Wrapped Feta In Filo (fried or baked)

In this Wrapped Feta In Filo, salty meets sweet, crisp meets creamy, and you wonder how something so simple can taste so divine!

Table Of Contents

• Baked Or Fried?
• Ingredients
• How To Make
• Frying Feta
• Baking Feta In Filo
• Make It Gluten-Free
• Toppings
• Recipe

Filo-wrapped feta cheese with honey and sesame seeds is one of the most favorite modern Greek appetizers. It's one of the best sweet and salty combinations. The feta cheese melts inside the crispy phyllo, and while it's still hot, it's drizzled with honey and sprinkled with crunchy sesame seeds.

It's like making the simplest, quickest Tiropita (Greek cheese pie) and serving it warm with sweet honey.

Baked Or Fried?

You can make phyllo-wrapped feta in the oven or fry it on the stovetop. It's equally tasty in both cases. The classic way is fried feta in filo; however, if you want to make it a bit healthier, with less oil, you can bake it in the oven instead.

The difference is very slight in texture and flavor. The filo /phyllo gets slightly more flaky and puffy when fried. Though just as crispy when baked. And like all things fried, you get a slightly stronger flavor.

Ingredients

• Feta Cheese: A block of soft, not too ripened feta cheese is best to use in this recipe, so it will melt easily.
• Filo / Phyllo: We only need one sheet of filo/phyllo pastry to make this recipe. You can roll the stack of filo again and place it back in its package. Seal with plastic wrap to prevent air from entering and drying out the filo. Then place it back in the freezer or keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days to use in other recipes (like the ones mentioned here).
• Vegetable Oil: Use any neutral vegetable oil, such as sunflower, corn oil, or canola, to brush the filo and help it stick together, as well as to fry the feta parcel. If you are making a baked feta in phyllo, you can use olive oil or melted butter to brush the phyllo.
• Honey: Thyme or flower honey goes best here.
• Sesame seeds: I use a mixture of white and black sesame seeds. Black sesame seeds have a stronger flavor, so use them in small amounts.

How To Make

It's very simple to make feta in filo. All you need is a sheet of filo, a block of feta cheese, and oil to make it stick together.

To wrap a feta in filo, brush the filo with oil and then fold it in half. Place the feta cheese at the bottom end and then start wrapping it by folding all edges inwards, as shown in the picture tutorial below.

Frying Feta

To make fried feta in filo, heat a generous amount of neutral vegetable oil (such as sunflower, corn, or canola oil) in a small cooking pot. When the oil registers 170°C / 338°F on an instant-read thermometer, add the feta and fry it for 3-4 minutes, flipping it with two forks to get a honey-golden color on both sides.

Baking Feta In Filo

To bake the filo wrapped feta, add it to a small baking dish or pan and brush the dish or pan with oil. Brush also the feta parcel with oil on top. Bake at 180°C / 355°F for 5 minutes, then increase the temperature to 200°C / 390°F until the phyllo turns golden and crispy.

Make It Gluten-Free

Yes, you can make a gluten-free wrapped feta by using Spring Roll Rice Papers! Cut the block of feta cheese into 3 thick sticks, and wrap each one in a spring roll rice paper. First, dip the rice paper in water for 10-15 seconds to make it pliable. Then either deep-fry or pan-fry.

Toppings

The classic topping for fried feta in filo is honey. However, you can use a jam like tomato jam, which goes amazingly with feta. Or even orange jam. Additionally, you can use ground walnuts or pecans as a substitute for sesame seeds or even poppy seeds.

Recipe