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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!
A quick, easy weeknight dinner. Not my overall fave recipe from HBH but it makes so much food that are great for leftovers. For the feta: make sure your pan is HOT. Make sure to tap off excess corn starch (o double coated). And then let it sit. Once it gets nice and crispy it’s so easy to flip. I panicked on the first side and flipped too early but had no problem with the second side!
Hey Meredith,
Happy Wednesday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it!☀️🌈 xT
This was awesome! Made exactly as written but somehow failed at the crispy feta so we just crumbled feta over. Really good that way but I am going to try their crispy feta again. I’m sure it’s user error 🤦♀️
Hey Kristin,
Wonderful!!😃 I appreciate you making this dish and sharing your comment, so glad it was a winner! Sorry to hear about the feta! Did you use a block? xx
I made this dish thinking I would like it for sure but not sure what my husband would think and he actually loved it! We’ve made it multiple times now and it’s so good! We love the crispy feta on it it’s delicious! I had never had feta like that before and it’s so good! Thanks so much for another amazing recipe!
I actually just got all your cookbooks for my birthday and I’m so excited to use them! I make your recipes almost every night, my husband and I love them!
Hey Regina,
Fantastic!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I’m so glad it was delish! Thanks for your kind message and making so many recipes:) Have a great weekend:) xx
My store only sells crumbled feta, a large block (365), and a smaller block that seems about an inch thick. I know the crumbles won’t be good, but the thought of trying to slice a large block into thinner portions seems an essay doomed to fail. Would the Organic Valley sold at Whole Foods work? That’s the one that’s about an inch thick.
Also, to avoid the sticking issue, how about using a non-stick skillet for it?
Hey Brooke,
Any block feta will work well for you, Organic Valley sounds like a great option! Sure, you can use a non-stick skillet:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
I thought the same thing that the block wouldn’t slice in half well but that’s actually what I’ve done every time I’ve made this dish is buy the block and slice it into thinner slices and it worked great!
As usual, such an amazing dish! Thank you for sharing <3
My feta stuck a bit so next time I’ll try another pan but again user error not recipe.
I even used fake chicken as we are vegetarian and it was perfect 🙂
Xo
Hey Robyn,
Happy Friday!! So glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for making it and sharing your comment! xx
This recipe is amazing. We have a vegetarian in this family so I split between chicken and Tofu. SO good and so easy.
Hey Kristen,
Fantastic!!🌻 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for trying it out! xT
This was AWESOME! Made it exactly as written and we were not disappointed. The spices, the cheese, the vinaigrette! Mmmmmmm
Hey Nikki,
Wonderful!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was a winner! Have a great Wednesday! xx
Lv this but do u mean cumin seed or ground cumin?
Thank you!! I used ground cumin:)
One of my favs! I switch up to other veggies once in a while. My new favorite shortcut with the feta is adding it to the pan itself in chunks toward the end and letting it crisp up there instead of in another pan.
Hey there,
Happy Monday!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xx
This is one of my favorite dinners! Its easy to make and everyone loves it. Most ingredients are things you have. The champagne vinegar is the only weird ingredient but I highly recommend it as it sets the dish off perfectly. Fried feta is just next level delicious too!
Hey Heather,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you:)
I loved the combo of flavors in this. I prepped my chicken a day ahead to let it marinate, and then cooked everything for 25 minutes and low broil for 3. The crispy feta was AMAZING! Some of the crispy coating slid off mine, but I think I tried to flip it too soon. I only subtract a star because the vinaigrette needed a little more punch. I added a scoop of Peruvian pepper jam to it and that really helped.
Hey Melissa,
Happy Wednesday!! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and sharing your comment, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xx
Made this recipe tonight. It was delicious. I added a little balsamic vinegar to the dressing.
Hey Pam,
Amazing!! Love to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thank you so much for making it and your comment! xx
How do you get the feta to brown without sticking to the pan?
Hey Jenny,
It’s key to use the oil and a screaming hot skillet and then don’t touch the feta for at least 2-3 minutes. I hope you love this recipe! xx
Made this countless times and always a hit! Will forever be a staple in my house. Best thing about it is how easy it is!
Hey Madeline,
Happy Wednesday! ❄️ I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
At best this recipe was just strange. The flavors were edible, we survived it but no one wanted any seconds.
Hi Rachel,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed! Please let me know if there is anything that I can help with! xx
Instead of chicken I used chickpeas and broccoli. I made the rice with veggie broth, lemon rind and juice. It turned out fabulous! Definitely a keeper recipe.
Hey Stephanie,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! Happy Tuesday! 🎄