Ways to Cook Halloumi

Last Updated on 24th February 2022 by Pauline

Halloumi is a cheese that I like adding to dishes from time to time when I want a cheesy, fried flavor (which is more often than I would care to admit). Maybe you have never heart of halloumi cheese, and if that’s the case, then you have been missing out on something really special.

This cheese is made from cow, sheep, or goat milk, and it is perfect for frying up. Unlike most every other kind of cheese, it doesn’t just melt into a little puddle when fried. Instead, it retains its shape, which is pretty neat and very useful for any number of dishes that call for some added texture and that could benefit from some cheesy flavor.

This cheese gets kind of gooey in the center when heated, making for a stringy interior, and then the frying action makes it crispy on the outside. The flavor is kind of cheesy but not overwhelmingly so. I would describe it as somewhat creamy and really salty. That should give you some idea of how you can use it in various dishes.

It’s super flavorful, so you won’t need a lot, and because it has plenty of salty flavor, you won’t need to add salt to your food when you incorporate halloumi.

It can be eaten raw, and that’s perfectly safe, but I think it’s best to make use of its unique properties and fry it up when possible.

How to Cook Halloumi Cheese in a Pan

I’ll share with you how to cook halloumi in a pan with a few seasonings. You can change the seasonings out as you like, but I’m just giving you a way to make it flavorful if you want to have the halloumi stand out on its own.

Ingredients:

• 9 ounces of halloumi cheese
• 1 pinch of black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of lemon juice

Directions:

1. Cut the halloumi thin, making quarter inch slices.
2. Heat a frying pan on the stovetop on medium heat. Once it’s warm, add in your cheese.
3. Let it cook for about two to three minutes to allow the halloumi to become golden brown on the outside.
4. Then, flip the halloumi over and cook on the other side for another two to three minutes.
5. Drizzle olive oil and lemon juice over your cheese and season with black pepper.
   Now you know how to cook halloumi on stove, but it’s not the only method you can use to cook up this cheese. Let me share some others with you.

How to Cook Halloumi in the Oven

You can bake halloumi in the oven, and it’s just as easy to make. Cooking about 10 to 15 minutes, depending on how much of it you’re cooking at once. Feel free to add a bunch of spices and seasonings to it, as it absorbs them very well, making for a more flavorful cheese and a great addition to any meal.

How to cook halloumi when you’re using the oven? Just slice it 1/4 inch thick like before, and heat up the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the oven is heated, you can place your halloumi onto a baking pan and add your herbs and spices, as well as olive oil or another cooking oil of your choice.

Let the halloumi bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until it is cooked through and brown on the outside. There’s no need to flip it over as it cooks.

How long to cook halloumi depends on which method you’re using, as well as how much of it you’re cooking up at once. Once it looks golden brown on the outside, it should be all the way cooked. When halloumi is fully cooked, it will still be a little gooey and stringy in the middle, so it’s perfectly fine if it’s not solid all the way through. That gooey interior gives it an interesting texture so that you’re not just getting a consistently textured block of baked cheese.

How to Cook Halloumi Cheese in Air Fryer

This is another easy method for cooking halloumi. Just heat up the air fryer to 360 degrees Fahrenheit. It should take about 5 minutes for it to heat up, and then you can add your halloumi slices to the fryer. Brush them all with olive oil first so they cook properly.

You should add a little olive oil to the bottom of the fry basket too, and then place your halloumi slices inside. Cook them for about 10-12 minutes, until the exterior of the halloumi turns golden colored and crispy.

How to Grill Halloumi Cheese

Feel free to grill up halloumi cheese as well. It cooks easily this way too, and you can season it, slather it in BBQ sauce, and make it up like you would a piece of meat on the grill. The saltiness and firm texture allow you to use it in interesting ways. Let me show you how to grill it properly so it comes out perfectly every time.

Before placing the halloumi on the grill, you’ll want to rub it with a little oil. It can cook directly on the grill grates, and you want to heat up the grill to high heat. Cook halloumi directly over the heat, as this will ensure it doesn’t stick to the grates of your grill.

To give it some extra flavor, add a little seasoning to it beyond just the olive oil. Some parsley, black pepper, lemon juice, or oregano all add some nice layers of flavor to what’s already a pretty tasty cheese.

You can have the halloumi on its own, adding some sauce to it for some extra flavor, or you can put it in a bun to make a sandwich, which is really my favorite thing to do with grilled halloumi. Use it as the cheese on a burger for an interesting taste experiment or make a cheese sandwich from it with the halloumi as the main attraction.