Spicy bean and halloumi fritters
Can you think of anything better than halloumi fritters?! I know there are still people who haven’t ever tried halloumi – if you’re one of those people, get on it! It’s the best thing ever. It’s a salty cheese, firm but gooey, and you can grill or fry it without it melting away into nothingness. A crispy crust with a squidgy middle – it’s amazing. I even wrote a whole post about how to cook halloumi a while back, so no excuses.
I’ve cooked with halloumi all kinds of ways in the past – halloumi pie, halloumi casserole, halloumi salad, halloumi burgers… – so I thought halloumi fritters sounded like a good next step. With beans, sweetcorn and spices, they have a slightly TexMex vibe. All my favourite things in one.
You don’t need to pre-cook the halloumi, or any of the other ingredients. Just add the diced cheese, some tinned kidney beans and some tinned sweetcorn to a large mixing bowl with some straightforward batter ingredients, and get frying!
My only challenge was cooking up the whole batch before digging in (I may have sacrificed one halloumi fritter to nibble as a snack whilst cooking. No regrets).
The fritters turn out dense and crispy, with little pockets of cheese. Sooo good.
I served my spicy bean and halloumi fritters with some salad and sliced avocado, which was a great way to lighten up the plate – otherwise fritters can sometimes feel a little too indulgent. These would be great as an appetiser or light lunch – or maybe part of a TexMex feast?
(I don’t think I’ve ever had a TexMex feast, but if you ever throw one, please invite me, I’ll be there with a bottle of tequila in hand and a tub of spicy bean and halloumi fritters under my arm)
Spicy bean and halloumi fritters
Ingredients
- 5 tbsp (heaped) self-raising flour
- 2 eggs
- 75 ml (~ 1/4 cup) milk
- 225 g halloumi cheese, cut into 1cm dice (~ 1 1/2 cups when diced)
- 170 g (~ 2/3 cup) tinned kidney beans
- 150 g (~ 3/4 cup) tinned sweetcorn
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp cayenne chilli pepper
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- Black pepper
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- Add the self-raising flour to a large mixing bowl, and create a well in the middle. Add the eggs, and gradually mix to combine - using a small whisk or fork is best to help prevent lumps. Add the milk, and mix until smooth.
- Add the diced halloumi, kidney beans, sweetcorn, spices, and a good pinch of black pepper, and mix to combine.
- Heat about 1tbsp of oil in a non-stick frying pan, and add a couple of spoonfuls of the batter (around 1/8 of the mixture). Cook for a few minutes over a medium heat, then use a spatula to flip the fritter over. Cook until both sides are golden brown and the fritter is fairly firm.
- Remove the cooked fritter from the pan, and place on a plate lined with kitchen paper. Cook the remaining fritters - you may need to add a little more oil to the pan between every few fritters.
- Serve warm.
Note: Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on exactly what ingredients you choose. Information above is for 1 fritter.
If you like these halloumi fritters, you’ll love my cheesy jalapeno and corn pancakes:
These were delicious! Had them with some guacamole, fresh tomatoes, and red onion im burger patties. Yum :)
I did however have some trouble making them as the batter was quite runny which made them tricky to flip, as the bigger chunks detached. I didn’t dare add more flour as i was afraid it would klump or make them rubbery. So it was a bit messy to make them but the result was great.
Thanks Marubi – the way you served them sounds amazing!! Sorry you had trouble with the batter but I’m glad they turned out well in the end :)
Hi Becca , These look delicious I was wondering since I now live alone and don’t need 8 fritters ! Can these be frozen ?
I haven’t tried freezing them myself but I say give it a go! They’d probably reheat okay in the oven or frying pan (microwave will make them soggy). Let me know how you get on :)