This vegetarian Halloumi Burger recipe is SO easy to make! Crunchy on the outside, gooey, melty goodness in the middle, served up in a brioche bun with sweet chilli mayo sauce and avocado.
There’s no wonder that this versatile, meaty halloumi cheese is one of our favourite ingredients when we’re looking for a family-friendly vegetarian dinner that’s quick and delicious.
What would you say if I told you that a burger with halloumi is not just a decent substitute for meat, but it’s actually a show-stopper in its own right?!
Whether you’re a burger fan or not, this 15-minute meal will knock your flipping socks off (it’s that good). That dreamy consistency of a crispy halloumi burger is an even bigger treat than it sounds.
Don’t just take my word for it… Those who try this have called it the best halloumi burger recipe, which has put a smile on the face of even the fussiest of eaters at the dinner table.
Why you’ll love this recipe
⭐️ So so easy, no prep needed
⭐️ Ready in less than 15 minutes
⭐️ Our favourite veggie SQUEAKY CHEESE
About this Homemade Halloumi Burger Recipe
I love the fact that we’re becoming halloumi fans in our droves, and that we’re still discovering just how versatile this delicious Mediterranean cheese really is. With its high melting point and salty, delicious flavour, it can lend itself to so many dishes.
It’s perfect to use instead of meat because it stays intact, so as well as slicing up for burgers, you can chop it up for sauces, kebabs or toppings. It’s wonderful grilled or fried and you can flavour it however you want.
Even better, it’s a relatively inexpensive ingredient, is now easy to get hold of in the supermarkets and lasts for ages in the fridge, so if you have some in, it’s likely you’ve always got dinner to hand.
Some examples of some delicious halloumi recipes you might want to try are my Halloumi Curry, my Sticky Halloumi Kebabs, my Mediterranean Tomato and Halloumi Bake, or my Halloumi Fajitas.
What you’ll need
- Halloumi
- Olive oil – Regular for this recipe as extra virgin would burn (and waste money!)
- Plain flour
- Avocado – This goes really well but any other salad burger toppings is fine too
- Tomatoes
- Cress – Optional, to serve
- Red onion
- Brioche burger buns – Again, you can swap these for your favourite
- Mayonnaise
- Lime – Juice only (optional)
- Sweet chilli sauce – This transforms it into a spicy halloumi burger but chilli flakes and honey will do too
- Smoked paprika
How to make a Halloumi Burger
1. Cut the halloumi lengthways into 2 and dip into flour mixed with paprika. Coat well. Fry off in a hot pan with oil.
2. Prep your sweet chilli mayo in a dish. When the halloumi is cooked, drain any excess oil on kitchen paper. Stack your burgers and GO!
Hint: Try not to push the halloumi about the pan too much as it’s cooking and leave it for 5 minutes before you flip it. This helps to make a crunchy ‘crust’ and not stick to the pan.
Substitutions
- Salad – This recipe includes avocado, red onion and tomatoes for the burger toppings as they complement the halloumi really well, but you can use your preferred toppings.
Leftovers
In the fridge You can keep this recipe in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat fully by before serving or eat cold.
In the freezer This isn’t the most ideal cheese for freezing once it’s been cooked, so while I would rather freeze than throw away, but it wouldn’t be my first choice for batch cooking.
It will have a slightly solid texture after being frozen and reheated, so bear this in mind.
Top tips
How to cut halloumi into burgers
I’m always in the market for more cheese, so I use 1 block per 2 people. Simply cut across it to get x2 ‘burgers’. You can make it go further by cutting them smaller. You can use sliced halloumi too if you can get it.
Double up
You can supersize this and turn it into something else if you like. A mushroom and halloumi burger would work well, or go for it and create a monster chicken and halloumi burger or beef and halloumi burger!
Serving suggestions
- Sweet potato wedges
- Homemade chips
- Slow cooker jacket potatoes
- Coleslaw
- Homemade baked beans
- Easy Greek salad
FAQ
Yes you can. Just keep an eye on it under the grill to make sure it doesn’t burn. Halloumi grills really well for salads etc, so it’s fine.
No, halloumi is made from sheep’s milk, but you can buy vegan halloumi cheese as an alternative.
Halloumi Burger {with Sweet Chilli Mayo and Avocado}
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp Olive oil
- 500 g Halloumi Usually 2 blocks
- 50 g Plain flour
- 1 tsp Smoked paprika
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the sweet chilli mayo:
- 100 g Mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp Sweet chilli sauce Add more if you'd like more spice
- 1 Lime Juice only (optional)
To serve:
- 4 Brioche buns
- 1 Avocado Peeled and sliced.
- 2 Large tomatoes
- Cress (Optional)
- 1 Red onion Peeled and sliced
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat.
- Cut each halloumi block in half along the centre so you end up with a square burger shape.
- Mix the flour, paprika, salt and pepper, on a plate and dip each piece of halloumi in, coating both sides.
- Pop into the hot oil in the frying pan and cook for about 5 minutes on each side until crisp and golden. (Try not to move them too much or they will lose their crispy coating.)
To make the sweet chilli mayo:
- Mix the mayonaise with the lime juice and sweet chilli sauce.
To serve the burgers:
- Stack the burgers in the brioche buns with lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, onions, cress, the halloumi and the mayo.
Fiona J Warburton says
Could eat this on repeat, thank you for the inspiration. My version was less pretty but equally delicious!
Cc says
Hi everyone this is so good I Fell in love with it Vegan Burger lovey 👌🏾
Phillip says
This is SO tasty. Hungry carnivore family didn’t even miss the meat!
Meg says
Absolutely delicious! Def going to be a favourite.
Amy Prince says
Amazing! Tried these tonight and they were spot on! Love halloumi so always good to find different ways of making it. Dare I say they make have been even nicer than meat burgers?! Will definitely be a firm favourite in our household!
Annette Johansson-Steed says
That’s two of your receipes in a row (Pork Yuk Sung and Halloumi Burgers) that have gotten thumbs up from my picky eaters! THANK YOU! The receipes are really easy to make and the flavours are awesome. And I get extra gratification when everyone around the table is enjoying it!
Sarah Barnes says
To happy to hear this Annette! Thanks for the lovely comment 🙂
Sinéad says
This was my favourite dish I made from Sarah’s weekly meal plan. Now I can’t stop thinking about these halloumi burgers. Why did I never think of doing this before?!
Kay Stevens says
You know it’s good when your hubby to be says “it tastes like we’re eating out!” Kids love it! Adults love it! It’ll be a regular summer go too!
Cheryl says
Made these burgers for tea tonight, they were amazing!! Will definitely be having these again x
Katy says
These are just completely wonderful! Such a lovely summery meal. Genuinely tastes like something from a restaurant. Big thumbs up from us’