Chicken Halloumi Burgers

From the kitchen of Carly

Quick chicken burger with a slab of golden halloumi for the salty squeak. Hot-sauce-glazed chicken, lemon-mayo cabbage slaw, and sweet peppers. Built in 15 minutes if you have a hot pan and a sense of urgency. Pound the chicken thin. Even thickness equals even cooking; thick uneven breasts dry out in the pan.

Chicken Halloumi Burgers

Halloumi squeaks when it hits heat, and that squeak is your proof it's going golden and crispy. These burgers stack that high-heat cheese against glazed chicken, and the contrast of textures is what makes them work. Twenty minutes start to finish, and the trick is pounding the chicken thin so it cooks fast and takes the hot sauce glaze like it should.

Prep
5 min
Cook
15 min
Total
20 min
Servings
4
Difficulty
easy

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 2 largeboneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 tbspvegetable oil
  • 4 tbsphot sauce (sriracha or Frank's)
  • 1 tbsplemon juice
  • 4brioche burger buns
  • 9 oz(250 g)halloumi cheese, sliced 1/4 inch thick
  • 1/4 headgreen cabbage, finely shredded
  • 2 tbspmayonnaise
  • 4 tbspsour cream
  • 4butter lettuce leaves
  • 2roasted red peppers, sliced

Instructions

  1. Place each chicken breast between two sheets of parchment paper and pound with a rolling pin until 1/2 inch thick. Cut each breast into two even pieces.

  2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add the vegetable oil.

  3. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add to the hot pan and cook 3 to 4 minutes per side, until cooked through (165°F internal).

  4. Lower the heat. Drizzle the hot sauce and 1/2 the lemon juice over the chicken in the pan. Cook 1 to 2 minutes more, turning to glaze, until the sauce reduces and the chicken is sticky. Move to a plate.

  5. Wipe out the pan. Toast the cut sides of the buns in the dry skillet for 30 seconds until golden. Move to plates.

  6. In the same pan, cook the halloumi slices for 2 minutes per side, until deeply golden. Halloumi browns fast and doesn't melt; just crisp it.

  7. While the halloumi cooks, toss the cabbage in a bowl with the mayo and the remaining 1/2 tbsp lemon juice. Season with a pinch of salt.

  8. Build: bottom bun, smear of sour cream, lettuce leaf, slice of chicken, slice of halloumi, sliced red peppers, a heaping spoonful of cabbage slaw. Top bun. Serve immediately while everything is hot and crisp.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Pound the chicken breasts evenly to 1/2 inch so they cook through in the time it takes to crisp the edges. Uneven thickness means dry edges and raw centers.
  • Halloumi won't melt, so don't expect melted cheese. You want a deep golden crust on both sides, 2 minutes per side in a hot dry pan. That's the whole point.
  • Make the cabbage slaw while the halloumi cooks. The lemon juice keeps it bright and the mayo keeps it creamy without being heavy.
  • Toast the brioche cut-side down in a dry pan for just 30 seconds. Soggy buns wreck the whole thing.

Variations

  • Swap the hot sauce for harissa or gochujang if you want a different heat profile or want to tip the burger closer to North African or Korean.
  • Skip the sour cream and use tzatziki instead. Cucumber and dill play with halloumi in a more traditionally Mediterranean way.
  • Use thick slices of grilled halloumi instead of pan-fried if you want to char it harder and don't mind a little softer interior.
  • Build the burger with hummus instead of mayo on the slaw for a chickpea-forward, nutty take.

Make ahead and storage

Eat these right away while the chicken is hot and the halloumi still has a crisp exterior. Leftover components store separately in the fridge for 3 days, but don't assemble until you're ready to eat.

Substitutions
  • chicken breast to thigh fillets or a pre-made chicken patty. Thighs are more forgiving and stay juicier. Pre-made patties cut prep to zero.
  • halloumi to thick-cut bacon or grilled paneer. Bacon takes it American-classic; paneer is the vegetarian halloumi alternative.
  • hot sauce to sweet chili sauce or buffalo sauce. Sweet chili is milder and stickier; buffalo sauce takes it full-on wing-style.

Pairs well with: Crispy oven fries or sweet potato wedges, A cold lager or hard lemonade, Pickled red onion and jalapenos on the side