Grilled Zhug-Marinated Halloumi Pitas Recipe

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Halloumi is a seriously underrated cheese. It has a nice mildly tangy flavor profile (great if the similar but stronger feta overwhelms you) and a dense, milky texture that is practically made to be fried or grilled. Halloumi is a little different than paneer, which is softer and milder in flavor, though the two can be compared for their versatility. Like paneer, halloumi has lots of potential in the culinary world, and it can handle bold flavor infusions and marinades with ease. Perhaps most notably of all, halloumi also melts slowly, maintaining a firm shape while becoming warm and perfectly gooey from the inside-out.

This grilled zhug-marinated halloumi pita recipe showcases exactly how versatile the Greek cheese can be. Marinated in zhug, a spicy green sauce boasting toasted spices along with blended chiles and cilantro, the halloumi takes on a fresh, slightly spicy flavor before hitting the grill for a smoky, slightly charred finish. To round out the dish, you'll stuff the grilled halloumi into pita pockets and top with tzatziki sauce and a quick tomato salad for a positively summery, fresh, and satisfying meal.

To make zhug, you'll need whole cumin and coriander for toasting, a hot green chile pepper (like a Serrano or a young Thai chile), garlic, cilantro, parsley, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and plenty of olive oil. You'll need a few of those ingredients (salt, lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil) for the tzatziki, too, along with cucumber, Greek yogurt, and dill. For the tomato salad, you'll need cherry tomatoes (or sliced Romas would work), sliced red onion, parsley, and more olive oil. From there, you just need pita bread and halloumi, which you can find in the cheese section near similar block cheeses like feta or paneer.

Place a small skillet over medium heat.

Add the coriander and cumin seeds and toast until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Transfer the toasted coriander and cumin seeds to a food processor along with the chile, garlic, cilantro, parsley, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper.

Pulse until very finely chopped.

Slowly stream in the olive oil while pulsing until the mixture is combined into a pesto-like sauce.

Add the halloumi slices to a large bowl or bag and cover with zhug. Marinate in the fridge for 2-6 hours.

In the meantime, make the tzatziki. First squeeze out all moisture from the grated cucumber between paper towels.

Add the drained cucumber to a bowl with the yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and dill. Stir to combine and set aside.

Prepare the tomato salad by combining the cherry tomatoes, onions, parsley, olive oil, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Set aside.

Preheat the grill to medium-high, or between 400-450 F.

Place the halloumi pieces over direct heat and grill for 2-3 minutes per side, until browned. The halloumi should lift easily from the grates.

To assemble the pitas, carefully open each pita and add tomato salad about halfway. Add halloumi slices to fill, then drizzle with tzatziki sauce to serve.

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Pita bread is one of many types of flatbread that can be filled or topped with a myriad of ingredients. While you can simply add the ingredients on top of the pita and fold it, many store-bought pita are also hollow on the inside, which allows them to be opened and stuffed for a sandwich-like meal. Doing this without cracking or breaking the bread requires warming the pita, which can be done a few different ways.

Since the grill is already fired up, you can throw the pita bread onto the grates to warm. Brush oil on either side of the pita and place on the grill, then grill for just 30 seconds before flipping and warming the other side. The pita should puff up in the middle and remain soft and pliable. If the pita is overcooked, it will harden into a chip, which will crack when stuffed or rolled. To avoid this, you can also gently warm the pita in the microwave for 30 seconds until soft. When filling the warmed pita, avoid overstuffing by layering the ingredients in small amounts until about halfway filled in each piece.

Though halloumi is a sturdy cheese, it is still melty enough to stick to the grates of the grill. To avoid this pitfall, first prep the grill grates with oil and crank up the heat. It's actually high heat and a direct flame that help form a crust that lifts the cheese easily away from the grates. If the halloumi is sticking, it may be because the grill isn't hot enough or the cheese hasn't had a chance to form a crust yet. If you find that slices are sticking, leave them be to cook for another minute or two, then try flipping again once more of a crust has formed.

Another reason you may be having trouble with flipping halloumi is that the slices are too thin. When prepping the halloumi, slice into ½-inch slices. Thinner slices melt faster and stick to the grill before a crust is able to form, which prevents clean and easy flipping. If ½-inch slices are too thick for serving, you can always slice them into smaller pieces after grilling.

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