Easy Pan Fried Halloumi Greek Cheese with garlic lemon and mint

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Easy Pan Fried Halloumi Greek Cheese is a simple, delicious, and amazing appetizer that is bursting with lemon garlic and mint flavors!

picture of browned slices of halloumi cheese on a white plate with dried mint on top

Skillet Fried Greek Cheese

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!

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!

Fried garlic and mint take this super easy to prepare cheese to another lever - this is soon to become your favorite appetizer ever!

Be sure to scroll through the post for cooking tips, other delicious Greek inspired recipes (most adapted with love with help from my large community of friends from my Greek Orthodox Church), and some alternative cooking ideas!

If you're not sure where to buy Halloumi, ask your grocery store's deli staff. It is usually with high-end cheeses, and is much more widely available than it used to be just a few years ago! Our King Soopers and City Market (Colorado's Kroger), Safeway, and Whole Foods always have Halloumi in stock lately. You can also use "bread cheese", or another cheese that doesn't melt under heat.

How to Pan Fry Halloumi

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!

picture of lemon, halloumi, and butter on a table

picture of sliced halloumi frying in a pan

picture of lightly browned fried sliced of halloumi cheese in a pan

Once you've gathered your ingredients, follow this method:

Heat butter or oil. 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 & FAQs

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.

picture of fried sliced halloumi topped with minced mint on a white plate

FAQs

Will halloumi melt in the pan?

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.

Can I grill halloumi?

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

How can I store leftovers?

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

picture of slices of halloumi cheese frying in a pan

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:

Pan Fried Halloumi Greek Cheese Recipe

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