Mediterranean Baked Feta with Tomatoes & Chickpeas
Inspired by Smitten Kitchen. Creamy baked feta swims in a jammy, spiced tomato-chickpea sauce that's begging to be scooped up with warm naan. It's the kind of effortless, crowd-pleasing appetizer that looks impressive but comes together with almost no hands-on work.
Equipment
- 9x13 Baking Dish
Ingredients
- 2 pints Cherry Tomatoes up to half sliced in half
- 6-8 cloves Garlic
- 1 medium Red Onion thinly sliced
- 1-2 Jalapeños optional, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoon Mediterranean Spice Blend
- ½ C Olive Oil
- 8 oz Block Feta in Brine drained, brine saved for marinating chicken at a later date
- 2 cans Chickpeas drained, aquafaba saved for other use
- Fresh Herbs, for Serving e.g. cilantro, mint, parsley
- Naan, for Serving
Instructions
- First, preheat your oven to 400F. Prep your veggies: wash and dry the cherry tomatoes, cutting about 50% of them in half. Thinly slice garlic and jalapeño. Vertically slice red onion.Remove feta from brine, cutting in half hamburger-wise if necessary. Open and drain chickpeas. Pat the chickpeas dry on a clean kitchen towel.
- Place onions, garlic, jalapeños and tomatoes in your baking dish with olive oil, a few hefty pinches of kosher salt, and your seasoning blend of choice (if using). Toss together.2 pints Cherry Tomatoes, 6-8 cloves Garlic, 1 medium Red Onion, 1-2 Jalapeños, 2 tsp Mediterranean Spice Blend, ½ C Olive Oil
- Push veggies to the sides of the dish to make space for the feta. Place the feta in the center and use a spoon to drizzle some of the spiced olive oil over it. Pop it in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the veggies are beginning to soften.8 oz Block Feta in Brine
- Remove from oven and stir in chickpeas, being careful not to disturb the feta. Return to the oven for 10-15 minutes.2 cans Chickpeas
- Turn the oven to broil, and move the baking dish to the top rack. Broil for 5-10 minutes, until the tomatoes, onions and feta get the right amount of char for your liking. Remove from oven, dish out, sprinkle with some fresh herbs if you have them and serve with some warm slices of naan.Fresh Herbs, for Serving, Naan, for Serving
Notes
Nutrition facts do not include naan.
Optional Variations & Dietary Adaptations
- Dairy-Free/Vegan: Swap the feta for a plant-based feta alternative.
- Extra Protein: Stir in some cooked, shredded chicken (marinated in that reserved feta brine, of course) once you add the chickpeas, or top with a fried egg right before serving.
- Milder: Leave out the jalapeños altogether, or swap the red pepper flakes in the spice mix for a pinch of smoked paprika instead—you'll still get warmth and depth without the heat.
- Extra Spicy: Keep the jalapeño seeds in, add a second jalapeño, or stir a pinch of cayenne into the spice blend for those who like it fiery.
- Different Veggies: Swap in cherry tomatoes for grape tomatoes, or bulk up the dish with sliced bell peppers, zucchini, or wilt some baby spinach by stirring it in during the last few minutes of baking.
- Different Cheese: No feta on hand? Goat cheese makes a great substitute and bakes up just as creamy, though the flavor will be a touch milder and less briny.
- Herb Swaps: Fresh basil, mint, or dill all work beautifully as a finishing herb if you don't have parsley or cilantro on hand.
- Don't skip draining the feta and chickpeas. Extra moisture is the enemy of a good bake here—it'll water down your sauce and keep the tomatoes from getting that jammy, concentrated flavor.
- Save your brine and aquafaba. That feta brine is liquid gold for marinating chicken, and aquafaba (the chickpea liquid) whips up beautifully for vegan baking. No reason to pour either down the drain.
- Use a shallow, wide baking dish. This helps the tomatoes roast and burst evenly instead of steaming, and gives the feta more surface area to soften and soak up all that flavor.
- Let the feta soften, not melt into oblivion. You're looking for a spreadable, creamy texture—pull it from the oven once it's soft to the touch, not fully collapsed.
- Taste your spice blend before committing. Spice intensity varies a lot brand to brand (and homemade blends can vary batch to batch), so give it a quick taste and adjust the amount if needed before tossing it with your tomatoes.
- Warm your naan right before serving. A quick toast in a dry skillet or a few minutes in the oven makes a big difference—warm bread scoops up the sauce far better than cold.
- Mash as you go. Once out of the oven, use a fork to gently smash the tomatoes and stir everything together to create a rustic, saucy consistency that makes the dish so scoopable.
- Make it ahead, but bake fresh. You can prep the tomatoes, onion, and chickpeas in the baking dish ahead of time and refrigerate, then pop it in the oven when you're ready. Just add the feta right before baking.
- Storage: Let the baked feta cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. It'll keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. If you know you won't finish it right away, store the sauce separately from any bread or naan so nothing gets soggy while it sits.
- Freezing: This dish freezes surprisingly well! Let it cool fully, then transfer to a freezer-safe, airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheating (on the stovetop): Add the feta mixture to a skillet over medium-low heat and warm gently, stirring occasionally, until heated through—about 5-7 minutes. This method helps bring back that soft, creamy texture without drying anything out.
- Reheating (in the oven): Transfer to an oven-safe dish, cover with foil, and warm at 350°F for about 10-15 minutes, or until heated through. This works especially well if you're reheating a larger portion.
- Reheating (in the microwave): In a pinch, microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until warmed through. Just know the texture won't be quite as creamy as the stovetop or oven methods.
- Pro Tip: No matter which method you choose, warm your naan or bread fresh right before serving rather than reheating it alongside the feta—it makes a noticeable difference in texture.
Nutrition
Calories: 457kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 11gFat: 40gSaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 662mgPotassium: 651mgFiber: 3gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 1477IUVitamin C: 62mgCalcium: 360mgIron: 3mg
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