The Air Fryer Is A Total Game Changer For Halloumi

From Buffalo wings to leftover pizza and vegetable medleys, there are a million and one dishes to prepare in your handy dandy air fryer. A modern kitchen marvel with easy-to-use features, this high-speed compact oven does it all. Even certain cheese varieties, like halloumi, can benefit from the ol' air fryer treatment.

Halloumi is a semi-hard cheese with a mild, briny flavor and springy texture that is believed to have first been produced in the Mediterranean country of Cyprus. Unlike many cheeses, halloumi can be heated without melting, making it an excellent protein source in the absence of meat. Although it is commonly grilled or seared, air-frying this one-of-a-kind cheese is a game changer. For starters, halloumi cooks twice as fast in an air fryer than it does on the stove or conventional oven. Thanks to their 360-degree heat circulation, air fryers give halloumi that must-have golden brown char on its exterior, ensuring that it comes out just as satisfying as when using traditional cooking methods.

Additionally, air fryers are adept at facilitating the Maillard reaction, a chemical heat reaction between amino acids and sugars in food that results not only in a jute-colored crisp but also a toastier and more complex flavor. Fast, convenient, and delicious to boot — what's not to love about air-fried halloumi?

Air fryers are known for their accessible functions that both Michelin-star chefs and foodies new to the kitchen can hack. But even simple recipes come with guidelines, so keep a few tips in mind to get the most out of your air-fried halloumi.

Whether it's halloumi or any other dish, always use less oil than you might think when air-frying food. In fact, when cooking halloumi in the air fryer, you don't need any oil at all. However, a skosh spritz or dainty drizzle of your favorite cooking oil can keep the cheese from sticking to the surface of the air fryer basket while giving it a boost of lush, fatty richness and an extra layer of subtle flavor. Though it's not necessary, soaking the cheese in water overnight can soften it up and reduce any unwanted excess sodium. Similarly, you can soak the cheese in your favorite marinade to imbue it with bright, spicy, or umami-forward notes for improved depth of flavor.

A good rule of thumb for timing and temperature in the air fryer is about 8 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, flipping the cheese halfway through to ensure each side is golden-brown. Be careful not to overcook it or else you'll wind up with rubbery halloumi. It should be crispy on the outside but tender on the inside.

There's nothing wrong with plain, air-fried halloumi enjoyed as a quick protein-packed pick-me-up. However, there are some fun ways to zhuzh up halloumi and incorporate the cheese into larger spreads, stacks, and smorgasbords of food.

Halloumi, shrimp, and sausage kebobs, anyone? When bathed in a lime-tinted, herb-kissed marinade skewered between charred sausage links, crispy shrimp, and the vegetables of your choice, air-fried halloumi brings a deliciously savory and tangy element to the mix, complementing the smoky flavors of the sausage and the succulent sweetness of the shrimp with its own unique taste. For something on the lighter side, grilled halloumi is an apt way to fill out a Mediterranean salad teeming with crunchy, mixed greens, zippy red onions, thirst-quenching cucumbers, salty kalamata olives, and a zesty red wine vinaigrette.

Don't limit yourself to savory recipes — air-fried halloumi provides an intriguing contrast to sweet dishes. Dice air-fried halloumi into bite-sized shapes before stuffing them into caramel-sweet dates drizzled with honey or maple syrup and a dash of sea salt — the perfect mid-day snack. Halloumi also pairs well with peaches, cherries, plums, figs, apricots, and many varieties of jam, so don't limit yourself — the bolder and braver, the better!