3 ingredients, 10 minutes, and one DELICIOUS plate of sweet chilli glazed halloumi. Tossing big, golden wedges of halloumi in a sweet, spicy glossy sauce is my idea of heaven. It pairs perfectly with a glass of wine and fresh bread for an addictive summery starter.
Will I ever tire of halloumi? I don’t think so! There’s just something about that salty cheese that’s seriously moreish and versatile. I LOVE this version which comes together quickly, is always a hit with a crowd and provides the perfect balance of salty and sweet. Try it the next time you’re looking for a quick starter, party bite or snack that’s sure to impress.
It’s also really easy to scale if you’re entertaining – just cut the halloumi into smaller squares to make little bite-sized pieces.
Ingredients
Without the garnishes, this dish really only uses 3 ingredients.
- Halloumi. For ease, this recipe uses a whole block (how annoying is it to be left with half a rogue halloumi block in the fridge??)
- Chilli jam. I LOVE using my easy chilli jam in this recipe and definitely recommend giving it a go. It’ll last you ages and really does upgrade anything you use it in. If you don’t have chilli jam, use a sweet chilli sauce.
- Lime. Use fresh lime juice if you can, the sauce needs the acidic hit to cut through the sweetness of the jam and to provide that lovely sour note.
How to make it
Start by chopping your halloumi block into large triangles. I like to do this by following the natural fold of the halloumi to cut it in half, then cutting those halves in half diagonally.
Next, make the sweet chilli sauce. Mix chilli jam (or sweet chilli sauce) with lime juice and set aside. Now you’re ready to put everything together. Add a little oil to a small pan and add the halloumi triangles. Cook them for 4 minutes on each side, until they’re looking golden. At this point, pour the sweet chilli sauce into the pan and give everything a really good toss to coat the halloumi. Flip the triangles over and spoon the sauce over the top.
Transfer everything to a serving plate (making sure to get all the glossy sauce out of the pan!), garnish with spring onion and sesame seeds and dig in.
Got a question?
This dish is ideally eaten right after cooking. Halloumi will harden up and get a little tough in texture the longer it sits out and cools down, so you won’t get that lovely soft centre if you make it in advance. It will still taste good, but the texture will be a little weird so I don’t recommend it.
The brilliant thing about halloumi is that it doesn’t melt when heated, unlike a lot of other cheeses. You can use saganaki, but this is definitely harder to find than halloumi. You can do it with a block of feta, but I’d recommend baking it rather than pan-frying it and then eating it straight from the baking dish.
You could use a regular sweet chilli sauce, or use harissa and honey (like in my honey and harissa halloumi recipe).
Three things to pair the halloumi with
- Serve easy, soft flatbreads on the side to mop up the sticky sauce.
- Pair with a crunchy green goddess salad.
- Cut through the richness with this smacked cucumber salad.
Like this recipe? Here are more halloumi ideas for you
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! You can leave me a comment below.
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Sweet Chilli Glazed Halloumi
- Total Time: 9 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
3 ingredients, 10 minutes, one DELICIOUS plate of sweet chilli glazed halloumi. Tossing big, golden wedges of halloumi in a sweet, spicy glossy sauce is my idea of heaven. It pairs perfectly with a glass of wine and fresh bread for a lovely fresh starter or party bite.
Ingredients
For the halloumi –
- 225g/8oz halloumi cheese
- 2 tablespoons sweet chilli jam (or sweet chilli sauce)
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
To garnish (optional) –
- 1 scallion (spring onion), sliced into thin long strips and placed in a small glass of cold water (this will make them curl up)
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
Instructions
- Prepare the halloumi. Pat dry the halloumi with a paper towel. This will help it cook evenly and brown properly. Cut it in half (follow the natural fold of the halloumi). Then cut each half in half again, diagonally, so you’re left with 4 large triangles.
- Make the sweet chilli jam sauce. In a small bowl, add the 2 tablespoons of sweet chilli jam and 3 tablespoons of lime juice. Mix well to combine.
- Cook the halloumi. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a small pan over medium heat. Add the halloumi and cook for a few minutes on each side, until golden. At this point, pour the sauce into the pan and give it a good toss so it coats the halloumi. Turn the halloumi over and spoon the sauce over each piece to ensure they’re well coated. Cook for another couple of minutes, while the sauce bubbles up around the halloumi.
- Garnish and serve. Transfer the halloumi onto a serving plate, making sure to get all the lovely sticky sauce off the pan and onto the plate. Top with the thin, curly scallion strips and sesame seeds if you’re using them. Eat right away.
Notes
STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: Halloumi is best eaten right after cooking as it will harden up the longer it sits out. It still will taste delicious, but the texture won’t be as enjoyable.
INGREDIENT NOTES: I love using my sweet chilli jam for this dish. I really recommend giving it a go (you won’t regret it!) and it brings a much fresher flavour to the dish, but you can also use any sweet chilli sauce or store-bought chilli jam if you prefer. Fresh lime juice is best to use if possible, but you can use bottled if you need it.
- Prep Time: 2
- Cook Time: 7
- Category: vegetarian
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 halloumi wedge
- Calories: 263
- Sugar: 7.6g
- Sodium: 415mg
- Fat: 20.4g
- Saturated Fat: 12.1g
- Carbohydrates: 8.5g
- Fiber: 0.1g
- Protein: 12.3g
- Cholesterol: 44mg
Keywords: halloumi, glazed halloumi
This was so easy and tasty! We used sweet chilli sauce but now I want to try and make your chilli jam too
★★★★★