Halloumi Recipe (Greek Fried Cheese)

Easy Pan Fried Halloumi Greek Cheese is a simple, delicious, and amazing appetizer that is bursting with lemon garlic and mint flavors! If you’ve never heard of Halloumi, you might be wondering just what Greek Fried Cheese is all about – and let me tell you, you’re in for a MAJOR treat!

It’s slightly crunchy, squeaky when you chew it, salty, and sooooo delicious – a hot fried cheese that doesn’t melt when fried or grilled. It gets soft and a bit gooey, but keeps its shape – making it an amazing cheese to serve as an appetizer or hot side dish!

At Ajpal, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – because I am a home cook without any formal training, and I find I am more confident making dishes when I understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. My goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.

How to Make Skillet Fried Halloumi

While simply grilling or pan-frying halloumi is delicious, I decided to kick our favorite Greek cheese up a bit in this recipe with some rich roasted garlic and a fresh kick with some mint!

Greek Fried Cheese Ingredients

To make pan fried halloumi, you need the following ingredients:

• Olive oil or butter – a bit of olive oil or butter helps to keep your cheese from sticking and makes it easier to flip, even if cooking in a nonstick pan. I like the rich, salty flavor butter gives to fried halloumi – but olive oil can give a delicious, briny flavor.
• Halloumi Cheese – halloumi is a Cypriot cheese with a moderately high fat content that holds up well to high heat – it is squeaky when you eat it, and it can work as a meat substitute since it is packed with protein.
• Dried mint – mint is a delicious addition to cut through the rich, creamy and salty flavor of halloumi cheese – you can also use Greek oregano for earthy flavor, too!
• Lemon – lemon juice gives a bright, lightly sweet, and tart citrus kick to pan fried halloumi that cuts through the fat of halloumi to give it a delicious, addictive quality!
• Garlic, optional – you can kick up the flavor of your fried halloumi by throwing a bit of diced garlic in the pan as it cooks to infuse it with tons of garlic flavor!

Steps to Make Fried Halloumi Cheese

Prep

To prepare halloumi for frying, remove from refrigerator and open packaging. Drain off liquid that halloumi is packed in, and place on a dish to pat any excess liquid dry (this will help the cheese fry and crisp.)

Heat Butter

In a nonstick pan, heat oil on medium heat until shimmery, or butter until melted and foamy.

Fry Cheese

Add cheese to pan, and drizzle with lemon juice. Let cheese brown on one side, then flip. You can add garlic to pan if you’d like more flavor, but it’s not mandatory. Add mint or oregano to pan over cheese. Flip 1-2 more times, lightly spooning garlic and mint over cheese until browned on both sides.

Serve

When cheese is soft and golden brown on both sides (after about 6 minutes), remove from pan and serve immediately!

Tips and Tricks for Perfect Pan Fried Halloumi

Try a variation. For other delicious flavor ideas to serve with halloumi, try these delicious twists:

• When garlic is browned, deglaze pan with 1 oz brandy or rum for a sweet, boozy kick (bonus points – light the alcohol for a flaming cheese that is similar to saganaki, but chewy instead of melted and gooey).
• Add peaches, plums, or other stone fruit (or preserves) to pan and fry with cheese.
• Drizzle honey over the cheese for a sweet kick that gives a nice sugary crust.
• Add candied nuts to pan when frying for a bit of a salty-sweet crunch.

How to Store Halloumi. If you have any leftovers, you can keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.

Other Greek-Inspired Recipes You’ll Love

We seriously love Greek foods, like Dutch Oven Grecian Chicken; hearty, rich, and delicious Easy Griddled Greek Gyros; my husband’s famous Grilled Chicken Souvlaki Recipe; and some easy Greek Tzatziki Recipe!

For more of our Greek recipes, find our favorite recent recipes below:

Easy Baked Greek Chicken Thighs

Avgolemono Salmon

Grilled Lamb Souvlaki Recipe (Juicy Greek Skewers)

Spicy Red Pepper Feta White Bean Dip

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Fried Greek Cheese FAQs

Halloumi needs to be fried at a high heat to prevent from melting too much, so get your pan very hot to brown it, then flip.

Halloumi is also delicious on the grill, or under the broiler!