Halloumi Burgers

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Yes, I do realize that once again, I’m posting on a Tuesday. My nest may be empty but I am not floating around in blissful vacation mode unaware of the time or day. At least that’s what I’m telling the kids 😉

Actually, yesterday morning Gary and I were on a 5:30am flight home from Portland, Maine where we spent some time with his dear mother Baily and wonderful sister Lissa (no I’m not sucking up, they don’t even read my blog!). We had some great laughs, meaningful moments and lots of delicious lobster! This recipe isn’t about lobster but ironically a halloumi burger could be considered the “poor man’s” lobster roll.* Both have a nice bite, salty freshness, take to a super simple treatment and feel like summer–or at least a toast to the end of long summer nights.

If you know, you know. If you don’t, Halloumi is a salty, squeaky Greek cheese that has a high melting point which means that it can be grilled or fried without collapsing into a melty mess. It’s the perfect stand-in for a meat burger for both vegetarians and carnivores alike. Yes, you can think of a Halloumi Burger as “grilled cheese,” which technically it is, but the texture is more akin to a burger (or lobster!). So for me, a burger it is.

This recipe is loosely based on Halloumi Burgers in The Washington Post Wednesday, August 9, 2023 Food section. Honestly, once you read through the general directions, you will never again need a recipe to follow. I was drawn to this specific one because of the simple sauce–honey + harissa–and the idea to top the burgers with caramelized onions (although the original recipe also included peppers, which I omitted). But after you pan fry (or grill) your halloumi and pop it on a bun, you can top it however you wish. For example, any sort of chutney would be an absolutely delicious compliment to the salty, dense cheese.

Use this recipe as inspiration to heat up some halloumi today and then share how you topped it in the comments below. Enjoy!

*As far as lobster roll goes, cooked lobster needs nothing more than some melted butter for dunking or dripping but I prefer a mayonnaise-based dressing. At Lissa’s I whipped up a quick mixture of mayo, fresh squeezed lemon juice, a splash of vinegar, a splash of hot sauce, salt, pepper, celery seed, sliced scallions and chives.

Halloumi Burger with Caramelized Onion
Print Recipe

Halloumi Burgers

Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 1/4 c honey
  • 2 Tbls harissa
  • 4 hamburger buns toasted, if desired
  • 4 Tbls neutral oil, divided plus more if needed
  • 2 onions sliced
  • 2 8-oz packages halloumi, drained and patted dry cut each piece across the equator to result in 4 square slabs

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, stir together the honey and harissa until combined. Spread mixture on both sides of the burger buns or just set aside for serving.
  • Heat 2 Tbls oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and deeply browned in spots. When onions start to stick to the pan, add a splash of water and use a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan, stir the onions and continue cooking down. You will likely repeat this procedure several times before determining that your onions are deeply browned, sweet and caramelized. Set aside.
  • In the same wiped out skillet, heat 2 Tbls oil until it shimmers. Add the slabs of halloumi and sear until browned, about 3 minutes. Flip and sear on the other side, about 3 minutes more.
  • Transfer a piece of cheese to the bottom of each bun. Top with caramelized onions and the bun top before serving.

Notes

You can grill halloumi on hot oiled grates, uncovered. After grill marks form on one side, flip and repeat on second side. About 5-7 minutes total.
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