Crispy Feta With Lemon
- Total Time
- 10 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:About 16 servings
- 1(8-ounce) package block feta, preferably not in brine
- 3tablespoons cornstarch
- 1tablespoon sesame seeds
- 2tablespoons unsalted butter
- Flaky salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Red-pepper flakes, for serving
- Lemon wedges, for serving
- Crackers or toasted baguette slices, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (16 servings)
65 calories; 5 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 1 gram monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 2 grams protein; 157 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Cut the feta in ¼-inch-thick slices, then cut each rectangular slice in half crosswise to form two squares. You should end up with about 16 squares. Transfer the squares to a paper towel on your cutting board and pat dry.
- Step 2
In a large shallow bowl or rimmed plate, stir together the cornstarch and sesame seeds. Working with one at a time, gently coat the feta on both sides with the cornstarch mixture.
- Step 3
In a large, nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the feta in a single layer and cook until golden-brown, about 1 minute. Using a spatula, gently flip and cook until golden-brown on the other side. Transfer to a platter and sprinkle with flaky salt, black pepper and red-pepper flakes. Serve warm with crackers or toasted baguette slices, with lemon wedges alongside for squeezing on top.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Karolyn Schalk
Did a side by side comparison with some all sheep milk feta from Bulgaria and some American feta that came in a plastic covered brick more or less. This works better with the drier American feta, although the Bulgarian tasted most fabulous. My thought is that next time I make this (and I will, people loved it) I'll leave the sheep milk feta unwrapped on a plate in the fridge for overnight/a few hours to really dry off the surface. Just mopping off the brine with a paper towel wasn't enough.
Mary
Does this travel well? I know it says to serve warm but if I wanted to bring it with me somewhere could I reheat? Maybe quickly under a low broil?
Helen
Drizzle with honey when serving - delicious!
Julia
This was one of the best things I've made in a while. No modifications to the recipe, but a serving suggestion: I had some with roasted beets. Mmmm. Two thumbs up.
fh
delicious - but the first batch was a non-starter with the pan at medium heat. it really needs medium high heat to get crisp - otherwise it's underwhelming.
Sandy
Added some za'atar to the cornstarch mixture. Used olive oil. Yum!
Johanna
I just made four pieces and served them on top of basmati rice and sauteed broccoli raab. Drizzle it all with some lemon juice. Yummy supper with a nice pinot noir!
Michael
Awesome recipe, feta is as good if not better than halloumi. Followed the directions to the letter and it turned out perfect. Controlling the heat is critical. Run the flame too high and the crust separates. Very, very filling.
Petra
Oh also - if your pieces are melting and not browning in the pan, cut them a little thicker and get the pan hotter before you start to fry. Adding a drizzle of honey to the final plate is also a winner!
Andi
I used to pick up saganaki, to-go, from my favorite Greek restaurant on nights when I was single and worked late into the evening. I would warm it up in my microwave and eat it with soup. Worked just fine, Also, I have warmed it in the oven in a small cast iron pan or suitable serving dish. I imagine this will hold up even better.
Joyce
I combined two NYTimes Cooking recipes, this one plus a farro salad with lettuce, putting the feta on top and drizzling with honey and lemon oil. Delicious. With the garden producing lettuce madly these days, I needed to use more greens and less bread.
Matt
We didn’t think it needed the bread/crositini. Just the cheese was enough.
Christa
Yummy but messy--I must be challenged--because my slabs fell apart, and the coating slid off of them--disappointing.
Greg R.
Very easy and delicious with the red pepper flakes and lemon.
Leah
Had been eyeing this recipe up for a while and finally made it for a dinner party. It was such a hit. We added sliced cucumber underneath the fried feta for a bite of freshness and i it worked perfectly. Definitely going to keep this recipe in my back pocket for another event where I host (would not travel well and was very good served fresh).
Barbara N.
Slices of Feta need to be thick enough so they don’t fall apart during prep (min 1/3”) Lay off the salt…Feta is salty to begin with. Keep some pepper— mostly red flakes—but sparingly. We drizzled a squeeze of honey on top of each piece of fried feta instead of offering lemon wedges. A pinch of an aromatic herb like lavender or rosemary complementary the honey.
Lauren
Since I was in a rush and didn’t have time to go to several grocery stores, I used TJs block feta in brine. Pressed it for about 30 minutes, as I do with tofu, between layers of paper towels with a half sheet pan on top, weighted down by several large cans of tomatoes. Cut it into 32 pieces, making little squares to fit on split baguette slices or cucumber slices. I’m a firm believer that all finger-appetizers should be 1-bite size…rave reviews. Served with a French Pinot noir.
sangeeta ray
My feta melted lol
elizabeth
Very good. Need to work fast
Kathryn
leave the sheep milk feta unwrapped on a plate in the fridge for overnight/a few hours to really dry off the surface. Just mopping off the brine with a paper towel wasn't enough.
Gretchen
This was a hit on my appetizer platter even though it was driven to the party and eaten cold. It's even better hot. I drizzled with honey and served on pita crackers. The exact medium high butter temperature was necessary to preserve the delicate crust. I fried in small batches. Quite easy and fast.
Leah
Had been eyeing this recipe up for a while and finally made it for a dinner party. It was such a hit. We added sliced cucumber underneath the fried feta for a bite of freshness and i it worked perfectly. Definitely going to keep this recipe in my back pocket for another event where I host (would not travel well and was very good served fresh).
Tommy
I used Israeli Feta without brine perfect consistency. I like to drizzle a little honey on top to offset the acid of the lemon.
Caryn
I attempted this without a non-stick pan. Sadly, most of the pieces lost their delicious crust to the pan. What I did manage to salvage however, was divine. I will be purchasing a non-stick pan soon as I want to give this another go.
Tasty, Best Hot
This was really good, while it was hot. My kids loved it, even my ketchup-is-the-only-sauce-I-like 14 year-old ate more pieces than he was served! However, it really ought to be eaten immediately after cooking. One tip: it helps if you really press the feta into the coating, otherwise the sesame seeds don’t really stick so well.
deva asch
Did it in the air fryer! Amazing results
Claudia in Brooklyn
I finished it off with Aleppo pepper, Meyer lemon and chopped fresh spearmint. Dee-lish!
Lisa
We loved this. Served 2 as a main dish. Used all of the dressing on the lentils and served the salad over a bed of baby spinach. I would not recommend letting the squash stay warm when waiting for a husband who is driving in a snow storm, however. It would have been more tender and less like squash-jerky if I hadn’t tried to wait too long. Will definitely make this again, however.
Lisa
Black sesame seeds were gorgeous. My guests and family raved.
nancy van house
ONLY good hot enough for the cheese to be melt-y. Also, next time I would cook it much longer than this says, so that the outside will be quite crispy. OK, but I’m not going to make it again.
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