Pan-Fried White Brined Cheese (Saganaki)

Saganaki is a Greek or Greek-American dish consisting of a hard, white, brined cheese cooked simply with olive oil in a hot pan (traditionally a two-handed vessel whence the name of the dish), usually served with lemon. In American restaurants, it is sometimes flambeed with various liqueurs at the table. In Greece, it is a traditional dish to have both with liquor (as a meze) or at the beginning of the meal to whet…
Ingredients
- 1 large slice of salty, brined white cheese (e.g. feta, sirene)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (not extra virgin)
- 1 large lemon wedge
- A small amount of flour (optional)
- Pita or other bread (optional)
Steps
- Heat small frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Cut cheese into slices of desired size and thickness. Thick slices take longer to melt through and may burn; thin slices brown less.
- Optional: dredge slices in flour for darker, crispier crust and less spitting.
- Add oil to hot pan. Swirl. When oil shimmers and becomes more fluid, add cheese. Stand back: it spits from brine.
- Flip after 1–2 min. A ¾ cm slice takes 1–2 min per side.
- Serve immediately with lemon and, optionally, bread.
Notes from the original
- The best and most traditional cheese to use is feta, kefalograviera, kasseri, or kefalotyri.
Source. Adapted from “Cookbook:Pan-Fried White Brined Cheese (Saganaki)” by Wikibooks contributors, revision of 2026-01-27, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Changes. Steps rewritten into short commands. Introduction shortened. Wiki formatting removed. This adapted recipe is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photo. Saganaki.jpg by Tammy Green from Chicago, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia. Resized; otherwise unchanged.






