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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!
This post was originally published on April 21, 2022
Can this be made ahead of time and kept in the oven to keep watm?
Hi Karen,
Sure, that will work nicely for you! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions!
Delicious but the feta was an epic fail. When I tried to turn it, crunchy coating kept coming off.
Hey Angela,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, so glad it was enjoyed! So sorry about the feta!
Crispy feta is the star of this show! I’ve made it several times now, but my chicken is on and off. I made it tonight and the chicken was tough. I used Mary’s chicken tenderloins and cut them in half. Made 3 lbs and cooked for 27 mins. Do you know why the chicken turned out tough?
Hi Yelda,
So glad to hear you have been enjoying this recipe, thank you so much for making it! I would try using just 1 pound of chicken next time to see if that helps. xx
Thanks for the reply. I make more than 1pb chicken because I’m cooking for more people. How do you recommend adjusting the time and oven temperature if doubling the recipe?
I would almost double the cook time:)
This was delicious. We enjoyed it as a family. Capsicums were too expensive this time of year for us, so used a jar of roasted capsicums, I added in the last 10mins of cooking. This worked well. The feta was also delicious cooked, it didn’t crispen but still tasted amazing!
Hey Liz,
So glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for making it and your feedback! xx
Absolutely love this recipe. Made it for the first time a few months ago and now it’s a staple! Thank you!
Hey Jacob,
Happy Friday! Thrilled to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for your comment and making it! Xx
this is the first time i leave a comment for a recipe, ……i loved it.
Hey Jessica,
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! I am so glad you enjoyed this dish, thanks for giving it a try! xT
This was delicious! Will definitely be making this again.
Hey Jana,
Love to hear that this dish turned out well for you, thanks a lot for making it and your comment! xT
This was delicious!! I didn’t have Fresno chilis but it was still great.
Hey Irina,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and appreciate you making it! Xx
Hi Tieghan!
Do you have any baked feta appetizer recipes? Had this at a restaurant and it was served in a small skillet. It was delicious! Trying to figure out how to make it! Thanks – I love your recipes!
Hi Beth! I have some whipped feta recipes but not baked feta! xT
Made this today and it was excellent! Served with basmati rice. I couldn’t find Fresno peppers so I just added some extra chili flakes and it was plenty spicy. I otherwise followed the recipe exactly. I doubled the recipe and cooked it on a huge sheet pan and it worked out beautifully. Thank you so much for this wonderful and unique recipe!
Oops – meant to assign 5 stars but it shows as 4 stars. Sorry about that! Definitely a 5 star recipe.
Thank you so so much for trying out this recipe! So glad you enjoyed it! xT
Another winner! The crispy feta is such a perfect topper and I would never have thought to use a vinaigrette this way. It made such an excellent leftover lunch, too.
Hi there! Thank you so so much! So glad you enjoyed this recipe! Have a great weekend 🙂 xT
I keep coming back to your recipes cause they never disappoint! And this one was also amazing :)) I’m vegetarian so I subbed the chicken for a fake meat substitute and I added some grilled courgette and tomatoes. It was honestly delightful. Can’t wait to make this one again hihi
Thanks so much for your kind message, Lisa! I am so glad you have been enjoying so many recipes and appreciate you being here! xT
It was very nice. The crispy feta is the star of the dish. We also added a large spoonful of thick Greek yogurt on the side. Would definitely make again. Thank you.
Hi! Thanks so much! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe! xT