Here’s an unbelievably delicious 5 minute halloumi recipe: pan fried golden, drizzled with honey and sprinkled with thyme. It’s a stellar combination of flavours – salty, sweet and earthy herb. Great starter, snack, or make a basic salad so much more interesting!
Fried halloumi
It’s impossible to resist devouring golden fried halloumi straight from the pan, when it’s crispy on the surface and gooey inside. And why should we? It’s so great plain!
But one day, try it with a drizzle of honey, sprinkle of fresh thyme and pinch of red pepper flakes. It is Outrageously Delicious (caps intentional) and a great 2-second-way to dress up halloumi when you’ve got company.
Serve with warm pita bread, olives, and good olive oil for a simple yet thoroughly enjoyable starter!
The golden rules of halloumi cooking
It just so happens that while I’m writing this post, I’m at my hairdresser, Deange Hair which is owned by Greek sisters. So I’m sitting here with my head full of goop, having an enthusiastic discussion with Angela, the younger sister, about the golden rules of cooking halloumi. Here’s what you need to know!
Real Halloumi from Cyprus: For the best results, use authentic Cypriot halloumi. Lower quality or imitation varieties won’t give you that perfect golden crust and may crumble when cooked!
Cut it Thick: Slice your halloumi 1 – 1.25cm / 0.4 – 0.5″ thick. Thicker than you think! It shrinks about 30% during cooking, so thicker slices ensure a soft, juicy interior rather than a dry one.
Use Oil: Don’t skimp on the oil! Halloumi needs it to achieve a golden, crispy exterior. Without oil, it will just burn, brown unevenly and certainly won’t get crisp.
Pat the Slices Dry: Dry the slices thoroughly before cooking. This step prevents the sizzling and spitting of water on initial contact, leading to a better crust.
Angela’s advice is spot on, and I was thankful that I checked all her boxes. Now halloumi enthusiasts everywhere can cook it perfectly too! Who knew a hair appointment could double as a cheese tutorial!? 🧀✨
(I know what you’re thinking, and NO you are not going to get a photo of me with goop in my hair!!)
What you need
For the crispy golden pan fried halloumi
Just halloumi and olive oil for cooking!
Halloumi – The brand you get matters! Real halloumi is from the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, not Greece. It will fry up golden on the surface and be soft on the inside. Economical brands can be rubbery on the inside (even when hot), or be so bloated with brine they seem to endlessly leech water as they cook and *never* go golden, while others are just oddly dry and crumbly.
Look for halloumi with “PDO” on the packet label (Protected Designation of Origin). This is a mark of excellence that proves a products’ quality and cannot be used on any product made outside of Cyprus. I get Alambra and Dodoni brands.
Olive oil – Though some recipes don’t use oil to cook halloumi, you really do need a touch of oil to get a nice golden crust on the halloumi. Without, you just get patchy brown parts, and if you try to take it further it just burns and doesn’t go crispy. So, if you want a really nice golden crispy halloumi, don’t skip the oil!
I like to use olive oil because it has more flavour than unflavoured oils like canola oil etc. While you can use extra virgin olive oil here because we’re not high-temp cooking, don’t use your good stuff. Save that for salads and finishing dishes!
For the HONEY THYME finish (OPTIONAL)
Honey – Or maple syrup, though I personally think that the flavour of honey pairs better. It’s also thicker so clings better.
Fresh thyme leaves – It’s just such a great earthy flavour that works so well with the salty-sweet combination going on here! I wouldn’t substitute with dried thyme, it’s just not the same. But, hand on heart, this is still worth making with just honey!
Chilli flakes (red pepper flakes) – This is optional, to add the tiniest subtle hint of warmth to this dish and also add some lovely red flecks. For me, it’s just an effortless way to add an extra touch to this dish, but as I mentioned, it is 100% optional!
Other sprinkling / drizzling options I’ve used and enjoyed over the years:
fresh oregano (roughly chopped)
walnuts (walnuts + honey is such a great, Greek-vibes combo)
other nuts (almonds and pistachios come to mind)
white sesame seeds
lemon juice or lemon zest
swish of extra virgin olive oil
How to make golden pan-fried Halloumi
Nice and straightforward, but please take note of how thick to cut the slices and patting them dry before cooking!
Cut the halloumi into 1 – 1.25 cm / 0.4 – 0.5″ thick slices. Any thinner, and you’ll end up with halloumi chips. ✨This is one of the Golden Rules of Halloumi cooking! (See top of post)✨
I get 7 to 8 slices out of a standard 225 – 250g/8 oz block.
Dry – Lay the slices out on paper towels then pat the surface dry as well. Don’t press down hard, we just want to blot excess moisture off the surface.
Cook – Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a non stick pan. Place the halloumi in the pan carefully – it will splutter! I use my hands so I can handle the pieces carefully. Cook for 1 1/2 minutes or until the underside is golden. Initially, they will leech water (the brine inside the cheese) then once the water evaporates that’s when the underside will start to get colour.
When to turn – When you see the edges of the underside become golden, that’s a good sign that the whole underside is golden.
Carefully turn (I use a spatula and a butter knife) then cook the other side for around 1 to 1 1/2 minutes until golden.
⚠️ Don’t try to cook too many slices in the pan at the same time, else they will braise and never go golden!
⚠️ Move the slices around if needed so they cook evenly, but the more you can leave them undistributed, the more even the golden surface.
Transfer directly onto the serving plate. You can serve it just like that (which is definitely the most common way I eat halloumi!) or finish it with the honey and thyme.
Finish – Working quickly (so you can get it to the table while the centres are still warm and soft!), drizzle with honey, sprinkle with thyme and chilli flakes, then serve it asap!
How I eat fried halloumi
In order of frequency:
With hands, straight off the plate, as a starter. This is probably the most common way I serve it (with and without the honey). I cook it up when I have a few spare minutes then pass it around. I really try to minimise cooking time when friends are around but this is a great one to do because it’s so quick!
As part of a cheese board spread. It’s always the first to go (usually because I put it down and flap my hands around insisting that everyone eat up, eat up, while it’s hot!) 😂
On a salad. Take a bowl of plain leafy greens and plonk a few fried halloumi’s on top and woah! Suddenly that boring salad is so much more exciting – and passes as a meal, at that! Or, specifically, try adding halloumi onto one of these salads to dial them up a notch (skip or reduce any pre-existing cheese in these recipes):
Just to flag a few stand-outs: I think the Pear Salad would be spectacular with halloumi instead of blue cheese (fruit + salty cheese + honey + nuts = 💯) as would the French Warm Goats Cheese Salad (made with halloumi instead of goats cheese) and the Pearl Couscous Salad (I feel like halloumi + bright lemon dressing + slippery garlicky pearl couscous would be a home run).
Or – just skip the greenery and stick with my #1 method of eating it: with hands, standing in the kitchen! 😂 – Nagi x
Golden Halloumi with Honey and Thyme
You’d think so!! The recipe itself was a no brainer, something I’ve been making for years in various forms.
But Herron, my video editor, will tell you that I sent her a drive filled with a ridiculous number of takes for the “simple video” for this “simple recipe”. Because of course, after years of making it with no problems, the one time I go to film it I can’t find any of my usual Halloumi brands. So I got an economical brand I hadn’t tried before and it was not good! It split when cooking, the edges were jagged, the surface just burned rather than going golden, and the insides were rubbery.
Which of course lead me down the path of “how much does the halloumi quality matter?” which involved getting every single halloumi brand I could find at my local stores, ranging from authentic PDO Cypriot made halloumi (undisputed winner), Greek made halloumi (second best) to Australian made (premium and economical brands).
Turns out, wow, the authenticity of the origin matters! Authentic halloumi made in Cyprus is superior, delivering golden surfaces and soft gooey insides. Lower quality halloumi doesn’t pan fry as well, the insides never go soft, they stay rubbery, and they typically don’t hold their shape as well when fried (they split into a “V” or into 2 pieces, and the edges are much more jagged than what you see in my photos).
So this “simple recipe” turned out not to be so simple after all!! Oh the irony. 😂
Yes it is, and so this dish is gluten free.
No, it won’t go golden on the surface. Yep, been there, tried that! To use feta, you’d have to at least dust with flour or better yet, crumb it with breadcrumbs. SO GOOD!
Heck yes! If hot honey was a staple in my world, I’d have suggested that! 🙂
Plenty of options!
fresh oregano (roughly chopped)
walnuts (walnuts + honey is such a great, Greek-vibes combo)
other nuts (almonds and pistachios come to mind)
white sesame seeds
lemon juice or lemon zest
swish of extra virgin olive oil
Watch how to make it
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Golden Halloumi with Honey and Thyme
Ingredients
- 225-250g/ 8oz halloumi block, Cyprus made PDO stamped recommended (Note 1)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Optional finishing:
- 1 1/2 tbsp honey (eyeball it), sub maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves and tiny sprigs , (sub heaped ¼ tsp white sesame seeds, 1.5 tbsp roughly chopped roasted walnuts or pistachios) (Note 2)
- 2 – 3 pinches chilli flakes (red pepper flakes), optional
Instructions
Abbreviated recipe:
- Cut into 1 – 1.25cm / 0.4 – 0.5″ slices, pat dry. Pan fry in the oil on medium high until golden, serve on pre-warmed plate, with optional finishes.
Full recipe:
- Cut halloumi into 1-1.25 cm thick slices (0.4 – 0.5") (see Note 3). Place the slices on a paper towel and pat the surface dry.
- Warm a serving plate. (Note 4)
- Heat the oil in a non stick pan over medium high heat.
- Fry – Carefully place the halloumi in the pan (I use my hands). Cook for 1 1/2 minutes or until the underside is golden. Shuffle if needed so they cook evenly.
- Turn gently (I use a spatula + butter knife to guide) and cook the other side for 1 – 1/2 minutes until golden.
- Transfer onto the serving plate.
- Optional finishes – Working quickly, drizzle with honey, sprinkle with thyme and chilli flakes. I do full honey coverage for some slices, and for others just a drizzle.
- Serve immediately, quick, before the halloumi goes squeaky! 🙂 Though actually, the squeak doesn’t bother me but it's at its prime straight out of the pan when the surface is still crisp and the inside is soft. (Note: Honey on the plate is ideal for bread mopping)
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
I will never look back and say “I spent too much time with Dozer”. ❤️
Just tried this recipe for lunch. There was a “Cyprus Style” haloumi in the fridge with shreds of fresh basil throughout, so I followed the instructions, left out the thyme but used the chilli flakes and honey. Yumm! Previously I would use the Asian sweet chilli sauce with fried haloumi, but NOT ANYMORE!
Absolutely delicious! It really does whip up quickly. I topped mine with honey, thyme, and chili flakes and highly recommend that combo. Will definitely be making this again!
Loved this, would make again!
Dear Nagi,
Your Halloumi is so delicious! So much flavor and texture!
I was intrigued by the recipe and had to try it! Delicious, fast, and easy!! Loved all the toppings including the hot pepper flakes! Yummo!
Thank you so much for sharing! You are incredibly talented!! We are so blessed with your sharing of delicious foods to make!!
Dear Nagi,
Nice recipe, really! Good food and quick to prepare, enjoyable.
Lovely Dozer to have you as a doting Mum, he is such a good soul mate.
Get and embrace the happiness for you both.
Justine and Jack🐶😇
Hi, Nagi, love your website and have tried a couple of yiur recipes already and they’ve turned out fantastic. Can I please ask if you are able to teach us on meal prep for a week worth of lunches for 2 people? Thanks
wish you could print the recipes
I print the recipes all the time Susan. Hit the print button under the recipe title. Hope this helps.
You can print the recipes! At the top of the recipe it says ‘print’. Tap on ‘print’ and hey presto! it’s available for printing.
I just made this and served it over a bed of Greek salad. It was really good. I skipped the honey because I was having it in the salad, but I did dress the salad with a wine vinaigrette.
Kefalotyri is a Greek cheese that can also be fried, Not quite the same as halloumi but still delicious. I am a huge fan of Greek food (it used to be my favourite until I moved to Australia and discovered Thai…now that I’m back in small town Canada, I’m having trouble finding authentic Thai).
Thanks for educating us on PDO halloumi…it spurred me on to finding it here.
Love your recipes and you and Dozer…thanks for sharing your talents and him with us.
Yes! Also Saganaki 🙂 Hope you manage to find it! Really makes a difference. I literally bought and cooked 8 different brands and real v imitation makes all the difference! – N x
Yes, I love Saganaki and often order it at Greek restaurants. I googled it and discovered that “the cheese used in saganaki is usually graviera, kefalograviera, halloumi, kasseri, kefalotyri, or sheep’s milk feta cheese. Regional variations include the use of formaela cheese in Arachova, halloumi in Cyprus, and vlahotiri in Metsovo” so apparently it’s the dish that’s called Saganaki and can be made with a number of cheeses. I did find the real deal. Can’t wait to make this!
Just want to say how much I love you and Dozer. You always are joyful and it’s so nice that you pass that on to us all.❤️
Thanks for the lovely message Mary Ann! N x
I added a little coarsely grated orange rind into thyme and honey topper. I think it’s pretty good 😃
I’m going to try that! N x
I agree, my furries are my life. I recently got a big Maine Coon from rescue and he adores me as I do him. Thanks for sharing Dozer with us. It seems Cypriot Halloumi is the best around.
Ohhhhh! I bet he gives great hugs 🙂 N x
Absolutely!!! I will never say that about my dog or cats either! Love that Dozer!! 🙂
❤️
Enjoy your delicious recipes, Love your photos you share. There is nothing to regret when everything you do is done with love! 🙂
AGREE!! N xx
I will 2nd that comment for darn sure and I feel the same way about my Cinco here, he comes first above all in my life.
And your recipes are just out of this world great…my cooking has so improved because of you Nagi and Dozer.
I bet Cinco gives great hugs!!!
Nor I with Scotch
BTW I made your pumpkin soup for a pair of veru pickey eaters and they asked if I had any more the next day!!!
So glad picky eaters approved!!! Think they’d like the Thai one too?? 🙂 N x
Love, love, love the photo of you and Dozer. As the proud Mom of 2 fur babies, you can never give them too much love or time.
This recipe is very similar to one that I make with Israeli feta…I’m in California, and it’s easy to find. My friends go crazy for this delicious appetizer. I’m going to try to find Halloumi.
Big hugs to Dozer!
Israeli feta?? Is it different to Greek? I find Greek feta won’t pan fry golden without a crumb on it. Off to check it out! N x
Yes, it’s different from Greek. Trader Joe’s carries it, and once you taste it you won’t eat any other feta. It’s that good. Not as salty as a lot of feta
I’m going to get halloumi today to try this. It sounds fabulous.
Also, I love the picture of you and Dozer. No, you never spent a minute too long with him. He’s a gem and so beautiful.
I hope you tried it Marjorie!! It’s so good and SO FAST! – N x
There’s never enough time spent with our fur babies. The picture is great! Wish I had more and better pictures taken with mine. Enjoy him!
My phone is 90% Dozer!! N x
I never knew you needed oil to cook it, probably why mine always looks kind of burnt rather than golden! I’ll definitely give this a try! Hugs to Dozer
Yes!! It makes such a difference 🙂 N x PS Hugs passed on!
Not possible to spend too much time with our fur babies! Enjoy every second.
Just love halloumi; definitely will be trying this recipe!!
I am! I hate being away from him these days, ever since he got sick I’m so attached 😭