Baked Feta

This 8-ingredient baked feta recipe is simple, delicious & healthy. Cooked in a cumin-spiced tomato sauce, it's a fantastic appetizer or meal on its own.

Baked Feta recipe

It’s Saturday…if you have friends coming over for dinner but you don’t feel like spending all day in the kitchen, I’ve got just the thing for you: this super delicious baked feta recipe. It comes together in no time, you can serve it as an easy appetizer or the main meal, and it’s saucy, comforting, and flavorful. What’s not to love?

This recipe is inspired by a baked feta recipe from the book Cook90 by David Tamarkin, the editor and digital director of Epicurious. It’s a great book that’s full of accessible, easy-to-prepare dishes. I was drawn to this recipe because I am a huge fan of feta cheese. I also love chickpeas and kale, so I couldn’t resist trying it out. This recipe has only a handful of ingredients, and we all loved it – even Jack, who said, “what are those weird rectangles” before digging in and devouring his plate. (And then going back for more.)

Baked Feta ingredients

Baked Feta Recipe Ingredients

The ingredient list to this baked feta recipe is short and sweet! Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Feta, of course! When you’re at the grocery store, look for a big block of feta cheese, one that you can slice into 3-4 1/2-inch planks. Cow and sheep milk feta are both excellent here!
  • Tomato sauceMake your own, or buy pre-made sauce to make this recipe extra quick and easy!
  • Cumin seeds – If you can’t find cumin seeds, feel free to substitute 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin. However, cumin seeds are really worth seeking out for this recipe. They infuse the sauce with delicious aromatic flavor.
  • Chickpeas – They make this dish hearty enough to be a meal on its own! I love their flaky texture in the warm sauce.
  • Kale – For extra veggie power!
  • Lemon juice – It gives the whole dish a robust, bright finish.

Baked Feta with tomato sauce, chickpeas, and kale

How to Make Baked Feta

You won’t believe how easy it is to make this recipe! First, heat the oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and toast them until they become fragrant. Then, stir in the kale, working in batches as necessary, and cook until it wilts.

Pour in the tomato sauce, the chickpeas, the lemon juice, and a bit of water. Bring it all to a simmer, add the feta, and transfer the skillet to a 350-degree oven. Bake until the feta softens, about 15 minutes. Garnish with red pepper flakes, freshly cracked black pepper, and a big drizzle of olive oil.

Serve it as a main course or an appetizer, along with good crusty bread for scooping up the crumbly feta cheese and sauce. Pita bread, homemade focaccia, or no-knead bread would all be great choices. Enjoy!

More Favorite Dinner Recipes

If you love this baked feta recipe, try one of these hearty vegetarian dinners next:

Then, find more delicious dinner ideas here and more favorite appetizer recipes here!

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baked feta

Baked Feta

rate this recipe:
5 from 51 votes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Serves 4
This easy baked feta recipe is a delicious appetizer or meal on its own! Serve it with good crusty bread or pita for scooping up the cheese and sauce.

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • Heat a 10 or 12-inch oven-safe skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle gently for a minute or two. Add the kale in batches, letting each handful shrink and wilt before adding the next.
  • When the last of the kale has wilted, add the tomato sauce, chickpeas, lemon juice, and 1/2 cup water. Stir and let it come to a simmer.
  • Nestle the feta slices into the sauce and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Slide the skillet into the oven and bake until the feta has softened, about 15 minutes. Drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of red pepper flakes and serve with warm pita and lemon wedges.

Adapted from Cook90 by David Tamarkin

81 comments

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Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. Kaelei
    02.05.2024

    5 stars
    We’re OBSESSRD. We make this at least once a week! We usually use Rao’s arrabbitia sauce to get dinner on the table faster. Make it, you won’t regret it.

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      02.09.2024

      Hi Kaelei, I’m so glad you love the baked feta!

  2. Sybil
    11.27.2023

    5 stars
    This is just delicious! I made it for Xmas last year for my vegetarian son and I made it again tonight for a regular dinner. I used your marinara sauce too. It’s so simple and easy and it just sings. Thank you!

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      11.28.2023

      Hi Sybil, I’m so glad you love the baked feta!

  3. Taki from Loveandlemons.com
    07.11.2023

    5 stars
    Love, love, love this dish and I’ve made it many times, usually with a jar of marinara (with no added sugar). I like to add sautéed onions and garlic if I’m not in a hurry.

    It’s so hot out that I didn’t want to turn on the oven, so today I just let it simmer on the stovetop until everything was heated through. So tasty. Thank you for this keeper! I love your cookbooks, too. Thank you for elevating food that is good for you!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      07.13.2023

      I’m so glad you’ve loved this one so much!

  4. Cindy
    03.12.2023

    I’ve been cooking from blogs for a decade or more and have never left a review before. This dish is THAT good. I made it as directed except subbed Swiss chard for kale since I’m not a fan or kale. Holy feta it was good! Fresh and light and so yummy. I liked that I got a hint of smokiness from the cumin seeds and heat from the red pepper along with the salty/creamy feta. Will make it again and often.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      03.15.2023

      Ha ha, I’m so glad you loved it!

  5. Wendy Gerster
    02.08.2023

    5 stars
    This was absolutely AMAZING! Will definitely be making this again regularly!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      02.08.2023

      I’m so glad you loved it!

A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.