Halloumi cheese is a delicacy. It has a golden brown, crispy exterior, a soft, gooey interior, and a wonderfully savory flavor.
Halloumi is a magic cheese that you can grill or pan-fry, and it's ready in ten minutes! Enjoy it on its own, in a sandwich, or in salads.
Halloumi is a unique cheese that doesn't melt. When you grill or pan-fry it, the pieces remain intact; you can enjoy them as savory finger food or use them in sandwiches and salads.
It's magic - a cheese that retains its shape when cooked! And since it's so easy to make, I buy it weekly at Whole Foods and make it for my family. It's one of our favorite meals.
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Ingredients
You'll only need two ingredients to make this recipe. A block of halloumi cheese - it usually comes in 8-ounce blocks - and olive oil (or olive oil spray). Scroll down to the recipe card for the exact measurements.
My favorite brand is Aphrodite Halloumi. You can find it at Whole Foods Market:
Grilled Halloumi Instructions
Just like the list of ingredients, the instructions for making this recipe are delightfully short. You'll find the detailed instructions in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of the steps:
- You start by slicing the block of cheese into eight slices. Try to keep them fairly equal in thickness. (Photo 1).
- Brush the slices with olive oil. Alternatively, spray the grill surfaces with olive oil, as shown in the video below. (Photo 2).
- Cook the halloumi slices in a grill pan over medium heat for 3-5 minutes per side - until golden brown. (Photo 3).
- Serve immediately while the cheese is still hot. (Photo 4).
Variation: Pan-Fried Halloumi
Instead of grilling this cheese, you can pan-fry it. The instructions are very similar. You slice the cheese, add olive oil to the frying pan, and heat it over medium heat. Fry the cheese slices until browned, about 3-5 minutes per side.
You can cook the halloumi to your desired level of doneness. As you can see in the photo below, some of the slices are golden, while others are deep golden brown. I prefer the browned ones.
Here's the end result of pan-fried halloumi served on a plate. Between the two of us, my husband and I had no trouble polishing off the entire plate!
Expert Tip
If you flip the halloumi pieces on the grill or in the frypan and discover that they're too pale for your liking, keep cooking them on the second side, then flip them again and let them brown some more on the first side.
Recipe FAQs
Halloumi is a semi-hard, unripened brined cheese from Cyprus. It's made from a mixture of goat and sheep milk. It tastes like a combination of fresh mozzarella and feta.
What's unique about this cheese is its high melting point, making it an ideal candidate for grilling or frying.
You can, but it won't be as good. The entire point when cooking this cheese is getting a beautiful golden-brown crust. The microwave can't do that.
Both are equally good, in my experience. If you're too lazy to use the grill, and quick pan-frying is easier, go for it! I've made it both ways, and both are excellent. Both methods produce a gooey interior and a crispy exterior.
Yes, but it's not very good. Without cooking, it has a rubbery texture, and it's also very salty. Cooking improves its texture and mellows its saltiness.
Serving Suggestions
Salads: Halloumi is a lovely salad topping. Sometimes I add it to this arugula salad to make it a complete meal. It's excellent in this Cobb salad and can replace the mozzarella in this Caprese salad.
Sandwiches: I often serve halloumi on a keto English muffin that I skillet-toast in olive oil, on thick slices of almond flour bread, or on 90-second bread. It's also excellent in a lettuce sandwich.
Snack: Halloumi is delicious by itself, eaten as finger food. This is my favorite way of enjoying it. I make a yummy plate of grilled or pan-fried halloumi, avocado deviled eggs, fresh-cut veggies with sour cream dip, quick pickles, and olives.
Storing Leftovers
Ideally, you should enjoy halloumi when freshly prepared. Keeping leftovers is like keeping a leftover grilled cheese sandwich. It will be okay when you reheat it in the microwave. But it won't be as good as when eaten fresh.
Still, if you must, you can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to five days. Reheat them in the microwave at 50% power.Â
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Recipe Card
Halloumi Cheese: Grilled or Pan-Fried
Ingredients
- 8 ounces halloumi cheese
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or olive oil spray
Instructions
- Slice the halloumi block into eight one-ounce slices.
- Brush the slices with olive oil on both sides.
- Heat a nonstick grill pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
- Place the cheese slices in the pan (in two batches if necessary). Cook them on each side for 3-5 minutes until crisp and browned.
- To pan-fry the cheese, heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the cheese slices and fry until browned, 3-5 minutes per side.
- Serve the cheese immediately while still hot.
Video
Notes
- If you flip the halloumi pieces on the grill or in the frypan and discover that they're too pale for your liking, keep cooking them on the second side, then flip them again and let them brown some more on the first side.
- Ideally, you should enjoy halloumi when freshly prepared. But if you must, you can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to five days. Reheat them in the microwave at 50% power.
Add Your Own Notes
Nutrition per Serving
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 
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