Sesame coated fried feta with honey and walnuts

This quick and easy Greek appetizer or meze is a beautiful combination of flavours and textures. The feta is coated in semolina, egg and sesame seeds and it is fried until the outside is crispy and the feta is warm and soft. To serve, drizzle with honey and sprinkle on crushed walnuts.

Sesame coated fried feta with honey and walnuts

Growing up Greek, feta was practically its own food group. There was never a table, or a meal, that didn`t incorporate this quintessential Greek cheese in one way or another. Whether it was presented as a whipped feta dip, served the base for an elegant meze like feta and fig crostini or made its way into a fried flat bread called tiganopsomo with feta, feta was always around. Thank goodness!

One of my favourite ways to enjoy feta, when I am entertaining or simply want to treat my family, is to make this recipe. It is sweet, salty, soft and crunchy all in one bite. It does not get better than this!

Why this recipe is great

This dish looks so impressive, so fancy, that it is hard to believe that it can easily be whipped together in a moment’s notice.  The sweetness of the honey, paired with the saltiness of the feta and the crunch of the sesame seeds and nuts, creates a dish which is rich in both flavour and texture.  Pretty impressive for a recipe which has only a few basic ingredients and can be ready in under 10 minutes.  We wish everything in life was this easy, and this tasty!

Key ingredients

Feta When choosing your feta be sure to purchase Greek feta which is made with sheep milk, or a combination of sheep and goat milk. This is authentic Greek feta, and the taste is so much better than feta made with cow’s milk.

Feta cheese

Semolina I coat my feta with semolina instead of plain flour. The reason for this is because the semolina, which is coarsely milled durum wheat – it has much more texture than plain flour does, which adds great texture.

Eggs The eggs will act as a binder, and will help coat the feta with the sesame seeds.

Sesame seeds I always store my sesame seeds in the refrigerator, to keep them fresh. They get nice and toasty in this recipe, and taste amazing.

Honey The type of honey you use will really impact the flavour. I like to buy locally sourced honey whenever possible. Otherwise, I purchase pure Greek honey. It is a natural sweetener that pairs well with the salty feta.

Walnuts Fresh walnuts taste meaty and wonderful. I like to buy walnut halves or whole walnuts which I then chop up myself.

Vegetable oil A mild flavoured oil that is used to lightly fry the sesame coated feta. The result is crispy, but light.

How to make it

Preparation

Place your semolina, sesame seeds and egg in 3 separate bowls.  Lightly beat your egg.  Set all three aside.

Sesame coated fried feta with honey and walnuts

If your feta was stored in brine and is wet, remove as much excess liquid as possible with a paper towel.

Instructions

Step 1
In a frying pan large enough to fit 4 feta pieces at once, pour enough vegetable oil to completely cover the bottom of the pan; the oil should be approximately 1 centimeter deep.

Feta cheese

Step 2
Working one feta piece at a time, dip the feta into the egg, then into the semolina, ensuring that it is well coated on all sides.  Dip the feta back into the egg, and then place it into the bowl with the sesame seeds.  Ensure that it is coated with sesame seeds all around.  Set aside in a clean plate, and repeat with the rest of the feta.

Sesame coated fried feta with honey and walnuts
Sesame coated fried feta with honey and walnuts

Step 3
When all 4 feta pieces are ready, heat the oil in the pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the feta carefully.  Cook on all sides for 1 – 2 minutes, or until golden brown.

Sesame coated fried feta with honey and walnuts
Sesame coated fried feta with honey and walnuts

Step 4
When the feta is cooked, place it on a serving dish and pour the honey evenly over all the pieces.  Sprinkles with the crushed walnuts.  Serve immediately.

Recipe tips and helpful hints

Coat your feta carefully

Coating your feta can get a little bit messy.  The best way to ensure even coverage with all components is to place your egg dipped cheese in the bowl of semolina and shake it around gently.  Then, flip it over, and shake again.  Use the same technique when coating with the sesame seeds.  Finally, when it is time to remove the feta from the sesame seed bowl, pick it up by also scooping us some sesame seeds from the bowl with your fingers.  Meaning, you will not have your bare fingers touching the sesame seeds, as this may cause you to inadvertently remove them from the cheese.

Cook on all sides

Sesame coated fried feta with honey and walnuts

Because you will have dipped each piece of feta in raw egg, it is important to ensure that all sides of the cheese are cooked through.  Luckily, it is easy to keep track of this because your sesame seeds will turn a nice golden colour as they are fried.

Serve immediately

This is a dish best served immediately, while the fried feta is still warm and gooey.  If it sits too long and cools, your feta will harden up again, and you may also find that the semolina and sesame coating separates from the cheese.  At the end of the day, still quite delicious, but not decadent, the way it is when the feta is velvety and smooth.

Recipe variations

Instead of coating your feta with semolina, egg and then sesame seeds, you can wrap your feta in phyllo dough and fry it that way. I like to serve fried feta wrapped in phyllo dough with honey and some chili flakes for heat.

Recipe substitutions

This recipe coats the feta with semolina, which give the dish a bit of extra crunch.  It is a delicious contrast to the soft cheese.  If however, you don’t have semolina (although you should, because then you can make halva!), you could always substitute it for some all-purpose flour.  We really think you should go buy some semolina though…because you can also use it to make galaktoboureko!

Instead of topping your cheese with chopped walnuts, you can use other nuts. Pistachios would be amazing here!

How to serve

I have had feta this way for breakfast,  lunch, a mid-day snack, and even as dessert.  It is the perfect treat to serve last minute guests; along with a nice glass of sweet wine it would be an indulgence if it weren’t so easy to pull together.   But it IS easy to pull together, so I say, forget the guests.  Pour yourself a glass of wine or make a refreshing ouzo lemonade, fry up some feta, and enjoy!

Frequently asked questions for sesame coated fried feta with honey and walnuts

Can I make this recipe ahead of time?

You can, but you won’t fully appreciate how delicious it is. The best way to enjoy this meze is to have it when the feta is still warm and soft. If you want to be more efficient, prepare your feta and set it aside until you are ready to fry and serve.

Can I bake the feta instead of frying it?

You can! Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Set your sesame coated feta on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake in the middle rack of your oven for 10 – 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

Sesame coated fried feta with honey and walnuts
Sesame coated fried feta with honey and walnuts

Looking for some more feta recipes? We think you’d love these:

Fried feta with phyllo Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. This is a real treat, and so easy to make.

Tomato and feta toast Love it for breakfast, a light lunch or even a mid day snack. Nothing is easier or tastier than this!

Warm feta packages Prepare these ahead and warm them up for guests. Such a great flavour combination!

Fried phyllo wrapped feta with chili flakes, honey and crushed pistachios.
Tomato and feta toast
Sesame coated fried feta with honey and walnuts

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Sesame coated fried feta with honey and walnuts

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Sesame coated fried feta with honey and walnuts

Sesame coated fried feta with honey and walnuts

Sweet, salty, soft and crunchy all in one bite.  Try our sesame coated fried feta topped with honey and walnuts and be very happy!
5 from 15 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizer, meze, Snack
Cuisine: Greek
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 209kcal
Author: miakouppa

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 4 pieces Greek feta each piece about ½ inch thick, and 2 ½ inches long
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup semolina
  • 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
  • vegetable oil for frying
  • 1/4 cup (60 mL) honey
  • 3 tbsp chopped walnuts

Instructions

  • Place your semolina, sesame seeds and egg in 3 separate bowls.  Lightly beat your egg.  Set all three aside.
    1/4 cup semolina, 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, 1 large egg
  • If your feta was stored in brine and is wet, remove as much excess liquid as possible with a paper towel.
    4 pieces Greek feta
  • In a frying pan large enough to fit 4 feta pieces at once, pour enough vegetable oil to completely cover the bottom of the pan; the oil should be approximately 1 centimeter deep.
  • Working one feta piece at a time, dip the feta into the egg, then into the semolina, ensuring that it is well coated on all sides.  Dip the feta back into the egg, and then place it into the bowl with the sesame seeds.  Ensure that it is coated with sesame seeds all around.  Set aside in a clean plate, and repeat with the rest of the feta.
  • When all 4 feta pieces are ready, heat the oil in the pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the feta carefully.  Cook on all sides for 1 – 2 minutes, or until golden brown.
  • When the feta is cooked, place it on a serving dish and pour the honey evenly over all the pieces.  Sprinkles with the crushed walnuts.  Serve immediately.
    1/4 cup (60 mL) honey, 3 tbsp chopped walnuts
  • Enjoy!

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 209kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 15mg | Potassium: 110mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 14IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 108mg | Iron: 2mg

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14 Comments

  1. foodzesty says:

    I posted the same recipe a while back…this is ssoooooo delicous 🙂 Love it!!!

    1. miakouppa says:

      Yes! Just looked for your recipe…our versions are are similar to be sure 🙂 (Great minds think alike 🙂 🙂 ) So delicious! It is fun to see how many people had never tried this; and how excited they are about the idea…especially because it is so easy!

      1. foodzesty says:

        Hi, I know the feedback for this recipe was fantastic…Ahhh but the Greek Cuisine has gone to another level….Gourmet…Apisteuto kai omos alithino. 🙂 I loved it!!!

      2. miakouppa says:

        Greek food can do (and be) everything!! 🙂 🙂

  2. Tasty Eats Ronit Penso says:

    This looks SO good and reminds me of visits to Greece. 🙂

    1. miakouppa says:

      That’s great to hear! Anytime our recipes can conjure up happy memories….we’re happy! 🙂

  3. Thank you for stopping by my blog.

    1. miakouppa says:

      We saw!!!!! We can barely believe it!!! Thanks for letting us know 🙂

  4. Janet Annaian says:

    love your recipes.

  5. Philippos says:

    Love the recipe. Feels so indulgent. Might have to experiment with the air fryer to reduce the damage a little ☺️5 stars

    1. miakouppa says:

      Thank you!! It is a bit indulgent….but you are worth it 🙂 Curious to know how it might work out in the air fryer! xoxo Helen & Billie

  6. Jose dos Santos says:

    I am going to try this, it sounds devine

    1. miakouppa says:

      Amazing!! Please let us know what you think of it!! xoxo Helen & Billie

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