These delicious Air Fryer Halloumi Fries are the perfect appetizer or snack. Cooked until they're perfectly crisp on the outside and soft and tender in the middle, these cheese fries are so easy to make and are delicious! Ready in just under 20 minutes you will be making these all the time, trust me!
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I'm all about quick and easy snacks whether it's Crispy Air Fryer Ravioli or my Crispy Breaded Mushrooms, snacks need to be quick and tasty! These crispy halloumi fries are perfect for a quick and easy snack or appetizer.
Tender sticks of Halloumi are coated in seasoned breadcrumbs and then cooked in the air fryer for just 9 minutes. The result is perfectly crispy halloumi fries, slightly melted in the middle, and so delicious. Just serve with your favourite dip as a very tasty snack or appetiser.
🔍 Origins of Halloumi Fries
We first tried Halloumi Fries when we paid a visit to Camden Market and stopped by Oli Babas, a few years ago. Oli Baba's are the original creators of halloumi fries and their fries are legendary. We instantly fell in love with them. The original recipe for halloumi fries calls for the fires to be coated in batter and deep-fried. They are then served with pomegranate seeds, mint and a yoghurt sauce. My take on these is slightly different, the fries are breaded and then air-fried.
🛒 What You'll Need
- Halloumi - Look for authentic Cypriot halloumi, you will find it in all good supermarkets now. It will be in the cheese section. I use full-fat Halloumi, you could also use low-fat if you like.
- Flour - You will need plain (all-purpose flour) to dip the fries into. This will help the egg stick to the Halloumi.
- Egg - I use egg to coat the halloumi fries, this helps the breadcrumbs to stick to the Halloumi.
- Breadcrumbs - I use fine, dried breadcrumbs for this recipe. You can use panko breadcrumbs if you like, however, I have found that the fine breadcrumbs gave the best results.
- Other Ingredients - you will also need dried oregano, garlic salt or garlic powder, salt, pepper and olive oil cooking spray.
🔪 How To Make Air-Fried Halloumi Fries
Please see the recipe card below for the full recipe and ingredient list.
- Start by setting up your dredging station. Add the flour to a small bowl, season the flour with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the egg into another bowl and whisk the egg. In the last bowl add the breadcrumbs, oregano and garlic salt and mix well.. Using a sharp knife cut a block of halloumi into thick slices. Then cut the slices into thick fries.
2. Next, dip the sticks into the flour. Make sure the halloumi fries are entirely covered in flour. Then dip them into the whisked egg. Gently toss them so that each stick is coated in the egg wash.
3. Now dip the fries into the breadcrumbs and gently toss them so that they are covered in the breadcrumbs. Spray the fries with a little olive oil cooking spray.
4. Finally, place the halloumi sticks in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Cook at 200°C (395°F) for 9 minutes. Use metal tongs to turn the fries over halfway through cooking. After 9 minutes the fries should be golden brown and crispy. Serve immediately with your favourite dip.
🍽 How To Serve Halloumi Fries
My favourite way to have these is with sweet chili sauce, the sweet spiciness of the sauce is perfect against the salty cheese. You can also serve these the Oli Baba way with harissa yoghurt sauce, pomegranate seeds and mint. They're also great with Greek yoghurt, chopped spring onion, and a drizzle of honey.
👩🍳 Top Tips
- For crispy perfection make sure to keep the sticks of halloumi cheese from touching each other in the air fryer basket. If the fries are touching they can become stuck together and can end up a little soggy.
- Cooking time can vary slightly depending on the type of air fryer you use. I use a basket air fryer for this and it is a 4-litre air fryer, for bigger air fryers you may need to add a minute or two for cooking.
- My air fryer doesn't need to be preheated. If you have an air fryer that has the pre-heat option then you can pre-heat it for a few minutes if you like.
🔄 Variations
- Make them spicy - I love these with a bit of a kick so sometimes when I make these I add some smoked paprika or chilli powder. The heat from the spices is great with the salty flavor of the halloumi cheese.
- Make halloumi bites - if you prefer a smaller version of these then you can easily turn these fries into a bite-size version. Just cut the halloumi into smaller cubes and follow the recipe the same way. You may need to reduce the air frying time by a minute or two. My family love them like this too. They are great added to salads too.
- Swap the herbs - you can easily use wasp the herbs for your favourite flavours. Try adding a little dried thyme and rosemary or dried coriander.
💭 FAQs
They are very similar except the halloumi doesn't melt like mozzarella. Halloumi has a high melting point meaning it will not melt in the same way as mozzarella cheese which has a much lower melting point.
While these fries really are best made fresh and served straight away, if you have any leftovers you can reheat them. Any leftover fries should be kept in an airtight container and stored in the fridge. They should be used within 3 days. Add the chilled leftover fries to the air fryer and cook for about 4- 5 minutes on the reheat option.
Yes you can, you can swap the flour for almond flour
or chickpea flour and use your favourite gluten-free bread to make breadcrumbs.
🍴More Halloumi Recipes
We love Halloumi so I have quite a few recipes on this blog for halloumi lovers. My Halloumi Curry is one of my favourite curries, it's such a great way to use halloumi and everyone loves this! Another favourite is my Halloumi Salad, made with roasted butternut squash and quinoa this is a great salad for lunch or dinner. Finally, my Halloumi Fajitas are a reader favourite, they're so quick and easy to make, and they're great for a tasty weeknight dinner.
More Tasty Air Fryer Recipes
Crispy Air Fryer Halloumi Fries
Ingredients
- 1 x 225 g block of halloumi cheese cut into 2cm chips
- 40 g / ⅓ of a cup of plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- 1 large egg beaten
- 45 g / ⅓ of a cup of fine, dried breadcrumbs
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon garlic salt (or powder)
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground sea salt
- ⅛ freshly ground black pepper
- olive oil cooking spray
Instructions
- Set up 3 bowls.Add the flour to the first bowl, season with salt and pepper and mix well. Break the egg into the second bowl and whisk well. Add the breadcrumbs to the last bowl, add ½ a teaspoon of dried oregano and ¼ teaspoon of garlic salt and stir well.
- Remove the halloumi from the packaging, rinse it under a cold tap then pat it dry with kitchen paper.Cut the halloumi into thick slices. Then cut the slices into sticks.
- Dip each slice into the flour, making sure it is covered in flourNext, dip them into the beaten egg, again making sure that they are covered in the egg.Finally, dip them into the breadcrumbs. Toss them so that they are fully covered in the breadcrumbs.Spray the fries with a little olive oil cooking spray.
- Place them into the air fryer basket in a single layer, making sure that they are not touching.Return the basket to the air fryer and cook for 8-9 minutes at 200°C (395°F)Use metal cooking tongs to turn the fries over halfway through cooking.Once the fries are golden brown they are cooked, then serve immediately with your favourite dips.Depending on the size of your air fryer you may need to cook these in two batches.
Notes
- Halloumi - I use full-fat halloumi for this recipe, you can use low-fat halloumi if you like however, I recommend using full-fat halloumi.
- Breadcrumbs - I use fine, dried breadcrumbs for these, I have made them with panko breadcrumbs and tried a mix of fine breadcrumbs and panko and the result is not as good. I recommend using storebought fine, dried breadcrumbs for best results.
- Nutritional Information - all nutritional information shared is an estimate based on third-party calculations. If calorie count and/or nutritional values are important to you, we recommend putting the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary depending on which brands were used. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household. The nutritional information for this recipe does not include dips.
- Weights and measurements - For US readers, I use Cuisipro measuring cups and spoons, and a Pyrex measuring jug for liquids. These are the industry standard. Cup/spoon volumes can differ from brand to brand, for accuracy, I recommend weighing all ingredients if possible for the best results.
Nutrition
*First published April 2018, updated June 2023 with new instructions and photos.
Toni
Such an amazing appetizer! Everyone at my house enjoyed it! Thanks for the recipe!
Amanda Wren-Grimwood
Such a great idea to make these fries in the airfryer. They came out so crispy and perfectly cooked.
Shadi Hasanzadenemati
I Just tried this recipe and my family loved it. It was so easy and the flavors were fantastic.
Jess
Making these in the air fryer is life changing!!
Femi. O
Hmm. This is the first I've heard of halloumi fries. Fries are like my worst addiction so I'm absolutely intrigued. I can't wait to try these out!
Michelle Alston
Thanks Femi x I hope you enjoy them 🙂
lauren
You had me at CHEESE. These look ridiculously good! My little girl would be alllll over this. I love the sweet pomegranate pairing with it too!
Michelle Alston
Thanks so much Lauren x My girl loves these!
Sara
These sound wonderful! I think my family would love that yogurt sauce with a salty cheese!
Michelle Alston
Thanks Sara, my family love these x
Jennifer
I can’t get enough cheese and this looks so yummy! What lovely photos as well! My husband enjoys anything spicy so that dipping sauce sounds right up his alley!
Michelle Alston
Thank you so much Jennifer x
Kat Jeter
Fried Halloumi cheese is something I discovered when I started eating low carb. It is absolutely amazing! I can't wait to give your recipe a try.
Michelle Alston
I love it! I hope you enjoy these Kat x
Kitty
These fries look amazing! I love harissa, so need to try this. I've made mozzarella sticks, but this seems so much easier.
Michelle Alston
Thank you so much Kitty. Ah, you just reminded me how much I love mozzarella sticks!
Anne Murphy
Love the seasoning on that! And I have liked every kind of frying cheese I've had - such a wonderful snack!
Michelle Alston
Thanks Anne x
Madi
I've never had halloumi before but I'm sold! This looks so amazing!
Michelle Alston
Thank you so much Madi x Do let me know if you try it, it's a salty cheese but if you love cheese you will love this too, I'm sure 🙂
Kim @ Berly's Kitchen
I've never heard of halloumi , but I'm interested. 🙂 This looks fantastic! I'd eat a whole bunch. Lol!
Michelle Alston
Thanks so much Kim, I hope you try it if you like cheese then you'll love halloumi 😉
Andrea @ The Petite Cook
Oh my, I wonder why I still have to try halloumi fries, they look delicious! I'm sure my family would go crazy over this!
Michelle Alston
Thank you so much Andrea, my family love them 😉
Eileen Kelly
I absolutely love halloumi and these cheesy treats look absolutely delicious! The dipping sauce is a perfect pairing with the halloumi.
Michelle Alston
Thanks so much Eileen x
Jenni LeBaron
Oh my, these look wonderful. I bet they end us so nice and creamy when they're hot. Such a great alterative to a traditional cheese stick.
Michelle Alston
Thanks Jenni x
Pina
Looks yummy. I’m on a halloumi kick at the moment (I get mine through OliveOlive - a Cambridgeshire company). I’m always looking for good recipes and there are lots on your site
Michelle Alston
Thanks Pina. I'll have to check out Olive Olive! I hope you're having a fab time on your travels x
Jen
I knew I shouldn’t have looked at this - I can’t NOT try them now!! Gorgeous photos too...
Michelle Alston
Ah thank you so much Jen x I hope you enjoy them 😉