Search locations or food
OR
Sign up

What to eat in Greece? Top 32 Greek Meat Dishes

Last update: Tue Apr 15 2025
Top 32 Greek Meat Dishes
VIEW MORE
01
Païdakia
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Grilled lamb chops are a traditional Greek dish that is popular throughout the country and usually enjoyed as the main course. Lamb chops are usually marinated in various combinations of olive oil, lemon juice, and a variety of fresh herbs before they are grilled on traditional charcoal barbecues.


They are commonly paired with potatoes, salads, or the creamy and refreshing tzatziki sauce.

MOST ICONIC Païdakia

View more
1
2
3
5
02
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Kontosouvli is a traditional dish consisting of large pieces of pork marinated in a mixture of herbs and spices, then skewered and slowly cooked on a rotisserie, much like a gyro or souvlaki. The marinade often contains ingredients such as garlic, oregano, thyme, rosemary, paprika, olive oil, lemon juice, and red wine.


After marinating, the meat is threaded onto a large skewer and roasted over an open flame, which results in a rich and flavorful outer crust with a juicy, tender interior. The cooked meat is typically served in thick slices, often accompanied by pita bread, tzatziki sauce, and horiatiki salad, among other possible accompaniments. 
03

Barbecue

CRETE, Greece
4.6
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list
MAIN INGREDIENTS

Antikristo is a traditional technique of cooking meat on Crete. A young lamb (or a goat, on rare occasions) is cut into four pieces (called goulidia), salted, then placed on big wooden skewers that are arranged around the fire in a circular formation, taking into consideration the direction of the wind, the intensity of the fire, and the distance between the fire and the meat.


This process lets the meat cook in its own fat and salt with the heat coming from the flames instead of coals. The name antikristo means across the fire, describing this unique technique. The meat is slowly cooked, sometimes up to 6 hours, and it develops different flavors in the process. 

MOST ICONIC Antikristo

1
2
04
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Gyros is one of the most popular Greek street food dishes, consisting of meat such as pork and chicken (in Greece) or lamb and veal (popular in other countries) cooked on a vertical spit. The meat is sliced in thin shavings and is then usually placed in a pita bread along with sauces such as tzatziki and vegetables such as tomatoes, onions, lettuce, and cucumbers.


Gyros is derived from the Greek word gheereezo, meaning to turn, referring to the constantly rotating vertical spit on which the meat is cooked. Some believe that gyros originated during the time of Alexander the Great, when his soldiers skewered the meat on their swords and cooked it over a fire. 

MOST ICONIC Gyros

View more
1
2
3
4
5
05

Lamb Dish

GREECE and  one more region
4.5
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Kleftiko is a typical Greek dish that is commonly prepared at festive events and celebrations, consisting of a succulent piece of lamb or goat meat that is wrapped in foil and baked in airtight ovens. Also spelled as klephtiko, the name comes from the Klephts, mountain rebels from the Greek Revolution who cooked the food underground, so that no aromas or steam could escape, as it could reveal their positions.


The cooked food was typically stolen, as klepht is also the root of the word kleptomaniac, describing a person with the urge to steal. Today, the meat is slowly cooked in a bowl so that it remains juicy and falls off the bone. Kleftiko is usually cooked with potatoes that soak up some of the flavorful meat juices. 

MOST ICONIC Kleftiko

1
2
06
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Kόkoras krasάtos is a Greek variation on the famous French coq au vin. This Greek dish is made with rooster, Greek red wine, onions, garlic, Greek olive oil, cinnamon stick, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, bay leaves, tomatoes, and Florina peppers or Florina pepper paste.


The rooster is boiled in a delicious red wine sauce until the meat becomes extremely tender and aromatic. In the summer, the sauce is light, while in the winter it's usually much thicker. Traditionally, the dish is served with hollow, spaghetti-like pasta and grated Kefalotyri cheese. 

MOST ICONIC Kokoras krasatos

1
07
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Souvlaki is one of the most popular Greek dishes, consisting of small cubes of skewered and grilled pork, chicken, lamb, or beef. It is a popular fast food item that is usually served in souvladzidika, small eateries that also often serve gyros and other similar grilled meat dishes.


Souvlaki first appeared in ancient Greece, when it was called kandaulos, consisting of a combination of grilled meat, pita bread, cheese, and dill. The name of the dish is a diminutive of the Greek word souvla, meaning spit

MOST ICONIC Souvlaki

View more
1
2
3
4
5
08
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

This hearty Greek soup couples tender beef meatballs and a creamy, flavorful broth. The meatballs and the broth are usually seasoned with various fresh herbs, and the whole dish is finished with the addition of avgolemono—the creamy egg and lemon sauce—which thickens the broth and adds the characteristical zesty flavor.


Traditionally associated with wintertime, youvarlakia is usually accompanied by bread and enjoyed as a nutritious main course.

09

Lamb Dish

CRETE, Greece
4.4
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Tsigaristo is a traditional dish originating from Crete. It's prepared by sautéeing the onions in olive oil, then adding seasoned lamb meat and frying it in the pan or a clay pot over low heat. Near the end of cooking, a bit of lemon is added to finish the dish.


However, there are many variations on the dish, and some cooks use additional ingredients such as garlic and wine. What's important is that the meat is slowly cooked for several hours until it becomes incredibly tender. In the past, people used meat that wasn't eaten on the first day, but was just 'refreshed' in a frying pan with olive oil and onions.

MOST ICONIC Tsigaristo

1
10
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Biftekia is a traditional dish that’s often described as a cross between burger patties and slightly flattened meatballs. The patties are made with a combination of ground pork, beef, or lamb, and the meat is mixed with onions, breadcrumbs, eggs, and aromatic herbs such as mint and oregano.


Once shaped, the biftekia are usually fried in hot oil until they’re fully cooked, but they can also be grilled. When served, these meat patties are typically accompanied by fries, red onions, or cooked vegetables. The dish is especially popular during summer as a barbecue staple.

11
Stew
GREECE  and  one more region
4.3
12
13
14
Stew
SKIATHOS, Greece
4.3
15
16
Pork Dish
MESSINIA, Greece
4.3
17
18
19
Beef Dish
CORFU, Greece
4.2
20
Ground Meat Dish
KALYMNOS, Greece
4.1
21
Meatballs
GREECE  and  one more region
4.1
22
23
Ground Meat Dish
GREECE  and  3 more regions
4.0
24
Meat Dish
CORFU, Greece
4.0
25
Rice Dish
CRETE, Greece
3.8
26
27
Stew
AMORGOS, Greece
3.6
28
Stew
NAXOS ISLAND, Greece
3.2
29
Goat Dish
RHODES ISLAND, Greece
n/a
30
31
Lamb Dish
KALYMNOS, Greece
n/a
32
Lamb Dish
KARPATHOS, Greece
n/a

TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “Top 32 Greek Meat Dishes” list until April 15, 2025, 5,697 ratings were recorded, of which 3,406 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.

Show Map
Greek Meat Dishes