Golden Halloumi With Honey And Thyme

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!

What you need

For the crispy golden pan fried halloumi

Just halloumi and olive oil for cooking! 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!!)

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: 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. 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!

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!

How I eat fried halloumi

In order of frequency: I get 7 to 8 slices out of a standard 225 – 250g/8 oz block. When to turn – When you see the edges of the underside become golden, that’s a good sign that the whole underside is 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. 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

Watch how to make it

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. 😂