These crispy halloumi burgers might possibly be the quickest, easiest and best veggie burgers you’ll ever make. Just coat halloumi cheese slices in flour, shallow fry and assemble your delicious burger!
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Why you’ll love them
Browse through the recipes on Scrummy Lane and it won’t be long before you come across a halloumi cheese recipe.
Maybe you’ve tried this one pan Greek couscous with halloumi or these halloumi, chorizo and tomato skewers with honey-lime dressing and you’re already a convert.
If you’ve tried these crispy halloumi fries, I KNOW you’re already a convert! My young niece and nephews are always asking me to make them again, and they can’t be wrong. They’re one of the most popular recipes on the blog for a reason. They’re just SOOOOO GOOD.
And it’s really no wonder these crispy halloumi burgers are so good. The halloumi cheese in them is really just a flatter, wider version of my crispy halloumi fries.
But there are more reasons why you’ll love them.
- You can have them on the table in just 15 minutes (hello, easy midweek dinner).
- You only need a few basic ingredients and some nice burger buns to make them. Got carrots, cucumber and a few green salad leaves in the fridge? Grab some halloumi and you already have everything else you need!
- They’re topped with my special 2-ingredient halloumi burger sauce. Yum!
What’s halloumi cheese anyway?
In case you don’t know (which is possible) halloumi cheese is a cheese made only on the island of Cyprus. Yep, only there. It’s made from different types of milk – sometimes sheep’s, sometimes goat’s, sometimes cow’s, and sometimes a mixture of any of these.
It’s a salty, semi-hard cheese that doesn’t melt easily, which means it’s perfect for cooking. In fact you probably won’t ever eat it raw.
If you’ve never tried halloumi cheese, I challenge you to find some and make these delicious burgers.
If you’d like to find out more about this amazing cheese, I wrote this ultimate guide on how to cook halloumi (with tons of halloumi recipe ideas!).
Ingredients
You only need 8 simple ingredients (9 including the cooking oil) to have these delicious burgers on your dinner table:
- brioche burger buns
- halloumi cheese (I prefer an authentic Cypriot brand because I find the texture better)
- flour (any: all-purpose, gluten-free, rice flour, corn starch all work well)
- oil (for shallow frying)
- green salad leaves
- cucumber
- carrot
For the burger sauce:
- mayonnaise
- sweet chilli sauce
And most of these are store cupboard ingredients so chances are you’d only have to go out and buy the halloumi cheese and possibly 1 or 2 more items that you’re missing.
How to make them
I make these burgers in the same way as my halloumi fries:
- Dredge them in a little flour. No need for egg, flour, breadcrumbs, or any other fancy coatings to make them crispy.
- There’s no need to deep fry the halloumi and waste all that oil. Just use about half an inch of oil in a small saucepan and shallow fry in batches for a few minutes.
- When the cheese is a deep golden colour, a bit like slightly over-cooked fries, the burgers are nice and crispy and ready to take out of the pan.
- Pop them onto a brioche burger bun, then pile on ribbons of cucumber and carrot and sweet chilli mayonnaise (just mix the 2 ingredients together). You’ll have yourself one very tasty veggie burger…
… ready within about 15 minutes.
Pro tip: You’ll find the cheese is a bit wet when you take it out of the wrapper and this little bit of water is enough to make the flour ‘stick’.
Here are some step-by-step photos
How to make the carrot and cucumber ribbons
It’s so easy to make the refreshing carrot and cucumber ribbons to pile onto your burger. Grab a good quality vegetable peeler. Now simply peel along the whole length of the vegetables until you have some nice thin ribbons.
What to serve with halloumi burgers
If it’s just a light(ish) meal you’re looking for, it’s absolutely fine to serve the burgers on their own. Anyone who is extra hungry can just grab two. 😉
But if you’d like to make more of a substantial meal out of your burgers, here are some ideas for side dishes for halloumi burgers:
- I think they go exceptionally well with sweet potato fries or wedges. If you have an air fryer, just toss sweet potato sticks with a little olive oil and herbs/spices if you like (I like paprika, onion or garlic powder and mixed Italian herbs) and air fry for around 15 minutes at 210C/410F. If not just bake them in the oven for around 30 minutes.
- Keep with the yummy Mediterranean theme with these incredible Greek potatoes. You won’t regret making these – everyone loves them.
- These popular Mediterranean roast vegetables go with almost anything, and halloumi burgers are no exception. Make them in your oven or air fryer.
Variations
I usually just keep these burgers exactly as they are. But here are a few more things you can add that I think work well:
- Beetroot slices
- Mushrooms
- Thin slices of red onion
- Don’t have any sweet chili sauce/mayo? Use tzatziki sauce, Caesar dressing or ranch dressing for the sauce instead.
More things to know (FAQs)
In the UK almost every supermarket stocks halloumi cheese. It’s pretty easy to find in Australia too. I got mine from Aldi this time. In the USA I believe you can get it at Trader Joe’s. If you’re struggling, try a European style deli. You can even use Hispanic cheese queso para freir as a substitute if you like.
When the halloumi is perfectly fried it will be golden brown and crispy looking all over. Usually I flip the halloumi over after about 2 minutes in the oil so that it cooks evenly. Altogether I usually cook it for between 3 and 4 minutes. It’s hard to go wrong, to be honest. As long as your cheese is golden and crisp, it’ll be delicious!
I like to use brioche buns for these burgers but any smaller size bread rolls work. Remember to toast them lightly for a subtle crunch!
Add a slice or two of crispy bacon or pan-fried chorizo! Bacon and chorizo happen to taste delicious with halloumi!
More ways to use halloumi
- Did I mention how addictive these crispy halloumi fries are? Once tried, never forgotten!
- Fancy a change from halloumi fries? Make life-changing halloumi bites instead! ;-
- Taco Tuesday? Or Taco Any Day? You have to try these crispy halloumi tacos with pineapple mango salsa.
- This one pan Greek couscous with halloumi is another example of how halloumi can be the shining star of an easy vegetarian meal.
- And finally… try this crispy halloumi salad with avocado, corn and tomatoes, or this minty halloumi and sundried tomato salad. Halloumi is amazing on salads!
More 15-minute meals
- 15-minute Shanghai chicken (Mmmm!)
- 15-minute sticky sesame chicken
- 15-minute Thai basil pork stir fry
- 15-minute creamy pesto chicken with mushrooms and parmesan
Just love halloumi? Check out my expert how to cook halloumi guide. With pro tips, recipes and more.
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Crispy Halloumi Burgers
Ingredients (UK/Australia? Click below for grams/ml)
For the burgers
- 9 ounces halloumi cheese 1 ‘log’ = 250 grams, sliced into 6 slices lengthwise
- 2 tablespoons flour (roughly)
- 0.5 inches oil in a small saucepan
- 0.25 cucumbers peeled
- 0.5 carrots peeled
- 2 burger buns (I like to use brioche buns)
- 1 handful salad leaves (I used rocket and spinach but any lettuce/greens is fine)
For the mayonnaise
- 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
Instructions
- Heat the oil until it sizzles when you dip the end of a piece of halloumi in it.
- Dip each slice of halloumi in the flour so that it has a thin layer all over.
- Carefully place the halloumi into the oil (in 2 batches) and let cook for 2 to 4 minutes until golden brown on both sides (you can turn it over half way through cooking if you like but you may not need to).
- Meanwhile, use a vegetable peeler to peel thin strips of cucumber and carrot. Mix the two together.
- Remove the halloumi from the oil and drain for a moment on kitchen paper while you prepare the mayo and burger buns.
- Lightly toast the buns. Meanwhile, mix the mayo and sweet chilli sauce.
- Assemble the burgers. Spread the bottom part of the bread with a layer of mayonnaise, then top with some salad leaves.
- Top each burger with 2 slices of crispy halloumi, then pile a handful of cucumber and carrot on top.
- Finally, spoon over more mayo to taste and cover with the top part of the burger. Enjoy!
Sue R says
Yum! Now I know what I’ll be using my halloumi that has been sitting in the fridge for very soon!. I’m making your Spanish omelette today for lunch. Grandson is coming to stay so we’ll see how it goes. I’m a bit nervous as I’ve had it in San Sebastian, Spain and it’s amazing, not sure I’ll overcook it or something lol! We went there just to try all the pintxos we could and so ate that for lunch every day. That was so much fun.
Helen says
Hello Sue! So happy you’re going to try both this recipe and the Spanish omelette. The halloumi burgers are really quick and easy. As for the Spanish omelette, don’t be scared! Just cook it very long and very slow. If it starts falling out everywhere when you start sliding it onto a plate (a little spillage is ok but you want the omelette to mostly keep its shape) then just cook for a little longer. You’ll be fine. It’s definitely worth the effort and once you’ve made it the first time you’ll have more confidence. Also remember that it doesn’t have to look perfect. I had a bit of a disaster making this a few weeks ago (but only for the first time!) but it still looked and tasted OK because I just tipped it back into the pan and tried to shape it again until it had cooked a little more. Let me know how you get on! 😉
Mira says
Wow, I haven’t bought Halloumi in a while, but will definitely get some. This sandwich looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it!
Helen says
Thanks, Mira. I’m addicted to these – I hope you get addicted too!
Stev says
is this cheese sold at ALDI in USA?
Helen says
Hi! I’m afraid I really don’t know and there doesn’t seem to be an answer online!
Marissa says
I haven’t made Halloumi anything for so long and I remember those amazing fries of yours! This burger needs to happen in our house right away!
Helen says
So glad you approve, Marissa. I dream about those fries…