Crispy Cucumber Feta Rice Cakes
Crisp rice cakes get topped with lemony cucumber, feta, and herbs for a bright 25-minute snack.
Prep: 12 · Cook: 13 · Total: 25 · Serves: 4 · Difficulty: Easy · Rating: 4.7/5 (76 reviews)
INSPIRED BY
A leftover-rice transformation that pairs browned cakes with a cool cucumber and feta topping.
Story
Leftover rice gets a second life here, and the trick is keeping the cakes thin enough to crisp all the way through. The cucumber and feta topping is cool, lemony, and just salty enough to make the snack disappear quickly. Serve them as a starter or a light lunch with a handful of greens.
By Casey
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked short-grain white rice, chilled
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 scallion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 English cucumber, finely diced
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped dill
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Instructions
- Stir the rice, egg, cornstarch, scallion, garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl until the mixture holds together when pressed.
- Shape the mixture into eight 1/2-inch-thick cakes, using damp hands to keep the rice from sticking.
- Mix the cucumber, feta, lemon juice, dill, olive oil, and crushed red pepper in a second bowl. Season lightly with salt.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and add a thin film of oil. Arrange the rice cakes in a single layer.
- Cook for 3 minutes per side, turning once, until the cakes are crisp and golden. Work in batches if needed.
- Top each hot rice cake with the cucumber-feta mixture and serve immediately while the bottoms are crunchy.
Chef Tips
- Cold rice is drier and binds better, so this is a great use for leftovers from the night before.
- Make the cakes no thicker than 1/2 inch so the centers heat before the outsides get too dark.
- The cool cucumber topping is the texture swap that keeps the rice cakes from feeling heavy.
- For a party, make smaller cakes and serve them with toothpicks.
Cook's Notes
- Chill the rice before mixing so the cakes hold together.
- Use damp hands to shape the cakes cleanly.
- Top just before serving to keep the bottoms crisp.