How to Stop Halloumi Squeaking: Roast It, Don't Fry It

Halloumi puts a lot of people off, and the reason is nearly always the same: it goes hard, rubbery and squeaky on the teeth. How you cook it makes a big difference. Here is why halloumi squeaks, and how we cook it in our piri piri halloumi traybake so it comes out browned outside and creamy in the middle.

Why does halloumi squeak?

The squeak is the cheese rubbing against your teeth. Halloumi is made from curds that are scalded in hot whey, and the proteins in it (casein) are held tightly together by calcium. It is a young cheese with low acidity, so the calcium stays in place and the cheese stays firm. When you bite, that firm structure squeaks against tooth enamel. Fresher halloumi squeaks more than older halloumi, because over time the proteins start to break down.

So a little squeak is normal. It is part of what makes halloumi halloumi. What puts people off is the hard, dry, rubbery version, and that comes down to how it is cooked.

Why overcooking makes it worse

Halloumi has a high melting point, so you can fry or grill it until it is brown without it melting away. Overcook it, though, and it turns rubbery and dry. Here is how Mac put it while we were cooking:

"You wanna cook it but not overcook it. 'because if you overcook it, it goes a little bit hard, a little bit squeaky."

Pan-frying or grilling is where we find most people run into this. Roasting it quickly at a high temperature gave us something different, and that is what this traybake is built around.

How we roast halloumi in a piri piri traybake

This is a meat-free midweek traybake for four or five, following on from our meat-free month. Mac describes it as something you can "just throw this together, put it in the oven, and forget about it for 20 minutes". We use about 500g of halloumi, cut into thick fingers, and 2 teaspoons of our Piri Piri Spice. Here is the method.

1. Get the oven properly hot

Heat the oven to 200°C fan. It is hotter than we normally cook on, and that is deliberate: you want to char the vegetables, not just soften them.

2. Spice the veg and spread it out

Toss thickly sliced red and yellow peppers, courgette half-moons, red onion wedges and crushed garlic with 4 tablespoons of olive oil, the piri piri blend, salt and pepper. Spread everything out flat in your biggest tray. If it is stacked up it steams, and you want it crisp. Keep the cherry tomatoes and the halloumi aside, because they cook in less time.

3. Roast the veg, then add the tomatoes

Roast the veg on its own for 18 to 20 minutes. Scatter in 200g of cherry tomatoes and give it another 6 minutes or so, until they start to blister and the veg still has a nice colour.

4. Add the halloumi last and turn the heat up

Lay the halloumi fingers in among the veg and turn the oven up to 220°C fan. Roast for a final 7 to 8 minutes. Mac's reason for adding it last is partly to protect it, because there is not a lot of moisture in the tray. He also likes halloumi for this dish because:

"It's quite a sort of meaty cheese. You can bake with it, and it'll stay quite firm."

You are after halloumi that is browned on the outside, rather than cooked all the way through and dried out. In the video it was ready when it had started to brown round the edges. You do not want it too crispy.

5. Finish with lemon

Squeeze a lemon over everything straight from the oven, scatter over parsley or coriander, and serve with warm flatbreads or rice. It is a small step, but it brings the piri piri to life.

Why it works

• Thick fingers: thicker pieces are less likely to dry out and turn rubbery than thin slices.
• Added at the end: the halloumi only has 7 to 8 minutes in the oven, so it is not overcooked while the vegetables char.
• High heat, short time: it browns and caramelises on the outside while the middle stays creamy.

It is quite different from pan-frying or grilling halloumi. Roasted quickly at a high temperature, it stayed creamy in the middle, and it holds its shape in the oven, which is why it works as the meaty centrepiece of a meat-free plate.

What is in our Piri Piri Spice?

Our Piri Piri Spice (Blend No.3) is made of basil, cayenne, chilli, garlic, celery salt, ginger, oregano, onion, black pepper, kaffir lime and cumin (contains celery). It tastes zesty, garlicky and gently fiery, with a building heat. The same blend works on chicken and beef, as in our Piri-Piri Chicken Skewers with Spicy Potato Wedges and Piri Piri Beef Skewers.

Where does halloumi come from?

Halloumi is linked with Cyprus, although it is unclear where it was first made, and the earliest known Cypriot records date to about 1554. Traditionally it was made from goat's and sheep's milk, and the curds are scalded in hot whey, then salted and kept in salted whey. In the EU the name halloumi is protected, so it can only be used for cheese made in certain parts of Cyprus.

Questions people ask

Why does halloumi squeak?

Halloumi's proteins are held firmly together by calcium. When you bite it, that firm structure rubs against your teeth and squeaks. Fresher halloumi squeaks more.

How do I stop halloumi going rubbery?

Do not overcook it. Cut it into thick pieces, cook it hot and quickly until it is browned on the outside, and eat it straight away.

Can you bake halloumi?

Yes. It has a high melting point, so it holds its shape in the oven. We roast it in a piri piri traybake at 220°C fan for 7 to 8 minutes, added after the vegetables.

Can I use a different spice blend?

You can, but this traybake was built around the piri piri, with a squeeze of lemon at the end to bring it out.