These crispy Tomatokeftedes (Greek tomato fritters) showcase the vibrant flavors of Santorini’s sun-ripened tomatoes. Ready in just 30 minutes, these golden-brown appetizers deliver a perfect balance of Mediterranean herbs and fresh vegetables.
Each bite-sized fritter packs only 125 calories while offering a delightful combination of crispy exterior and tender center. A beloved Greek meze, these tomato balls bring an authentic taste of the Aegean islands to your table.
Ingredients for Tomatokeftedes
- Tomatoes: 200g finely chopped and 200g grated vine-ripened tomatoes for best flavor
- Feta Cheese: 200g smashed for perfect texture
- Red Onion: 1/2 cup (1 large), grated
- Fresh Herbs: 2 tbsp parsley, 10 spearmint leaves, 6-7 basil leaves (all finely chopped)
- Dried Oregano: 1 teaspoon
- Flour: 1/2 cup, plus extra if needed for consistency
- Baking Powder: 1 teaspoon for perfect rise
- Egg: 1 whole egg for binding
- Seasonings: Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Oil: Enough for shallow frying
Instructions for Perfect Tomato Fritters
- Prepare Tomatoes: Quarter tomatoes, remove flesh, chop into small cubes. Combine with grated tomatoes, salt, and drain for 30 minutes
- Mix Base: Combine drained tomatoes, grated onions, egg, fresh herbs, and crumbled feta in a large bowl
- Add Dry Ingredients: Mix flour and baking powder separately, then fold into tomato mixture until firm enough to shape
- Chill: Refrigerate mixture for 30 minutes to set
- Frying: Heat oil in pan, drop spoonfuls of mixture (tip: dip spoon in water between scoops), fry 2-3 minutes per side until golden
- Serve: Drain on paper towels and serve hot with crusty bread, yogurt, and ouzo
Cooking Techniques
The secret to perfect tomato fritters lies in two simple steps. First, drain those tomatoes really well – this keeps your fritters nice and crispy instead of soggy. Next, when you’re frying, keep your oil at medium-high heat. Too hot, and they’ll burn on the outside while staying raw inside. Too cool, and they’ll soak up too much oil. A good test: drop a tiny bit of batter in – it should bubble gently around the edges.
Make It Your Own
While this classic Santorini recipe is amazing as is, you can play around with it! Try swapping regular tomatoes for cherry tomatoes in summer – they’re sweeter and perfect for these fritters. If you can’t find spearmint, regular mint works great too. Not a fan of feta? Try halloumi cheese instead. Just keep the basic ratio of tomatoes to flour the same, and you’ll be all set.
Serving Tips
These tomato fritters shine as part of a Greek meze spread! Serve them hot and crispy with a dollop of cool yogurt on the side. They’re perfect with a Greek salad and some warm pita bread. My favorite way to enjoy them is straight from the pan with a sprinkle of sea salt and a squeeze of lemon juice. And yes – that suggested sip of ouzo really does make everything taste even better!
Storage & Reheating
Make too many? Lucky you! Pop them in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for up to 2 days. To bring back their crispiness, warm them in a dry skillet over medium heat for a minute or two on each side. Skip the microwave – it’ll make them soggy. For best results though, eat them fresh while they’re hot and crispy!
Tomatokeftedes (Fried Santorini tomato balls / tomato fritters)
Equipment
- Frying pan
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 200 grams tomatoes, finely chopped Ideally use vine ripened tomatoes to get maximum flavour
- 200 grams tomatoes, grated
- 200 grams feta cheese smashed
- 1/2 cup red onion grated
- 2 tbsp parsley finely chopped
- 10 spearmint leaves finely chopped
- 6-7 basil leaves finely chopped
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 cup flour or slightly more if mixture is too loose
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 egg
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- oil for frying
Instructions
- Cut the tomatoes into 4 pieces, and with a spoon remove the flesh. Chop the flesh of the tomatoes, into small cubes, place in a colander, strain them and add sprinkle of salt. Add the grated tomatoes and mix together. Leave them for 30 minutes.
- Into a bowl, combine the chopped tomatoes, the onions, the egg and mix with a spoon; add the herbs, and the feta cheese, smashed with a fork. In a separate bowl, mix the flour with the baking powder.
- Add the four mixture to the tomato mixture, whilst stirring with a spoon, until the ingredients are combined and the mixture is firm enough to make the balls. Add a little more flour if needed. Put in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- In a pan add enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan, and heat the oil into medium-high heat. Dip a tablespoon in some water and spoon out some of the mixture into the hot oil. Repeat this procedure until the surface off the pan is comfortably filled. You should dip the spoon in the water every time, so that the dough doesn’t stick on it. Fry the tomatokeftedes for about 2-3 minutes on each side, until nicely colored. Place them on paper towel, to absorb the extra olive oil.
- Enjoy this very best Greek island recipe with some crusted bread, yogurt and a sip of ouzo!