Halloumi Fries
Crispy halloumi fries feature a golden, seasoned panko crust around a warm, salty, springy cheese center. Shallow fried in 90-second batches and served hot with a tangy garlic Greek yogurt dipping sauce.
Equipment
- tea towels
- 3 bowls
- medium sauce pan
- paper towel lined tray
- Microplane
Ingredients
- 360 g / 12oz haloumi cheese blocks 2 x 180g/6 oz blocks
- 2 cups canola oil (or other natural oil)
- 2 large eggs whisked
Flour dredge
- 1/2 cup plain/all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp Italian herbs
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika (sub ordinary paprika)
- 1 tsp ground white pepper (sub black pepper)
Crumbing
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs - or ordinary breadcrumbs
- 1/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt
Yoghurt garlic dipping sauce
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yoghurt
- 1 garlic clove finely grated using a microplane
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice (sub white vinegar)
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt
Instructions
- Stir the Greek yogurt, grated garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and sauce salt together, then let the dip rest for at least 20 minutes while you prepare the fries. The pause gives the garlic time to blend into the yogurt instead of tasting sharply separate.
- Use a sharp, thin-bladed knife to cut the halloumi into sticks about 1.5 cm thick, making five lengthwise slices from each block and halving those slices where the shape allows. Aim for roughly 20 evenly sized pieces, with lengths determined by the blocks.
- Blot the cut sticks with clean kitchen towels to remove surface brine. The cheese should feel mostly dry rather than slippery when you lift it.
- Arrange three bowls with whisked eggs in one, the combined flour dredge ingredients in another, and the mixed crumbing ingredients in the last. Choose bowls with enough space for the sticks to move without spilling the coating.
- Work with two sticks at a time, dusting them in flour and shaking away loose powder before passing them through egg, letting the excess drip away, and pressing on breadcrumbs before transferring them to a tray. A gentle toss of the breadcrumb bowl helps cover the sides without sticky fingers, leaving an even shell with no exposed cheese.
- Bring the canola oil to 180°C/350°F in a medium saucepan over high heat. If you don't have a thermometer, a small bread cube turning golden in about 15 to 20 seconds offers a rough readiness check.
- Lower five coated sticks into the hot oil per batch, fry for 1½ minutes, and transfer them to the paper towel-lined tray before continuing with the remaining sticks. Look for deeply golden crumbs and a firm crust rather than waiting for the cheese to melt.
- Bring the hot fries to the table with the prepared garlic yogurt dip. The contrast is best while the crust crackles and the cheese inside still feels soft and springy.
Notes
Ingredient tip: Pat the halloumi blocks dry with clean kitchen towels before slicing, then blot the cut sticks again to remove surface brine so the coating adheres without slipping off.
Texture tip: Let excess egg drip back into the bowl before coating in panko, and keep one hand for wet handling and the other for dry crumbs to avoid heavy clumps.
Air fryer & oven options: To air fry, spray the coated sticks lightly with oil and cook in an uncrowded single layer at 200°C/390°F for about 9 minutes. To bake, pre-toast the panko in the oven until lightly golden, cool, coat the sticks, and bake at 180°C/350°F for 8 to 10 minutes.
Storage & reheating: Store cooked leftovers covered in the refrigerator with the yogurt dip in a separate container. Reheat in a single layer on a baking tray in the oven until hot and crisp again.
Nutrition information is an estimate based on common ingredients and serving sizes. Values may vary depending on brands, portions, and substitutions.