2022 was undoubtedly the year of the infamous TikTok baked feta pasta. While I have personally never tried that (yes, really…) I love the idea of creamy baked feta cheese as the base to a bigger dish. Enter: Spicy Baked Feta Dip with corn, Cheddar, and jalapeños!
This is a one pot wonder (or rather, a one baking dish wonder), is super creamy, cheesy, and Mexican-inspired in terms of taste and flavor. It’s a great appetizer for the Super Bowl or any game day, and is best served with pita cheese, tortilla chips, or crostini.
You can customize it with additional add-ins and toppings — see below! — but we love it with fresh lime juice and pickled jalapeños. So good!
If you love this feta dip, be sure to try our Marinated Feta or this herby Whipped Feta Dip next, both of which are great no cook appetizers!
Ingredient Notes
- Block of feta cheese: You want about 10oz feta. We’re using two 5oz blocks of feta cheese stacked right on top of each other.
- Half a red onion, thinly sliced
- Corn: fresh (if it’s seasonal), frozen, or canned (drained and rinsed)
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Ground cumin: A rich, warm spice that adds a ton of flavor to this dish!
- Scallion, thinly sliced
- Jalapeño peppers: The jalapeños actually become pretty mild when baked and covered with cheese. If you want it mild, use 1 pepper. If you like a little more heat, use 2 large jalapeños!
- Shredded Cheddar cheese: This adds to the gooey, melted texture of the dip and balances out the salty feta.
- Cilantro: And lots of it! Adds a nice, bright flavor to the creamy cheese.
Everything bakes together in an 8×8 casserole dish. You could easily make more to feed a large crowd, just be sure to use a large baking dish.
For serving, we recommend lime wedges, pickled jalapeños, and either pita chips, tortilla chips, or crostini.
TikTok Baked Feta… And How This Is Different
We’ve all seen and heard about the viral Baked Feta Pasta from TikTok with tomatoes, but this is not that. It’s inspired by that same idea of baking a block of feta cheese with a few simple ingredients and mixing it all together, but (1) this baked feta has no pasta, and (2) this is a Mexican-inspired dip!
You will, however, need to know the basics about how, and how long, to bake feta. So here we go!
- Preheat an oven to 400F, then grab an 8×8 baking dish.
- Add sliced red onion and 2 cups of corn (canned or frozen is fine if fresh corn is not currently seasonal) to the dish, then toss with ground cumin.
- Wedge the blocks of feta cheese (we’re using two 5oz blocks stacked on top of each other) into the center, then cover with remaining ingredients: green onions, cilantro, sliced jalapeño peppers, and Cheddar cheese.
- Bake! Transfer to an oven preheated to 400F, then bake for 30 minutes, or until the Cheddar has melted, the vegetables have softened a bit, and the feta is warm and melty.
- Stir! All that’s left is to stir and top with your fav toppings!
Storage and Reheating
Store leftover spicy baked feta dip in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
To reheat: If it’s in the original baking dish, simply transfer to an oven preheated to 325F and warm throughout, about 10 minutes. Otherwise, you can quickly microwave the dip in 30 second increments until gooey and melted again.
Note: we recommend adding fresh toppings after preheating.
Substitutions
- Feta: Instead of feta, you could absolutely use cotija cheese. We don’t recommend switching feta for something tangy like goat cheese — it’s the wrong flavor profile for this recipe.
- Cheddar: Like things spicy? Use shredded Pepper Jack cheese for even more heat! Beyond that, you could use any mix of shredded cheeses you like. Monterey Jack or a four cheese taco blend would be great.
- Other add-ins or toppings ideas: Roasted red peppers would be a great addition! In addition to ground cumin, you could stir in chili powder, cayenne pepper, or even just replace it with your favorite taco seasoning.
- Add meat: You could stir in taco meat (seasoned ground beef or ground turkey) to make it the dip even heartier.
If you make this Spicy Baked Feta recipe, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below!
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More appetizers to try!
Garlic Parmesan Wings Cheeseburger Sliders How To Make Italian Rice Balls (Sicilian Arancini) Buffalo Chicken Sliders Antipasto Skewers
One Pan Spicy Baked Feta Dip Recipe {Super Bowl App!}
Equipment
Ingredients
- 10 oz block of feta cheese drained
- ½ medium red onion thinly sliced or finely chopped, about 1 cup
- 1 (15oz) can corn drained, about 2 cups, see note below
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- 3 scallions thinly sliced, plus more for serving
- 2 jalapeño peppers thinly sliced or finely chopped
- 1½ cups shredded Cheddar cheese
- ⅓ cup cilantro roughly chopped, plus more for serving
- 1 lime cut into wedges for serving
- pickled jalapeños for serving, optional
- Pita chips, tortilla chips, or crostini for serving
Instructions
- Season onion and corn. Preheat an oven to 400F. Place sliced red onion and 2 cups of corn in an 8×8 baking dish. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp olive oil, then sprinkle with 3 tsp ground cumin and ½ tsp Kosher salt. Stir well.
- Add feta and remaining ingredients. Wedge the 10 oz block of feta into the center of the baking dish, then add 3 sliced scallions, 2 thinly sliced jalapeños, ⅓ cup of cilantro leaves, and 1½ cups of shredded Cheddar cheese, ending with the cheese on top. Do not stir.
- Bake. Transfer to a preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes, or until the feta is warm and melty.
- Stir, then serve. Carefully use a spoon to stir everything together, making a smooth, cheesy dip. Garnish with additional scallions, jalepeño (if using), and cilantro. Serve immediately with some fresh lime juice squeezed on top, pita chips, crackers, or crostini. We recommend serving pickled jalapeños on top or on the side, depending on guests preferences.
Notes
- Can use fresh, canned and drained, or frozen corn.
- Nutrition facts do not include chips.
- Leftovers will keep for up to 5 days in a fridge.
- Reheat leftover feta dip in an oven preheated to 325F for about 10 minutes or until warm throughout. Alternatively, can be reheated in 30 second increments in a microwave. Stir well before serving and add fresh toppings after reheating.
Let us know your thoughts!