Top Your Next Burger With A Slice Of Cheese That's Also Perfect For Grilling

It's a truth (almost) universally acknowledged that cheese is meant to be on a burger. It melts into your burger patty, adds a creamy, gooey textural contrast, and brings its own salty flavor to the umami taste of your meat. But while we largely agree that cheese belongs in the burger equation, it's up for debate which cheese is best. Is melty American or bright orange cheddar better for your burger? Mild Swiss, spicy pepper jack, or funky blue cheese? The truth of the matter is that different cheeses work best in different contexts, and the outdoor party where brie, chèvre, or feta are welcome is not the same as the barbecue where Kraft Singles are required. With that being said, there is one cheese that has its own completely unique burger applications: halloumi. 

Halloumi is a semi-soft cheese, somewhat similar to block feta cheese or softer paneer, that hails from Cyprus. Made from sheep's milk (but sometimes goat or cow), this salty Middle Eastern and Mediterranean staple is well known for its high melting point. That means you can roast, grill, or broil slices of halloumi, and they will keep their shape, giving you a salty, tasty, slightly squeaky snack. As a result, you can head out to your barbecue with slices of halloumi and place them directly on your grill (though they're even better with a light coating of olive oil), making this cheese a seamless burger counterpart.

How to create an unexpectedly perfect cheeseburger with halloumi

It's important to state clearly that if you want your cheeseburger to have a melty consistency or a photograph-worthy cheese pull, halloumi is not the cheese for you. Instead, halloumi is perfect for occasions when your burger needs a little more meaty salty heft. In fact, if you want to try halloumi on your classic beef hamburger (or, even better, on a lamb burger), you should slice your halloumi quite thinly before grilling, otherwise you'll have a massively stacked burger that's challenging to eat. 

Thick-cut slices of grilled halloumi are perfect on turkey burgers that could use a dose of salty, smoky, umami flavor. Then, rather than ketchup or mustard, mix together a bright lemony aioli and pair it with herbaceous greens like arugula for a Mediterranean burger marvel that's super satisfying to eat. Grilled halloumi steaks are also perfect for mushroom burgers or black bean veggie burgers that rely on the weight and taste of salty cheese and other toppings. Add a dollop of parsley, garlic, and vinegar chimichurri to brighten up the flavors of your halloumi-filled burger, and you might not miss the meat at all.

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