Can I prepare these in advance?

You can slice and coat the fries in the polenta mix a day in advance but don't cook them until you want to serve them. That's because halloumi starts to harden and toughen up once it's cooked so you ideally want to enjoy them straight away if you're after the warm, gooey inside and crispy outside. They will still taste great after cooling - I'll often chop up any leftovers and add them to salads or use them as little croutons for soups.

I can't find polenta - what else can I use?

You could just use regular flour or almond flour.

What sauce can I serve with the fries?

Go for your favourite - I'm using a quick tahini sauce (you could also use tahini yogurt sauce or green tahini sauce ) in the recipe below but also love using aioli, spicy aioli or sweet chilli jam . A smoky tomato sauce would also be lovely, as would marinara.

Can I cook these in the air fryer?

Yes! They should take around 8 minutes on each side in an air fryer at 400F/200C.

Can I cook these in a pan?

You can! You'll want a decent amount of oil, about 2cm or 1 inch up the side of your pan. You can shallow fry for a couple of minutes on each side.

Easy Crispy Baked Halloumi Fries (4 Ingredients)

Name: Easy Crispy Baked Halloumi Fries (4 Ingredients)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: mediterranean
Ingredients: 2 blocks of halloumi (generally it will come in 8oz/225g blocks); ½ cup polenta; ½ teaspoon smoked paprika; 2 tablespoons olive oil; ½ cup tahini; 2 garlic cloves, crushed; ½ teaspoon salt; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 1/3 cup water; 1 scallion, sliced into long thin strips lengthways and popped into a glass of cold water (this will make it curl up); 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds

Description

These super crispy halloumi fries are baked for a quick, mess-free, egg-free result. No deep-frying, no sticky coating and you’ll have gorgeously gooey fries in just 25 minutes. Serve with a creamy tahini dipping sauce for a Middle Eastern-inspired party snack.

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the halloumi fries –

2 blocks of halloumi (generally it will come in 8oz/225g blocks)
1/2 cup polenta
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons olive oil

For the tahini sauce –

1/2 cup tahini
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup water

To serve (optional) –

1 scallion, sliced into long thin strips lengthways and popped into a glass of cold water (this will make it curl up)
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Slice your halloumi into thin fries. Start by heating your oven to 400F/200C fan and lining a large oven tray or oven-proof dish with baking paper. To slice the halloumi into fries, I like to use the natural fold of the cheese to cut it in half, then cut each half into thin strips.
Coat and bake the halloumi fries. Add the ½ cup of polenta and ½ teaspoon of paprika into a large bowl or plate that will fit the halloumi fries in. Toss the halloumi in the polenta mix, coating all sides. Transfer to the lined oven tray, and repeat with the remaining halloumi fries. Drizzle with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then bake for 20 minutes, until they’re looking golden and crispy.
Make the tahini sauce. While the halloumi is baking, add the 1/2 cup of tahini, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 2 crushed garlic cloves and 1/2 teaspoon of salt into a small bowl, then drizzle in the1/3 cup of water, mixing vigorously with a fork as you do. It’ll feel like it won’t come together – it’ll kind of seize up, then become smooth and creamy as you keep mixing. If it’s still a little thick, just drizzle in more water and stir again.
Garnish and serve. Once the halloumi is looking golden and sounds crispy if you tap it with a fork or knife, remove the tray from the oven and arrange the fries on a serving plate. The halloumi may still feel a little soft when you remove it from the oven, but it will quickly firm up. Top with the curly scallions and pomegranate seeds if you’re using them, and serve with the tahini sauce on the side.

Notes

STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: Halloumi is always best eaten right after cooking as the texture will start getting hard and rubbery as it cools. It’ll still taste great, but it won’t have the soft texture you may be after. The tahini sauce will last for 2 weeks in an airtight container in the fridge and is wonderful in a whole host of dishes. Try it with grilled meat (these lamb koftas and sticky gochujang chicken skewers are ideal), drizzled on toast or tossed through veggies or slaw as a delicious dressing.

SUBSTITUTIONS: If you don’t have polenta, you can just use plain flour or almond flour.

MAKE AHEAD: You can prepare the halloumi fries up to 2 days in advance, then bake them when you’re ready. Just store the polenta-coated fries in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to cook.

Prep Time: 5
Cook Time: 20
Category: snacks
Method: oven
Cuisine: mediterranean

Nutrition

Serving Size: 3 fries
Calories: 283
Sugar: 0.4g
Fat: 21.8g
Saturated Fat: 11.2g
Unsaturated Fat: 10.6g
Carbohydrates: 9.2g
Fiber: 1g
Protein: 14g
Cholesterol: 38mg

Keywords: halloumi fries, crispy halloumi fries