This feta pizza is summer on a crust: ripe tomatoes marinated in olive oil and herbs, thin slices of onion, crumbled Greek feta over melty mozzarella, and fresh basil scattered on at the end. It’s the tomato, onion and feta combination of a horiatiki salad, baked until the edges of the feta turn golden.

Feta doesn’t melt like mozzarella, so how you use it matters. Below I explain how to get creamy, browned feta instead of dry crumbs, plus a spinach version and more toppings.

If you love this, try my Ladenia, the traditional Greek pizza from the island of Kimolos, my Burrata Eggplant Pizza, Tomato Galette with Feta and Easy Pita Pizza.

Slices of feta cheese pizza with yellow cherry tomatoes, chili flakes and fresh basil

Overview

Why you will love tomato feta pizza

FLAVOR – It has lovely Mediterranean flavors and is a great vehicle for summer tomatoes.
EASE – The feta goes on top of low-moisture mozzarella, so you get melty cheese underneath and golden, creamy feta on top.
IT’S A VERSATILE RECIPE – This feta pizza is easy to customize. Feel free to add favorite ingredients like olives, artichokes, etc. You will find a section at the bottom of the post with additional toppings.

How to use feta cheese on pizza

Feta is great on pizza, but it doesn’t melt the way mozzarella does: it softens, turns creamy and browns at the edges. That’s why this pizza puts crumbled feta on top of low-moisture mozzarella and bakes them together.

Does feta melt on pizza?

Not really. Feta holds its shape in the oven. It goes soft and creamy inside and toasty at the edges. Pair it with a good melting cheese, like low-moisture mozzarella or kasseri, and you get both.

Should you add feta before or after baking?

Before. Crumble it over the mozzarella and the tomatoes so it bakes with the pizza and picks up some color. Use a block of feta in brine. Pre-crumbled feta is dry and just gets drier in a hot oven.

What cheese goes well with feta on pizza?

Low-moisture mozzarella is the easiest partner. Kasseri (or provolone) gives a more savory, Greek flavor and melts well. Graviera or shaved parmesan are good additions on top.

What goes with feta on pizza?

Ripe tomatoes, red onion, olives, spinach, roasted peppers, artichokes and fresh herbs. That’s the Greek salad pantry. See the variations below.

Here is what you need

Ingredients for pizza with feta and tomatoes on a wooden board.

Pizza dough— You can use your favorite dough, store-bought or homemade. My go-to homemade crust is the recipe from Roberta’s Pizza Restaurant in Brooklyn, NY.
Greek feta cheese— It’s always best to get a block of feta in brine, like MtVikos, or Dodoni. Israeli or Bulgarian feta are suitable substitutes. Please don’t buy fat-free feta; it does not exist in Greece and is dry and tasteless.
Mozzarella cheese: Use low-moisture mozzarella, shredded. Fresh mozzarella releases water, and with juicy tomatoes on top that makes a soggy center. For a more savory flavor, try kasseri cheese (or provolone).
Tomatoes— Use ripe tomatoes with firm skin. It is optional, but mixing regular-size tomatoes with colorful cherry makes creating this pizza fun and playful.
Sugar—Just a tiny bit of sugar, any kind, is sprinkled on the tomatoes for marinating.
Garlic: One clove, thinly sliced, to marinate with the tomatoes. It’s optional, but great if you have it.
Onions—Thin slices of sweet, peppery onion combined with tomatoes and feta are a classic combination first found in the famous horiatiki salad.
Fresh basil and fresh thyme—You can also use fresh oregano instead of thyme. If no fresh herbs are available, use their dried versions.

How to make it

Sliced tomatoes in a shallow bowl with herbs and olive oil.

STEP 1. Place your pizza stone in the oven on the middle rack. Heat the oven to 500 °F / 250 °C for at least 30 minutes.

STEP 2. Add the sliced tomatoes to a large, deep plate. Drizzle 1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle ⅓ teaspoon of sugar over the tomatoes. Also, add the sliced garlic (if using), some thyme leaves and dried oregano. Season tomatoes with a generous pinch of sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Allow the tomatoes to sit for 15 to 30 minutes.

STEP 3. Place some paper towels on a plate and place the tomatoes on them to absorb most of the juices and moisture. Next, lay another paper towel on the tomato slices and pat them dry.

Pizza dough on parchment paper with shredded mozzarella on top.

STEP 4. Stretch the pizza dough and place it on a piece of parchment paper. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella all over the dough.

An assembled feta pizza, with lots of cheese and sliced tomatoes.

STEP 5. Add a layer of tomato slices,. SprTransfer the pizza on its parchment to the hot pizza stone. Bake for 3 minutes, then carefully pull the parchment out from under it. This trick comes from my best friend Karini, and it means no sticking to the peel and no ruined toppings.

Bake for about 12 minutes more, until the cheese is bubbly, the feta is golden at the edges and the crust is golden brown.

Whole feta pizza with tomatoes and basil on a butcher block, with fresh basil leaves beside it

Feta pizza variations and toppings

Spinach and feta pizza: Wilt two big handfuls of baby spinach in a dry skillet, let it cool, then squeeze out all the water. Scatter it over the mozzarella before the tomatoes, onion and feta.
Olives: Scatter some of your favorite pitted olives all over the pizza before or after cooking.
Gyros: Our traditional pork gyros or chicken gyros are delicious on pizza. Add them before cooking, which results in a crispy, charred gyro. If you do it after cooking the pizza, crisp up the gyro in a skillet while it cooks.
Cold cuts: Salami, mortadella, ham, sliced turkey or ham, guanciale, and pancetta are fabulous options.
Veggies: Jarred artichoke hearts, fried sweet eggplant slices, crispy fried zucchini, roasted red peppers, and a sliced green bell pepper are fantastic options.
Cheese: There is no such thing as too much cheese. Try sprinkling grated Kasseri cheese, like in this baked feta dip, or fry halloumi slices to substitute for the feta cheese, add them after cooking. Shaved parmesan or graviera (Greek gruyere) is an excellent addition to a Greek tomato feta pizza.

Close-up of feta pizza showing golden, creamy baked feta over melted mozzarella and tomatoes

Greek side dishes for a tomato feta pizza

A fresh salad like our Greek lettuce salad-maroulosalata.
Marinated olives with feta. Salty and savory, they are perfect with this pizza.
Roasted vegetables like briam.
Dips. Try our whipped feta and tzatziki.
Sauteed or boiled greens like horta.