Greek Fried Cheese 🔥 Saganaki with Kefalotyri Cheese

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This is one of those dishes my wife and I always order when we go out for Greek food. It hits all the notes: salty, melty, crispy, dramatic. What makes this Greek fried cheese version extra special is how quickly it comes together with high heat, whether that's in a pizza oven like our Ooni, a hot grill, or even in a hot skillet on the stovetop.

Greek kefalotyri cheese in a cast-iron skillet served with a Greek village salad and crusty bread. — Greek Fried Cheese – Saganaki with Kefalotyri Cheese

It's a super simple Greek appetizer, but it looks (and tastes) like something you'd get at a taverna in Athens. And yes, you can light it on fire and yell "OPA!"

A piece of Greek fried cheese ripped open on an Ooni cast-iron skillet.

Serve it bubbling hot right in the skillet with warm pita or crusty bread, and trust me, it disappears fast.

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Ingredients
How to Make Saganaki
Tips for Success
What Kind of Cheese is Kefalotyri?
A Little History Behind Saganaki
FAQs
📖 Recipe

Ingredients

Kefalotyri cheese
All-purpose flour
Olive oil
Lemon
Ouzo or brandy
Optional: chopped parsley or oregano for garnish

Tip: Be sure to cut the cheese into an even slab, not a wedge, so it cooks evenly and crisps up on all sides.

How to Make Saganaki

Prep the Cheese: Pat it dry and lightly coat the cheese on all sides with flour, shaking off any excess flour.

Lightly coat the Kefalotyri cheese with flour.

Preheat the Skillet: Place a small cast iron skillet in your Ooni pizza oven, preheating to about 450°F (230°C) with a medium flame.

Sear the Cheese: Add olive oil to the hot skillet, then carefully place the cheese in. Cook for about 90 seconds per side, or until golden brown, crispy, and bubbling.

Place the kefalotyri cheese in a preheated skillet.

A skillet of Greek fried cheese going into an Ooni oven.

Optional Flambé: Remove the pan from the oven. Pour ouzo or brandy over the cheese, ignite carefully with a long lighter (always use caution), shout "OPA!", and squeeze the lemon juice over the flame to extinguish.

Pour the baked Greek fried cheese with ouzo. — Pour ouzo or brandy over the cheese.

Flambé the Kefalotyri saganaki. — Ignite the cheese carefully with a long lighter (always use caution), shout “OPA!”

Squeeze the lemon juice over the flame to extinguish.

Serve Immediately: Garnish with herbs if desired. Serve right in the skillet with grilled pita or crusty bread for scooping up the cheese or dipping into the delicious pan sauce.

Cutting into a slab of Greek Kefalortyri cheese.

Tips for Success

Cut evenly: Keep the cheese slab a uniform ½" thick. Wedges or thin ends will burn or melt too fast.
Don't over-flour: A light dusting is all you need to help it crisp without creating a doughy coating.
Flambé safely: Always remove the skillet from the oven before adding alcohol and igniting.
Heat matters: Ooni ovens give the perfect sear, but you can also use a stovetop cast iron skillet if needed.

What Kind of Cheese is Kefalotyri?

Kefalotyri (keh-fah-loh-TEE-ree) is a traditional hard Greek cheese made from sheep's milk, goat's milk, or a mix of both. It has a firm, slightly grainy texture and a sharp, salty, and tangy flavour that intensifies with age, similar in some ways to Romano or aged Parmesan.

Melting point: High enough to hold its shape when pan-fried, which makes it ideal for saganaki.
Colour & texture: Pale yellow, with a dry rind and a slightly crumbly, dense interior.
Flavour: Salty, savoury, slightly nutty, bold and perfect for standing up to lemon and ouzo in saganaki.
Substitutions: You can find kefalotyri in a Greek or Mediterranean market. However, good substitutes include kasseri cheese (slightly milder, melts beautifully), graviera (firm with a nutty flavour), or halloumi (firmer texture, won't melt but will sear well), all of which have a high melting point and firm texture. Avoid very soft cheeses; you want something that holds its shape while crisping.

A Little History Behind Saganaki

Saganaki isn't just the cheese dish; it's actually the name of the small two-handled frying pan used to prepare it. The word comes from the Turkish sahan, meaning a small copper pan.

Over time, "saganaki" came to refer to a whole family of Greek appetizers cooked and served in that style, including: Shrimp saganaki (with feta and tomato sauce), Mussels saganaki, and of course, the iconic cheese saganaki.

The flambéed version of cheese saganaki, where the cheese is lit on fire and doused with lemon, originated in Chicago in the 1960s, at the now-famous Parthenon restaurant in Greektown. It was designed to impress American diners and has since become a spectacle in many Greek restaurants abroad. The traditional Greek version usually skips the flame but keeps the sear, lemon, and simplicity.

Saganaki cheese on an Ooni cast-iron and served with a Greek village salad and a chickpea salad. — Saganaki with Kefalotyri Cheese served alongside a Greek Village Salad (Horiatiki Salata) & Chickpea and Parsley Salad.

FAQs

Q: Can I make saganaki without flambéing it?

A: Absolutely. The flambé adds drama and a hint of anise flavour from the ouzo, but the cheese is just as delicious without the flame.

Q: Can I make this on the stovetop?

A: Yes! Use a cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. The cook time and technique remain the same. Make sure the pan is nice and hot before adding the cheese.

📖 Recipe