Nine amazing halloumi recipes (2024)

FAQs

What does halloumi go well with? ›

Spiced up with paprika and crispy on the outside, serve with burgers, barbecue chicken, grilled fish and a green salad. Save time and make a super easy midweek meal with these effortless halloumi fajitas, made with shop-bought seasoning and ready-made guacamole.

You can serve it as is for a quick and indulgent appetizer or as part of your cheese plate or mezze platter. I am a fan of sweet and salty, so I'll always opt for a drizzle of honey on top of my halloumi fries and fresh fruit like grapes, berries, or figs next to it.

Why do you soak halloumi before cooking? While completely optional, many swear by this step for a softer, more flavourful, and sweeter result that will set your halloumi apart from all others. The easiest method is to soak the whole block of cheese in cold water for at least two hours (or overnight if you have time).

Best Ways To Eat Halloumi

In Greece, we love to serve grilled Halloumi as a warm salad with grilled vegetables or over a dark leafy green salad (like a mixture of spinach and rocket for example). Inside wraps and sandwiches instead of meat.

When grilled, it takes on the rubbery texture that is so popular in a Halloumi and Lountza (cured pork loin) sandwiches; as a barbequed dish in a meze meal; fried with eggs; stuffed in Cypriot ravioli; soft in 'trahana' or avgolemoni soups, or added to pasta dishes.

Halloumi is made out of sheep's milk, which is more expensive than cow's or goat's milk due to the animal milking production—though nowadays you can also find Halloumi varieties with a mix of these kinds of milk, thus lowering the price of the product.

You may be thinking this sounds messy, but Halloumi is a cheese that won't melt so it retains its texture and shape. If heated, the surface caramelizes slightly and the inside softens. The flavor is incredible, especially when still warm, and it's a really cool cheese to grill.

Yes, you can eat halloumi raw, and here's how

There are so many other ideas for using halloumi. If you can restrain yourself from cooking it, here are 3 ways you might like to try raw halloumi, which brings out the best in it.

Traditionally prepared from goat's and/or sheep's milk on the Eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus, Halloumi is a white, layered cheese, similar to mozzarella. It is a semihard, unripened, and brined cheese with a slightly spongy texture. Its flavor is tangy and salty, and it has no rind.

Should I soak haloumi before cooking? When you buy a packet of haloumi, it comes with a little salty brine. Simply patting the haloumi dry with paper towel will remove some of the saltiness, but you can also place it in a bowl of cold water to remove more of the salt, if you prefer.

Why is my halloumi slimy? ›

Spoiled halloumi cheese can be easily identified. If the cheese has become slimy or developed a mold, it's time to toss it out. Moreover, a strong sour smell or change in color can also indicate that the cheese is past its prime.

My halloumi is too tough / rubbery

This can happen when it's cooked for too long in the oven, so next time try a lower cook time or thicker slices. It can also happen when it's been sitting out for too long, or with reheated halloumi.

You'll probably feel pretty stupid calling it "squeaky cheese," but as soon as you take a bite you'll understand why it makes sense. Sometimes called Greek grilling cheese, halloumi is just that — a dense cheese that holds its shape and won't drip through the grates when grilled.

Brands vary, but feta is usually the winner. Haloumi tends to have more calories and a higher fat content. Plus, it usually has more salt. Haloumi makes a good cooking cheese thanks to its high melting point.

What is this? Some say Saganki is essentially halloumi that has been fried because saganaki means 'small frying pan'. Wikipedia says: 'In Greek cuisine, saganaki (Greek σαγανάκι) is any one of a variety of dishes prepared in a small frying pan, the best-known being an appetizer of fried cheese'.

Grilled halloumi can totally be eaten by itself, but I like to serve it with sliced tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, fresh mint, zaatar, and a drizzle of olive oil. It's great to use as a topping for fresh salads because it has a meaty texture, and I also like to drizzle pomegranate molasses on the slices.

Halloumi has a very appealing flavor that's unlike any other cheese: mellow, but not in the least boring, mildly feta-like, notably tangy, and never too strong. It can be enjoyed almost any of the ways you'd eat other cheeses: sliced, for a simple snack, cubed in salads or melted it in or on casseroles.

You may be thinking this sounds messy, but Halloumi is a cheese that won't melt so it retains its texture and shape. If heated, the surface caramelizes slightly and the inside softens. The flavor is incredible, especially when still warm, and it's a really cool cheese to grill.

You can definitely eat halloumi raw. However, you don't often see uncooked halloumi served in a meal. It's definitely tastier when it's been cooked, as it's just irresistible when it's warm and squidgy – not to mention, you get those lovely crispy bits around the edges.