bell peppers just give it so much flavor. It’s salty, tangy, cheesy, and literally the perfect dip to serve alongside pita chips, hummus, and more!
The beauty of this recipe is how little effort and time it takes to whip up (literally, haha). Everything goes into a food processor and blend! That’s it!
Recipe Tips
- Do use high quality feta cheese. Since the base is feta cheese, you want to use high quality so it has exceptional flavor.
- If you don’t have a food processor handy, you can also put this into a high speed blender and it will work similarly.
- Serve this dip with roasted potatoes, french fries, polenta fries, crudité platter, or even drizzle it on top of a Mediterranean pasta salad or even an at-home Cava-inspired bowl. Instead of using mayo, you could use this for a sandwich!
Storage Instructions
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Before eating, stir it up a little bit then enjoy!
Kopanisti
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 ounces (227 g) feta cheese
- 4 roasted red peppers, I used the jarred ones
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until desired consistency is achieved.
- Serve with pita chips or vegetables.
Nutrition
Photographs by Eat Love Eat
I made this dip today and it was amazing! I marinated sliced chicken in a Greek marinade and once it was cooked, I tossed it in the dip and warmed it. I was trying to recreate a dish from our local Greek restaurant and this was very close. I’m going to eat the rest of the dip with veggies and pita. One question, do you think it is possible to marinade chicken in this dip?
Updating to add stars, I didn’t see it before. You can delete my previous comment if possible.
i’m so glad you enjoyed this! i don’t think using this as a marinade is a possibility.
Super yummy! But I feel like it needs more tanginess, so I added lemon juice and extra garlic and red pepper flakes.
Is this possible without a food processor? At my disposal I have a regular blender (not a fancy Vitamix, we’ll call it an economy blender) and an immersion blender….
yes, a regular blender could work!
The only red bell pepper I found were strips in a jar. How many strips would you use for this recipe? Please help! Making it this weekend!
oh geez, i have no idea. i feel strips could vary greatly. im sorry i can’t really help..i would probably say maybe 1.5 jars, depending on how large the jar is
Do you think this size is big enough servings to bring to a party or should I double it?
depends on how large this party is; to err on the side of caution, i’d just double it
The recipe you displayed is not called Kopanisti. It is called tyrokafteri (tyro=cheese, kafteri=hot or peppery). Kopanisti is a different thing all together, a cheese produced in Mykonos, Greece where I originate from that has a distinct peppery-hot taste that results from the fermentation process. If you are interested for advise on Greek food on your blog please contact me in the above email.
Hi George,
While your post is factually correct, in North America at least, the word Kopanisti has also become synonymous to Tyrokafteri and the two are used interchangeably. Now if only I could get my hands on some of your islands cheese!
I made this as the recipe states, I believe a little less roasted peppers works, 3 instead of 4 or else it has a strong taste that overcomes the feta taste.
I made this recipe for my recent book club get together and everyone loved it! Thanks for posting :)
I also featured it on my blog to share:
http://skinny-piggy.tumblr.com/post/61952476570/appetizer-time-featured-recipes-tomato-basil-dip
Nice, Jaime! So glad everyone loved it :)
I cant get over that bright orange color! So pretty and I can only imagine how amazing it tastes :)
I never knew this was an official thing! I’ve been making the same with the sweet addition of sweet potatoes–delectable!