I’m a millennial. I follow trends on Twitter. I take random BuzzFeed quizzes. I eat avocado toast. That’s why I was surprised to find out that “the world is going crazy over HALLOUMI FRIES,” from my yiayia of all people, who, when she was my age communicated with something called a rotary phone and hand written letters. She sent me a Facebook message (she’s a member of The Greatest Generation but acts like a millennial) with a video link of a halloumi fries recipe, along with the message, “You should try this.” So I did. They were so good my family scarfed them down before I could even take a picture. Therefore I “had” to make another batch the next day, for um, picture taking purposes.
I, of course, knew of halloumi—a springy Cypriot cheese that is ideal for grilling, and is therefore known as “the cheese that grills.” It’s also called “the squeaky cheese” because when you bite into it, it squeaks. Pan-seared cheese (saganaki) often employs halloumi. This semi-hard, brined cheese also lends itself to slicing. Therefore, it was only a matter of time before someone cut the cheese into strips, noticed they looked like fries, and lo and behold, halloumi fries were born.
You think tasty and greasy mean time consuming? It takes less time to make this appetizer than it does to filter, caption and post a picture of it on Instagram. Just mix together flour and some simple spices (you’re always welcome to experiment with your own of course) and fry up some strips of squeaky cheese to impress all comers. Serve halloumi fries plain or with a light dipping sauce such as Greek yogurt and lemon juice. For a kick, dunk them into tyrokafteri I predict the halloumi fries trend won’t go away anytime soon, so best begin making yours right now.
- ¾ cup flour
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 8 ounces halloumi cheese
- Vegetable oil or olive oil, for frying
- Mix the flour, paprika, and oregano in a bowl.
- Cut the halloumi cheese into ½ inch thick strips, like fries. Dip the strips into the spiced flour and coat well.
- Heat the oil to medium high in a frying pan. Working in batches, add the halloumi strips and cook each side for 1-2 minutes, or until golden.
- When golden and crispy on all sides, transfer to a serving dish and serve.

Looks so delicious, perfect summer snack! Just need a tasty dip 😀
Yes it’s such a great snack! A light yogurt dip or an aoili would be perfect for this
Totally agree!