Baked Feta with Tomatoes

This easy baked feta recipe with tomatoes makes into a warm, creamy Greek-inspired appetizer in under 25 minutes. Scoop it up with crusty bread for a delicious snack!

Here’s a recipe inspired by my trip to Greece a few years ago: I came to love a certain baked feta appetizer. I had it prepared in different ways but it was always delicious: melty, gooey feta in a tomato sauce, sometimes with onions or red peppers, sprinkled with a few herbs.

One server brought it out to us and declared, “Feta in the oven!” and I learned this was the English translation on most menus. Alex and I even recreated it a few times while in Greece in the kitchen of our rental home. This baked feta is the version I make now whenever friends come over, and it disappears faster than anything else on the table!

Why You’ll Love This Baked Feta Recipe

It’s absolutely delicious. The best appetizers are often the simplest. A block of feta goes into a small dish with tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil, then bakes until it’s warm and melty: pure heaven!
It’s inspired by a real recipe in Greece. It’s not exactly what I had there, but it has a similar, carefree vibe!
It’s easy to make: It comes together in under 25 minutes, most of it hands-off oven time, and it’s very flexible.

Ingredients You’ll Need

While in Greece, we baked the feta with large fresh tomatoes and it turned out beautifully. We tried this at home in the US, but the tomatoes came out too watery. We switched to cherry tomatoes, which worked better. Here’s what you’ll need:

Feta cheese: Use a solid block of feta, not the pre-crumbled kind. I buy feta packed in brine for the best texture and flavor.
Cherry tomatoes: This is my secret to a jammy, non-watery result.
Garlic: This adds just the right savory flavor.
Olive oil: A good drizzle is essential.
Dried oregano: The classic Greek herb here. Fresh oregano or thyme are perfect if you have them.
Kalamata olives: Optional, but they add a briny punch.

How to Make Baked Feta

This is barely a recipe and more of a method; here’s the basic approach:

Preheat and prep. Heat the oven to 400°F. Halve the cherry tomatoes and toss them with a few pinches of kosher salt while the oven comes up to temperature.
Place the ingredients in a small dish. In a small oven-proof dish, add the tomatoes, minced garlic, and olives. Place the block of feta in the middle, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with oregano.
Bake and serve. Bake for about 18 minutes, until the feta is warm and soft and the tomatoes are burst. Serve immediately.

Pro tip: If you’d like, you can place the dish under a broiler for the last minute or two to get a lightly golden color to the top of the feta.

Ways to Serve It

Baked feta is at its best served warm right from the oven with something to dip it, and a few Mediterranean-style platters alongside. Here’s what I’d recommend:

Pita. Warm pita wedges or crisp pita chips are perfect for scooping.
Crusty bread. A torn-up warm no knead bread or baguette is great for dipping.
A veggie platter. Cucumber slices and bell pepper strips with tzatziki are a perfect addition.
On a mezze board. Serve it alongside marinated olives and Mediterranean chickpea salad or dense bean salad for an easy Greek grazing spread.

Flavor Variations

Honey baked feta: Drizzle warm honey over the feta just before serving for a sweet-and-salty contrast.
Roasted red peppers: Add sliced roasted red peppers to the dish before baking for extra sweetness and color.
Baked feta pasta: This is the viral recipe that took over the internet! Make double the recipe (8 oz feta and 2 pints tomatoes) with ¼ cup olive oil, then stir the whole softened mixture into a pound of hot cooked pasta with a splash of pasta water.

Storage and Make-Ahead

Baked feta is best fresh and warm. Leftovers keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days: reheat gently in a 350°F oven. You can also assemble the whole dish ahead, cover it, and refrigerate for a few hours before baking: just add a few minutes to the bake time.

Dietary Notes

This baked feta recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free.