Meze and dip recipes are perfect for entertaining and have an important place in Turkish & Mediterranean Cuisine. They are small plates for sharing, similar to tapas or appetizers, and are one of my favorite ways to eat. They are a great way to bring people together and make any gathering feel more relaxed and fun. With options like smooth hummus, fresh tzatziki, or roasted red pepper dip, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. They’re easy to prepare, use simple ingredients, and pair perfectly with bread, veggies, or crackers.
Turkish Spinach Dip
Ispanak Borani is a creamy, earthy, and delicious Turkish dip made with spinach, onions, garlic, and yogurt. It’s usually served as an appetizer, or a side dish and is best when served with warm Barbari Bread - Persian Flatbread or pita.
To learn more: Turkish Spinach Dip - Ispanak Borani
Hummus
Hummus Dip is a Mediterranean/ Middle Eastern spread made with chickpeas and tahini, then seasoned with lemon, garlic, and cumin. This extremely creamy, smooth & fresh dip comes together in just 25 minutes!
To learn more: Mediterranean Hummus Dip
Cig Kofte
This Easy Meatless Çiğ Köfte Recipe is a vegetarian twist on the popular Turkish street food from Urfa, a city in southeastern Turkey.
It also makes a great appetizer or meze and is similar to Kibbeh Nayyeh from Levantine cuisine.
To learn more: Easy Meatless Çiğ Köfte Recipe
Greek Fava
Greek Fava is a smooth, creamy, and delicious yellow split pea dip that has been a favorite in Greece for many years. Despite its name, it’s not made from fava beans but from split yellow peas, which give the dish its signature velvety texture and flavor.
To learn more: Greek Fava Recipe - Split Pea Dip
Cacik - Tzatziki
Cacik is a delicious and refreshing Turkish Yogurt Dip made with cucumbers, yogurt, and herbs. It is very easy to prepare, ready in just 10 minutes and only needs a few fridge ingredients. This wonderful Mediterranean sauce is similar to its Greek cousin known as "Tzatziki".
To learn more: Cacik (Turkish Yogurt Dip)
Sigara Boregi
Sigara Boregi (Turkish Cheese Rolls) are crispy Turkish appetizers/meze made with thin and flaky filo sheets called "yufka", filled with feta cheese, and then shallow-fried for extra crispness.
To learn more: Sigara Boregi (Turkish Cheese Rolls)
Labneh
Labneh is a tangy, smooth, and creamy cheese made by straining the whey out of yogurt until it reaches a rich and luxurious cream cheese consistency.
Crafting this delightful dip is a breeze, requiring just two simple ingredients and a mere 5 minutes of hands-on time.
To learn more: Homemade Labneh (Yogurt Cheese)
Courgette Fritters
Mücver (Turkish Courgette Fritters) are small vegetable pancakes that contain courgettes, egg, flour, spring onion, and fresh herbs.
You can serve them as a part of meze selection, finger food, or even as a light lunch along with a bowl of Greek Cucumber Salad.
To learn more: Mücver (Turkish Zucchini Fritters)
Roasted Greek Aubergine Dip
Melitzanosalata (Roasted Greek Aubergine Dip) is a smokey and delicious Greek appetizer/meze made with fire-roasted aubergines, tangy lemon juice, garlic, and extra virgin olive oil.
This heavenly and refreshing salad is a harmonious blend of smoky, zesty, and vibrant Mediterranean flavors.
To learn more: Melitzanosalata (Roasted Greek Eggplant Dip)
Saksuka
Saksuka (Turkish Vegetable Meze) is a very much loved vegetarian/vegan dish made of shallow-fried vegetables and a simple tomato sauce.
The star ingredient for this traditional Turkish dish is the aubergines and the rest of the vegetables added to the dish vary from region to region.
To learn more: Saksuka (Turkish Vegetable Meze)
Muhammara - Red Pepper Dip
Muhammara, also known as Acuka in Turkish, is a delicious Middle Eastern dip made with red pepper paste, garlic, walnuts, spices, and olive oil.
It is extremely easy to prepare and is ready in 15 minutes with minimal cleaning up!
To learn more: Muhammara - Red Pepper Dip
Falafel
This Authentic Homemade Lebanese Falafel Recipe is perfect for you if you want to learn how to make perfectly crisp and extremely flavourful falafels.
Whether you serve them stuffed in warm Greek Pita Bread or along with selection of dips and mezes, it will be a family favorite!
To learn more: Authentic Homemade Lebanese Falafel Recipe
Circassian Chicken
Çerkez Tavuğu (Circassian Chicken) is a delicious mezze/appetizer made of shredded poached chicken mixed with a creamy walnut sauce.
This recipe is a great way to use up leftover roast chicken or stale bread pieces.
To learn more: Çerkez Tavuğu - Circassian Chicken
Arnavut Cigeri
Arnavut Cigeri (or Albanian Liver) is a Turkish Liver dish consisting of pan-fried lamb or veal liver cubes seasoned with chili flakes and served with sumac, onion, and parsley salad.
This simple recipe is extremely easy to prepare and tastes great.
To learn more: Arnavut Cigeri - Turkish Liver
Baba Ganoush
Baba Ganoush (or baba ghanoush - ghanouj) is a Mediterranean and Middle Eastern appetizer/meze/dip consisting of charred aubergines, olive oil, lemon juice, seasoning, and tahini. This aubergine dip is typically served as a cold meze /starter, as a side dish to the main meal, and as a dip for flatbread.
To learn more: Baba Ganoush Without Tahini
Pacanga Boregi
Turkish Cuisine has many delicious Borek recipes and Paçanga Böreği is one of the nation's favorites.
These delicious fried pastry rolls are made of yufka sheets filled with Kasar cheese, pastirma, tomatoes, and peppers.
To learn more: Paçanga Böreği
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