37 Feta Cheese Recipes for Tangy, Briny Bliss
There’s much more to feta than that one viral pasta (you know the one). Our favorite feta cheese recipes range from classic Greek salad to catchall frittatas—the crumbly, bracing-in-a-good-way cheese adds briny, salty flavor to everything it touches. The textural possibilities are nearly infinite: Like Halloumi and paneer, feta holds its own on the heat—coat planks in sesame and turn it into a steak-knife-worthy main, or fry cubes to make crispy salad croutons. Or take it for a whiz in the food processor to turn it smooth and creamy, ideal for dipping or spreading. And let’s not underestimate the power of a few crumbles to upgrade any salad. Whether you need a last-minute appetizer (it doesn’t get much easier than marinated olives and feta), a weeknight-friendly main dish (crumble feta over harissa-roasted chicken thighs), or even a dessert (okay, maybe not), a block of feta is your adaptable answer. And yes, we have our own version of that baked feta pasta too.
One last note: For most of these recipes, we recommend using feta in brine, which is fresher and more flavorful than the pre-crumbled tubs. Okay, let’s get to it:
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Sean Dooley, Prop Styling by Beth Pakradooni1/37Sesame Feta With Broccolini
If you’ve ever doubted that cheese could be a dinner centerpiece, consider this full-meal feta cheese recipe your proof. Coat large planks of the feta in za’atar and sesame seeds, then griddle until the crust turns golden. Serve atop charred broccolini, because balance.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova, Prop Styling by Gerri K. Williams2/37
Crunchy and Bright Greek Salad
You won’t find any lettuce in this fresh, rustic Greek salad. Instead, toss together large chunks of tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, and torn kalamata olives. A simple red wine vinegar dressing, seasoned only with salt, pepper, and oregano, glosses the veggie-forward salad.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Catherine Campbell Pearson3/37
Fried Eggplant With Crispy Basil and Whipped Honey Feta
Yes, crispy fried eggplant strips are great, but the real star of the show? The smooth, sweet-and-salty whipped feta you’ll dip them in.
- Alex Lau4/37
Spanakopita Pie
If you can’t swing a trip to Greece, this spinach & feta pie is the next best thing. The green and white duo shines in this dramatically crinkly, phyllo-encrusted riff on the Mediterranean classic. Serve slices alongside stuffed peppers and the best tzatziki.
- Photograph by Peden + Munk, Food Styling by Diana Yen, Prop Styling by Hannah Ferrara5/37
Tomatoes With Creamy Feta
Showcase peak-season produce in this simple side dish, which pairs creamy, tangy feta-yogurt sauce with a mix of heirloom tomatoes. Pro tip: The sauce doubles as a crudités dip.
- Photo by Heidi's Bridge, styling by Molly Baz6/37
Marinated Olives and Feta
Turn your kitchen into a breezy Mediterranean cafe with this elegant yet effortless appetizer. It can be made in advance (allowing the olives and feta more time to soak up that garlicky olive oil) or at the very last minute.
- Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Nicole Louie7/37
Spicy Tomato Feta Pasta
If this dish looks familiar, that’s because it probably is: the recipe for this baked feta pasta first circulated on TikTok. And while BA Test Kitchen–pro Rachel Gurjar liked the original, she added one crucial element to give it more zing: the heat from a jar of Calabrian chiles.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Alison Attenborough8/37
Saag Paneer, But With Feta
In this silky spinach recipe, cookbook author and BA contributor Priya Krishna trades paneer (a squishy yet firm cheese that’s a staple of Indian cooking) for chunks of salty feta.
- Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by D’mytrek Brown9/37
Greek Wings With Lemon and Feta
Tossed in lemon-pepper dressing and topped with crumbled feta, these chicken wings make a great game-day snack.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Kat Boytsova10/37
Marinated Lentils With Lemony Broccolini and Feta
These make-ahead bowls are a quick, satisfying workday lunch. Try swapping the black lentils for another grain, like quinoa, farro, or orzo.
- Photograph by Julian Cousins, Food styling by Adriana Paschen11/37
Radicchio, Bean, and Feta Salad
This colorful marinated bean salad highlights crisp, crunchy radicchio and citrusy white beans. Sizzled red pepper flakes add mild spice to the garlicky, citrusy dressing.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca12/37
Strawberry Salad With Black Pepper-Feta Croutons
Slice big blocks of feta into cubes, then bread and fry them into crispy, cheesy croutons to adorn this spring salad like prized jewels.
- Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott13/37
Tomato Salad With Feta and Pistachios
Scale back on the salt by using crumbled feta to bring salinity to a fresh tomato salad. Colorful heirloom tomatoes, accented with crunchy, buttery pistachios and chopped parsley, make this dish a real summer centerpiece.
- Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Micah Morton, prop styling by Dayna Seman14/37
Crispy Chicken With Za’atar-Olive Rice
Ground chicken doesn’t get the love and respect it deserves. Make it the star of the show in this simple weeknight dinner recipe, which can be ready in under 30 minutes.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Emma Ringness, Food Styling by Liberty Fennell15/37
Spinach Pilaf Pie
This dinner party-worthy entrée may look impressive, but the process is fool-proof. Encase fragrant, herb-and-spinach-specked rice in pastry, then bake in a cake pan for an affordable main that feeds a crowd.
- Peden + Munk16/37
Marinated Feta With Roasted Lemon
Stash a jar of this marinated feta in the fridge and break it out for last-minute appetizer emergencies. It’s also great for workday lunches: Add it to any dish that needs a little pizzazz.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Dayna Seman17/37
Crispy Chickpea and Cucumber Salad
Most chickpea salad recipes call for marinating cold garbanzos straight out of the can, but this one calls for crisping the beans in a hot skillet, encouraging them to soak in some of the garlic-flavored oil and develop a golden shell. Sprinkle your chickpea “croutons” over a platter of cool, crunchy cucumbers.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca18/37
Green Hummus With Sizzled Dolmades
To turn a bowl of hummus into a main dish, top it with crispy chickpeas, warm olives, crumbled feta, and sizzled dolmades (store-bought are fine).
- Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Amy Wilson19/37
Grilled Summer Squash and Red Onion With Feta
Zucchini and yellow squash achieve beautiful char marks on the grill in this summery side. The twist? The veg is marinated after grilling.
- Photo by Alex Lau20/37
Carrot Salad With Feta and Anchovies
You already massage your kale, but carrots want some of that action too. Instead of roasting carrots for sweet char, celebrate their fresh, grassy raw flavor and vibrant color by massaging shaved ribbons with lemon juice and Aleppo-style pepper.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou21/37
Spiced Sweet Potato Sandwich With Feta
No need to grill your cheese. A slab of feta anchors this all-veggie sandwich, which shows off an ombre of beets, sweet potatoes, and fresh herbs.
- 22/37
Lamb and Feta Frittata
Ground lamb adds heft to this catch-all frittata, but you can use any ground meat you have on hand: Chicken, turkey, or beef will all work. Or leave out the meat entirely to make it vegetarian.
- Alex Lau23/37
Jammy Eggs and Feta Flatbreads With Herbs
You can use store-bought naan or pita for this recipe, but making flatbreads is easier than you might think. If you have a jar of pesto in the fridge, smear some at the base of the flatbreads, then top with jammy eggs, feta, and fresh basil.
- Peden + Munk24/37
Chopped Salad With Shallot Vinaigrette, Feta, and Dill
Toss any good-looking produce in this catch-all chopped salad: Radishes, snap peas, Persian cucumbers, radicchio…it’s all welcome here.
- Alex Lau25/37
Salad for Breakfast
Instead of eating your morning eggs on toast, change things up with this breakfast salad featuring jammy eggs, lettuce, and quick-pickled veg. The feta’s marinating liquid doubles as a dressing; skip the sourdough, and this dish is totally gluten-free.
- Christopher Testani26/37
Baked Minty Rice With Feta and Pomegranate Relish
The herby, cheesy baked rice is great all on its own, but the relish on top—featuring pomegranate seeds, Castelvetrano olives, mint, and pomegranate molasses—is tasty enough to eat by the spoonful.
- Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Aneta Florczyk27/37
Tomato-Watermelon Salad With Turmeric Oil
French feta has a milder flavor than Greek or Bulgarian feta; the tamer cheese is ideal for this sweet-salty-fruity watermelon salad. Serve it alongside quiche at brunch or pack it up for a picnic lunch.
- Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova28/37
Crispy Mushrooms With Creamy White Beans and Kale
A creamy white bean spread anchors this plate of crispy mushrooms and garlicky sautéed kale, while a spritz of lime juice keeps things bright.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Tim Ferro29/37
Just-Keeps-Getting-Better Lentil Salad
Stash this spoon salad in the fridge on Sunday—come Tuesday or Wednesday, you’ll be glad you did. Like this broccoli salad, it’s a marinated meal that only gets better with time.
- PHOTO BY CHELSIE CRAIG, FOOD STYLING BY ANNA BILLINGSKOG30/37
Sheet Pan Chicken Meatballs With Tomatoes and Chickpeas
A feta and parsley topping gets warm and melty when sprinkled over these sheet-pan meatballs. But the real power move here is mixing a little crumbled feta (and a splash of feta brine) into the chicken meatball mixture, which makes them extra juicy and wonderfully savory.
- Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski31/37
Smashed Cucumber Salad With Za'atar and Feta
Dressed with za’atar-infused garlic oil and topped with feta crumbles, these cucumbers make an easy side, but you can also use them to zhuzh up salads or grain bowls.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Pearl Jones32/37
One-Pan Chicken Thighs With Burst Tomatoes, Harissa, and Feta
Sweet cherry tomatoes burst in the heat of the oven, mingling with the juices from the chicken to make a savory, spice-laced tomato sauce. We love this one-skillet meal with feta, which melts just slightly over the warm chicken, but it’d be great with crumbled goat cheese too.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boytsova33/37
Spinach and Feta Tarte Soleil
For an appetizer with maximum visual appeal but minimal effort required, turn to this spanakopita-inspired puff pastry pinwheel. (Then check out more of our favorite ways to put frozen puff pastry to use.)
- Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski34/37
No-Brainer Corn Salad
You can use Cotija, feta, or Parmesan cheese in this simple, citrus-dressed corn salad—or even a mix of all three. It’s a festive, adaptable BBQ side that can double as corn salsa for topping tacos or scooping with chips.
- Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Aneta Florczyk35/37
New-and-Improved Greek Salad
Upgrade your Greek salad by marinating the feta in aromatic olive oil. This technique can also improve plenty of other cheeses—try it with mini balls of mozzarella.
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Raw and Roasted Dinner Salad
Roasted squash, crunchy chickpeas, crisp cabbage, and crushed pecans create a wonderful symphony of textures in this main-dish-worthy salad. It’s a feta cheese recipe to keep on repeat during the colder months.