Halloumi Fries

Halloumi fries are probably one of the most satisfying snacks or side dishes you can make. They are both cheesy and crunchy while loaded with flavor! If you’re new to Halloumi cheese, be prepared to be pleasantly surprised! 

Before we talk halloumi fries recipe, did you catch this Halloumi Cheese Salad ? A post dedicated to Halloumi and everything about it. If you haven’t tried Halloumi cheese before, please give that post a quick read 🙂

Basically Halloumi Cheese is great as it is, it’s perfect when grilled and just as perfect when fried. The Halloumi Cheese Salad involved grilling, while today is about frying!

 

Why Fried Halloumi

When working with Halloumi, the flavor just gets better when it’s cooked, which is why is it so popular to make cheese sticks by frying/grilling the cheese. Frying halloumi brings out all of its lovely cheese flavors that are too subtle to pick up when eaten uncooked.

Halloumi fries are so delicious as they are so quick to make while also being a useful alternative to those who want to avoid traditional potatoes fries. They are perfect for people wanting to stick to a keto diet or avoid carbs in general.

Because of the nature of Halloumi cheese– it has a high melting point. That means it can withstand a high temperature while remaining unburnt and maintaining its form. It’s not your melty mozzarella cheese stick, halloumi will soften slightly but not melt completely.

What is Halloumi Cheese?

Halloumi cheese is a traditional Mediterranean cheese that is made using sheep’s milk and then preserved in brine. It is considered an un-ripened brine cheese that can easily be made using cows or goats mild too. However, you will generally find the halloumi you buy will be made using sheep’s milk.

Where to buy Halloumi?

Halloumi has become a very popular cheese as it can easily be found on many restaurant menus and grocery stores. This means that this cheese is more often than not available in your local store, but you will also be able to find it at your local delicatessen or cheese shop.

Halloumi Fries Recipe

Preparing your halloumi fries

This is a really simple recipe and easy to make by following these steps. This halloumi fries recipe is also super delicious when made in this way.

Firstly take your block of halloumi out of its packaging and cut the halloumi lengthways so that they resemble traditional potato chips.

You can definitely go for thicker or thinner sized shapes for the cheese, however I find that this exact size works best. This is about a quarter inch in thickness and 2.5-3 inch length of fries.

Next, place your flour in a large bowl and season your flour with Zaatar and salt. You can substitute here the zaatar spice with whatever spice blend you feel like. However in keeping with my authentic Turkish flavors, I chose zaatar.

Then, place your sliced halloumi pieces into the seasoned flour and mix them into it so that all the halloumi is coated.

Make sure the cheese is evenly coated. You can either use a fork to toss the cheese around the flour or simply shake your plate. Once fully coated it’s time to fry your halloumi.

How to Fry Halloumi?

In a skillet or frying pan, you need a 1/2 inch layer ayer of olive oil to shallow fry. In this recipe, I use Olive oil as it brings some lovely extra flavor to this fried halloumi recipe. 

You should use medium-high heat with this recipe, and once your oil is hot you need to place your halloumi in the frying pan in a single layer.

Why Moroccan Olive Oil?

• I use Mina Olive Oil –all the time! I love their olive oil among many of their other products !
• Moroccan olive oil is single sourced.
• Out of all the Mediterranean olives, Moroccan olives are known for their longevity and high polyphenol content.
• The polyphenols which are the main antioxidant we all look for in olive oil, are most potent in Moroccan olives.
• They have a slight peppery taste and a sweet fruity note which contrast and balance each other so beautifully.
• It’s thankfully ready available now across the US and on amazon!

Allow them to fry for a few minutes and keep turning them so that they are evenly cooked through and all sides of your halloumi fries are cripsy.

Whichever way you choose to make your fried cheese, you need to cook them until they are golden brown.

You can then take them out of the frying pan or oil and place them on paper towels to absorb any excess oil. Pat them on both sides.

Halloumi Fries in the air fryer?

If you’re wondering whether you can make this fried cheese recipe in the air fryer, then you are in luck. You can definitely make this recipe in the air fryer with just a few simple changes.

Make sure not to use too much oil in the air fryer but if you coat each of your halloumi sticks with olive oil before putting them in the air fryer, as well as coating the bottom of the air fryer in olive oil you should still come out with nice crispy halloumi fries.

Air fry until golden brown and crispy and you’re ready to enjoy.

Halloumi Fries Dipping Sauce

For this recipe, I have chosen to make a spicy harissa yogurt dipping sauce that pairs perfectly with these crispy halloumi fries. It’s cooling, spicy, tangy and loaded with a depth of flavor form the spice.

To make the dipping sauce, combine and mix your yogurt and herbs and then add in the mina harissa sauce and stir in well.

What is Harissa?

Harissa is a Moroccan condiment made of roasted red peppers, chilli peppers, spices and herbs such as garlic paste, caraway seeds, coriander seeds, cumin and olive oil. 

This amazing condimentI use today is from Mina –again you can find it on their website or on amazon! I love it! It has a very peppery, smoky flavor with a garlic and citrus note. It’s super versatile and I use it endlessly on marinades, sauces, dips, sandwiches, I also dollop it on salads, pastas, soups and so much more!

Serving Halloumi Fries

Once you have made your halloumi cheese fries and the yogurt dipping sauce to go with, it’s time to serve them.

I suggest making your dipping sauce while the halloumi cheese is cooking so that you can serve them as soon as they are ready. This recipe works best if eaten straight away.

To serve, just add your crispy halloumi fries to an attractive plate with your harissa dip and season with salt, pepper, and sumac along with some fresh herbs if you like.

You can also serve with fresh lemon to squeeze over your golden and crispy cheese sticks, but this is optional.

Halloumi fries (fried halloumi cheese) FAQ’s

Why is halloumi so tasty?

It’s safe to say that most people will agree halloumi is a deliciously tasty cheese. However, most of its flavor comes out when it’s cooked. If eaten raw the flavor is actually quite mild. Halloumi is a tasty cheese because of the way it is made. It has a slightly salty and tangy flavor mainly due to being preserved in brine which combines with some of the stronger flavors of sheep and goats milk.

Can you eat Halloumi without frying it?

Yes, Halloumi can be eaten as is when you buy it or cooked. It will have a much milder flavor if eaten without cooking it. You can also cook it in ways other than frying, including baking and grilling.

Can you bake halloumi fries?

Yes, you can bake halloumi fries but this is not the best way to do it. Halloumi releases quite a bit of moisture when you start to cook it. Baking doesn’t allow the moisture to cook off well as it’s not as much of a direct heat as frying or grilling. Because if this, you will not get the best or most crispy results when baking halloumi.

More Mediterranean Recipes:

Turkish Pizza Lahmacun

Juicy Spicy Turkish Meatballs

Labneh Dip with Zaatar Pistachio Mint Olive Topping

Olive Oil Cake

Spaghetti aglio e olio– Olive oil Pasta

Tuna Salad Recipe with Olive Oil Dressing

Spicy Harissa Lamb Shoulder Chunks in Pita Cones with Tahini Sauce

Chickpea Soup

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