Ready in just 15 minutes, you can make this Halloumi Bake with ease in the air fryer. Simply halloumi, bell peppers and onion, tossed in ketchup and a little harissa paste and served with a harissa lime yogurt sauce. It’s mild enough for the littlest family members to enjoy, but if you want more spice, no problem, just add in more harissa - I’ll recommend how much. If you have an air fryer with two drawers you can even make two versions, a mild one for the kids and a spicer batch for the adults.
The spice level can be adjusted for your family. If you have a toddler, weaning baby or fussy eater and are wondering how to adapt this recipe for your family, see here >
I have also included oven timings also if you don’t have an air fryer.
You’ll love this recipe because it:
- you can make it in 15 minutes
- use simple ingredients and not many of them
- the spice level can be adjusted for your family
- cooks in the air fryer so saves energy, money and time!
The Stars of my Air Fryer Halloumi Bake
The Halloumi
The star of the show, we will need two 225g (or thereabouts) blocks of halloumi. You’ll want to slice them in half down the middle, lengthways. There should be a natural divide there anyway. Then slice those halves into three strips, about an inch wide each. Next, cut across those strips twice, turning those strips into roughly one inch cubes. If you are sharing this meal with a little one doing baby led weaning, see below how to prepare some halloumi and vegetables for them.
The Vegetables
Keeping it simple, I only add in one red onion and two sweet bell peppers, red or orange both work well. Then we’re going to cut them into roughly 1 inch dice. For the peppers, I cut them into roughly 1 inch strips then I cut those in half horizontally. I do the same for the onion.
The Harissa
Harissa is a hot chilli paste originating from North Africa, Tunisia to be exact. And although it is a spicy paste, I only add just enough (1 teaspoon) to bring in the aromatic harissa flavour whilst keeping the heat level mild enough for even younger children to enjoy. You can amp up the heat if you aren’t sharing this meal with small children, I’ll talk about that more further down.
The Ketchup
We are going to add just two tablespoons of ketchup, mostly to act as a carrier for the harissa but also to give the bake a tangy tomato flavour. If you have little ones you might want to use a reduced sugar and salt version.
The Yogurt
The yogurt sauce gives this meal the tang that it needs to balance out the salty halloumi and the sweet, caramelised vegetables. Using plain or natural yogurt, we’ll add a little more harissa and some lime juice to pack in more flavour and tang.
FAQ’s For My Air Fryer Halloumi Bake
Can I bake this in the oven instead?
You absolutely can! Just cook it all in a roasting tray at 200ºc / 180ºc fan / 400ºf / gas 6 for 20 minutes.
What if I’d like it spicier?
Just add ½ - 1 teaspoon more of harissa into the bake if everyone eating can handle heat!
If you are eating with young kids and you have two air fryer baskets and you’ll like to make it spicier for the adults only, add an extra ½ teaspoon of harissa into half the mix in one of the air fryer baskets, leaving the other half as per the recipe for the kids. If you want to do that, it’s best to toss the halloumi and vegetables in the ketchup and harissa in a large mixing bowl, then transfer some for the kids into the first air fryer draw, then add more harissa to the remaining mix, stirring through well, adding that into the second air fryer draw.
Can I prepare this Air Fryer Halloumi Bake in advance?
Yes! It’s a great one to prepare ahead. Just add the veg and halloumi to a large mixing bowl and toss through the harissa, ketchup and black pepper. Cover and refrigerate. In a separate bowl make your yogurt dressing, cover and chill also.
Can I feed more people with this Air Fryer Halloumi Bake?
So long as you can fit more in your air fryer! If you have a large one like my Ninja air fryer then you could double the recipe, however, you’ll want to give it a stir after 10 minutes and then carry on cooking until the veg is tender and the halloumi cubes are soft or starting to go deep golden brown and crispy if that’s how you like it.
How can younger children help make it?
They can help toss the halloumi and vegetables in the harissa and ketchup and to also help you make the yogurt sauce.
Can I Store Air Fryer Halloumi Bake leftovers?
You can store any Air Fryer Halloumi Bake leftovers in an air-tight container or resealable food bag in the fridge for up to 3 days (cook day + 2). Leftovers can also be frozen, just defrost for 24 hours in the fridge. You can reheat this meal in the air fryer also, on a lower temperature of 170ºc / 340ºf, for a few minutes or until steaming hot all the way through. You can also reheat it in the microwave, stirring halfway through.
For more on safe food storage and reheating read here >
What diets is this recipe suitable for?
My Air Fryer Halloumi Bake is suitable for vegetarians and is nut and egg-free.
Adapting My Air Fryer Halloumi Bake For Your Family
Eating together is beneficial for families of all ages and stages, for a multitude of reasons; nutritional, behavioural, psychological and for healthy family functioning. This section will show you how to tweak this Air Fryer Halloumi Bake recipe for sharing with a weaning baby, toddler or a fussy eater, which will help make it easier to eat together as a family.
Keeping Picky Eaters Happy
My fussy eater loves halloumi, but not once it has gone too golden and crispy on the outside. He prefers it once its cooked and the whole piece is soft. If you think your child would prefer it this way, cook until the vegetables are tender and the halloumi is soft, but stop before it goes dark golden and crispy. Give them the choice of having the yogurt sauce. Maybe give them some in their own little dipping bowl so they feel in control.
See more from me on fussy eaters here >
Making it Spicer for Adults
If you have two air fryer baskets and you’ll like to make it spicier for the adults only, add an extra ½ or 1 teaspoon of harissa in half the mix and air fryer in one basket, leaving the other half as per the recipe for the kids.
Making My Air Fryer Halloumi Bake Suitable for Baby Weaning
This halloumi bake is suitable for toddlers who are 12 months +. You can use reduced salt and sugar ketchup. The level of harissa I have used in the bake and the yogurt is mild enough for younger children and a good introduction to mild spice for toddlers.
How to Serve to Toddlers
Chop the halloumi cubes and vegetables into bite-size pieces and serve alongside or mixed in with some rice.
I’ve also added these notes to the bottom of the recipe so you have them to hand when you come to cook. For more info on how I keep my family meals suitable for baby weaning, read here >
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Air Fryer Halloumi Bake
Equipment
- Chef’s knife + chopping board
- Small bowl + table teaspoon
Ingredients
- 2 x 225 g packs of halloumi
- 2 red or orange peppers (bell)
- 1 red onion
- 1 teaspoon harissa see notes for adjustable spicing
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- Black pepper to taste
FOR THE YOGURT SAUCE (can be doubled)
- 125 g plain / natural yogurt
- 1 teaspoon harissa
- ½ teaspoon lime juice
Serve with white rice or flatbread
See notes for baby & toddler
Instructions
- Slice the red peppers about 1 inch thick, then cut those slices in half. Dice the onion into 1 inch pieces. Slice the halloumi blocks down the middle lengthways and then cut roughly 1 inch cubes.
- Add the vegetables, then the harissa followed by the ketchup, adding it on top of the ketchup. Then add black pepper to taste. Mix well with a cooking spoon until the halloumi looks evenly coated in the sauce. If you are cooking across two air fryer baskets, toss everything together in a large mixing bowl and then divide between the baskets.
- Air fry on 200ºc / 390ºf for 10-12 minutes. Alternatively, oven bake in a roasting tray at 200ºc / 180ºc fan / 400ºf / gas 6 for 20 minutes.
Notes
Baby & Toddler
FUSSY EATERS
STORAGE
Nutrition
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