Grilled Halloumi Salad
I added chicken and mini-peppers to make Grilled Halloumi Salad a low-carb main dish, but skip those and make four side salads if you prefer. However you make it, it’s the grilled Halloumi and the zesty lemony dressing that make this Halloumi salad such a wow!
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I’ve always been passionate about trying new foods, and years ago I heard about Halloumi Cheese, and I was eager to taste this salty cheese that can be grilled or fried. At first I couldn’t find Halloumi, but then one day I was walking through my favorite neighborhood grocery store and I spotted some Halloumi in the cheese case, and I had so much fun trying it out with my friends.
Definitely I’m now a long-time Halloumi fan and Halloumi is even more widely available, so I’m updating the photos for this Grilled Halloumi Salad to encourage you to try it if you’ve never cooked with Halloumi! Personally I think grilled Halloumi cheese is a life-changing flavor adventure!
This is a simple salad I created with Halloumi, leftover rotisserie chicken, and some sliced sweet mini-peppers, but grilled Halloumi is so amazing that it makes this a truly memorable dish that’s perfect for a light summer dinner. I hope you try it and that you’ll enjoy Halloumi as much as I do!
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.
- salad greens
- sweet mini peppers
- diced cooked chicken
- Halloumi Cheese
- Olive Oil (affiliate link)
- fresh-squeezed lemon juice, I used my fresh-frozen lemon juice
- Dijon mustard
- Minced Garlic (affiliate link)
- Greek Seasoning (affiliate link)
- fresh ground black pepper to taste
What is Halloumi Cheese?
Halloumi is a unique cheese from Cyprus that has a high melting point which allows it to be fried or grilled. The browned cheese is delightful, and although Halloumi is a bit of a budget splurge, it’s something I love to buy for a treat. Here is more about Halloumi Cheese and how it’s made.
What salad greens can you use for the Halloumi Salad?
I used my favorite Power Greens mix to make this salad, but you can use any type of greens or combination of greens that you prefer.
What other veggies can you use for the Halloumi Salad?
If you don’t like sweet mini peppers or don’t want to buy them for the salad, you could use cherry tomatoes, sugar snap peas, olives, cucumbers, radishes, or most any other vegetable that strikes your fancy in place of the mini peppers!
Can you make Grilled Halloumi without an outdoor grill?
I’ve grilled Halloumi on my stove-top grill pan (affiliate link) many times, and I encourage you to try that if you don’t have an outdoor grill. And actually I thought it was even a bit easier on the stovetop grill pan!
How to Make Grilled Halloumi Salad:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- Mix together lemon juice, Dijon, garlic, and pepper; then whisk in olive oil to make the dressing.
- Shred chicken apart into bite-sized pieces and mix with a few tablespoons of the dressing.
- Cut off the stem end, pull out the seeds, and slice mini peppers.
- I bought pre-sliced Halloumi, but cut into slices if needed.
- Preheat gas grill or stovetop grill pan to medium while you brush olive oil on the Halloumi cheese.
- Lay cheese at an angle to the grill grates and cook 2-3 minutes.
- Rotate pieces (to get criss-cross marks) and cook a couple minutes more on that side.
- Brush more olive oil on the top side before you turn the cheese over.
- Cook about 3-4 minutes more on the second side, or until the Halloumi has browned marks and is starting to feel firm.
- Let cheese cool while you toss the greens with dressing and toss in the marinated chicken and sliced mini peppers.
- Cut Halloumi into strips or cubes, whichever you prefer.
- Lay pieces of grilled Halloumi over the top of the salad and enjoy!
More Tasty Ideas for Halloumi:
-
- Red Quinoa, Kale, and Halloumi Salad from Sidewalk Shoes
- Grilled Halloumi Cheese with Mushrooms from Kalyn’s Kitchen
- Cucumber, Tomato, Avocado Salad with Grilled Halloumi from Cookin’ Canuck
Grilled Halloumi Salad
Grilled Halloumi Salad with Chicken, Mini-Peppers, and Lemon is delicious and this is an amazing and easy way to use Halloumi.
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 6 cups salad greens
- 6 mini peppersÂ
- 8 oz. diced cooked chicken
- 4 slices Halloumi Cheese (about 7 oz. Halloumi, more or less to taste)
- 1 T olive oil, for brushing cheese
Dressing Ingredients:
- 2 T fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 1/4 tsp. Greek seasoning (see notes)
- fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 3 T olive oil
Instructions
- Mix together lemon juice, Dijon, garlic, and pepper; then whisk in olive oil to make the dressing.
- Shred chicken apart into bite-sized pieces and mix with a few tablespoons of the dressing. Marinating the chicken in the dressing while you prepare greens and grill the cheese gives this salad extra flavor.
- Cut off the stem end, pull out the seeds, and then slice the mini peppers into rings.
- I bought pre-sliced Halloumi, but cut into slices if needed.
- Preheat gas grill or stovetop grill pan to medium while you brush olive oil on the Halloumi cheese. (If you're using a gas grill, be sure to spray with non-stick grilling spray or rub grill grates with oil before you heat the grill.)
- Lay cheese at an angle to the grill grates and cook 2-3 minutes or until you see grill marks.
- Rotate pieces (to get criss-cross marks) and cook a couple minutes more on that side.
- Then brush more olive oil on the top side before you turn the cheese over.
- Cook about 3-4 minutes more on the second side, or until the Halloumi has browned marks and is starting to feel firm.
- Let cheese cool while you toss the greens with dressing and then toss in the marinated chicken and sliced mini peppers.
- Arrange salad into two (or four) serving bowls.
- Cut Halloumi into strips or cubes, whichever you prefer.
- Lay pieces of grilled Halloumi over the top of the salads and enjoy!
Notes
Use any type of salad greens you prefer. If you don't have any Greek Seasoning (affiliate link), it contains salt, garlic, lemon, oregano, pepper, and marjoram.
Nutritional information is based on the generous amount of Halloumi we used but you still can make a delicious salad with a lot less Halloumi if that works better for you.
Recipe created by Kalyn.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 776Total Fat: 60gSaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 38gCholesterol: 165mgSodium: 783mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 4gSugar: 5gProtein: 46g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Grilled Halloumi Salad with leafy greens, chicken, and sweet mini peppers is a great dish for low-carb diet plans, including Keto. Halloumi has 8 grams of fat per ounce, so this is probably a “once in a while treat” for the original South Beach Diet, but Halloumi is a treat that’s not to be missed for an occasional splurge.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Salad Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
I first posted the Grilled Halloumi Salad in 2008, and I’ve been making it and enjoying it ever since then. In 2021 I finally took better photos for this recipe and in 2023 I updated the post with more information about Halloumi and the process for making the salad.
35 Comments on “Grilled Halloumi Salad”
Sue, congrats on the weight loss! And glad to hear you enjoyed the salad.
Kalyn, I came across this recipe yesterday and I had a variation of this salad yesterday and today for lunch. So good! I must admit I had a halloumi cheese sitting in my fridge for nearly a year (they have a long shelf life) and finally was inspired to use it! I used sliced chicken that I seasoned with a grill spice mix and lots of paprika before frying, and also fried a red pepper after frying the chicken. I used a low-fat storebought dressing and today I added some leftover roasted broccoli as well. Yum!
BTW Your blog inspired me to lose weight about 3 years ago by going low carb! I've been a social carber since (= eating carbs mainly when with company, but watching my carb intake when on my own!) While I can't remember whether I've been using one of your recipes before, your blog is the only one that I've been reading on a regular basis.
Catherine, I don’t know what to suggest. I couldn’t find it for the longest time in Salt Lake, and then one day it appeared in my regular grocery store. You might try asking your store to order it for you. The one I have is Sherherds of Cyprus brand if that helps.
Hi Kalyn’s,
Love your web site!
I am desperatly wanting to try this recipe, BUT, can’t find Halloumi cheese. I live in Escondido, CA. located half way between LA and San Diego. Please help, if you can.
Catherine
That’s one beautiful salad!
I’ve been watching for Halloumi to arrive in my area… I can’t wait! It sounds so good!
Those baby bell peppers are so yummy… I’ve had them grilled whole, and they’re just fantastic that way. I’ve never tried them raw–I’m sure they’re so much sweeter than the big ones!
Isn’t haloumi just the *best*?? It’s very popular in South Africa (I usually spend my visits gorging on grilled haloumis salads in every restaurant I visit!) and I was surprised when I first moved to the UK that it was hard to find here, but now it seems that word has spread and it’s available in most supermarkets – hurrah!
Ok, I will try Smith’s. Thanks for the tip!
Your salad looks gorgeous, so fresh! Halloumi is a favourite of mine, I love the bouncy texture and it goes so well on the bbq. Lovely blog, by the way.
My kind of salad, Kalyn. Chicken and cheese? I’m in for some!
Jasmine, get one of those grill pans with ridges and you can get grilled results right on top of the stove. I actually have two of the pans. The one in these photos is a Calpahlon (about $40 USD) and has a non-stick surface, which is why I used it for this cheese. I also have a cast iron one that I got for about $12 USD, which is fantastic for meat.
I think the secret to getting grilled results with a stove-top grill pan is getting the pan very hot before you put the food on. Other than that, it’s totally simple.
BTW, I also have an electric George Foreman Grill which I’m not that fond of. (I hope George does not read my blog!) I use it mainly for bacon, which I don’t even cook that often. I much prefer the one that sits on the stovetop.
Happy grilling!
Hi Jasmine,
This is completely subjective, but I say square (both my pans are square) because it seems to me that so many foods you would cook on a grill have straight edges. To me it just feels like you can fit more food on a square grill pan.
Any other readers who want to chime in on this, please do. Anyone have a round grill pan that they like for a different reason?
Dear Kalyn
Thank you so much for your reply.
Could you also advise whether a square or round grill pan is better.
Tks
Jasmine
Hi Kalyn – I love Halloumi and you’ve done it proud. I’ve been seeing those mini-peppers in our Co-op lately but haven’t indulged yet. Your salad was the inspiration I’ve been needing.
Dear Kalyn
You may think this is a silly question. I am just learning to grill indoors and don’t really know how (don’t really want to buy the electric indoor grill).
Did you grill on the stove? What grill pan did you use? Is a cast iron pan good for grilling? Do you have any tips for grilling indoors?
Many Tks
Jasmine
Mandira, much saltier than paneer, and also firmer. I really can’t think of a cheese I’ve had that was very similar to this. It’s actually almost rubbery in texture, but in a good way. So delicious!
wow Kalyn, this salad has all the elements of spring. It looks delicious. I am curious to try hallumi now 🙂 Is it like paneer?
I’m glad there are other people who have little mini parties in the grocery store when they find something new! I can’t wait to try this. It’s beautiful.
Your salad looks wonderful. I had Halloumi cheese with Watermelon at a Greek Restaurant and it was great!
Sharona May
I believe I first heard about Halloumi on NPR’s Splendid Table, but didn’t write down the name. I’m so glad to see it here. This has reminded me to keep an eye out for it in the stores!=)
I am putting Halloumi on my grocery list right now!
Mmmm, I see there are a lot of Halloumi fans. Pille, I think your blog was one of the first places I learned about it. I agree, this salad would still be great without the chicken. Love the idea of using grilled halloumi pieces in panzanella too!
Must get cheese…
I adore halloumi and this looks yummy. It makes me think it would be good in a pazanella. (Also, thanks for visiting my blog.)
kaaaalyn! now I’m having a *severe* halloumi craving! I love it best straight out of the frying pan with a big squeeze of lemon juice. soooo gooood!!! It’s funny what foodthings are scarce in different parts – halloumi is readily available in Oz, but it’s true, it can be a bit expensive. probably a good thing, otherwise I would definitely eat too much of it!
Excellent recipe Kalyn! Oh halloumi, how I love thee! It’s especially good stuffed into a chicken breast with basil pesto. Yum!
Another halloumi-fan here! The salad looks so bright and colourful – very, very appealing!
Oh yes this is good cheese. So amazing grilled. Now you’ve reminded me and I’m craving ;))
Even good without the chicken I’d guess here.
That salad looks great. I absolutely love Halloumi. And I’m sure you’ll like it even more once you try it grilled.
Fired halloumi is so good! I will have to try it in a salad.
Halloumi is so versatile you can use it in a thousand ways. I am glad more people are getting to know it and once they try it they are hooked for ever. Thanks for the link to my post.
I can see I’m not the only person who loves Halloumi. Maria, I found it at Smiths on 2100 South. That’s still the only place I’ve seen it in Utah.
Where did you find the cheese??
I am not a big cheese fan but I too have heard so much about this cheese that I have to try it. Will keep an eye out for it down here.
Kalyn, Halloumi has to be one of (if not the best) cheeses to stand up to heat, be it fried or grilled.
It’s not a cheap cheese but it’s still worth it.
Thank you for the link to my halloumi salad, Happy cooking!
I first fell in love with grilled Halloumi Cheese when I had some at a wonderful outdoor Greek Restaurant on the North Fork of Long Island. One of those places where they always have a pig on a spit outside. They served it simply with wonderful Greek bread and olive oil.