Piri Piri Halloumi Burgers with Citrus Slaw
In this grownup version of grilled cheese, you literally grill the cheese! Halloumi is a delicious, firm cheese that can be grilled without melting, keeping its shape and the delicious crust that forms when the cheese grills slightly and the seasoning blend combines with it. Our seasoning of choice was Piri Piri mixed with some olive oil but something like Jamaican Jerk might be good too! Experiment and see what flavors you like better.
Halloumi is a very neutral tasting cheese. It is more like a mozzarella than anything else, but it is much more firm than mozzarella cheese would be. There is really no substitute for this cheese, though you may find that queso fresco is sort of similar. The texture of halloumi is much more agreeable to the grill. Unlike many other cheeses, halloumi is not actually meant to be eaten plain. It is made to be heated in some way and eaten warm. It is made from goat or sheep milk, though sometimes you will find a cow’s milk halloumi. Traditionally, this is a food produced and consumed by Greeks.
We served our grilled halloumi on pretzel buns with a homemade slaw. You could serve it with watermelon as well, which is what they do in Cyprus.
- Halloumi Cheese, 8 oz. sliced into 4
- 3 Tbsp. Piri Piri Seasoning
- 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 Carrots, peeled and shredded
- White Cabbage, 1/2 small head shredded
- 1 Red Onion, sliced thin
- 4 Tbsp Mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp Lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp Lime juice
- 1 cup Cilantro, chopped
- Arugala, or your favorite greens
- Tomato, sliced
- Pretzel Rolls
- In a small bowl, combine the Piri Piri and the olive oil and mix well. Place the Halloumi slices in the marinade.
- In a large bowl, toss the carrot, cabbage, red onion, and cilantro. Mix in the mayonnaise, lemon and lime juice.
- Heat your grill to medium, oil the grates of the grill with a bit of olive oil and place Halloumi on the grill. Brown both sides.
- Assemble sandwiches. Place arugala, tomato, on bun. Next, place halloumi and top off with the slaw.
