If you have a few slices of halloumi leftover, you may be wondering if you can keep them and bring them back to life later.
I have experimented with 5 different reheating methods, to find out what’s best at delivering a fresh, elastic, and flavorful halloumi.
(No dry, rubbery halloumi in sight!).
The best way to reheat halloumi is in the oven. Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Place your halloumi directly on a wire rack or on some ridged foil and leave it to heat for 2-4 minutes. The halloumi is done when it’s hot to the touch.
A note on my experiment
Most sources online advise against reheating halloumi because it can turn rubbery and lose some of its flavor.
I wanted to see if this was true or if there is a decent way to salvage it.
So, I got a big block of halloumi and fried it until it was browned and crispy on the outside and soft and squidgy in the middle.
The following day, I took it out of the fridge and tried five different ways of reheating it:
- Oven → my favorite method
- Re-frying in a pan → an excellent method
- Broiler → very similar to the oven
- Microwave → not recommended
- Air fryer → not recommended
The halloumi had gone hard in the fridge, so I was looking for a method that softened it but still kept its signature squeak.
Overall, the oven and the frying pan were my top methods.
The halloumi had a good texture and aged well. It was still nice after 5 minutes.
The air fryer was too drying.
The microwave produced soggy halloumi, which dried quickly.
Top tip: thicker slices of halloumi hold up better to reheating than thin ones. If you suspect you’ll have leftovers, cut thicker slices.
Also, don’t forget that you can always eat the halloumi cold! It will be slightly stiff but will still be tasty.
Reheating halloumi in the oven (or air fryer)
To reheat halloumi in the oven, preheat it to 350°F (180°C). Place your halloumi directly on a wire rack or on some ridged foil and leave it to heat for 2-4 minutes. The halloumi is done when it’s hot to the touch.
Rating: 10/10 (4/10 for the air fryer)
The oven worked really well for reheating my halloumi. It was low effort, and the halloumi had a good texture.
How to reheat halloumi in the oven:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Put the halloumi directly on a wire rack in the oven or on a ridged piece of foil on a baking tray.
- Put the halloumi in the oven for 2-4 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
The wire rack or ridged foil means the heat can easily reach both sides of the halloumi, so you don’t have to flip it halfway through heating.
If you use a simple baking tray, lightly oil it and flip the halloumi after the first 1-2 minutes.
Verdict
The oven was my favorite method out of everything I tried.
The halloumi was soft but still had a bite to it (and the squeak).
It also aged well.
The halloumi was still soft and warm after 5 minutes.
Another big plus of the oven is that you can reheat lots of halloumi slices at once.
What about the air fryer?
To use an air fryer to reheat your halloumi, heat it at 350°F (180°C) for 1-2 minutes. Keep the halloumi in a single layer. Do batches if you have too much halloumi.
However, I don’t recommend using the air fryer because it dries the halloumi out.
You lose the squeak, and the halloumi becomes very chewy.
Reheating halloumi in a skillet
To reheat halloumi in a skillet, heat the pan on a medium-high heat, adding a spritz of oil if the pan isn’t non-stick. Add the halloumi and heat it on one side for 30-60 seconds. Flip the halloumi and heat the other side for 30 seconds.
Rating: 9/10
Using a skillet is a great method of reviving old halloumi. It comes out almost as good as new.
How to reheat halloumi in a skillet:
- Heat a non-stick pan on a medium-high heat (add some oil if you’re not using non-stick).
- When the pan is up to temperature, add the halloumi and heat on one side for 30-60 seconds.
- Flip the halloumi and heat the other side for 30 seconds.
- Serve immediately.
There’s no need to use any oil with non-stick pans, and you only need very little with standard pans.
Halloumi isn’t prone to sticking, and you’re not leaving it in the pan for very long.
Verdict
The frying pan produced excellent results. The texture of the halloumi was soft but still firm (very similar to the oven), and it still squeaked when I bit into it.
The halloumi also aged similarly to the oven halloumi and was still soft and warm after 5 minutes.
The reason I preferred the oven was because it was slightly less involved – I didn’t have to stand at the frying pan flipping the halloumi.
Reheating halloumi in the microwave
To reheat halloumi in the microwave, arrange it on a safe microwave plate in a single layer and heat the halloumi on high for 15-20 seconds. Halloumi heats very quickly in the microwave, so check on it often. Eat the halloumi immediately because it will start to harden quickly.
Rating: 3/10
The microwave was my least favorite method because the texture of the halloumi was nothing like freshly cooked halloumi.
How to reheat halloumi in the microwave:
- Spread the halloumi out on a microwave-safe plate in a single layer.
- Heat the halloumi on high for 15-20 seconds.
- Serve immediately.
Timings will vary based on the thickness of your halloumi and how many slices you’re reheating.
I would always check after the first 15 seconds to judge how much longer your halloumi needs (you might find it’s already done).
Verdict
This was by far the quickest method – it took a matter of seconds!
But the halloumi came out very soggy and then quickly hardened to the point where it was more like eating cardboard.
There was no ‘squeak’ left, and I had about a 1-minute window before the halloumi went downhill.
Reheating halloumi under the broiler
To reheat halloumi under the broiler, set it to a medium-high heat and put the halloumi under it for 30-60 seconds. Flip the halloumi over and heat the other side for 30 seconds.
Rating: 8/10
The broiler was a good method, and the halloumi was tasty, but (for me) the extra effort of flipping the halloumi wasn’t worth it.
How to reheat halloumi under the broiler:
- Set the broiler to a medium-high setting.
- Spread the halloumi out on a wire rack.
- Heat the halloumi on one side for 30-60 seconds.
- Flip the halloumi over and heat it for 30 seconds.
- Serve immediately.
Be careful when you’re flipping the halloumi not to burn your hands. I suggest using tongs.
Verdict
The boiler produced very similar results to the oven.
I thought the halloumi might go a bit crispy under the broiler, but this wasn’t really the case because they were under there for so little time.
You could always leave the halloumi for 30 seconds longer to try and crisp it up.
Other ways to reheat halloumi I didn’t test
Here are some more creative ways to reheat halloumi. As with any method, just heat the halloumi until it’s warm because overheating it will leave you with hard, dried-out halloumi.
In the toaster
If you can’t stand the microwave, an alternative on-the-go method is to use a toaster. You’ll need a toaster bag to stop any juices from falling into the toaster. The bag also makes it easy to take the halloumi out. Toast the halloumi for 1-2 minutes, depending on thickness.
In a George Foreman grill
Another idea would be a George Foreman grill (or something similar). I can see this working really well because it’s similar to outdoor grilling. Put the halloumi on the George Foreman and close the lid for 30 seconds. The halloumi should heat through quickly.
Can you eat halloumi cold?
Yes, leftover halloumi is great when eaten cold. It will have lost some of its squidgyness and have a harder texture, but it will still be delicious. You can eat it by itself, in a salad or a wrap, or paired with some fruit or meat.
How to store leftover halloumi
To store leftover halloumi, put it in an airtight container in the fridge. The halloumi will last for up to 2 days. Line the container with a paper towel and separate any layers with parchment paper to keep the halloumi as crisp as possible. The paper towel will soak up excess moisture.
To store raw opened halloumi, keep it in salt water in an airtight container for two weeks. Alternatively, tightly wrap the halloumi in wax/parchment paper and keep it in a sealed plastic bag (or just use cheese paper). Replace the wrapping each time you unwrap the halloumi.
Can you freeze leftover halloumi?
To freeze leftover halloumi, lay it out on a sheet pan and freeze the individual pieces for an hour. Then transfer the halloumi to a freezer bag and squeeze as much of the air out as possible. Freeze the cheese for up to 3 months. The texture of the halloumi will suffer, but it will still be edible.
Alternatively, you can separate individual halloumi slices with parchment paper and then wrap the cheese in plastic wrap and foil to protect it.
If you have the option, it’s always better to freeze raw halloumi over cooked halloumi.
Raw halloumi’s texture holds up much better to freezing.
You can freeze raw halloumi in a block, but I suggest pre-slicing it.
Separate the slices with parchment paper and wrap the halloumi in plastic wrap followed by foil.
You can also flash freeze the halloumi slices separately before transferring them to a larger container.
Raw halloumi will last for up to 6 months in the freezer.
How to reheat halloumi fries
The best way to reheat halloumi fries is to re-fry them. Cover the bottom of a pan with oil and heat it until it’s shimmering. Add the halloumi fries and heat them for 30 seconds on each side. You can also use the oven or the air fryer. 5-10 minutes at 350 will do.
Another option is to deep fry them.
The result would be similar to the skillet method, but you wouldn’t have to flip them.
However, setting up a deep fryer just to reheat a few halloumi fries is a lot of effort.
The BEST Way To Reheat Halloumi
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 portion halloumi
- 1 spray oil optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Put the halloumi directly on a wire rack in the oven or on a ridged piece of foil on a baking tray.
- Put the halloumi in the oven for 2-4 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
![Exactly How To Reheat Refried Beans – I Test 3 Methods [Pics]](https://pantryandlarder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/reheat-refried-beans-feature-200x200.jpeg)
![Exactly How To Reheat Baked Beans – I Test 3 Methods [Pics]](https://pantryandlarder.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/reheat-baked-beans-feature-200x200.jpeg)