Simple Pan Fried Halloumi
This 3-ingredient recipe is a knockout that you will find on repeat in your kitchen due to its absolute simplicity and total, utter deliciousness. Browned and crisp slices of melty white cheese, pan fried in olive oil and crusted with tangy za’atar spice mixture are sure to fly off your table as they do from mine anytime I serve it.
Servings: 4 smaller servings, or 2 bigger servings if we're being honest!
Ingredients
- 2-3 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 block of halloumi (approx. 250 gms) rinsed, dried, and sliced into ¼" to ½" slices *note on slicing
- 1 tablespoon za’atar more to taste as needed
- lemon wedges for serving optional
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a heavy bottomed frying pan and place on your stove on medium high heat. Once the oil is quite hot add the halloumi slices, trying not to let the slices touch as they will melt and merge together a little bit as they cook if they are too close together.
- Pan fry on the first side for approximately 10 minutes - at first you will notice some liquid cooking out of the cheese so things may spatter a bit, and at first the slices won't seem to brown (but don't worry they will!).
- When your halloumi slices start to look crispy and browned underneath - liberally sprinkle the za'atar mixture onto the top uncooked side and then flip over.
- The second side cooks much quicker and will be ready in about 2-3 minutes - at this point, call your diners to the table so that they are ready to eat the hot halloumi in just a few minutes!
- When the second side of your halloumi slices are browned and crispy, quickly pile the slices, za'atar side up, onto a serving plate and serve with optional lemon wedges if desired for an additional tangy kick. Enjoy!
Notes
I like to slice my halloumi quite thin so that it gets as crispy as possible, but if you prefer more of the melty texture in the middle, experiment with the thickness of your slices to achieve your preferred personal melty to crisp ratio.