Serious question.
I’m curious what would happen if someone ate an entire container of whipped feta straight from the refrigerator with a spoon.
I’m asking for a friend.
{Of course.}
Here’s the thing.
Last year, while doing the book tour and promo for Seriously Delish, people always asked what my favorite recipe in the book was. It’s a reasonable question, and honestly I cycled through nearly 400 recipes while deciding. I still have clear favorites: the grilled cheese with potato soup dipper, chicken panzanella, peanut butter brownies, coffee-and-donuts ice cream, flank steak with sriracha cream, pistachio cream cake.
Those are easy picks — but ask me tomorrow and the answer might change.
Despite all that, my go-to, the one I made more than any other from the book, is a deceptively simple favorite: the chicken pitas with whipped feta. I was making it weekly before the book. I actually stole the idea from my cousin Lacy, who made it spontaneously one night and I begged her to let me include it.
This dish nails two things I always chase: flavor and texture. The chicken marinade is bold — once grilled it’s so flavorful you could happily eat it on its own. The whipped feta spread is a riff on a creamy feta dip, whipped with herbs and garlic; I could smear it on everything.
Texture-wise it’s perfect: warm, pillowy pita; cool, creamy feta; hot, tender chicken; fresh tomatoes and herbs for brightness and a little chew. I often add hummus for extra creaminess and in the book I include a quick tzatziki too. How much can we embellish a pita? As much as humanly possible.
I love this so much.
For years I filled pita pockets with chicken, whipped feta, tomatoes, lettuce and hummus — convenient and portable. Lately I prefer open-faced pita flatbreads. They’re almost like a pizza: you can pile toppings on without the pita becoming an overstuffed sandwich that won’t fit in your mouth.
And if you’ve been following my summer rants about our fajita obsession, this is that kind of recipe: simple, craveable, and worth making week after week. You don’t need to make pita from scratch; good whole wheat pitas at the store are often fluffy and cloud-like.
Smoky Grilled Chicken Pita Flatbreads with Creamy Feta
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Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 lemons, zest freshly grated and juiced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
- Fresh basil and oregano for topping
- Extra feta crumbles for topping
Creamy Herbed Feta Spread
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 8 ounces feta, crumbled
- 4 roasted garlic cloves
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Whole Wheat Pita (optional)
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Canola oil for brushing
Instructions
Chicken
- Add the chicken to a large dish or resealable bag. Whisk olive oil, lemon zest and juice, garlic, vinegar, dill, salt, pepper, paprika and cumin. Pour over the chicken and toss to coat. Refrigerate and marinate at least 2 hours or overnight.
- When ready, remove chicken from the fridge. Heat a grill on high and grill the chicken until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Remove and let cool slightly before shredding.
- To serve, slather an open-faced pita with the feta spread. Top with warm chicken, herbs, tomatoes and extra feta. Devour.
Creamy Herbed Feta Spread
- Place yogurt in a bowl and add the crumbled feta. Stir and break down the feta with a spoon. Add garlic, olive oil, herbs, salt and pepper and mix until creamy. Make ahead for best flavor.
- Note: Roast garlic by wrapping peeled cloves with a drizzle of olive oil in foil and baking at 350°F for 45 minutes, or use pre-roasted cloves.
Whole Wheat Pita
- Combine water, yeast and honey and let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in flours and salt until a dough forms. Knead on a floured surface about 5 minutes, adding extra flour if sticky. Place in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
- Divide dough into 8 pieces and roll each piece very thin. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high and brush with oil. Cook each pita until it puffs and develops golden spots, about 30 seconds to 2 minutes per side. Keep warm.
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Speaking of clouds, look at that pita! I see a reverse chicken emoji head. What do you see?