This post is sponsored by La Baleine.
Pan-Fried Feta with Herb Honey takes feta to another level! Salty feta cheese coated in a mix of herbs and panko breadcrumbs, then fried until golden and drizzled with a delicious thyme and wildflower honey. Serve warm with roasted cherry tomatoes for an easy spring appetizer that’s ready in minutes.
Over the past few months, I have watched countless feta pasta videos. Too many in fact. I now feel like feta may never be separated from the feta pasta craze ever again. And that would be such a shame because feta is delicious!
So this spring, I’ve embarked on a personal mission to show people that there is a place for feta beyond feta pasta. And I’m taking this mission very seriously! I think I’ve come up with something that is sure to have people making feta the star of their dish: pan-fried feta!
Why is fried cheese so good?!
There’s just something about fried cheese that makes it irresistible. Crispy on the outside, but soft and gooey on the inside, it’s just so good!
Feta tastes especially good fried because it has a very mild flavor and a great texture. This cheese gets silky smooth when warm. If you haven’t tried fried feta before, you are definitely missing out. And there’s just something about cheese and tomatoes, both are great by themselves, but are even more delicious together.
Plus, I’m a huge fan of mixing salty and sweet, so pairing salty cheese with a sweet herb honey is a match made in heaven.
This recipe is so easy, so let’s get to making this pan-fried feta.
Let’s start with the tomatoes and honey…
Start by roasting some multi-colored cherry tomatoes. You can totally use fresh tomatoes and skip roasting them altogether, but I really enjoy roasted tomatoes so I opted for that route.
I seasoned the tomatoes very lightly with olive oil, dried herbs, and salt. I used La Baleine Essentiel Sea Salt. This low-sodium, sustainably harvested sea salt packs a ton of flavor, but only half the sodium of traditional table salt. It’s perfect for enhancing the taste of the tomatoes and bringing this entire appetizer together!
Next, it’s time to make the herb honey that we will drizzle on the cheese. It’s literally just honey and fresh thyme. That’s it, but wow is this honey mixture delicious! I used wildflower honey because it has a more distinct taste, but you can use clover or orange blossom honey.
Definitely don’t skip the honey though. Salty + sweet = perfection.
Now for the feta…
Feta is a great cheese to use for this appetizer because it doesn’t really melt. But that’s a great thing, since you won’t end up with a huge mess of melted cheese in your pan. Melted cheese is delicious, but not what we’re going for today.
Wet your feta in water so the breadcrumbs will stick, then coat it in a mix of flour, panko breadcrumbs, garlic powder, thyme, cracked black pepper, and La Baleine Essentiel Sea Salt. Although the feta is already salty, adding more salt will make the crust super flavorful. I especially like to use La Baleine Essentiel here, because it adds a lot of flavor, but only half the sodium.
Once the feta is coated in the breadcrumb mix, pan fry lightly in olive oil until golden brown. We’re only using a little bit of oil, not enough to deep fry, just enough to give the feta a nice color.
Serve the feta warm, drizzled with the herb honey and cherry tomatoes. Easy, simple, and delicious! A perfect spring appetizer.
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Pan-Fried Feta with Herb Honey
Ingredients
- 1 10-12 oz feta cheese
- 1 tbsp flour
- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, stems discarded
- 2 tsp
La Baleine Essentiel - coarse black pepper
- sesame seeds optional
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 2 tsp dried basil and oregano
Herb Honey
- 1/4 cup wildflower honey
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, stems discarded
Instructions
- Make the herb honey by combining all the ingredients. Set aside.
- Season cherry tomatoes with 1 tsp of La Baleine Essentiel Sea Salt, dried basil and oregano. Roast on a baking sheet at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes, or until the tomatoes begin to pop. Remove from the oven.
- To a medium sized bowl, add flour, panko breadcrumbs, thyme, sesame seeds (optional) and the remaining salt and pepper. Dip feta in water, then coat in the panko mixture, pressing lightly so the crumbs adhere. The water will act like an egg wash to help the breadcrumbs stick to the cheese.
- Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet. Add the cheese as soon as the oil gets hot and lightly fry for 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Transfer the feta to a plate.
- Serve the feta warm, drizzled with the herb honey and cherry tomatoes. Enjoy!
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