Halloumi is my new favorite food, and this appetizer recipe is the easiest way to enjoy the tasty, cheesy dish. If you’ve never had Halloumi before and you’re curious what it tastes like, this Halloumi recipe will give you an easy, risk-free way to try it out. It only uses a few ingredients and it typically takes less than 20 minutes to have it ready from start to finish. It’s my go-to side dish if we’re having brisket, but it really goes with pretty much anything. Keep some in your refrigerator, so if you’re looking for one more item to add to your dinner lineup (or a quick mid-day snack), you can slice yourself some bites and cook it up really fast.
What is Halloumi? For those unfamiliar with this delicious, flavorful and salty cheese, it’s a cheese that’s made traditionally from goat’s or sheep’s milk (or a mixture), sometimes cow’s milk too. Because its melting point is higher than most cheese, this also means that it’s easier to fry up. You can basically make yourself a fried cheese appetizer without needing to add any breading, and it will taste so much better than mozzarella sticks!
Halloumi can be grilled, cooked in the air fryer, baked in the oven, or fried on the stove. This recipe is for quick stove frying, but there are lots of other ways to make it too! I’ll be experimenting with those in the future.
I fell in love with Halloumi when I used to eat at a chain Mediterranean restaurant called Noon (sadly, it’s now gone.) Noon served Mediterranean bowls with different proteins, and sometimes it would offer Halloumi as an option. And wow, was it delicious! Back in 2022, McDonald’s in the UK even briefly served Halloumi fries!
If you’re not sure where to get Halloumi, the answer is simple. Many grocery store chains carry it! It’s refrigerated and packaged in small blocks to help keep the moisture in, kind of like when you buy soft, refrigerated mozzarella. I’ve been able to find it at stores like HEB, Whole Foods, and the like.
So how do you make Halloumi? Here’s the rundown. This recipe serves two people (five pieces each.)
Halloumi Recipe Ingredients
- Halloumi block (you’ll just need about 1/3 of a typical block of Halloumi)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon basil
- Optional: Italian seasoning, oregano, pepper, parsley
Instructions
First, slice enough Halloumi for two people. I slice five equal-sized strips of cheese from a Halloumi block (the blocks of cheese typically come in a small size that fits in the palm of your hand.) Then I’ll slice each of those slices in half, so both people get five equal-sized pieces.
Pour the olive oil into a medium-sized frying pan. You don’t have to use the full two tablespoons, just whatever you need to coat the pan.
Turn the burner on to about medium heat. You may want to adjust periodically depending on how hot your stove and oil gets. You want the Halloumi to sizzle, but you don’t want oil spattering everywhere. You can cook it on medium-low and it will still fry, just slower.
Use tongs to place the Halloumi pieces side-by-side on the pan. Sprinkle a little garlic and basil on each piece, just enough to lightly cover it. If you want to be fancier, you can add some Italian seasoning instead of basil, or you can add in some oregano and pepper too.
You’ll fry this for about six to seven minutes. Essentially, you won’t turn the pieces over until the bottom starts to turn lightly golden brown. These start out cooking really slow, and then cook faster as the pan warms up, so you’ll want to keep an eye on them.
Turn them over and cook them for another six to seven minutes, but check periodically. More than likely you’ll find this side gets a little darker faster. While they’re cooking, sprinkle some more basil and garlic on the sides facing up.
You might end up turning them over one more time if you want both sides to be about even. Feel free to sprinkle a little more basil and garlic at this step if you want. But if you turn it over one last time, it will probably only need to fry for about a minute or so. I like to cook mine until they are slightly crispy and brown on the outside, but you might want to test different times and textures to see what you like the best.
Remove from the frying pan and serve! If you want, you can put them on a paper towel to blot some of the excess oil, or just serve straight away.
See what I mean? They are easy to make and super yummy!
Print
Halloumi Recipe: Quick & Tasty ‘Fried’ Cheese Appetizer
- Total Time: 19
Description
This is an easy-to-make fried Halloumi cheese appetizer that is super delicious.
Ingredients
- Halloumi block (you’ll just need about 1/3 of a typical block of Halloumi)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon basil
- Optional: Italian seasoning, oregano, pepper, parsley
Instructions
- Slice enough Halloumi for two people. I slice five equal-sized strips of cheese from a Halloumi block (the blocks of cheese typically come in a small size that fits in the palm of your hand.) Then I’ll slice each of those slices in half, so both people get five equal-sized pieces.
- Pour the olive oil into a medium-sized frying pan. You don’t have to use the full two tablespoons, just whatever you need to coat the pan.
- Turn the burner on to about medium heat. You may want to adjust periodically, depending on how hot the oil gets.
- Use tongs to place the Halloumi pieces side-by-side on the pan.
- Sprinkle a little garlic and basil on each piece, just enough to lightly cover it. Feel free to add the additional optional spices if you want something fancier, but I always just use garlic and basil.
- Fry the pieces for about six to seven minutes, until the underside starts to turn golden brown.
- Flip them over with tongs and sprinkle the spices on this side.
- Cook them for another six to seven minutes, but check periodically. More than likely you’ll find this side gets a little darker faster.
- Flip and cook for about a minute again if you think they’re uneven or if you want the first side a little darker.
- Remove from the frying pan and serve! If you want, you can put them on a paper towel to blot some of the excess oil, or just serve straight away.
Notes
Cook so the Halloumi is sizzling, but you don’t want oil to spatter everywhere.
These start out cooking really slow, and then cook faster as the pan warms up, so you’ll want to keep an eye on them.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 14