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Home » all recipes » Life-changing fried halloumi bites

Life-changing fried halloumi bites

16 Sep 18

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A Pinterest image of a bowl of fried halloumi bites from above
A Pinterest image of someone dipping a fried halloumi bite into a bowl of sweet chili sauce
Life-changing fried halloumi bites

Everyone loves these fried halloumi bites. Perfect for fans of easy entertaining, they’re virtually life-changing!

Life-changing fried halloumi bites

Greetings from the queen of fried halloumi!

I’ve been making these crispy halloumi fries for a long time now, and they never fail to impress. I’m the queen of halloumi fries! They’re always a crowd pleaser – loved by kids and adults alike – and make a fabulous super easy appetizer.

It came to me a while ago that I should try making some crispy halloumi bites instead. But when a friend I served the halloumi fries to suggested it too I knew I just HAD to make them.

Essentially they are exactly the same as halloumi fries. They’re JUST as delicious, and will be JUST as popular, but they perhaps lend themselves a little more to being passed around at parties.

Or to a whole bowl being snacked on all by yourself in front of Netflix.

I won’t judge.

Life-changing fried halloumi bites

Hardly a recipe!

These fried halloumi bites are another one of those recipes that you can hardly even call a recipe.

You need just THREE ingredients for these gorgeous little morsels of deliciousness:

  • Halloumi cheese
  • Flour
  • Oil (for cooking)

But what IS halloumi cheese?

If you haven’t tried halloumi cheese yet you’re truly missing out. It’s a salty, hard white cheese exclusively from the island of Cyprus. It can be made of sheep’s milk, goat’s milk or regular cow’s milk, or even a mixture.

Halloumi is kind of mild tasting, a bit like mozzarella, and with a similar consistency… it’s just saltier.

It also reminds me of fried tofu, but personally I like halloumi much better!

You usually buy it in a packet in a kind of rough log shape. You’ll see that it’s in a bit of liquid and has a bit of fresh mint running through it, although I’ve never tasted the mint in the cheese.

You’ll find that the cheese can be a bit fragile when you cut into it, but it really doesn’t matter if it breaks a bit while you’re cutting it into little bites.

Also, don’t worry that the cheese is a bit wet when you take it out of the packet. All the better for getting the flour to stick to it for a super crispy crust!

What is the best way to cook halloumi?

It’s perfectly possible to eat halloumi raw, straight out of the packet, but I’ve never eaten it this way.

Because halloumi cheese has a high melting point, it’s perfect for cooking.

Most people pan fry halloumi cheese and eat it hot, maybe added to a salad like this crispy halloumi salad with avocado, corn and tomatoes. Or perhaps threaded onto skewers like in this halloumi, chorizo and tomato skewers with honey lime dressing recipe.

Pan fried halloumi is delicious too, but the VERY BEST way to eat halloumi cheese, in my very humble opinion, is to roll it in flour while it’s still wet, then deep fry until it’s super crispy.

Life-changing fried halloumi bites

Cut into bites, then roll in flour.

How do you make fried halloumi?

So when I say deep fry, I only put an inch or so of oil in a small to medium sized saucepan. If I need to flip the halloumi over part way through cooking I do so. This way you don’t have loads of yucky oil left over to get rid of after cooking.

Life-changing fried halloumi bites

Fry in a little oil until deep golden and VERY crispy!

What to eat with fried halloumi bites

These crispy halloumi bites are wonderful served just as they are, fresh out of the hot oil, but I usually serve them with a bowl of sweet chili dipping sauce on the side. Sometimes I even add a bowl of Greek yogurt too.

Life-changing fried halloumi bites

Other ideas for dipping sauces for your fried halloumi would be:

  • sour cream
  • tomato pesto
  • barbeque sauce
  • honey mustard sauce
  • avocado dip

Anything with a bit of sweetness is a great contrast to the saltiness of the halloumi cheese.

Now come on. Really. How can these be life-changing?

I don’t use the word life-changing to describe this fried halloumi recipe lightly!

Now that I have this recipe up my sleeve, I always have something to make as a simple appetizer for guests.

These are:

  • quick and easy to make
  • not too filling if you have a big dinner planned
  • and everyone seems to love them – especially children!

They’re also fantastic for sprinkling over the top of a salad. I like to add them to a simple salad of green leaves, onion, avocado, cherry tomatoes and a lemon olive oil dressing.

Other ways to eat these crispy fried halloumi bites that I can think of:

  • Sprinkle over the top of soup for an interesting twist on croutons
  • Thread onto skewers at a barbeque with cherry tomatoes and pan fried chorizo (mmmmm)
  • Make simple tacos with them, just like you would with tofu!
  • Use instead of fried tofu in Asian inspired recipes! (my personal favourite idea!)

I’m sure there are other options too, and I’ll add them to this list each time I think of something new.

Life-changing fried halloumi bites

These are simply delicious, but if you prefer the idea of making halloumi fries, then here’s the original recipe:

Delicious and totally addictive (don’t say I didn’t warn you!) halloumi fries

After you’ve tasted these halloumi fries and fried halloumi bites, you’ll be addicted to halloumi, so here are some of my other halloumi recipes.

I hope you try them all!

These crispy halloumi burgers make for a delicious vegetarian 15 minute meal!

This one pan Greek couscous with halloumi is lovely in the summer

I can’t get enough of this tomato, avocado and corn salad with crispy halloumi!

Please scroll down to the recipe to watch the handy how-to video. This video will also show you how to make halloumi fries. The process is exactly the same, and so just as easy! 

How to get your halloumi bites out of the oil (very important!):

I use a slotted spoon like this one (affiliate link) to fish my fried halloumi bites out of the oil!

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Life-changing fried halloumi bites

Life-changing fried halloumi bites

Make these addictive fried halloumi bites with just 3 ingredients – halloumi cheese, flour, and oil. They’re such a quick and easy appetizer, and never fail to impress!
4.73 from 11 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share by Text
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Cuisine Mediterranean
Servings (click to change) 4 -5 as a light appetizer
Author Helen

Ingredients (UK/Australia? Click below for grams/ml)

cups/ounces – grams/ml
  • 9 ounces halloumi cheese usually 1 package – exact weight really doesn’t matter
  • 2 tablespoons flour or a little more if you need it
  • vegetable oil for frying I usually fill a medium saucepan to a depth of about half an inch

for dipping

  • sweet chili sauce
  • Greek yoghurt

Instructions
 

  • Cut the halloumi cheese into cubes about 1 inch square (exact size doesn’t matter though).
  • Spread the flour out on a plate and roll the halloumi cubes in it while they’re still wet.
  • Heat up the oil in a medium saucepan until the end of the halloumi sizzles when dipped into it. Then, carefully lower the halloumi bites into the oil. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until deep golden and crunchy-looking (you might have to do this in 2 or more batches).
  • Lift the bites out of the oil with a slotted metal spoon, and serve in bowls with sweet chili sauce and Greek yoghurt (if you like).

Notes

1 regular sized ‘log’ of halloumi cheese makes enough of these delicious bites to serve 4 to 5 as a light appetizer or amuse bouche. Make another batch if you think your guests will want more than a few each!
I’ve stated in the recipe to cut the halloumi into 1 inch squares, but the exact size really doesn’t matter. Just cut them to the size you think you might like them!
For the best ‘crunch factor’, these fried halloumi bites should look like slightly overcooked fries. This way, they should stay crunchy for quite a while, even when fully cooled.
If you prefer, make halloumi fries instead. The method is exactly the same as you see in the video in this post. Just cut the halloumi into fry shapes instead. 

Nutrition

Calories: 214kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 14gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 10gSodium: 765mgCalcium: 638mgIron: 0.2mg
Tried this recipe?Let me know if you liked it!

By Helen all recipes, appetizers, Baby & kid friendly, Greek, Helen's favorites, Mediterranean, party food, snacks, vegetarian

Comments

  1. Kathy says

    04 Jul 20 at 6:39 am

    Quick and very easy….and so delicious,
    Lidl had some Halloumi with chilli this week, hoping they have some left on my next shopping trip, will definitely add a few to my trolley for when we can have some friends round for a drink, so much nicer than crisps.
    Thank you xx

    Reply
    • Helen says

      06 Jul 20 at 9:27 am

      Hi Kathy! Oooh, halloumi with chilli? Never seen that! So glad you enjoyed these. They’re such a perfect appetizer, aren’t they? I find everyone loves them. Have you tried making halloumi fries, too? Basically it’s the same thing but you just cut the halloumi into ‘fry’ shapes instead 😉

      Reply
  2. Carol Roach says

    12 May 20 at 4:35 pm

    As illustrated is plain or selfraising flour used to make halloumi bites.

    Reply
    • Helen says

      13 May 20 at 9:05 am

      Hi Carol. Either of those is fine. in fact any kind of flour works. You will just lightly dust the halloumi for a crispier result. Hope you enjoy them and don’t get too addicted!

      Reply
  3. Jenny Oliver says

    21 Apr 20 at 3:18 am

    5 stars
    OMG!!!! “”Life Changing” does not even BEGIN to describe this!!! I made this as written and it is HEAVEN! Warning – one 8oz. block is not enough – you WILL want more! Best recipe I have tried in a long, long, time!

    Reply
    • Helen says

      21 Apr 20 at 9:14 am

      I don’t call things ‘life changing’ lightly, Jenny! Thanks so much for your lovely review! Have you tried the ‘halloumi fries’ too? Basically exactly the same thing but you cut the halloumi into chip/fry shapes. You’re right that one log of halloumi isn’t enough!

      Reply
  4. Bridges says

    13 Jan 20 at 1:16 am

    Can you substitute the flour to any flour? Like coconut or almond? TIA

    Reply
    • Helen says

      13 Jan 20 at 9:41 am

      Hi! I haven’t tried using another type of flour, but I’m pretty sure it would be fine. The flour is really only a fine coating to help with the crunch. Corn flour / Corn starch would definitely work, if you want to play safe!

      Reply
  5. Fiela Dieringer says

    09 Jul 19 at 7:27 am

    I’m Greek on grew up on halloumi cheese. Even though it’s wonderful grilled, it’s eaten without being grilled all the time. In fact, most of the time I don’t grill it because it tastes amazing whether it’s grilled or not.

    Reply
    • Helen says

      09 Jul 19 at 7:45 am

      Hi Fiela! Oh really? I didn’t know that actually so thanks for letting me know. I’ll have to try it. Do you usually add it raw to some kind of salad?

      Reply
  6. Darlene T says

    30 Mar 19 at 1:52 am

    5 stars
    Local Publix got some sheep Halloumi in per my request. I pan fried slices, ok, came acroos this receipe during a search for different cooking ideas. This One Is a WINNER in my book. I sliced the block in half depth wise, cubed, used almond flour on damp cubes but it all came off while cooking, fried in coconut oil in a small saucepan. PERFECT. the crispy exterion and perfect (for me) center was better than anything I tried before. dipped in mayo and salsa. i used Atalanta Cheese, Halloumi, Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil

    Reply
    • Helen says

      31 Mar 19 at 4:35 pm

      I’ve never thought of trying coconut oil before. Thanks for reporting back, Darlene – so glad you enjoyed this recipe!

      Reply
  7. Renee Goerger says

    17 Sep 18 at 8:07 pm

    5 stars
    These do look totally life changing!! The color of your fried halloumi is spectacular, and I can’t believe how easy these are to make. I’m excited to try them. Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
    • Helen says

      18 Sep 18 at 11:45 am

      Thank you so much! I get excited about these every time I make them, so I’m so glad I got you excited about them too!

      Reply
  8. Kate says

    17 Sep 18 at 5:59 pm

    5 stars
    Ooooh these sound amazing. Halloumi is so tasty so sounds delicious in these bites – especially with sweet chilli for dunking!

    Reply
    • Helen says

      18 Sep 18 at 11:45 am

      THANK YOU! I really hope you try them some time, Kate!

      Reply
  9. [email protected] says

    17 Sep 18 at 8:47 am

    5 stars
    Haloumi is my kryptonite!!!!!

    Reply
    • Helen says

      18 Sep 18 at 11:46 am

      Ha, me too!!! I literally could eat it all day long!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Chicken and Halloumi Salad with Arugula - Wendy Polisi says:
    24 May 19 at 2:32 am

    […] Halloumi Bites from Scrummy Lane […]

    Reply
  2. Crispy halloumi fries (and dips!) - Scrummy Lane says:
    21 Mar 19 at 12:01 pm

    […] down to below the recipe to see the handy how-to video. The video actually shows how to make my life-changing fried halloumi bites (perfect for passing around at parties!) but the process is exactly the same. Just cut the […]

    Reply

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