These DELICIOUS oven-baked halloumi bites are halloumi fries taken to a whole other level. The crunchy dukkah crust, soft salty centre and sweet hot honey drizzle make these the ultimate flavour-packed snack for your next party or gathering. Try them and I guarantee your guests will be raving about them the next day!
Who doesn’t love salty, addictive halloumi?! But add a crispy, spiced dukkah crust and a drizzle of hot honey? Next-level delicious.
These guys are such a big hit at parties and events. You’ll often find guests hovering around the plate, going back again and again. That’s because they really are just so deliciously addictive. I always find anything bite-sized is somehow more fun to eat and these are no exception.
They do take a little time to prepare, but I find it a weirdly therapeutic activity. Dust, dunk, toss and repeat! You can make them up to 2 days in advance so they’re great for prepping ahead. And once you’ve coated them, all you have to do is throw them in the oven whenever you’re ready to serve. I also love serving them piled on top of creamy, super smooth hummus with a fresh chopped salad and soft flatbreads for a delicious meal.
Ingredients
There are only a handful of ingredients that go into this recipe, which is always a win.
- Halloumi. For ease, the recipe uses a whole block. Go for good quality, Cypriot halloumi if possible.
- Dukkah. This gorgeously fragrant Egyptian spice blend is the ultimate fast track to flavour. It’s a mix of lots of nuts, seeds and spices and I always have a jar in my cupboard to add a little sprinkle to anything and everything. In this recipe though, it’s front and centre. You can find dukkah in supermarkets, or try making my easy dukkah recipe. It really is easy and you’ll use it so much.
- Cornflour and an egg. I’m using cornflour here to keep things gluten-free, but you can use plain flour too. The cornflour is there to provide a smooth, cohesive coating for the whisked egg to stick to. And the egg is there for the dukkah to stick to.
I love drizzling the finished bites with spicy hot honey (or regular honey) for the best salty, sweet flavour combination and then scattering over flat-leaf parsley for a pop of colour.
I’ve also included the recipe for a smoky red pepper romesco dipping sauce below (I love them with chilli jam too), but you can use whatever sauce you like, or just enjoy them by themselves.
How to make them
Start by prepping your halloumi. You want to pat it dry first, then follow the natural fold of the halloumi to cut it in half. Cut each half into long strips and then cut those strips into small cubes.
Get your cornflour, whisked egg and dukkah into three separate bowls and line an oven dish or tray with baking paper. Toss a halloumi cube in the cornflour then give it a little shake to remove any excess. Dip it in the egg, turning it to coat it all over. Then throw it into the dukkah bowl, tossing it through to make sure it’s coated all over. Pop onto the lined dish or tray and continue with the rest of the halloumi.
PRO TIP: To minimise the sticky hand factor, use one hand for dusting the halloumi with the cornflour and dukkah (the dry ingredients) and the other hand for dipping it in the egg.
Make sure to leave a little space between the halloumi bites so they cook evenly and crisp up in the oven. If you overlap them or pile them on top of each other, the crusts won’t get crispy. Get them into the oven for 20 minutes – or you can pan-fry them for a couple of minutes.
Once your halloumi bites are golden and crispy, drizzle them with your honey and scatter over some chopped flat-leaf parsley. Serve with the smoky red pepper romesco sauce if you like, and serve while still hot.
Got a question?
You sure can! You can dust them in the dukkah up to 2 days before you want to cook them and store them in the fridge, so they’re great for making ahead for parties.
You could just use sesame seeds if you can’t find dukkah.
I’ve given the option of serving the halloumi bites with a smoky red pepper romesco sauce in the recipe below, but you really can go for any sauce you like. I also love them with chilli jam (try my easy chilli jam recipe) for a sweet, salty, spicy hit. You could also serve them as part of a main meal – I love topping creamy super smooth hummus with them, alongside a fresh salad and soft, garlic flatbreads.
Like this recipe? Check out more appetizer recipes you might enjoy
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! You can leave me a comment below.
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Oven Baked Halloumi Bites
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 32 bites 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These DELICIOUS oven-baked halloumi bites are halloumi fries taken to a whole other level. The crunchy dukkah crust, soft salty centre and sweet honey drizzle make these the ultimate flavour-packed snack for your next party or gathering. Try them and I guarantee your guests will be raving about them the next day!
Ingredients
For the halloumi bites –
- 1 block of halloumi (roughly 225g/8oz)
- 1 cup dukkah (try my easy dukkah recipe)
- 1 egg, whisked
- 1/2 cup cornflour (or use plain flour)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
To serve –
- Handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 1 tablespoon hot honey sauce (or regular honey)
For the smoky red pepper romesco sauce –
- 2 red peppers (from a jar)
- 1/4 cup almonds (or use cashew/walnuts/hazelnuts)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Prepare the halloumi. Get your oven on 180C/360F fan. Pat the halloumi dry with a paper towel, then cut it into small cubes. I like to do this by following the natural fold of the halloumi to cut it in half, then cut each half into long strips. You can then easily cut the strips into cubes. Get 3 bowls out on your bench, and add ½ cup of flour, 1 cup of dukkah and whisked egg to each bowl. Line an oven dish or tray with baking paper.
- Coat the halloumi. Add the halloumi cubes to the bowl with the flour, and give them a toss around to coat. Working with one at a time, pick a halloumi cube up and shake off any excess flour. Then dip in the egg, turning to coat it. Then throw it into the dukkah bowl, tossing it through to make sure it’s coated on all sides. Set on the lined dish or tray and repeat with all the halloumi cubes, making sure to leave a little space between each bite on the tray for even cooking. PRO TIP: I find this process is less messy if you try to use one hand for tossing with the dry ingredients (cornflour and dukkah) and the other hand for tossing with the egg.
- Cook the halloumi bites. Transfer the tray or dish to the oven and cook for 20 minutes, until the crust is looking golden, and crispy and the halloumi feels soft when you press onto a bite.
- Garnish and serve. Remove the halloumi bites from the oven. You can either transfer them to a serving plate or serve them straight from an oven dish. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of honey all over the bites, then scatter over the parsley. Serve with the smoky red pepper romesco sauce on the side.
If you’re making the smoky red pepper romesco sauce –
- Make the sauce. I like to do this while the halloumi is in the oven. Add the 2 jarred red peppers, 1/4 cup almonds, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 2 garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to a blender or food processor and blitz into a chunky sauce.
Notes
The smoky red pepper romesco sauce is delicious, but you can serve these halloumi bites with whatever you like best (or just by themselves). I LOVE serving them with my easy chilli jam – that sweet and salty flavour combination is pretty irresistible.
These bites are great for entertaining because you can prep them up to 2 days in advance, and then just pop them in the oven when you’re ready to serve them. You can also pan-fry them if you like.
You could use sesame seeds in place of dukkah if you can’t find it or don’t have time to make any.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: snacks
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 10 bites
Keywords: popcorn halloumi, halloumi fries, baked halloumi
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