Baked Feta Appetizer
This baked feta appetizer comes together in just minutes with only a handful of ingredients – olives, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh garlic, olive oil, and dried herbs. Bake it all together with a block of feta cheese until it’s warm and creamy then serve with crispy crostini!
Mediterranean Baked Feta Recipe
- It’s so quick and easy! The only prep work required for this baked feta is thinly slicing the garlic! Other than that it’s pretty much just throw everything in a baking dish and bake. Which is what makes it one of our family’s favorites.
- It’s feta like you’ve never had it before! We all watched as baked feta pasta took over the internet but this baked feta is a warm, decadent way to enjoy feta cheese in a whole new way! It’s got roasted olives, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes in an olive oil marinade. The flavors are amazing, the texture is indulgent and the way it all comes together will make this your go-to appetizer recipe too! If you love this one be sure to check out my herb and garlic marinated feta recipe too!
Ingredients to Make Baked Feta
Feta
For the best flavor and texture, buy a block of Greek feta (preferably in brine) instead of the pre-crumbled stuff. If you’re looking for a different flavor or don’t like sheep’s milk cheese, try using goat cheese or Brie instead of the feta. Stick with 8 ounces of cheese whichever you choose.
Pitted Olives
A jar of pitted, Mediterranean olives will usually provide a convenient medley of green and Kalamata olives. If you’re not a fan of one or the other, though, just get the kind you prefer.
Sun-Dried Tomatoes
If you can, get sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil rather than dried ones. Dry sun-dried tomatoes will need to be reconstituted for this recipe. If you’re not a fan of sun-dried tomatoes, try halved cherry tomatoes or diced red peppers instead!
Olive Oil
Olive oil is a key player here, so get a good one — preferably cold-pressed, organic, extra virgin olive oil.
Fresh Garlic
Freshly minced garlic always has a better, bolder flavor than the stuff in a jar. I understand that sometimes you just need the convenience of pre-minced garlic, but it’s not worth it for this appetizer.
Dried Oregano, Thyme, and Rosemary
You can use an Italian seasoning blend in place of the dried oregano, dried thyme, and dried rosemary if that’s all you have available. You could also substitute with fresh herbs instead.
How to Make Baked Feta
Add feta to a small baking dish or rimmed sheet pan. Add olives and sun-dried tomatoes to the baking dish around the block of feta.
In a small dish combine olive oil, sliced garlic, oregano, thyme, rosemary, and a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Drizzle over the feta, olives, and sun-dried tomatoes.
Bake for 20 minutes. Broil for 1-2 minutes. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and sliced French bread, crostini, crackers, or pita chips.
Tips for Making Baked Feta
- My favorite feta to use for this recipe is the kind that comes as a block in a brine liquid. Being stored in brine gives the feta cheese a lot of extra moisture which helps to increase the creaminess in this baked feta. Just make sure you drain the brine off before baking!
- If you can’t find a block in brine, just a regular block of feta will work as well. It will give you a very similar taste and texture as the feta that comes in brine. Honestly, crumbled feta would likely work too, the presentation will just be slightly different and you may need to bake it for less time.
- If you’re not into olives, try roasting the feta with grape tomatoes instead! Keep everything the same, just replace the olives with tomatoes! The tomatoes will become tender, roasted, and delicious! You could also just skip the olives altogether and enjoy this baked feta with the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and herbs!
Feta Appetizer Variations
This recipe is super forgiving so feel free to switch up the ingredients to suit the season or your family’s taste. Some of our favorite variations include:
- a squeeze of lemon juice
- lemon zest
- a drizzle of honey
- capers
- sliced red onion
- sliced shallot
- red pepper flakes
- fresh thyme
- fresh basil leaves
Make it Into Pasta!
- If you’re looking to switch things up a bit and take this dish from an appetizer to the main course, add your favorite al dente pasta!
- I like to add rotini, penne, or rigatoni but a longer cut of pasta like spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine would work as well.
- Cook your pasta, reserve 1/2 a cup of pasta water, and add the cooked pasta directly to the baked feta after it’s come out of the oven. Mix the pasta and cheese together and add splashes of pasta water as needed to help the feta fully coat the pasta noodles in the creamy baked sauce.
- Season to taste with Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper and enjoy!
Making Baked Feta Ahead of Time
This baked feta appetizer can be prepped a couple hours in advance which makes it one of my favorite foods to make for a party. Prep the feta according to the recipe instructions, cover it, and pop it in the fridge. About an hour before you want to bake it, remove it from the fridge and let it sit out on the counter to come to room temperature. When your guests arrive pop it in the oven for a warm appetizer that everyone will love!
Storing Leftover Baked Feta
If this tasty appetizer doesn’t get gobbled up immediately, storage is simple and easy. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Reheating Baked Feta
Whether you made this cheesy appetizer ahead of time or are going in for your leftovers, the instructions are the same. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F, ensure your feta is in an oven-safe dish, and gently heat until warmed throughout. This usually takes somewhere around 20 minutes.
FAQ
Does feta cheese melt in the oven?
Feta cheese gets soft in the oven, but it does not melt, because of its relatively high acid content. When acidic cheeses like feta are heated, the proteins tighten, expelling moisture. That moisture evaporates and the cheese becomes too dry to liquefy. This baked feta recipe does give you soft, spreadable feta, but it’s not melted feta.
What can I do with a block of feta cheese?
An old marketing slogan promised us that, “everything’s betta with feta” and they weren’t wrong! A block of feta has endless potential and dresses up everything it touches. In this baked feta recipe, it’s transformed into a warm, cozy appetizer with sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and crispy crunchy crostini!
What goes well with feta?
Feta cheese originated in Greece and is associated with Mediterranean and modern Middle Eastern cuisine. That means feta goes well with other flavors and dishes from the same regions, including olives, hummus, pita, nuts, bell peppers, and roasted veggies. In this feta dip, we pair it with olives and sun-dried tomatoes along with garlic and herbs for a classic Mediterranean-inspired flavor!
How do you use feta in brine?
You can usually buy feta in a few different ways: in brine, vacuum packed, or crumbled. It’s technically all feta, but the feta in brine is going to be creamier and more flavorful. Once you’ve used the block of feta for this easy feta appetizer recipe, you can use the leftover brine as a base for dressing or to marinate veggies before roasting.
Try these appetizers next!
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Baked Feta
This Baked Feta Appetizer comes together in just minutes with only a handful of ingredients – olives, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh garlic, olive oil, and herbs. Bake it all together with a block of feta cheese until it’s warm and creamy then serve with crispy crostini!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Greek/American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 8-ounce block feta
- 1 cup pitted olives, drained
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- Kosher salt
- fresh cracked pepper
For serving:
- fresh chopped parsley
- sliced French bread or crostini
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Add an 8-ounce block of feta to a small baking dish.
- Add 1 cup olives and 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes to the baking dish around the feta.
- In a small dish combine 1/3 cup olive oil, 3 cloves sliced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, and a couple pinches of salt and pepper.
- Pour over the block of feta, olives, and sun-dried tomatoes.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Broil for 1-2 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and crispy crostini.
- If you loved this recipe, leave a 5-star rating and review!
Equipment
Buy Now → Notes
- My favorite feta to use for this recipe is the kind that comes as a block in a brine liquid. Being stored in brine gives the feta cheese a lot of extra moisture which helps to increase the creaminess in this baked feta. Just make sure you drain the brine off before baking!
- If you can’t find a block in brine, just a regular block of feta will work as well. It will give you a very similar taste and texture as the feta that comes in brine. Honestly, crumbled feta would likely work too, the presentation will just be slightly different and you may need to bake it for less time.
- If you’re not into olives, try roasting the feta with grape tomatoes instead! Keep everything the same, just replace the olives with tomatoes! The tomatoes will become tender, roasted, and delicious! You could also just skip the olives altogether and enjoy this baked feta with the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and herbs!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of recipe
- Calories: 134
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 177.9 mg
- Fat: 13.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 1.6 g
- Fiber: 0.2 g
- Protein: 2.8 g
- Cholesterol: 16.7 mg
DELICIOUS! I added Greek chicken breast and penne pasta and made this for dinner. Will be making it for the rest of my life. Thank you.
Everyone loved this appetizer! Thank you. I will definitely be making it again.
added a cup of pasta water to this after baking and mixed it up, then served on pasta…fantastic easy dinner
Great idea, Kim! So glad that you enjoyed this baked feta recipe. Thanks for leaving a review!
Third holiday serving this. It’s a hit every time! Simple yet sophisticated. Great job creating this recipie.
Delicious! Looking forward to making it again tonight for friends!
Your friends are so lucky! Thanks for leaving a review, Emily 🙂
This appetizer is the bomb! It’s so flavorful, elegant looking and easy to make. Made it for a group yesterday, everyone was wowed by it. It’s my new favorite!
I’m thinking of making this for an outdoor party and don’t want to be away from my guests for too long. Would it be possible to make it a couple hours in advance, then keep it in a warm oven until I’m ready to bring it out?
I think your best bet would be to assemble it and store it in the fridge. Then pop it in the oven about 20-30 minutes before you’re ready to eat. I fear that if you leave it on low in the oven for hours it will end up just drying out. I’d love to hear how you like it if you give it a try!
I will be making this tomorrow to bring to a Happy hour with neighbors. 👌
I can’t wait to hear how it turns out, Anna! Your neighbors are lucky to have such a kind friend to share delicious food with! Cheers!
I made this tonight and it was a hit! It was easy and delicious. Thank you so much! I will definitely make this again.
I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed this baked feta recipe, Vivian! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review – I really appreciate it 🙂
I have made this as directed many times and it’s always a hit. But today is supposed to be close to 100 degrees and I really don’t want to turn the oven on. Do you think I could just pop this into the microwave for a few minutes? I know it won’t have the toasty top but I’m thinking it might still be good and melty. What are your thoughts? TIA
I think the microwave would definitely warm it up! I think the texture may be slightly different since a microwave and an oven cook differently but I think it should still taste good! Do you have an air fryer perhaps? That’s my favorite way to beat the heat while still enjoying a warm meal without turning on the oven. Great question, Dlevy. Can’t wait to hear how it goes if you give it a try!
Thank you for your prompt response. I do have an air fryer. It’s the doubles basket one so not enough room to put a dish. I think I’m going to try to line with foil and see how that works. Will let you know. Thank you for such a wonderful recipe.
Oh darn it! Yes – that’s a great idea to line it with foil!!
Am making for a party tomorrow. Is this dish covered when baked? Wondered if the feta block might not get creamy, but then thought it might get too watery if covered. Appetizer for 130 people so using big blocks of feta.
No need to cover this feta appetizer when you bake it! The feta doesn’t necessarily get creamy but it will get soft and sort of spreadable. If your blocks are bigger than 8 oz. I’d recommend slicing them into 8 oz. pieces so that they cook evenly. Can’t wait to hear how this turns out for you! And best of luck with feeding your large group – kudos to you!!
Hey Teri. I’m wanting to make this for this weekend for a retirement get together at a wine vineyard ,how did people react to the taste? Just thought it would be fitting to serve there along with wine tasting
Made it for a Thanksgiving appetizer and everyone loved it! Beautiful flavors and and a sophisticated presentation took the atmosphere up a notch. This is an outstanding recipe .
I love this appetizer! I normally make sourdough discard flatbreads to go with it.
This was fabulous. So flavorful and easy! Every one loved it!
I made this last night and all I can say is “FABULOUS” It’s a must try 🙂
I love this dish, having made it a couple times as written! Today, I was sautéing some onion in bacon grease and added a couple tablespoons to it and it added a great different flavor texture to it. But then, I never could leave anything well enough alone…
Everything is better with bacon and onions! That’s the best part about this recipe is that you can totally customize it and make it your own!! 🙂