Tantalise your taste buds with the authentic flavour of homemade taramasalata, a traditional Greek fish roe dip made with a creamy blend of fish roe, lemon juice, and olive oil. It's the perfect appetiser to enjoy with warm pita bread.
CONTENTS
What is taramasalata?
- Taramasalata is a traditional Greek dish made from fish roe that is commonly served with lagana bread and halva for the first day of the Greek Orthodox Easter Lent (known in Greek as Clean Monday). The creamy dip paired with the light and fluffy bread is genuinely magical.
- Taramasalata uses salted, cured roe (fish eggs), usually from cod, grey mullet or carp, to produce a unique and flavourful dish.
- Using a combination of lemon juice, olive oil, and bread or potatoes in a food processor creates a creamy and smooth texture (similar to mayonnaise). At the same time, the flavour is salty and slightly tart.
- Some parts of Greece make it with mashed potatoes instead of bread.
- In Greece, it's called taramosalata (with the letter "o" rather than "a").
Why you'll love this recipe
- Serve it as an appetiser with flatbread or pita chips.
- Pair this taramasalata recipe with many other Greek dips, and create the ultimate Greek meze plates - see my tzatziki, htipiti and melitzanosalata for further Greek food inspiration.
- It has a salty umami "kick", and this tarama dip works well in sandwiches (we're making mayonnaise, so use it in your sandwiches to give them a little extra something!).
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Bread - use stale bread (usually a few days old). White bread works best, and make sure you remove the crusts. The bread is then softened or soaked in water and used as the base to bulk the taramasalata dip. You can sub with potatoes (approx. 250-300 grams or one large potato). Boil, steam or microwave the potato before using.
- Fresh tarama - use a good quality fish roe. It should be beige in colour and appearance. Avoid the bright pink tarama that uses dye, chemicals or other artificial colourants. Tarama is widely available in supermarkets and specialty delis.
- Oil - I use Greek extra virgin olive oil to bind this dip - however, if you find the flavour a little strong, try sunflower oil (or vegetable oil) mixed with olive oil for a lighter taste.
- Onion - I'm using half a red onion, but you can sub with a brown one. Shallots work well too.
- Lemon juice - this adds a nice sharp flavour and balances. Sub with white or red wine vinegar instead of lemon juice.
How to make taramasalata
Remove the crusts from the bread, chop them into smaller pieces and dip them into a bowl of warm water until the bread soaks up the water. Then, squeeze the excess water out of the bread.
Transfer the bread to a food processor.
Grate the onion using a handheld kitchen grater.
Add the fresh tarama, onion and lemon juice to the food processor.
Blend the mixture on medium speed until it is smooth and free of lumps.
Slowly add the olive oil (or combination) until the mixture is thick and creamy.
Test the dip for balance and acidity. If it needs extra lemon juice, now is the time to add it.
Serve the fresh taramasalata with lagana bread, pita bread or flatbread.
Expert Tips
- Do not add any extra salt. The tarama itself is pretty salty. Consider adding a little white or black pepper for seasoning.
- The type of roe used in this taramasalata recipe is essential. Look for a good quality fish roe (usually a light beige), which will make all the difference to the final dish.
- Leave your bread for a few days to dry, and remove the crusts.
- If you find the taramasalata too thick after blending, add a few tablespoons (a little at a time) of cold water to add "lightness".
- Pour in the olive oil gradually. Again I can't emphasise this enough! Do not rush adding the olive oil, as the taramasalata will not emulsify.
Recipe FAQs
The dip will last up to 7 days in the refrigerator, stored in an airtight food container.
Video - how to make it
More Greek dips
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📋 Recipe
Taramasalata Recipe (Greek Fish Roe Dip)
Ingredients
- 220 grams bread, (a few days old, crusts removed) (see note 1)
- 100 grams fish roe, (tarma) (see note 2)
- 1 red onion, medium sized or half a large red onion
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 200 ml olive oil, (see note 3)
Instructions
- Remove the crusts from the bread, chop them into smaller pieces and dip them into a bowl of warm water until the bread soaks up the water. Then, squeeze the excess water out of the bread.220 grams bread
- Transfer the bread to a food processor.
- Grate the onion using a hand grater.1 red onion
- Add the fresh tarama, onion and lemon juice to the food processor.100 grams fish roe, 1 lemon
- Blend the mixture on medium speed until it is smooth and free of lumps.
- Slowly add the olive oil (or combination) until the mixture is thick and creamy.200 ml olive oil
- Test the dip for balance and acidity. If it needs extra lemon juice, now is the time to add it.
- Serve the fresh taramasalata with lagana bread, pita bread or flatbread.
Notes
- Use stale bread (usually a few days old). White or sourdough works best, and make sure you remove the crusts. You can sub with potatoes (approx. 250-300 grams or one large potato). Boil, steam or microwave the potato before using.
- The type of roe used in this recipe is essential. Look for a good quality fish roe (usually a light beige), which will make all the difference to the final dish.
- Use Greek extra virgin olive oil to bind this dip - however, if you find the flavour a little strong, try sunflower oil mixed with olive oil (half and half) for a lighter taste.
- Pour in the olive oil gradually. Again I can't emphasise this enough! Do not rush adding the olive oil, as it will not emulsify.
Nutrition
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Souvlaki For the Soul
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