12 Delightfully Chewy, Salty Halloumi Recipes for Cheese Lovers

Whether you cook it until melty or leave it gorgeously firm, it’s always delicious.

There’s a reason halloumi is the secret star of any dish it’s in. Unlike other cheeses, this sheep-and-goat’s milk cheese is a bit of chameleon. It’s salty and easily grated like Parmesan. It can be sharp and crumbly, like feta, but when grilled or seared, its insides turn pliable and chewy, with a cheesy curdlike squeak. Here are 12 recipes, including vegetarian weeknight mains and barbecue sides, that showcase halloumi’s range.

1. Orecchiette Salad With Halloumi Croutons

This recipe from Yossy Arefi uses small pieces of pan-fried halloumi as croutons for a chewy, salty bite that’s more texturally satisfying than bread. Once tossed with orecchiette and juicy marinated tomatoes, they complete a dish that might forever change how you view pasta salads.

Recipe: Orecchiette Salad With Halloumi Croutons

2. Grilled Broccoli and Halloumi Salad

Hear us out: Broccoli, halloumi and grapes don’t sound like they would go together. Pop them on the grill and finish with a shower of lime juice, though, and they transform. Southern broccoli salads inspired Ali Slagle to create this recipe, and she swapped the raisins for grapes, adding an exciting sweet-and-sour pop.

Recipe: Grilled Broccoli and Halloumi Salad

3. Crispy Halloumi With Tomatoes and White Beans

A quick read-through of the comments, or Reddit, will tell you that this is one of those rare recipes that racks up win after win: It’s supremely easy, packed with plant-based protein and takes 30 minutes (or even less). Our suggestion is to listen to the commenters who recommend doubling up on everything — this dish is sure to go fast.

Recipe: Crispy Halloumi With Tomatoes and White Beans

4. Breaded Halloumi With Cabbage Slaw

If you’re craving chicken or pork katsu, consider this vegetarian recipe from Hetty Lui McKinnon, which swaps in halloumi for the meat. Cornstarch in the flour and a dash of oil in the egg help the breadcrumbs adhere, giving the final product a wonderful crunch.

Recipe: Breaded Halloumi With Cabbage Slaw

5. Pesto Pasta With White Beans and Halloumi

In this weeknight recipe, Yotam Ottolenghi ingeniously suggests grating the halloumi over your pasta, like traditional Parmesan but tangier. And, after you’ve liberally dolloped the simple arugula pesto the pasta, you’ll want to spoon it onto everything.

Recipe: Pesto Pasta With White Beans and Halloumi

6. Taverna Salad

This hearty salad, from Lidey Heuck’s “Cooking in Real Life,” has quickly become a reader favorite, with more than 6,300 five-star ratings. It takes inspiration from classic Greek salad (also known as horiatiki) and Lebanese fattoush. The fried pita and halloumi add the perfect warm crunch to complement the fresh ingredients, and the result is a salad hearty enough to eat for a meal (or several).

Recipe: Taverna Salad

7. Halloumi-Stuffed Sweet Peppers

This super-easy appetizer from Melissa Clark is just what it sounds like: roasted, garlicky mini peppers baked with halloumi inside, and served on crostini. Consider it the perfect finger food for any gathering if you’re short on time.

Recipe: Halloumi-Stuffed Sweet Peppers

8. Corn Salad With Mango and Halloumi

Good mangoes are one of life’s greatest joys. So are recipes that make use of their juicy sweetness. Two other summer gems, corn and cucumbers, adorn this recipe from Hetty Lui McKinnon. And, of course, lightly pan-fried halloumi adds balance and a savory bite.

Recipe: Corn Salad With Mango and Halloumi

9. Walnut, Cinnamon and Halloumi Baklava

Don’t fear: You won’t need to make your own phyllo pastry for Yotam Ottolenghi’s version of this classic dessert. Halloumi is the perfect savory backdrop for the rose water syrup and sweet, spiced walnut filling in this baklava, staying soft if you serve the baklava warm.

Recipe: Walnut, Cinnamon and Halloumi Baklava

10. Halloumi Chicken Parmesan With Za’atar

Halloumi steps in for mozzarella in this classic Italian American dish with a distinctly Yotam Ottolenghi twist. Cumin and allspice jazz up a can of diced tomatoes, and za’atar is used in both the panko crumb coating and the earthy oil drizzled on top, making this familiar comfort feel new.

Recipe: Halloumi Chicken Parmesan With Za’atar

11. Skillet Chicken With Couscous, Lemon and Halloumi

Yewande Komolafe’s skillet chicken is simple enough to make on a weekday, but the additions of toasted walnuts, shallots, oregano and torn, marinated halloumi make this dish dinner-party elegant.

Recipe: Skillet Chicken With Couscous, Lemon and Halloumi

12. Grilled Halloumi and Vegetables

This Martha Rose Shulman recipe is extremely simple, and that’s just where its charms begin: The halloumi is brushed with olive oil, and grilled alongside vegetables before receiving a shower of herbs and sumac, if you’re feeling fancy. The ideal weekend-by-the-grill main.

Recipe: Grilled Halloumi and Vegetables

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