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Air-fryer salads · 21 minutes

Greek Salad with Air-Fryer Feta Fries

Batons of feta get a panko crust and five minutes in the air fryer, so a regular Greek salad picks up hot, crunchy, molten-edged cheese “fries” on top.

Prep
15 min
Cook
6 min
Total
21 min
Serves
2
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VegetarianAir fryer

A Greek salad is already good, so the only thing to change is the feta. Cut the block into thick batons, run them through flour, egg and oregano panko, and give them a 10-minute chill. Five minutes in the air fryer turns them golden outside and warm and creamy within, just shy of melting.

The salad underneath stays traditional: chunky tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, red onion and Kalamata olives, with red wine vinegar and good olive oil. No lettuce. Put the feta fries on at the very end and get everyone to the table, because they’re at their best for about five minutes.

The recipe

Greek Salad with Air-Fryer Feta Fries

Prep 15 min · Cook 6 min · Total 21 min · Serves 2

Ingredients

Tap to tick off as you go.

For the feta fries

For the salad

For the dressing

Method

  1. Step 1: Cut and bread the feta

    Pat the feta dry and cut it into batons about ½ inch thick. Set out three shallow bowls: flour, beaten egg, and panko mixed with oregano and pepper. Coat each baton in flour, then egg, then press firmly into the panko on all sides.

  2. Step 2: Chill the batons

    Lay the breaded feta on a plate and freeze for 10 minutes. This firms the cheese so it crisps before it melts.

  3. Step 3: Make the salad

    While the feta chills, combine the tomatoes, cucumber, pepper, onion and olives on a platter. Whisk the olive oil, vinegar and oregano with a pinch of salt and pepper and pour it over.

  4. Step 4: Air-fry the feta

    Heat the air fryer to 400°F. Spray the batons on all sides with oil and cook in a single layer for 5–6 minutes, until deep golden. Don’t flip them; they’re fragile when hot.

  5. Step 5: Top and serve

    Use a thin spatula to move the feta fries onto the salad and serve immediately.

Good to know

  • Don’t skip the freezer step. Room-temperature feta slumps through the crust before the panko browns.
  • Press the panko on hard and patch any bare spots. Any gap is where the cheese will ooze out.
  • Line the basket with a perforated parchment round if your basket is prone to sticking, and let the fries sit 30 seconds before lifting them.

Swaps

Flour and egg
Make it egg-free: 3 tbsp flour whisked with 3 tbsp water into a thin paste
Panko and flour
Gluten-free panko and rice flour, same time and temperature
Green bell pepper
Red or yellow pepper, or pepperoncini for more bite

Questions people ask

Is feta cheese vegetarian?

Traditional Greek feta is often made with animal rennet, so not always. Many US brands use microbial rennet; check the label or look for a vegetarian symbol.

Does a Greek salad have lettuce?

A traditional Greek village salad, horiatiki, has no lettuce. It’s tomatoes, cucumber, pepper, onion, olives and feta dressed with olive oil and oregano.

Can you air-fry feta?

Yes, if it’s breaded and chilled first. Panko-coated feta batons take 5–6 minutes at 400°F and come out crisp outside and soft inside.

Get the tomatoes, cucumber and green bell pepper from a farmer.

This recipe is only as good as what goes in it. Find a farmers market or CSA farm near you, or get a produce box delivered when there’s no market this week.

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All air-fryer salads