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This plate of Crispy Feta with Lemon Pepper Chicken and Rice is full of flavor, color, and deliciousness. It’s going to become a new favorite. Crispy pan-fried feta cheese paired with spicy garlic chicken, peppers, and severed over rice. When you’re in need of an easy, vibrant, and fresh – yet still totally exciting dinner, make this. Every bite is layered with delicious Middle Eastern inspired flavor. It’s hard to beat crispy feta!
Leave it to me to figure out a way to turn a block of feta cheese into dinner. It’s no secret that I love to use feta in many ways, but this might just be my favorite. It’s crispy, warm, melty, and so delicious. It has fragrant roasted peppers…plus chicken to balance things out.
How this dish really came to fruition is something I could never fully explain. It was 100% created within my head. And while I had no idea what to call the recipe, I’ve been so excited to share it. This really is a new favorite.
So much incredible flavor here, so simple, and just delicious!
Details
While things might seem complicated, I promise I made this as simple as possible. Since the chicken takes the longest to cook, start here. I decided to roast it up with a mix of paprika, cumin, and ginger. All simple Middle Eastern spices.
To that same pan, I added a ton of bell peppers…red, orange, and yellow, then shallots and garlic.
Everything roasts together, creating the most fragrant dish. The chicken and peppers alone are a meal in itself.
But the feta makes everything better! The feta was the real reason for the idea of this whole meal. Basically, I wanted to turn a block of crispy feta cheese into dinner. I also knew I wanted peppers and rice, then I built out the recipe from there.
The feta is actually so simple. You need a block of feta cheese and either cornstarch or arrowroot powder. The cornstarch helps the feta to crisp nicely in the skillet. Use a little olive oil to pan-sear the feta and that’s it. It needs nothing more.
For serving, I whisked up a simple vinaigrette with olive oil, champagne vinegar, honey, chili flakes, salt, and pepper.
And then rice, you really do need rice. Rice, or even orzo, would be good too – but I love rice with this dish. Spoon the chicken and peppers over warm rice, then break the feta over the peppers. Next, take the vinaigrette and pour it over everything, then add lots and lots of fresh herbs…cilantro and dill are my usual mix.
Oh, and we can forget the naan, it’s great for scooping. My ideal meal any night of the week!
Looking for fun dinners? Here are my favorites:
Easy Baked Cheesy Cauliflower Pizzas
One Pot Creamy Penne Alfredo with Spicy Arugula
Turkish Eggs with Chile Butter and Whipped Feta
Lastly, if you make this
Crispy Feta with Lemon Pepper Chicken and Rice be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Crispy Feta with Lemon Pepper Chicken and Rice
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 770 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken tenders
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons cumin seed
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- kosher salt and black pepper
- chili flakes
- 4 bell peppers, sliced I used red, orange, and yellow
- 1-2 fresno peppers, seeded and sliced
- 2 shallots, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 8 ounce feta cheese block, patted dry
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 3/4 cup mixed fresh herbs, cilantro, parsley, and dill
- optional rice for serving
Vinaigrette
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425° F. 2. On a baking sheet, toss together the chicken, 3 tablespoons olive oil, paprika, cumin, ginger, and a pinch each of salt, pepper, and chili flakes. Add the bell peppers, fresno, shallots, and garlic and toss with the chicken. Bake 25 minutes, until cooked through. 3. Meanwhile, make the feta. Add the cornstarch to a shallow bowl. Add the block of feta and toss to coat all sides. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the feta and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden and crisp. Transfer the feta to a plate.4. To make the vinaigrette, combine all ingredients in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. 5. Serve the chicken and peppers topped with fresh herbs. Break the crispy feta overtop. Pour over the vinaigrette. I'd add rice, then enjoy!
Amazing!!!! Great dish. Easy and fast. Very flavorful. I made it for dinner and it is delicious. Thank you
Hey Cristina,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for making it! Have the best weekend:) xTieghan
How do you heat/cook your naan? A dry pan or oil or even water? Yours always looks
Perfect
Hey Lynn,
Thanks so much! Here is the recipe for my naan:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/herbed-garlic-butter-naan/
Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Excellent and easy! I wouldn’t change a thing.
Hi Donna,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for making it! Have the best weekend:) xTieghan
My husband won’t eat peppers. Can you recommend another vege you think would work well?
Hey Lori,
Sure, zucchini would be great here! Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xxTieghan
Oops, That was supposed to be a 10 Star comment, but it wouldn’t take it! Sorry.
Lol thanks so much Molly!
Mama Mia this is so good. That feta pops. I thought nothing could be better than Haloumi but fries feta is the best. Thanks for the awesome recipe, so creative!
Hey Mark,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for making it! Have the best weekend:) xTieghan
WOW, this was superb. Made it tonight and we all loved it. And what great additions the crispy feta and the balsamic vinaigrette were. Don’t know how you do it, but I love looking forward to more of your delicious creations. Thx Tieghan!
Hi Molly,
Happy Friday!! Thanks so much for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xx
HOMAGOODNESS. Another masterpiece. I love feta in all its forms, but crisply fried is something else altogether. The goo from the cheese combined with the LEMON* vinaigrette and the herbs is *chef’s kiss*. Thank you! Husband deemed it ‘lush’. 🙂
*Sorry nobody can read. *eyeroll*
Hey Lesley,
Happy Friday!! Lol thanks so much for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xx
I made this tonight and it was delicious! I had to make one change substituting white wine vinegar for the champagne vinegar. I definitely recommend trying out this recipe!
Hi Susan,
Happy Friday!! Thanks so much for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xx
This was another fabulous recipe! Thank you!!!
Hi Sherri,
Happy Friday!! Thanks so much for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xx
What kind of oven do you use? I’ve made a bunch of your recipes now, and, while they are ALWAYS delicious, I never seem to get the same color in my dishes as you do/the pictures. Any tips?!
Keep up the amazing work!
Hey Maggie,
I have a KitchenAid oven. I think it’s important to remember that I take a VERY long time to style and photograph my food. I am pretty meticulous when it comes to this:) xTieghan
What would you recommend I do differently if I only have pre-crumbled feta?
Hi Rainelle,
So sorry, the frying of the feta will only work with block feta. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I’ll look forward to reading the updated version of this Lemon-less Pepper Chicken recipe.
Hi Jan,
So sorry for any confusion, you are going to use 2 tablespoons of lemon juice in the vinaigrette! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! Have the best day:) xxT
I just wanted to say how awesome you are and your delicious recipes. I’m sorry you have to deal with such snarky comments when you make a small mistake. Your response is full of grace!
God bless you Tieghan!
Thanks for following along Bobi, you are too kind!!
Bobi, I agree! This person goes out of their way to post a mean-spirited comment on a free website! I often scroll through comments like and Tieghan always responds so nicely.
Tieghan, you’re a great example for Asher and everyone around you.
Can’t wait to try this recipe out!
Thanks for your kind message Cath, I hope you love the recipe:)
This was absolutely perfect, Tieghan! Thanks for another smash hit. Regarding the lemon, I didn’t even notice at first. It wasn’t difficult to just take the initiative to add the lemon myself. 😉 It wasn’t rocket science to figure that part out, but sure was delicious!
Thanks for all you do!
Hey Aline,
Happy Friday!! Thanks so much for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xx
I was going to ask about the LEMON (I love lemon!) but a few others did as well. I think I’ll add some zest to brighten it up.
Hey Kerry,
Sorry for any confusion, you are going to use lemon in the vinaigrette! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xxT
Looks delicious, but where’s the lemon or lemon pepper indicated in the title?
Hey Sheila,
So sorry for any confusion, you are going to use 2 tablespoons of lemon juice in the vinaigrette! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xxT
Could I ask why this is called lemon pepper, when there are no lemons in the recipe?
Lemon pepper is actually a spice you can purchase at your local supermarket. It’s actually a blend of dried lemon zest and ground pepper.
Sorry….I did not notice that lemon0pepper was in the title but omitted in the recipe itself. My oversight…hence my comment.
Hi Vivienne,
Sorry for any confusion, you are going to use lemon in the vinaigrette! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xxT