Greek Saganaki Cheese Classic (Printer-friendly)

Crispy fried Greek cheese with lemon and oregano, a savory and simple dish.

# Ingredient List:

→ Cheese

01 - 7 oz (200 g) firm Greek cheese (kasseri, kefalotyri, or halloumi), sliced 0.4 inch (1 cm) thick

→ Coating

02 - 2 tbsp all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour

→ Frying

03 - 2 tbsp olive oil

→ To Serve

04 - 1 lemon, cut into wedges
05 - 1/2 tsp dried oregano
06 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# How-To Steps:

01 - Pat the cheese slices dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
02 - Lightly dredge each cheese slice in flour, shaking off any surplus.
03 - Warm olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
04 - Fry the cheese slices for 1 to 2 minutes per side until golden and crisp.
05 - Remove the fried cheese from the skillet and briefly drain on paper towels.
06 - Arrange the cheese on a serving plate; sprinkle with oregano and black pepper. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours cooking when you actually spent five minutes.
  • That exact moment when the exterior cracks under your fork and the cheese inside is still warm and slightly creamy is pure joy.
  • It's a conversation starter—everyone wants to know how you made something this good.
02 -
  • If your cheese slices are wet, the oil will splatter—this isn't just annoying, it also prevents proper frying, so truly dry them.
  • Medium-high heat is the sweet spot; too hot and the outside browns before the inside softens, too cool and you get a greasy result instead of crispy.
  • Some cheeses will squeak slightly when they fry—that's the moisture escaping and the structure tightening, which is exactly what you want.
03 -
  • Make sure your skillet is truly non-stick; a scratched or worn pan will cause sticking and uneven browning.
  • If you're feeding a crowd, prep all your cheese slices and flour them ahead of time, then fry to order so each batch is hot when it reaches the table.
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