My wife and I are big fans of halloumi cheese. Our air fryer provides the perfect appliance in which to get creative with delicious cheese sticks, without them being messy and melty.

Halloumi is a firmer cheese from Cyprus, and is generally a mix of goat and sheep’s milk. It is particularly tasty when grilled or fried to a golden crunch, and is versatile for all manner of dishes and salads, or by itself as an enjoyably simple starter.

Air fryer crunchy Halloumi sticks combine the fantastic, salty cheese flavor with a perfect panko crunch on the outside. They need little to no oversight while cooking, yet taste and look like a restaurant appetizer.

Halloumi maintains saltiness, has a brilliant consistency and high-temperature melting point, yet also takes on complementary flavors, such as lime juice, herbs and spices. When cooking for myself, I like to add some fresh citrus juice, rock salt and pepper when cooking it simply in a frying pan or on the barbecue.

Golden fried, halloumi sticks are just as delicious as mozzarella sticks, if not more so. They are considerably less gooey and melty, which is not bad, just different. Halloumi doesn’t need breading to be tasty, but when properly crumbed the layer of crunch and considerable flavor gained from seasoning takes them to a delicious new level.

This recipe utilizes the crunch of panko breading, but I’ve also opted to make my own dipping sauce as well. You can easily opt go without a dipping sauce, or choose the store bought version you like, but crafting a flavorful drizzle to contrast the halloumi cheese adds another delicious facet to the dish.

The honey mustard mayo recipe we’ve used here is our current favorite for enjoying with Halloumi sticks, but you can go many different ways to suit your palate, such as a habanero hot chilli sauce, or a more sensible salt and pepper option to enjoy with aioli and lime.