Air Fryer Halloumi Bites with Panko Breadcrumbs

If you love your air fryer, you'll love these crispy air fryer halloumi bites. Salty squeaky halloumi cheese is breaded with seasoned Panko breadcrumbs and air-fried to deep golden brown perfection. The perfect appetizer, snack, or salad addition.

Jump to:

• What is halloumi?
• Ingredients
• Substitutions
• Instructions
• Tips for air frying halloumi
• What to serve with air-fried halloumi
• Storage
• FAQs
• Recipe

What is halloumi?

Halloumi is a semi-hard, unripened, brined Cypriot cheese that is known for its unique ability to hold its shape when cooked. It's a salty cheese and brings a satisfying texture to the recipe. Halloumi cheese is made with a mix of sheep's milk and goat's milk. Because it's a semi-hard cheese and has a high melting point, when you air fry halloumi it doesn't melt into a cheesy puddle. Halloumi has a flavor reminiscent of feta cheese but with a firm texture, not crumbly like feta.

This air fryer method only requires a few minutes of prep and then the cooking is hands-off and results in a super crispy coating.

The halloumi bites can be served in many ways, such as on top of a salad, in a sandwich, or as an appetizer with some dip - a marinara sauce is a great combo with this recipe. For the photos, I served the halloumi with pickle dip and that combo was amazing - so crispy crunchy salty tangy. 

If you love this easy recipe, try air fryer paneer.

If you need an egg-free breading, try my flour batter technique from these air fryer pickle spears and crispy chicken wraps. 

Ingredients

See the recipe card for exact amounts.

• halloumi: I use one block of halloumi and cut it into cubes. The cubes are about 1 inch and take 8-10 minutes. Adjust the cooking time for smaller or larger cubes.
• flour: all-purpose flour coats the halloumi cubes and helps the egg to stick.
• egg: a whisked egg helps the breadcrumbs to stick.
• Panko breadcrumbs: Panko breadcrumbs are ultra-light breadcrumbs that result in a super crispy coating.
• seasoning: salt and black pepper as always for seasoning, and dried basil and oregano for a bit of added herby flavor.

Substitutions

• halloumi: try this with another type of cheese, like in my air-fryer paneer recipe.
• egg: as I mentioned above you can use my flour batter technique from my air fryer pickles recipe which helps to create an eggless breading for those with egg allergies or sensitivities.
• Panko: you can try regular breadcrumbs but Panko breadcrumbs give the crispiest result.
• seasoning: try your favorite seasoning mix instead of the basil and oregano. Greek seasoning, Italian seasoning, or an all-purpose seasoning would all be good substitutes.

Instructions

Set the breading station up. Add Panko breadcrumbs and spices to one bowl, a large egg (whisked) to another bowl, and the flour to another bowl.

You can do this by hand, keeping one hand a dry hand and one hand a wet hand, or using a fork.

Tips for air frying halloumi

What to serve with air-fried halloumi

To serve the halloumi as an appetizer pair it with a fun dip like spicy spinach chimichurri, Tzatziki sauce, or honey dill sauce.

For a sweet and salty combo add a drizzle of honey over the halloumi cubes, or try this honey sriracha sauce for dipping.

Try air fried paneer next!

Storage

These halloumi are best right when they're made. Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for a day or two. Reheat at 350°F (180°C) for a few minutes, until hot inside again.

Recipe

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