Halloumi Kebabs With Chorizo, Tomatoes And Honey Lime Dressing

on Sep 01, 2021, Updated Sep 13, 2021

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Looking for something a bit different to throw on your next BBQ? These halloumi kebabs won’t disappoint. You need just 4 ingredients to make a platter of the colourful and tasty Mediterranean style skewers, and another 4 basic ingredients for the tangy dressing. The best part? They’re ready in just over 20 minutes!

A closeup of 4 halloumi kebabs on a white platter and on a bed of green leaves with bread and lime segments on the side

What’s halloumi?
Why you’ll love this recipe
About the ingredients
How to make them
Pro Tip
How to serve them
How to use up any leftovers
More things to know (FAQs)
More Mediterranean style ideas for a BBQ
Halloumi Kebabs With Chorizo, Tomatoes And Honey Lime Dressing Recipe

What’s halloumi?

Halloumi cheese is a salty, slightly ‘bouncy’ sheep’s, goat’s or cow’s milk cheese originally from Cyprus. You can cook it in various ways, but generally you fry it in a dry pan until hot and crisp. Quite honestly, it isn’t always for everyone. Mr. Scrummy, for instance, declared it as ‘rubbery’ when he first tried it.

But I would highly encourage you to try it at least once before you decide if you’re in the ‘love halloumi’ or ‘hate halloumi’ camp. As for me, I’m firmly in the ‘love halloumi’ camp!

It’s incredibly delicious when cooked and crispy, as in this recipe. If you need more ‘proof’, you absolutely have to try:

these legendary halloumi fries
these 15-minute halloumi burgers
these halloumi tacos with an amazing pineapple salsa
this crispy halloumi salad with avocado, corn and tomatoes

Why you’ll love this recipe

If you love to make grilled kebabs either on the BBQ or by throwing them under the grill/broiler, these are just a little different, don’t you think? Mediterranean style, I’d say!
They’re versatile – perfect for a simple lunch, dinner or picnic for yourselves, but can be impressive enough to serve to guests.
They’re incredibly quick and easy, with just 4 main ingredients and the simple dressing.
They’re super tasty with the salty, crispy halloumi complementing the smoky chorizo and tangy tomatoes really well. Drizzle over the honey lime dressing and it’ll be a party in your mouth!
They’re really easy to customize and make your own. Need a vegetarian option? Want to add more veggies? See ideas below!

About the ingredients

All the ingredients you need to make halloumi kebabs with chorizo and tomatoes including green salad leaves, honey lime dressing, halloumi cheese log, chorizo sausage and cherry tomatoes

One of the reasons I like these kebabs so much is that they look and taste more impressive than the sum of their parts.

You only need 3 ingredients to thread on the skewers, and some nice green salad leaves to lay them on:

Halloumi: Halloumi works great grilled/BBQ’d or broiled because it’s a very firm cheese that doesn’t melt everywhere. Instead, it browns and gets crispy after cooking for just a few minutes. You can use any brand that you can get hold of (in the UK/Australia it’s widely available, in the USA try Trader Joe’s, Wholefoods or a European style deli).

I really like to choose an authentic Cypriot brand if it’s available. It usually has little flecks of mint running through it and the perfect texture.

Chorizo: I usually buy whole chorizo sausages and slice them into roughly 1-inch thick slices. You need about 1 sausage for every 4 skewers. These days I find most chorizo sausages don’t have a tough skin on, but if yours does it’s easy to snip the ends and peel it off.

I buy mine from the deli section of my local supermarket, but you can also usually find it in the cured meats area with the bacon and other processed meats.

Cherry tomatoes: You’ll need 4 small tomatoes for each skewer. Any small tomato will work.

Someone holding a jug of honey lime dressing for halloumi skewers. There's also a list of the ingredients written on the image: 1 lime, honey, vinegar, olive oil, salt/pepper.

For the honey-lime dressing: For this you’ll need the zest and juice of a lime, and a bit of honey, vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper. I usually use either white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar, but ordinary white vinegar is fine too.

To serve/Garnish: I like to serve my kebabs on a bed of mixed green leaves. I also like to serve extra lime wedges on the side for people to squeeze over if they like.

The last thing you’ll need, of course, is some long wooden skewers. I wouldn’t use metal ones unless they’re really thin as it’ll be difficult to thread the ingredients onto them without them breaking.

Love the honey lime dressing?

It’s actually really versatile! In fact, I think it’s soooo delicious that I decided it needed its very own post. Check out everything to know about the honey lime dressing!

How to make them

Collage of 4 images showing how to make halloumi skewers

4 halloumi skewers on an oval platter before they're cooked

In a nutshell, there’s nothing more complicated here than threading everything onto the long skewers. But here’s exactly how I do that:

Step 1: Soak the skewers in some water for a while before grilling so that they don’t burn. You can let them soak while you’re preparing all the other ingredients.

Steps 2 – 4: Unwrap the log of halloumi, then carefully slice it into roughly 1-inch cubes. You’ll need 12 cubes for every 4 skewers you’d like to make. Halloumi logs do vary in size, but I find I have more than enough for at least 4 skewers. Sometimes there are even leftovers. See below for leftovers ideas!

Step 5: Carefully thread the tomatoes, halloumi and chorizo onto the skewers. I usually start and end with a tomato. Pinch the halloumi tightly as you thread it on. Don’t worry if a few pieces break. You should have some halloumi cubes to spare.

Step 6: Grill them! You can either pop them on a BBQ grill, or you can grill them under a grill/broiler in the kitchen. They’ll only take 10 to 15 minutes. Just keep a close eye on them and turn them a few times so that they brown evenly without burning. The tomatoes and chorizo should be golden brown and the halloumi deliciously crispy in parts.

Pro Tip

Don’t worry if a few bits of halloumi drop off their skewer as they’re grilling! I can almost guarantee this will happen, but just grill those bits by the side then squash them back onto the skewer just before serving 😉

To make the dressing, simply whisk all the ingredients together in a small jug! It’s so easy. I do this when I prepare all the other ingredients. You want to be able to drizzle over the dressing while the skewers are still piping hot.

Don’t be tempted to skip the dressing! In my opinion the bit of juicy, sweetening balance it brings to the dish ties it all together.

A platter of 4 halloumi kebabs on a white platter on a bed of salad leaves with grilled bread and lime wedges and with a multi-coloured tea towel at the side

How to serve them

These halloumi kebabs make a perfect ‘wild card’ option for a BBQ or other kind of gathering. If you have vegetarians among you, you can even skip the chorizo and swap for another vegetable like zucchini/courgette, peppers or mushrooms.
They also make an easy and very tasty midweek meal. Serve with crispy smashed air fried Greek potatoes, roasted cauliflower mash, Mediterranean lemon rice with chickpeas, baked potatoes and coleslaw or just simple pitta bread or olive oil toasts.
Make halloumi, chorizo and tomato burgers! Slide everything off the skewers and sandwich in your favourite rolls with the dressing, some salad, and perhaps a spoonful of coleslaw.
Pack them for a picnic. Although they’re excellent piping hot, they’re also very enjoyable served cold.

How to use up any leftovers

You may or may not have some leftover cherry tomatoes, chorizo and cubes of halloumi. If you do, I’ve got you covered!

My top suggestion: Make halloumi bites! Dip into Greek yogurt and sweet chili sauce for some pretty impressive crispy bites.
Add some pizzazz to your weekend breakfast: Either broil/grill the halloumi cubes, chorizo slices and tomatoes for around 10 to 15 minutes until golden and crisp. Or pan-fry in a little olive oil. Serve alongside eggs and toast for a very yummy and easy breakfast!
Make a sandwich or burger: Broil/grill or pan-fry as described above, then pile into a toasted sandwich or brioche roll. Add green salad, dressing if you have any left. and a little coleslaw if you like. Yum!
Stir through couscous or pasta: Cook, then stir through warm couscous or pasta. Make more dressing and stir that through too. Enjoy!

More things to know (FAQs)

My halloumi falls apart when I thread it on the skewer/when it’s cooking. What can I do about this?

It’s inevitable that this will happen to a certain extent. That’s OK! If it happens while cooking and turning the kebabs, just let them cook on the side, then thread them back on the skewers before serving if you can.

To stop it falling apart when threading it on the skewers, try using roughly 1-inch sized cubes (so neither too big nor too small) and pinching the cubes together from 2 sides as you thread it on.

Can I make them ahead?

I think these are best served piping hot, immediately after cooking. They still taste good at room temperature or cold, but the salad may start to wilt.

What you can do though is wash and chop everything ahead, soak the skewers in water, and also prepare the dressing. You can even thread the ingredients onto the skewers then cover them and pop them in the fridge until you’re ready to cook them. Just like you would any kind of kebab!

Can I cook them in my air fryer?

Actually… yes! If they’ll fit! If you have an oven-style air fryer, they’ll work well. Just line a baking tray with baking paper, spray the kebabs all over with a little olive oil, then air fry for around 7 minutes at 200C/390F. Then turn and cook for another 7 minutes. Keep a close eye on them to check that nothing is burning as every air fryer is a little different.

If you have a smaller, basket-style air fryer, you’ll probably have to use smaller skewers and make smaller kebabs. Which is fine! Go for it!

Can I reheat the leftovers?

You certainly can! Just cover and reheat for a minute or two until piping hot in the microwave. The halloumi will no longer be crispy, but the kebabs will still be very delicious, perhaps with some rice or grilled bread on the side.