Halloumi Cheese Making Recipe (2024)

Learn how to make delicious Halloumi Cheese at home with this easy to follow, step-by-step tutorial and just a few simple ingredients!

Halloumi Cheese Making Recipe (1)

Over the last few months I’ve had an enjoyable time making all kinds of cheese. From Monterey jack to Pepper jack, Wensleydale, Gouda, Mozzarella, Paneer, and Darby Cheese.

Yum!

I really love good cheese – not to mention it’s high in protein and calcium. It’s a great way to put our local raw milk to use and one of the best ways to use 2-3 gallons at a time.

While I don’t have a particular favorite when it comes to cheese, I am a huge fan of halloumi cheese..

Halloumi Cheese Making Recipe (2)

What is Halloumi Cheese?

Halloumi cheese is a cheese made from a mixture of cow and goat milk – or in some cases, 100% cow milk. It’s semi-firm, and white. It has the texture of mozzarella with the briny moisture of feta. The cheese originates in Cyprus — a Greek island in the Mediterranean. Many people around the world enjoy this cheese for it’s flavor and texture.

Halloumi is rather mild in taste and can be added to dishes raw (cold), or fried on each side in a little butter or oil.

Instead of melting when cooked, halloumi browns beautifully, especially when grilled. While you can buy it on Amazon, it’s quite expensive.. so making it yourself is much more cost effective.

While you can start with 1 gallon, I suggest using at least 2 gallons of milk to make a larger amount. It takes the same amount of time to make a batch of halloumi with 2+ gallons as it does with 1, so make it worth your while.

Halloumi Cheese Recipe

Grab the following items to get started:

  • 2 gallons raw milk – not ultra pasteurized
  • 2 packets Mesophilic culture
  • 1/2 tsp single strength liquid rennet
  • 1 oz salt

Other items needed:

  • Thermometer
  • Long knife to cut curds
  • Spoon or ladle to stir curds
  • Large colander
  • Cheese mold
  • Cheese press (or weights so you can fashion your own)

Halloumi Cheese Making Recipe (3)

Step #1 — Heat the milk.

Pour the milk into a stainless steel pot and slowly heat to 88 degrees. Stir well as it heats to ensure even distribution of heat throughout the milk.

Halloumi Cheese Making Recipe (4)

Once the milk is at the target temperature, turn the heat off. Sprinkle the culture on top. Allow the culture to sit and hydrate on the top of the milk for 1 minute.

Halloumi Cheese Making Recipe (5)

Step #2 — Coagulate with rennet.

Combine 1/2 tsp rennet in 1/4 C. cool, non-chlorinated water and pour into the milk. Stir for 30 seconds, using up and down motion, to incorporate into the milk. Cover the pot, and allow the culture and rennet to work for 45 minutes without interruption.

During this time, the milk may drop a few degrees – that is OK.

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Step #3 — Cut your curds

After that 45 minute period, the curd should be ready to cut with your long knife. You want to see a nice, smooth split with a clean break.

Cut 1/2 inch spacing — checkerboard (horizontally, vertically). Then take your knife and slide it in there diagonally to get under the top. You might have to pull the pot towards you to tilt it to get that horizontal cut.

Once the curds have been cut, cover the pot and allow the curds to rest for 5 minutes.

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Step #4 — Cook the curds

After the curds have rested, put the thermometer back on the pot. Turn the heat on the pot and increase the heat slowly to 100 degrees — over the course of 20-30 minutes.

I have a gas stove, so it’s easy to finagle the temperature by turning it off and on periodically as necessary. You don’t want to heat the curds too quickly.

Once at the target temperature of 100 degrees F, keep at that temp for 30 additional minutes. During that time, stir every 5 minutes. During that time, try to stir every 5-6 minutes to prevent the curds from clumping together in the bottom of the pot.

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Step #5 — Transfer and Press the Curds

Now, the curds are ready to transfer to the colander and the mold. Place the colander on top of a second empty pot and pour the whey off the curds, catching the curds in the colander. Allow them to drain while you prepare the mold.

Transfer the curds to a cheesecloth lined mold, and place the follower on top. Press the cheese at 30 lbs weight for one hour. Remove from the press; unwrap, flip and re-wrap. Place it back in the mold with the follower on top. Press at 50 lbs for 30 minutes.

During this time, place the whey back on the stove and bring to the temperature of 174 degrees F. Check on it often, as whey can boil over quite easily.

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Step #6 — Cut and Cook

Remove the cheese from the mold and cheesecloth and place on a flat cutting surface. Cut the cheese into wedges (much like a pie).

Halloumi Cheese Making Recipe (10)

Place your slices into the whey at 174 degrees – initially they will sink. After 30-45 minutes they will float to the top – they are ready to remove.

Halloumi Cheese Making Recipe (11)

Halloumi Cheese Making Recipe (12)

Remove the cheese and turn off the stove. Lay the cheese down on a clean cutting board and sprinkle with just under 1/8 C. salt between both sides. Loosely cover and allow to sit for 2-4 hours.

Store the cheese in a brine (8-12% salt + 1 gallon of water) in the fridge for up to 60 days. I prefer to use an 8% brine — which is just 2.56 oz of salt dissolved in 1 gallon of non-chlorinated water.

Always use a scale to measure your salt to ensure the best accuracy.

Enjoying your cheese

Once your Halloumi is done, you can enjoy it in slices (as-is) on a salad, or sandwich. One of my favorite ways to eat Halloumi is grilled or fried in a pan in butter or oil.

Simply put your cheese in a pan with a pat of butter or some oil and cook on each side for 2-3 minutes until browned. Flip and repeat.

Have you ever enjoyed Halloumi cheese?

Halloumi Cheese Making Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to make haloumi cheese? ›

Halloumi Cheese Making Recipe Instructions
  1. Heat Milk. Begin by heating the milk to 86-88°F (30-31°C). ...
  2. Coagulate with Rennet. Now add about 1/4 tsp. ...
  3. Cut Curds. The curd can now be cut to . ...
  4. Cook Curds & Remove Whey. ...
  5. Form the Curds. ...
  6. Bonus: Anari/Ricotta. ...
  7. Heat Halloumi in Whey. ...
  8. Finishing & Salting.

What are the ingredients in halloumi cheese? ›

Traditional halloumi is typically made from fresh, unpasteurised sheep and/or goat's milk. However, for its commercial production a mixture of pasteurized sheep, goat and occasionally cow's milk is used (with the cow's milk making up the lowest proportion of the milk used, if used at all).

How is halloumi made? ›

Halloumi is a semi-hard cheese made principally in Cyprus from sheep or goat milk or mixture of the two. The raw milk is coagulated as for Feta cheese. The blocks of the cheese (10 × 10 × 3 cm) are heated at 92–95°C in the whey extracted during draining.

Do you have to soak halloumi before cooking? ›

Why do you soak halloumi before cooking? While completely optional, many swear by this step for a softer, more flavourful, and sweeter result that will set your halloumi apart from all others. The easiest method is to soak the whole block of cheese in cold water for at least two hours (or overnight if you have time).

What are the rules for halloumi? ›

It should be noted that currently, the minimum ratio of goat and sheep milk in the raw materials used for halloumi production stands at 25%, and within five years, this minimum quota must increase to 50%.

Does halloumi melt like mozzarella? ›

You may be thinking this sounds messy, but Halloumi is a cheese that won't melt so it retains its texture and shape. If heated, the surface caramelizes slightly and the inside softens. The flavor is incredible, especially when still warm, and it's a really cool cheese to grill.

What is halloumi called in USA? ›

Many Halloumi-style cheeses are prepared by dairy and goat farmers in Canada and the United States. For legal proprietary reasons, these cheeses are usually called Halloumi-style or grillable cheeses. Sometimes they are called grilling cheese or frying cheese, or queso de freír in Spanish.

Why is halloumi so expensive? ›

Halloumi is made out of sheep's milk, which is more expensive than cow's or goat's milk due to the animal milking production—though nowadays you can also find Halloumi varieties with a mix of these kinds of milk, thus lowering the price of the product.

Which country eats the most halloumi? ›

Currently, the UK is the country consuming the highest number of halloumi cheese outside of Cyprus.

What are the disadvantages of halloumi cheese? ›

However, while protein and calcium work to suggest that halloumi is healthy, there's no getting away from the fact that there's also a pretty high sodium and fat content. In fact, one 28g portion of halloumi contains a whopping 9 grams of fat and 15% of your DV (Daily Value) of sodium.

What vegetable is rennet? ›

What is vegetable rennet? Vegetable rennet is made from plant enzymes that have coagulating properties. Vegetable rennet may be produced with plants such as thistle, artichokes, and nettles, but other plants like ground ivy, dried caper leaves, and fig juice have also been known to serve as coagulants.

Can diabetics eat halloumi? ›

Halloumi cheese has a unique savory flavor and firm texture. It contains calcium and protein which helps keep bones healthy and may help reduce type 2 diabetes risk. It's best to eat it in moderation as part of a balanced diet. Halloumi is a semi-hard cheese typically made from the milk of goats, sheep, or cows.

Does halloumi smell when off? ›

If the cheese has become slimy or developed a mold, it's time to toss it out. Moreover, a strong sour smell or change in color can also indicate that the cheese is past its prime.

How do you know when halloumi is done? ›

Use your spatula to test for doneness before you remove it from the heat. Once the cheese feels soft inside and gives easily you'll know that it is cooked to perfection. If you'd rather skip the oil, halloumi can also be dry-fried in a non-stick pan. Or toss it in your air fryer for up to ten minutes.

Can you cook halloumi in an air fryer? ›

Carefully pat the halloumi dry using kitchen paper or a clean cloth, then brush or rub with oil. Season with salt and pepper and any flavourings, if using. Put the halloumi in the air fryer basket and cook for 8 mins until beginning to brown. Flip over and cook for a further 2-5 mins until crisp and golden.

How to make rennet at home? ›

Instructions for Making Nettle Rennet
  1. Rinse 2 pounds fresh leaves under cool, filtered water.
  2. Fill a large pot with 4 cups water. ...
  3. Add 1 heaping tablespoon of sea salt to the pot; stir gently to dissolve. ...
  4. Place a colander inside a large bowl. ...
  5. The liquid drained from the nettle leaves is the liquid nettle rennet.

How is halloumi different from mozzarella? ›

This characteristic allows Halloumi to retain its shape when grilled or fried, making it a popular choice for grilling and frying. The textures of these cheeses are markedly different: Mozzarella is creamy and stringy when melted, whereas Halloumi is firmer and has a squeaky texture when chewed.

What is the difference between halloumi and mozzarella? ›

Mozzarella has a similar taste to halloumi, but it has a lower melting point. It can be cubed or made into cheese curds like halloumi, but it doesn't crumble the way halloumi does. Mozzarella is a decent substitute for halloumi, but there are better ones out there.

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