Hot Honey Halloumi
Sweet and spiced molten honey, oozing over crispy pan fried halloumi with lemon and thyme is a flavour combo you won’t forget. Hot honey halloumi is the ultimate addition to a cheese board or share plate.
Hot Honey Halloumi
Hot Honey Halloumi
Hot Honey Halloumi
Hot honey is having a moment. From topping on pizza or grilled chicken to bagels or fruit, the sweet-spiced nectar is a flavour that just works, and it’s especially delicious poured over pan fried halloumi.
This recipe is super easy to make, only a few ingredients, with no added thickeners, and no special skills or equipment are needed, just your trusty skillet.
When tackling a recipe like hot honey, the only thing to watch for is to not let it cook for a long time, where it’s bubbling away at a high temperature to ‘crack point’ that it hardens when it cools - Hot honey candy sounds like a great idea, but not what we’re looking to create here.
The key to nailing this recipe is to first pat dry your cut pieces of halloumi before frying so that you get a delicious caramelised crust. If you skip this step, the liquid from the cheese will stop the golden crust forming properly.
The type of halloumi you choose is also important. There are imitations out there and you can just tell it’s not good quality when you cook it becomes rubbery. Choose an authentic brand from Cyprus if you can.
I love to serve this warm on a plate when it’s fresh out of the pan or alongside some other cheeses on a cheeseboard with some olives, cured meats, nuts and fruit.
But my other favourite way to eat is my hot honey halloumi flatbreads recipe, it makes the perfect little snack or light lunch!
Hot honey is made with honey and dried chilli or peppers, heated together, You can add lemon and other flavourings to change it up!
It’s best eaten while warm just after cooking, you can of course eat it after it goes cool, but the halloumi will stiffen up a bit.
If you don’t have honey, you could sub for rice malt syrup, it’s a milder flavour with a similar consistency.
You can store it in the fridge in an airtight container, and reheat it in the microwave or low oven, but it is definitely better eaten just after cooking.
Ingredients and substitutions
How to make it - step by step!
Slice your halloumi 1 - 1.5 cm / ½ “ thick. Pat dry with paper towel.
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a pan on medium heat, add halloumi to the pan and fry to 1-2 minutes, until a nice golden crust forms. Then flip using a spatula, and fry the other side. Squeeze over lemon juice then remove to a plate. Keep warm.
Add 1 tbsp olive oil, honey and chilli flakes to the pan, heat and let it come to a bubbling consistency for about 30 seconds.
Serve fried halloumi on a plate, drizzle over the hot honey then scatter over thyme leaves. Serve warm.
Slice your halloumi 1 - 1.5 cm / ½ “ thick. Pat dry with paper towel.
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a pan on medium heat, add halloumi to the pan and fry to 1-2 minutes, until a nice golden crust forms. Then flip using a spatula, and fry the other side. Squeeze over lemon juice then remove to a plate. Keep warm.
Add 1 tbsp olive oil, honey and chilli flakes to the pan, heat and let it come to a bubbling consistency for about 30 seconds.
Serve fried halloumi on a plate, drizzle over the hot honey then scatter over thyme leaves. Serve warm.
Watch the how to video
Watch the how to video
Hot Honey Halloumi
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 250g halloumi block
- ⅓ cup honey
- ½ tsp dried chill flakes / red pepper flakes (1 tsp if you love a bit of heat)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Slice your halloumi 1 - 1.5 cm / ½ “ thick. Pat dry with paper towel
- Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a pan on medium heat, add halloumi to the pan and fry to 1-2 minutes, until a nice golden crust forms. Then flip using a spatula, and fry the other side. Squeeze over lemon juice then remove to a plate. Keep warm.
- Add 1 tbsp olive oil, honey and chilli flakes to the pan, heat and let it come to a bubbling consistency for about 30 seconds
- Serve fried halloumi on a plate, drizzle with over the hot honey then scatter over thyme leaves. Serve warm.