Life-changing Fried Halloumi Bites (2024)

For an easy appetizer or party snack that everyone raves about, try these fried halloumi bites! All you need is 2 ingredients plus olive oil for shallow pan frying. Super crispy on the outside and soft and satisfyingly salty on the inside, they’re perfect with a simple sweet dip on the side. I call these ‘life-changing’ with my tongue in my cheek, but I kind of mean it…

What ARE fried halloumi bites?

I’ve been making these crispy halloumi fries for a long time now, and they ALWAYS impress. To many of my friends and family, 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 one day that I should try making some crispy halloumi bites as well. 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 while watching TV. Halloumi popcorn, anyone? 😉

Why you’ll love them

Life-changing? Really, Helen? Well, let me tell you, I don’t use the word life-changing to describe this fried halloumi recipe lightly! These morsels of crispy deliciousness are:

• quick and easy to make. The coating is made of just flour. No fussy breading necessary!

• pretty light (not too filling if you have a big dinner planned).

• a crowd pleasing appetizer for guests that everyone seems to love – especially children!

About halloumi cheese

First things first, what’s halloumi cheese? If you haven’t tried it yet, 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 log shape. You’ll see that it’s in a bit of liquid and that some authentic brands have fresh mint running through them.

Although there are a few recipes using raw halloumi, it’s usually served cooked. Because halloumi cheese has a high melting point, it’s perfect for frying.

There are various ways to cook halloumi (my ultimate guide!). Pan fried halloumi is delicious too, but the VERY BEST way to eat halloumi cheese, in my very humble opinion, is to simply roll it in flour. Then deep fry until it’s super crispy on the outside, like a deep fried french fry.

With the deliciously soft and salty cheese inside!

Ingredients

You need just THREE ingredients for frying halloumi:

Halloumi cheese: Now widely available in supermarkets. If you’re struggling to find it where you live, try a Mediterranean or Middle Eastern deli. Any brand will work, but I prefer a traditional Cypriot style brand.

Flour: I usually use plain/all purpose flour. Since you only need a little flour, however, I find many types work. Gluten-free, corn starch and rice flour all work really well. I’m pretty sure others would work well, too, such as almond flour or coconut flour.

Oil (for cooking): You can use any oil you like to fry halloumi in. I prefer a light olive oil, but I’ve also used vegetable oil. Just bear in mind you’ll need enough to cover the bottom of a saucepan, so you might not want to use your best extra virgin olive oil!

Substitutes for halloumi: You can also make fried ‘halloumi’ bites with other cheeses with a similar texture including Latin American queso para freir, Greek saganaki or even feta. Any hard, salty cheese with a high melting point would probably work.

How to make fried halloumi bites

The step-by-step guide below should help you make the recipe perfectly first time. Scroll down to the end for the full recipe including ingredient amounts.

It’s perhaps a bit of a stretch to even call this a ‘recipe’! Here’s how you make the bites in just a few simple steps:

Step 1: Cut the halloumi into slices. I usually slice lengthwise. Then cut again into small cubes – about 1 inch square.

Good to know: Halloumi can be a bit fragile, but it doesn’t matter if it breaks a bit while you’re cutting it into bites. Also, don’t worry that the cheese is moist when you take it out of the packet. All the better for getting the flour to stick to it for a super crispy crust!

Step 2: Quickly roll in flour, while the bites are still moist from the brine in the packet. If some of them are too dry, you can always dip them in a little milk or even water.

Step 3: Now you’re going to ‘deep fry’ the halloumi bites. Don’t worry, though. You’re only going to put an inch or so of oil in a small to medium sized saucepan. Let the oil heat up on a medium-high heat until the end of one of the flour-coated cubed cheese pieces sizzles when dipped in. This is how you know that the oil is hot enough.

Step 4: Sometimes I flip the halloumi over part way through cooking. Other times I don’t feel like I need to. Your delicious fried halloumi bites are ready when they are deep golden and VERY crispy looking all over. They will only take a few minutes to cook.

Step 5: I use a slotted spoon like this one(affiliate link) to fish my crispy fried halloumi bites out of the oil! If you don’t have one of these, a fish slice or even big metal spoon will work. Drain the bites for a couple of minutes on kitchen paper.

How to serve them

Let the bites cool for a few minutes after fishing them out of the hot oil. But then it’s best to serve them immediately, while still hot and super crunchy!

My favorite easy way to serve fried halloumi is with a bowl of sweet chili dipping sauce on the side.

Anything with a bit of sweetness is a great contrast to the saltiness of the halloumi cheese. If you want to add a second dip, I find something both contrasting and cooling works well, such as a bowl of tsatziki or Greek yogurt.

Here are some more dipping sauce ideas:

• ‘hot honey’ (Simply warm through some honey and add a pinch or two of red pepper flakes. Alternatively, grab a bottle of Mike’s hot honey – original or extra hot!)

• 10-minute fresh tomato salsa (or any salsa!)

• sour cream

• tomato pesto

• barbeque sauce

• honey mustard sauce

• avocado dip

• fruit chutney

But you know what? Even ketchup works!

More ways to eat them

• Sprinkle over the top of soup instead of croutons.

• 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.

• Thread onto skewers (kabobs!) for a barbeque with cherry tomatoes and pan fried chorizo (mmmmm).

• Make simple tacos with them, just like you would with tofu!

• Wild card idea: Use instead of fried tofu in Asian inspired recipes!

• Make a simple halloumi burger. Simply pile into a brioche roll with salad and tzatziki.

• Add to a cheese board, along with these delicious cranberry cheese balls!

I’m sure there are other options, too. Let me know in the comments below if you think of another great way to use these amazing crispy fried halloumi bites!

More delicious halloumi recipes

• Very similar to halloumi bites, you just have to try my original, one and only crispy halloumi fries recipe, too.

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

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

• Add halloumi bites to a classic salad! You’ll love thiscrispy halloumi salad with avocado, corn and tomatoes.

• Halloumi kebabs! These halloumi, chorizo and tomato skewers with honey lime dressing are incredibly easy and delicious.

Just love halloumi? Check out my expert how to cook halloumi guide. With pro tips, recipes and more.

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