Delicious salty halloumi cut into sticks and coated in panko breadcrumbs for a delicious crispy and cheesy side dish or appetiser that everyone will love. Baked instead of fried, these are so simple to make, with just 4 ingredients and they are ready in under 30 minutes.
We LOVE halloumi. It has the most amazing texture and keeps its shape when cooking, making it perfect for breading and turning into halloumi fries (or halloumi sticks). This is our favourite way to cook halloumi. Baked instead of fried to not only make them a little bit lighter, but also makes them much less messy to make.
If you are looking for some other halloumi recipes, then why not try our Air Fryer Halloumi, Halloumi Salad, Halloumi Curry, Halloumi Fajitas and Halloumi Pasta?
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Why you will love it
- A delicious way to use halloumi - This is one of our favourite ways to use halloumi.
- Baked instead of fried - Save calories and no hot oil splashing around. Win win! We have given an air fryer version below too.
- Easy party food - These are a real crowd-pleaser. You can make them up and then put them in the oven when your guests arrive.
- Recipe can be doubled - Or you could even triple it. This is so easy to scale up if you are making them for a big crowd.
- Can be made in advance - You can assemble the fries and then keep them in the fridge until you are ready to cook them.
Ingredients needed
- Halloumi - This is the star of the dish. To get the best baked halloumi, then use full fat halloumi rather than reduced fat. You can use a supermarket own "grilling cheese" instead if you prefer.
- Flour - This helps to soak up any moisture from the halloumi, which helps them to get nice and crispy.
- Egg - This is what helps the breadcrumbs stick to the halloumi.
- Breadcrumbs - We used panko breadcrumbs because they help the halloumi fries to get really crispy. You can use any breadcrumbs though. You can also use crushed rice krispies, which is also a gluten free alternative to breadcrumbs.
A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.
What is Halloumi?
If you haven’t had halloumi before, then you are seriously missing out and this is one of our favourite halloumi recipes. You are in for a treat! The semi-hard cheese originated from Cyprus and although it doesn’t taste like much straight from the packet, it tastes amazing once cooked and has a whole different texture.
It can be made from cow, sheep or goat’s cheese, and has quite a salty flavour – which is what we love about it. Because of its high melting point, it’s great for grilling, baking and frying and it keeps its shape making it perfect for halloumi fries.
How to make Halloumi Fries - Step by step
One: Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Coat the halloumi strips in the flour. Shake off the excess and then dip into the egg. Put into the breadcrumbs and coat completely.
Two: Line a baking tray with baking paper and place the coated halloumi onto it.
Three: Cook for 25 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Serving suggestions
Here are some of our favourite main dishes that go perfectly with this halloumi fries recipe:
Some kind of dip is a must with these halloumi fries. Why not try our Homemade BBQ Sauce or Healthy Tomato Ketchup. We also love dipping potatoes in to our Easy Tartare Sauce.
Want something spicy to dip them in? Try our Kebab Shop Chilli Sauce or Jalapeno Sauce.
Air Fryer Halloumi Fries
Whilst baking these halloumi sticks does get them nice and crispy, thanks to the panko breadcrumbs, if you want to get the crispy levels closer to frying, but without all the calories, then you can air fryer them.
Follow all the instructions for assembling the halloumi fries and then put them in a single layer in the air fryer at 180°C for 6-8 minutes, turning half way through. The perfect halloumi fries in an air fryer.
Storage
Store: Halloumi fries are best eaten straight out of the oven. As they cool, the halloumi will harden again and it is best when a little soft. However, if you do have any leftover then once fully cooled you can put them in an air tight container and store in the fridge for 2 days.
Freeze: We don't recommend freezing these.
Reheat: You can reheat these in the oven for 6-8 minutes, or in the air fryer for 3-4 minutes. You can eat them cold too. We like to chop them up and add them to a salad.
Frequently Asked Questions
Halloumi is high in protein and calcium, but it is also high in fat and salt, so keep an eye on portion size.
There are 560 calories in a portion, however number will be slightly inflated as not all of the flour, breadcrumbs or egg is used.
Yes! If you have any leftover block of halloumi, you can put it in a freezer bag and it will store for up to 2 months.
Just make sure you use gluten free breadcrumbs and flour and make sure that there is no cross contamination.
Extra tips
• You could season the flour with some chilli powder and paprika if you wanted some extra flavour.
• If you didn't have any egg, then you could use mayonnaise instead. Using a vegan mayo would make this egg free too.
• Breading these can get a little messy. Use one hand to roll in flour and egg and then drop it in the breadcrumbs and use the other hand to coat. Keeping one wet hand and one dry hand stops you getting in to a sticky mess.
• Cooking times may vary, as every brand of halloumi is different. Halloumi gets soft, so be careful when you turn them over.
• Ensure that there is enough room on the baking try so they don't touch. This will help them to get crispy.
• Because of the way that halloumi is formed it is hard to cut them all the same so don't worry about it too much.
• Can't find halloumi? You can use paneer instead.
More side dish recipes
If you’ve tried this recipe, then let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - You can use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Baked Halloumi Fries
Ingredients
- 225 g (8 oz) Halloumi - cut into chips
- 1 Egg - whisked
- 4 tablespoon Plain flour
- 60 g (1 cups) panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C/160°C(fan)/350°F/Gas 4.
- Coat strips of 225 g Halloumi in 4 tablespoon Plain flour. Shake off the excess and then dip into 1 Egg (whisked). Put into 60 g panko breadcrumbs and coat completely.
- Line a baking tray with baking paper and place the coated halloumi onto it.
- Cook for 25 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Recipe Tips
- The nutritional information listed here will be slightly inflated as not all of the flour, breadcrumbs or egg is used.
- We haven't added any flavours to these halloumi fries, but you could season the flour with some chilli powder and paprika if you wanted some extra flavour.
- If you didn't have any egg, then you could use mayonnaise instead. This also means that you aren't wasting any egg, but we usually just cook up the leftover egg as a snack. Using a vegan mayo would make this egg free too.
- Breading these can get a little messy. My tip would be to use one hand to roll in flour and egg and then drop it in the breadcrumbs and use the other hand to coat. Keeping one wet hand and one dry hand stops you getting in to a sticky mess.
- Cooking times may vary, as every brand of halloumi is different. Some is a lot softer than others, so you will need to be careful when you turn them over.
- Ensure that there is enough room on the baking try so they don't touch. This will help them to get crispy.
- Be careful when they come out of the oven as they will still be quite soft, however they will harden as the cool.
- Ideally all the fries will be cut the same shape to unsure they cook evenly, however because of the way that halloumi is formed it is hard to cut them all the same so don't worry about it too much.
- Can't find halloumi? You can use paneer instead.
Nutritional Information
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Sam says
Do I need breadcrumbs to make this or can I bake them using just the flour and egg mixture? TIA
Dannii Martin says
Yes, to make them crispy you need to use the breadcrumbs.
Tara says
Oooh, halloumi is a favorite of mine. This looks so good with that crispy coating. Such fantastic textures!
Cam says
These halloumi fries were SO good and so crispy from the Panko! I can't wait to make them again!
Kerri says
Love this! I love grilling cheese and the crunch of the breadcrumbs with this is so good!
Mirlene says
A perfect appetizer to have! I love these baked haloumi fries. They're really easy to make and always gone within minutes!
Kathleen says
This might be my favorite way to have halloumi. Really like how easy it is to make and that they are baked.
Marina says
Love the diversity of your recipes Dannii! My family enjoyed your halloumi fries, thanks!
Claire says
These sound amazing and love that they are baked not fried. A great snack and side dish.
Natalie says
I made halloumi sticks for the first time, and didn't know what to expect really. I was delighted with this delicious side dish, thanks!
Dionne says
My friend makes these every time we organize party, and they always delight. Can't wait to surprise her with making some of my own now :)
Mahy says
Halloumi fries are my favorite! I love to make them a few times a week actually.