Crispy Air Fryer Halloumi With Honey Drizzle

Air-fryer halloumi offers a quick and easy way to prepare this deliciously salty cheese. Air frying creates a crisp halloumi that balances a golden exterior with a soft interior. Drizzled with a little honey and lemon it makes the perfect appetizer, side or snack.

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Nutritional Benefits

Halloumi is a semi-hard Cypriot cheese made from a blend of cow’s milk, sheep’s milk, and goat’s milk. It is quite salty, like feta cheese, though the two have very different textures. Halloumi is high in protein, low in carbohydrates and a good source of minerals like calcium, zinc, and selenium. That said, halloumi is also quite high in sodium, as such, enjoying it in moderation is best.

Ingredients – What You’ll Need To Make This Recipe

Once only found in Middle Eastern supermarkets, halloumi is now relatively easy to find in any of the larger grocery stores. Go for a plain, traditional Cypriot halloumi or one with mint added. Both are delicious.

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• Halloumi cheese – Provides the core flavor, offering a salty, tangy taste with a slightly firm, squeaky texture.
• Olive oil – Adds a light coating to prevent sticking and helps achieve a golden-brown exterior.
• Honey – Adds the finishing sweet touch that is an excellent contrast to the salty and sour flavours in this dish.
• Lemon juice – Enhances the halloumi’s natural tanginess and adds a little zest. Lime juice is also fine if that’s what you have on hand.
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper – To taste, when serving if desired.

The addition of herbs like chopped fresh thyme, oregano or mint are optional, though they do add a little pop of colour and of course, a little flavour. I like to sprinkle them over after adding the lemon, honey and olive oil and just before serving.

How To Make Air Fryer Halloumi

The beauty of this crispy air-fryer halloumi recipe lies in its simplicity. With minimal oil required, you can achieve a beautifully browned and slightly crispy crust, while the inside remains soft. The air fryer’s circulating air cooks the cheese evenly, ensuring a consistent texture and avoiding the uneven browning that can sometimes occur with pan-frying.

1. Take the block of raw halloumi and cut it into 1/4-inch (0.5cm) slices.
2. An optional step – but one I recommend. Add the slices to a large bowl with a flat base (or a saucepan) and cover with boiling water. Leave to soak for 15 minutes. Remove from the water, place on a plate and pat dry with paper towel.
3. Pour some olive oil into a small bowl and use a pastry brush to brush it over the halloumi slices. Do this on both sides of the cheese then place on parchment lined air-fryer trays or your lined air-fryer basket.
4. Lay the slices of halloumi in a single layer to ensure they cook evenly.
5. Air fry halloumi for 5 minutes, flip and cook for another 3-5 minutes or until sizzling and golden brown.
6. Remove and add to a serving plate finish with a squeeze of lemon, drizzle of honey, a small drizzle olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Add chopped herbs if desired.

The halloumi should cook in 8-10 minutes, though cooking time can vary with the different styles of air fryer. The best way to ensure the cheese doesn’t burn or dry out is just to keep an eye on it the first time you make this recipe. The timing may need to be adjusted up or down by 1-2 minutes.

Substitutions And Variations

Once cooked, cut the halloumi into cubes and use them to make a halloumi salad, or little halloumi bites for a charcuterie board.

Try hot honey, Fermented Garlic Honey, or some of the honey from Fermented Fruit in place of regular honey. All will add plenty of extra flavour to this dish.

Mix a little bit of garlic powder into the olive oil before brushing it over the halloumi pieces to add some pungency and spice.

Tips For Success With This Recipe

Air-fried halloumi can be a little drier than the pan-fried version. I’ve found that two things in particular, stop this from occurring:

1. Soaking – While soaking the halloumi before air frying is an optional step, I have found that doing so consistently yields the best results with this recipe. It stops the halloumi from drying out and also stops the cheese from forming a very firm texture.
2. Cooking on parchment paper / baking paper – Not placing this under the halloumi can mean the cheese will stick to your trays or basket and be very difficult to turn midway or remove when done. That aside – it helps keep the halloumi moist, as it sits in just a little oil as it cooks.

More Appetizer Recipes

• Chickpea Flatbread
• Oven Dried Tomatoes
• Garlic Confit

If you try this recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment, rate it, and remember to tag @wholenaturalkitchen in your pics or reels on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube or TikTok!