Taramasalata

Name: Taramasalata
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Ingredients: 75 g tarama (cured fish roe), white (undyed) if you can find it; 200 g white bread, day-old white bread, crusts removed, torn; 200 ml water, cold; 30 g onion, grated, juice and pulp (optional); 60 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed; 120 ml olive oil; 100 ml sunflower oil

Non-vegetarian

Ταραμοσαλάτα · taramosaláta

Salted cured fish roe (tarama) beaten with soaked bread, grated onion, lemon juice and oil into a light, creamy, briny emulsion. Traditionally pale beige, not bright pink; a Lenten staple for Clean Monday.

Taramasalata is a Greek dip from Greece, ready in about 1 hour 20 minutes and made with tarama (cured fish roe) and white bread. It serves 10 and is rated intermediate to cook.

Start cooking

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Prep: 20 min
Cook: 0 min
Rest: 1 h
Total: 1 h 20 min
Serves: 10
Level: Intermediate
Calories: 252

Ingredients

10 meze servings (about 60 g)

75 g Tarama (cured fish roe) (opens in a new tab), white (undyed) if you can find itContains fish
200 g White bread (opens in a new tab), day-old white bread, crusts removed, tornSwap: Potato (About 250 g floury potatoes boiled, peeled and mashed while warm, as in northern Greece.)Contains wheat, gluten
200 ml Water (opens in a new tab), coldFor soaking the bread, plus 2–4 tbsp to lighten the finished dip.
30 g Onion (opens in a new tab), grated, juice and pulp (optional)Swap: Spring onion
60 ml Lemon juice (opens in a new tab), freshly squeezed
120 ml Olive oil (opens in a new tab)A mild extra virgin.
100 ml Sunflower oil (opens in a new tab)Lightens the flavour; or use all olive oil for a stronger taste.

Equipment

Method

1
Step 1
Soak the torn bread in the cold water for 2 minutes until soft, then squeeze it very firmly a handful at a time; it should be damp but not wet. Keep the soaking water.
- 4 min
- Mixing bowl (opens in a new tab)
2
Step 2
Put the tarama (opens in a new tab) and grated onion (opens in a new tab) in the food processor (opens in a new tab) and blend for about 1 minute, until smooth and slightly paler.
3
Step 3
Add the squeezed bread in pieces and blend for another minute to a smooth, thick paste, scraping down once.
- 2 min
- Food processor (opens in a new tab)
4
Step 4
Mix the two oils in a jug. With the motor running, pour in the oil in a thin, steady stream, adding the lemon juice (opens in a new tab) a little at a time between additions, as you would for mayonnaise. This takes 4–5 minutes. The dip will turn paler, thicker and fluffy, holding soft peaks.
If it looks greasy or starts to separate, stop adding oil, blend in 1 tbsp cold water, then continue.
How it looks · Photo: Katerina Holmes on Pexels
5
Step 5
Blend in 2–4 tablespoons of the reserved cold water until light and spreadable. Taste: it should be briny, lemony and rich; add more lemon if it is flat. Do not add salt. Chill for at least 1 hour to firm before serving.
- 2 min

About this dish

Origin: Greece · Well documentedGreek and Cypriot; eaten especially on Kathara Deftera (Clean Monday) at the start of Lent. The bread-based version here is the Athenian and island style; northern Greek cooks often use potato instead. The roe was traditionally carp or grey mullet; cod roe is common today.Also popular in Cyprus, TürkiyeMore food from Greece
Dish: Lunch · Dinner · Dips & spreads · Appetizers & starters
Cooking method: No-cook, Blended
Taste: salty, umami, creamy, tangy
Diet: Pescatarian · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
All labels
Pescatarian · Non-vegetarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Mediterranean-style · Low-carb
With the listed swaps: No gluten ingredientsWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for: Make-ahead · Festive & celebration
Cook more with: White bread · Lemon juice
Techniques: Wet grinding · Emulsification

Allergens

May contain: Milkfrom white bread
May contain: Eggsfrom white bread
Contains: Fishfrom tarama (cured fish roe)
Contains, can be adapted: Wheatfrom white bread
Contains, can be adapted: Glutenfrom white bread
May contain: Soyfrom white bread
May contain: Sesamefrom white bread

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

252 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 60 g · recipe makes 10

Where the energy comes from

Protein 6%
Carbohydrate 17%
Fat 78%

Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
Nutrient	Per serving	Per 100 g
Energy	252 kcal	420 kcal
Protein	3.6 g	6.1 g
Carbohydrate	10.6 g	17.7 g
Net carbohydrate	10.1 g	16.8 g
Sugars	1.3 g	2.1 g
Added sugars	0 g	0 g
Fibre	0.6 g	0.9 g
Fat	22.1 g	36.9 g
Saturated fat	2.9 g	4.8 g
Trans fat	—	—
Cholesterol	44 mg	74 mg
Sodium	211 mg	352 mg
Salt equivalent	0.5 g	0.9 g

Vitamins & minerals per serving

Potassium: 45 mg
Calcium: 52 mg
Iron: 1.7 mg
Magnesium: 28 mg
Vitamin A (RAE): 20 µg
Vitamin C: 2 mg
Vitamin D: —
Vitamin B12: 1.5 µg
Folate (DFE): 39 µg

How these numbers were made

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
Optional ingredients are not included: onion.
Tarama (cured fish roe): Salted granular caviar (FDC 174188) used as a stand-in for salt-cured carp or cod roe; both are heavily salted fish roe, but tarama is less fatty, so fat and energy are somewhat overstated.
“—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

Tarama varies in saltiness; start with 60 g and add more to taste after the oil goes in.
White tarama gives the traditional pale beige colour; pink tarama is dyed and tastes the same.

Common mistakes

Adding the oil too fast, which splits the emulsion.
Leaving the bread soggy, which makes a heavy, wet dip that will not fluff up.

Serve with

On Clean Monday with lagana flatbread, fava, olives, dolmadakia and pickled vegetables.
With warm pita, radishes and cucumber as part of a fish meze.

Food safety

Contains fish; keep chilled and do not leave out for more than 2 hours.
Tarama is very salty; it is not suitable for people on a low-sodium diet in large amounts.

Storage

Refrigerate in a covered container for up to 5 days.

Variations

Potato taramasalata (Greece): Floury potato replaces the bread, giving a denser, smoother dip; common in Thessaloniki and northern Greece.
With almonds: Some island cooks blend in a handful of blanched almonds for body.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added 2 Nov 2026 · Updated 8 Nov 2026

Goes with

Dolmadakia (rice-stuffed vine leaves)

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Customise in Sauce & DrizzleCompare with

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Tarama (cured fish roe), white (undyed) if you can find it75 g
White bread, day-old white bread, crusts removed, torn200 g
Lemon juice, freshly squeezed60 ml · 62 g

Used in steps 1, 2, 3, 4

Make it milder, swap ingredients for your diet, change the batch size or thickness — the original stays as it is.

Customise in Sauce & Drizzle

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