Skip to content
veggyz

Air-fryer salads · 20 minutes

Hot-Honey Halloumi and Blistered Grape Salad

Grapes and halloumi share the air-fryer basket, so the grapes slump into jammy little bursts while the cheese gets a golden crust, and chili honey ties them together.

Prep
8 min
Cook
12 min
Total
20 min
Serves
2
Jump to recipe
VegetarianGluten-freeEgg-freeAir fryer

Halloumi is the rare cheese that wants high heat. At 400°F it browns on the outside and goes soft and squeaky inside without melting into the basket. Grapes go in a few minutes earlier, so by the time the cheese is golden they’ve split their skins and turned sticky and concentrated, more like a quick jam than fruit.

Everything lands on a pile of arugula with lemon and olive oil, then gets a drizzle of hot honey you stir together in a minute. Salty, sweet, hot and bitter in one bite, which is exactly the point. Eat it while the halloumi is warm; it firms up and gets rubbery as it cools.

The recipe

Hot-Honey Halloumi and Blistered Grape Salad

Prep 8 min · Cook 12 min · Total 20 min · Serves 2

Ingredients

Tap to tick off as you go.

For the hot honey

For the halloumi and grapes

For the salad

Method

  1. Step 1: Stir the hot honey

    Stir the honey, pepper flakes and vinegar together in a small bowl. If your honey is stiff, microwave it for 10 seconds first. Let it sit while you cook so the heat steeps in.

  2. Step 2: Blister the grapes

    Toss the grapes with 1 tsp of the oil and air-fry at 400°F for 4 minutes, until the skins start to wrinkle.

  3. Step 3: Crisp the halloumi

    Brush the halloumi with the remaining oil and sprinkle with oregano. Push the grapes to one side of the basket, lay the halloumi in a single layer, and air-fry at 400°F for 7–8 minutes, flipping halfway, until both sides are deep golden and the grapes have burst.

  4. Step 4: Dress the greens

    Toss the arugula with the lemon juice, olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Pile it onto plates.

  5. Step 5: Build and drizzle

    Top the arugula with the hot halloumi, the grapes and any juices from the basket, and the pistachios. Drizzle with hot honey and serve right away.

Good to know

  • Pat the halloumi dry on both sides before oiling it. Surface brine is what keeps it from browning.
  • Spoon up the sticky grape juices from the bottom of the basket and add them to the salad; they’re the best part of the dressing.
  • Halloumi is already salty, so go easy on salt in the arugula and finish with flaky salt only if it needs it.

Swaps

Grapes
Halved figs or pitted cherries; skip the head start and cook them alongside the halloumi
Halloumi
Paneer or bread cheese (juustoleipä), same time and temperature
Arugula
Watercress or a mix of baby spinach and frisée
Honey
Maple syrup with the same chili flakes for a honey-free version

Questions people ask

Is halloumi vegetarian?

Not always. Traditional halloumi is often made with animal rennet, but many supermarket brands use microbial or vegetable rennet and say so on the label.

How long do you air-fry halloumi?

Slabs about ½ inch thick take 7–8 minutes at 400°F, flipped halfway. Pull it when both sides are deep golden and serve it warm.

Can you air-fry grapes?

Yes. Whole seedless grapes blister in about 10–12 minutes at 400°F, turning jammy and concentrated. Toss them with a little oil first so the skins don’t stick.

Get the grapes, arugula and lemon from a farmer.

This recipe is only as good as what goes in it. Find a farmers market or CSA farm near you, or get a produce box delivered when there’s no market this week.

Cook this next

All air-fryer salads