Halloumi Burgers

If you're after a quick and easy meal - make these insanely delicious halloumi burgers tonight! Combining crumbed and fried halloumi, a zesty cabbage salad, tomatoes, and aioli - all sandwiched between a soft bun. So tell me - what's not to love?

Jump to:

• Why you'll love this recipe
• What goes into this recipe
• How to make this recipe
• Expert Tips
• Variations
• What to serve with this recipe
• FAQ's
• Related Recipes
• Video - how to make them
• 📖 Recipe

Why you'll love this recipe

• It's a unique veggie burger. Most veggie burgers can be a little "meh" in taste and texture. However, this vegetarian halloumi burger is anything but that! Crumbed and gently fried, the halloumi stands out as the star of this dish. It's a very different take on a burger, and this is why I love it, and I'm sure you will too.
• Soft, warm, crunchy cheese? Who's going to resist that in a burger?! Some people might think it's madness to use an iconic cheese this way. However, I think it's genius.

Related: If you love different burgers try my chickpea and quinoa burgers with halloumi or my grilled salmon burger.

What goes into this recipe

• Halloumi - Make sure to use an authentic, good quality brand. You'll know it's real because the cheese will "squeak" when you bite into it.
• Cabbage - finely shred the cabbage and dress it with some lemon juice and salt. It adds a lovely contrast to the tomatoes.
• Tomatoes - because summer! Make sure they're ripe and juicy.
• Burger buns - I like to use soft "round-ish" rolls. They're perfect for these halloumi burgers. You can also use brioche buns - even better!
• Aioli - the secret ingredient! This creamy sauce of garlic and olive oil brings everything together.

How to make this recipe

To make our breaded halloumi burger, we first need to prepare the cheese.

• Step 1: Dredge the cut halloumi slices in flour
• Step 2: Dip it into the beaten egg.
• Step 3: Coat halloumi cheese slices with the panko breadcrumbs.

• Step 4: Place the prepared halloumi slices onto a lined tray with baking paper and place them in the fridge for 15 mins.

• Step 5: Fry the cheese on medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes on each side until they are golden brown.

• Step 6: Drain the crispy halloumi on an oven tray with a rack.

How to construct your Halloumi Burgers

1. Layer the bottom bun with aioli and cabbage
2. Top with the fried cheese
3. Add the tomato slices
4. Drizzle with extra aioli

Expert Tips

• Go authentic! I can offer you the best tip for making these halloumi burgers - use traditional halloumi cheese. 
• Don't overcook. When frying, be wary of overcooking the cheese - you may find that it gets too soft.
• Grill instead of fry. If you're not a fan of breading the cheese, try pan frying it (without the breadcrumbs) or grilling it instead. Grilled halloumi still tastes fantastic.

Variations

While I think these burgers are perfect, you can swap out any ingredients to suit your taste buds. It's a very flexible recipe.

• Use different greens.  Swap out the cabbage for Iceberg or Romaine lettuce - they make great substitutes.
• Add avocado.  It will enhance the creaminess of the burger.
• Try a different sauce. Use sriracha instead of aioli for a nice spicy kick.
• Add roasted peppers for added flavour and texture.

What to serve with this recipe

• Try my roasted Greek potatoes for an authentic Greek experience.
• Make my classic Greek salad

FAQ's

This recipe is also available as a Web Story 👉 check it out here.

Related Recipes

Explore some other recipes I have on the blog using halloumi in very creative ways:

Video - how to make them

📖 Recipe

This post was originally published in February 2008, but was republished with additional information in December of 2021.