Let's Make Halloumi Burgers
It's a new kind of cheeseburger
Halloumi has summertime associations in my mind because, as I’ve mentioned before, I really only buy it at Trader Joe’s, where it’s a seasonal item. Everywhere else it’s just so expensive and, on top of that, difficult to find (at least in the US).
Well, it’s back now, and it’s high time for a new veggie burger recipe. This one has been floating around in my mind for months.
Halloumi is one of the few cheeses that holds its shape over heat. It’s dense, rich, and salty, which makes it a perfect foil for other assertive flavors. In this recipe, it’s coarsely grated on a box grater, which makes a lacy, cheesy support system for the other ingredients—basically just softened onions, peas, and some herbs.
Because they rely on the cheese and eggs heating to firm up, the mixture will seem quite loose when you’re shaping it into patties (this unfortunately does not make it great for grilling… see my note below with the recipe).
Blitzing it a few times in a food processor can help make it more easily cohere (see photos below for the difference in the cooked burgers), but as long as you’re patient and gentle when adding the shaped patties to your pan and flipping them, you should be fine.
If you’re wanting a halloumi burger that is perfect for grilling, then look no further than… halloumi itself! Make a burger out of something like this sandwich, and load it up with all your favorite toppings and ripe, summer produce.
I love that the tempeh meatballs from a few weeks ago have been a hit with so many of you! I hope you’ll give these burgers a try, too — let me know what you think.
More Halloumi Recipes…
Spicy Halloumi & Pea Burgers
To make these gluten free, use gluten-free panko breadcrumbs or GF all-purpose flour, starting with ¼ cup and adding more by the tablespoon until you have a mixture that just holds its shape. I’d hoped they would work with almond meal as a panko sub, but they don’t.
The uncooked patties are too loose to put on a grill. But to add them to a cookout, use a heat-safe skillet set right on the grates and sear them there (they’ll capture some charcoal flavor). Or pre-bake the burgers in the oven until they’re just firm, then reheat them over the flames.
You can leave out the harissa if you’d like, or replace it with a big pinch of pepper flakes.
The special sauce in the photos above is a taste-as-you-go blend of mayonnaise, sriracha, and chopped gherkins.
Yield 8 burgers | Prep time 15 minutes | Cook time 10 to 30 minutes
Avocado or olive oil
½ medium white or yellow onion, minced
1 cup shelled peas, frozen or fresh
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons harissa (or to taste)
2 eggs
1 (8.8-ounce / 225g) package halloumi, coarsely grated
¾ cup panko breadcrumbs (GF if necessary)
About ½ cup minced parsley, cilantro, mint, or dill
4 teaspoons arrowroot powder or cornstarch
1. Set a medium skillet over medium heat, and once it’s hot, swirl in a splash of olive oil. Sauté the onion until it’s soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the peas, garlic, and harissa, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes more, smooshing the peas with the back of a spoon to break them down a bit. Scrape into a mixing bowl and cool for about 5 minutes.
2. Crack the egg into the bowl and beat it lightly with a fork. Stir in the halloumi, panko, herbs, and arrowroot powder, then shape into 8 patties. The mixture will seem a little loose, and to make it slightly easier to shape, you can pulse it a few times in a food processor. But even without the food processor, the burgers will hold their shape once cooked.
3. To pan-fry them: Preheat a dry nonstick or seasoned skillet over medium-low heat. Carefully add as many patties as will comfortably fit. They should quietly sizzle in the pan—adjust the heat if necessary. Cook until browned on the bottoms, 4 to 5 minutes, then flip and repeat on the other side.
4. To bake them: Arrange the burgers on a parchment-lined baking sheet and cook in a preheated 350°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping them over halfway through, until lightly browned and firm in the centers.
5. Serve on buns with your favorite toppings, or over salad, or for breakfast, or however you please. The cooked burgers will keep for a few days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat them in a dry skillet over low heat.
I subscribed because I had to have this recipe. It was even better than I imagined. We had them two nights in a row and I could have kept going.
Halloumi!