Our culinary adventures in Egypt continue today with a recipe for oven fried feta cheese balls. I was skeptical that this would work, but they turned out great! Even better they went well when served with a platter of tomates jarra marra, a little dukkah and tahini yogurt.
The recipe on Food dot com calls for a fresh Egyptian cheese. The feta cheese is a substitution.
AKA Gebna Makleyah or Egyptian Oven Fried Cheese
These little two bite wonders were much better than anticipated. They baked up crispy outside. When warm out of the oven they’re tender, but when they cool down they become chewier. I liked them both ways, especially when wedged into a pita triangle with a some tomato and tahini yogurt.
You’ll want to use a rimmed baking sheet or dish to make these because of the generous amount of oil needed to work the oven fried magic. Choose regular olive oil (not extra virgin) or sunflower oil to get the job done.
Once I tried my Egyptian appetizers, I wished I’d doubled the batch.
You might want to pick up two packs of cheese, especially if your family has large appetites.
I got an even dozen from a 200 gram (about 7 ounces) package of feta cheese. The original recipe called for a single tablespoon of flour, but I ended up adding more plus some bread crumbs to create a mix that could be formed into balls. We typically buy large eggs, so that may account for the need to add more bulk. You’ll have to feel it out when you make your own mix. A cookie scoop was helpful in portioning the cheese mix.
Ingredients
- 200 grams feta cheese, drained and crumbled (about 7 ounces...whatever the standard size in the store is fine)
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 - 2 tablespoons flour
- 1/4 cup or more bread crumbs optional
- salt and pepper to taste
- vegetable oil I used sunflower oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C and prepare a rimmed baking sheet with a generous amount of oil (completely cover the bottom of the sheet)
- In a medium bowl mix the beaten egg, crumbled feta cheese and 1 tablespoon of flour together. Add more flour and/or bread crumbs as needed until the mix can be formed into balls that don't fall apart.
- Use a cookie scoop to portion the mix.
- Place the balls on the baking sheet and gently roll them around in the oil. Arrange them without touching and give each one a gentle pat to flatten it out slightly.
- Bake for 5 - 7 minutes on each side or until a pleasant golden brown color.
- Serve with slices of fresh lemon and pita bread.
I haven’t tried to use a different type of cheese, but I’m thinking other salty fresh cheeses like Oaxaca would work for these. It may also be interesting to add some chopped herbs to the mix before forming into balls.
Loved that recipe it turned out great!!!
all five of my kids enjoyed these feta balls amazing thank you for the delicious meal!
I’m glad you enjoyed them! They’re fun to make and eat. Have a great week! 🙂
Very disappointing. Fell apart and we’re very chewy
I’m sorry it didn’t turn out for you, Jess. I’ve found when I make this I have to adjust the amounts of flour and bread crumbs every time. Moisture in the cheese, the size of the egg and the type of bread crumbs and/or flour you choose all play a part in the final mix. Some bread crumbs are very small and hard. When I use those it works out better if the mix sits for a bit to absorb any extra moisture. Other type of bread crumbs don’t give me the same trouble.
Good luck going forward. Lydia 🙂
These are DELICIOUS! I recently made a double recipe with whole wheat flour and omitted the breadcrumbs. It made about 36 for me with the doubled recipe. We eat them with a Mediterranean quinoa salad with balsamic, onion, asparagus, and tomatoes. Soooo good, especially with lots of lemon squeezed over the top! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Thanks Amanda for taking the time to let me know! I’m glad you enjoyed them, your whole meal sounds lovely. Great tip to add the whole wheat flour instead of breadcrumbs. Have a great week!
How many does this recipe yield? I am thinking of making these for a party serving 150 so I need to calculate in bulk. Thanks! They look great and I can’t wait to try them!!
Leanne
Hi Leanne, I got about a dozen. It depends on how large you make them as I’m sure you know. They’d be perfect for a catered affair!
Those feta cheese balls look amazing.
They were really good. Hope you give them a try, Pavani 🙂
Thanks for sharing this! They look gorgeous and I am very excited to try them.
Please let me know how they work out for you. I hope you enjoy them as much as we did 🙂
These look delicious! I think I will try making some in my sun oven, but I think I will try it with Oaxaca because it has a bit less salt than the feta. It would be beautiful on leafy green salad with grilled chicken!
Sounds like a plan, Vickie 🙂 Nice to see you!