Feta Saganaki With Honey & Sesame
This feta saganaki is a twist on the classic Greek dish! Here, we’re frying cheese until crisp then glazing with honey, sesame seeds & lemon.
This sweet & salty fried cheese appetizer is a twist on a classic Greek dish!
For this recipe, we’re pan frying a block of feta cheese until crisp & golden then coating it in glaze made with honey, 2 types of sesame seed, lemon juice, dried oregano & a good crack of black pepper. It’s sweet, sticky & delicious!
Feta saganaki is super quick & easy to make (it takes less than 15 minutes to prepare!) and you’ll only need a handful of ingredients. Serve this with some homemade bread, pittas or crackers & you’re in for a real treat! Or use it as part of a mezze board…
If you’re looking for more appetizers to try, check out our collection of snacks & appetizer recipes!
What Is Saganaki?
Saganaki is a classic Greek appetizer! Here, cheese is dredged in flour then pan fried until crisp & golden.
Traditionally saganaki is served with lemon & made with one of the following Greek cheeses; Graviera, Kefalotyri or Kefalograviera. However, for this recipe we’re using feta cheese as it is more readily available yet just as delicious.
What You’ll Need
- Feta – A non traditional cheese but tasty non the less! Make sure to use a block that’s at least 1.5 cm thick. Feta’s pretty salty so don’t worry about seasoning the dredging flour.
- Plain Flour – We’re using plain/all purpose flour here. You won’t need loads, just enough to lightly coat the cheese.
- Water – Dunking the block of cheese in water helps the flour stick.
- Honey – We’re using honey to glaze our saganaki!
- Sesame Seeds – I used a 50/50 mix of black & white sesame seeds but feel free to use just one type if you’d prefer.
- Lemon – A classic accompaniment to saganaki. We’re using some juice in the honey & sesame glaze & serving the cheese with a couple of lemon wedges.
- Dried Oregano – We’re using a teaspoon of dried oregano in the glaze.
- Black Pepper – A good crack of black pepper in the glaze helps cut through the saltiness from the cheese.
How To Make Feta Saganaki
The full, printable recipe card for this feta saganaki can be found at the bottom of this post! Here’s a quick rundown of the recipe…
- Honey & Sesame Glaze
We’re making our glaze first, so that it’s ready to go once our cheese is fried. To make the glaze, we toast sesame seeds in a pan then stir in honey, lemon juice, dried oregano & freshly cracked black pepper. - Coat Feta In Flour
To prepare the feta, we dunk it cold water then coat in plain flour. Make sure to shake off any excess flour before frying! - Frying
To cook the saganaki, we fry it in olive oil (over a medium-high heat) for 2-3 minutes on each side, until crisp & golden. - Glazing
To glaze, we tip the honey & sesame glaze over the cheese then cook for another minute or so, basting the cheese frequently until sticky.
Feta Saganaki Tips & Tricks
- Use a thick piece of cheese so that it won’t melt as it cooks. The cheese should be at least 1.5 cm thick!
- Dunk the feta in cold water before coating in flour. This helps the flour stick to the cheese.
- Fry the saganaki for at least 2 minutes before touching/flipping it, to stop it sticking to the pan.
- Serve the fried cheese with lemon, for extra flavour!
Serving Suggestions
Although this feta saganaki is good served on its’ own, it’s even better when served with some homemade bread, pittas or crackers! It would also make a fantastic addition to a mezze board or platter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Classic Greek saganaki is made with Graviera, Kefalotyri or Kefalograviera (these are all Greek cheeses!) but feta & halloumi also work well. Whatever cheese you’re using, make sure that it is at least 1.5 cm thick otherwise it will melt in the pan as you fry it!
Saganaki is best eaten straight after frying but luckily it only takes a few minutes to prepare from scratch!
Flaming saganaki is prepared the same way as regular saganaki but is flambéed with ouzo (this is a Greek liqueur) after the cheese is fried.
More Snacks & Appetizers To Try!
- Frickles (Deep Fried Pickles)
- Deep Fried Camembert
- Tear And Share Cheesy Garlic Bread
- Deep Fried Brie Bites
- Brie & Cranberry Stuffed Dough Balls
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Feta Saganaki With Honey & Sesame
Equipment
- Small Saucepan
- Frying Pan
Ingredients
Sesame & Honey Glaze
- 2 tsp Sesame Seeds (See Notes)
- 60 g Honey
- 1 Lemon
- 1 tsp Dried Oregano
- Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
Feta Saganaki
- 200 g Block Of Feta (See Notes)
- 50 g Plain Flour
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
Instructions
Sesame & Honey Glaze
- Add the sesame seeds into a small saucepan then set over a medium heat. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until toasted then take the pan off the heat & stir in the honey.
- Next, cut the lemon into quarters then cut one quarter into wedges & set aside. Squeeze the remaining lemon into the honey then add in the oregano & a good crack of black pepper. Stir to combine then set to one side.
Feta Saganaki
- Fill a bowl with cold water & place the flour into another.
- Dip the block of feta into the cold water then toss in the flour, making sure that both sides are well coated.
- Next, set a frying pan over a medium-high heat, add in the olive oil then leave to heat up for a minute or two.The oil should be hot but not smoking!
- Shake any excess flour off the cheese then carefully add into the hot oil. Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side, until crisp & golden brown.A slotted spatula works best for flipping the cheese.
- Pour the glaze over the cheese then cook for another minute until sticky. Make sure to baste the cheese with the honey as it cooks!
- Transfer the feta saganaki to a plate then serve immediately with the lemon wedges from earlier.
