Grilled halloumi kebabs are an irresistible summer dish, featuring cubes of golden brown grilled cheese alternating with savory peppers, tomatoes and onions on skewers.
Recipe overview
Why you will love it: Roasted golden cheese, who doesn’t love it? This is a unique appetizer or vegetarian main course that everyone will rave about.
How long does it take: 25 minutes
Equipment you will need: wooden skewers, barbecue
Servings: 4 main courses or 12 starters
Imagine skewered cubes of cheese, grilled to perfection until golden brown, warm and soft on the inside, and slightly crunchy on the outside. Sounds pretty amazing right? Add to the picture (or rather, the skewer) a nice array of flavorful veggies: sweet peppers, juicy red tomatoes, sweet onions bathed in a lemony olive oil dressing. Wow!
Aren’t these kebabs gorgeous? I bet you can almost imagine how good they taste too. You absolutely have to try this!
Have you ever ordered halloumi in a restaurant? Because the cheese is firm and keeps its shape even when heated, halloumi is great for frying or grilling. And it’s just unique enough to elicit a few oohs and aahs.
I’ve wanted to try grilling halloumi at home for a long time. Sometimes I think that’s the only reason I go out to eat, just to see what’s on the menu that I’d like to try to recreate at home.
(Okay, that’s not the only reason I like going out. I like going out to dinner because it’s nice to have someone else to cook with once in a while.)
Reasons to love grilled halloumi
- Grilled Halloumi Kebabs are easy to make. Yes, they really are! The hardest part is threading the cheese onto the skewers without breaking the cubes (and I don’t want to scare you, that’s not too difficult either).
- The ingredients are fresh and healthy. As you can see from the photos, the skewers are loaded with fresh veggies, all of which are good for you. What a great way to eat veggies! Halloumi is rich in calcium and protein. Because it’s grilled (not fried), it’s relatively low in fat.
- The kebabs are versatile. You can mix and match the veggies, adding veggies that you like better and leaving out the ones you’re not a fan of. The kebabs can be served as an appetizer, a light lunch or dinner, or as an accompaniment to grilled chicken or salmon. The grilled halloumi and veggies can be part of a delicious grain bowl or salad.
What is halloumi?
Halloumi is a firm, white cheese with a high melting point that is ideal for frying or grilling. When you bite into it, you have a characteristic squeaking sensation.
Halloumi can be eaten raw or cooked. The taste is salty and spicy, a bit like feta or mozzarella. You may recognize a hint of spearmint.
Halloumi is often associated with Cyprus and is believed to have originated in Egypt. It is common in the Middle East and is traditionally made from goat’s or sheep’s milk. It is widely available and more commonly made from cheaper cow’s milk (Wikipedia).
ingredients you need
- halloumi: Look for halloumi, or “grilled cheese,” in the deli section of the grocery store. It’s holding up well. An unopened package can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a year. After opening the pack, it should be used within 2 weeks. Always pay attention to the expiry date on the packaging.
- Paprika: For the most colorful kebabs, choose two contrasting paprika colors. You need 2 peppers.
- Red onion: Other sweet, thick-fleshed onions work well too.
- cherry tomatoes: Perfect for grilling as they are just the right size!
- Olive oil/fresh lemon juice: The skewers are brushed with a mixture of oil and lemon juice so that they brown and do not dry out.
- wooden skewers: You will need 10 to 12 8 inch skewers. Remember to soak them for at least half an hour so they don’t catch fire when grilling.
- Fresh parsley and lemon wedges: Serve the kebabs with these fresh side dishes.
How to make grilled halloumi
Prepare vegetables and cheese. Cut the peppers and onions into bite-sized pieces of about 2.5 cm. The cheese should be cut evenly into 1 inch cubes. Try to keep the size even so it grills evenly. Don’t forget to soak the skewers if using wooden skewers.
Put on skewers. Arrange the vegetables attractively on the skewers, alternating colors. I usually like to start and end with a pepper because it stays more firmly on the skewer.
Brush the skewers with the oil and lemon juice mixture. To make cleaning easier, arrange the skewers in a row on a rimmed baking sheet. Using a brush, lightly coat each skewer with the oil mixture.
BBQ skewers. Preheat the grill to medium-high. Place skewers on oiled cooking grates and grill for 5 to 7 minutes or until cheese is golden brown and vegetables are soft and lightly charred.
Surcharge. Serve the kebabs with lemon wedges and a handful of freshly chopped parsley.
What to serve with grilled halloumi
Important tips for success
- Oil the grill grates. We have found that the cheese tends to stick to the grates if they are not oiled. After the grill has preheated, use long-handled tongs to rub a paper towel soaked in vegetable or canola oil over the grates. You can also buy specially made brushes or grill sprays for this.
- Keep the grill open. With the lid closed, the grill heats up more like an oven. The goal is to get nice grill marks on the cheese, but it doesn’t have to be baked. With the lid open, you can observe the cheese more closely.
- Do not overcook the cheese cubes. You don’t want the cheese to melt in the grill. If you’re worried the cheese will cook before the veggies, grill it on separate skewers. We’ve found that some cheese brands work better than others; The Yanni brand tended to collapse too quickly.
Changes You Can Make
- Try different vegetables: Summer squash or zucchini, mushrooms, green peppers, Brussels sprouts, any vegetable that can be skewered.
- Look for different types of cheese for grilling: According to this post by Martha Stewart, there are other varieties that can be diced and grilled: Rougette Bon Fire Cheese, Bread Cheese (Juustoleitä), and Paneer.
- Substitute for Italian Dressing: Instead of the olive oil and lemon juice mixture, coat the skewers with Italian dressing.
Make forward-thinking ideas
The skewers can be fully assembled up to 24 hours in advance. Cover and refrigerate until ready to grill. The olive oil mixture can also be prepared ahead of time.
Storage and reheating tips
The skewers taste best right away, but they can be kept in the refrigerator for three to four days.
Heat gently in the microwave until warm. Do not overheat the cheese or it may become tough.
Left over love
Make a grain bowl: If you have some leftover kebabs, they taste delicious placed in a grain bowl (Buddha bowl). Remove the cheese and vegetables from the skewers and gently microwave until warm.
Place the warm cheese and veggies in a shallow bowl along with your favorite cereal (quinoa, brown rice, farro, couscous, etc.). Cover with a dressing of your choice. We love Honey Mustard Vinaigrette or Red Wine Vinaigrette. Add fresh vegetables, toasted pine nuts or whatever you like best.
Did you do this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest!
Main course portions
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Grilled halloumi kebabs are an irresistible summer dish, featuring cubes of golden brown grilled cheese alternating with savory peppers, tomatoes and onions on skewers.
instructions
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Soak the skewers in cold water for at least 30 minutes to prevent them from burning.
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Preheat your grill to medium to high heat (approx. 200°C).
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Thread the halloumi cubes, pepper, tomato, and red onion pieces alternately onto the skewers. Be careful with the halloumi as it can easily burst.
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In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Brush the skewers with the olive oil mixture.
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Place skewers on grill over direct heat and grill for 5 to 7 minutes on each side or until cheese is golden brown and vegetables are lightly charred.
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Serve the skewers immediately, garnished with fresh parsley and/or lemon wedges.
Remarks
- The recipe can easily be halved or doubled as needed.
- If you prefer the vegetables a little more well-done, grill them separately from the diced cheese on skewers.
- Alternatively, other vegetables can be used: mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, green peppers, etc.
- We’ve found that some cheese brands work better than others. Yanni’s grilled cheese tended to melt too quickly.
Nutritional Information
Portion: 3kebabs, Calories: 454kcal, Carbohydrates: 9G, Protein: 26G, Fat: 35G, Saturated Fatty Acids: 20G, Polyunsaturated fat: 2G, Monounsaturated fatty acids: 12G, Sodium: 1659mg, Potassium: 255mg, Fiber: 2G, Sugar: 4G, Vitamin A: 1175IU, Vitamin C: 105mg, Calcium: 1151mg, Iron: 1mg
Approximate nutritional information is provided on this website for convenience only. Nutritional data is collected primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database (where available) or other online calculators.