Fried Halloumi Cheese Bites with Kansas City-style BBQ sauce

It’s been some time since I posted a recipe here on MYV and for good reason. Ellie and I closed on a condo a few weeks ago and we’re getting ready to move (don’t worry, just 2 blocks away). So needless to say, I’ve been a little preoccupied. BUT, since the Super Bowl is THIS SUNDAY, and my beloved Kansas City Chiefs are in it, yet AGAIN! So how could I not give ya’ll a recipe to kick off the big game. Ha, see what I did there? 🙂 And since KC is playing in the Super Bowl, I thought, why not make something with a KC-style BBQ sauce? So, I created a super-easy recipe for Fried Halloumi Cheese Bites with Kansas City-style BBQ sauce (sugar-free, by the way).

Crunchy Fried Goodness

Okay, so you most likely aren’t going to a big Super Bowl party this year or maybe you’ll just be watching it alone in your house, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make great party food. This recipe really does come together super quick. While you’re frying up the Haloumi cheese, you can make the BBQ sauce. Halloumi (or sometimes spelled “Haloumi”) is a semi-hard cheese made from a mixture of sheep’s milk and goat’s milk and sometimes cow milk is added in to. It has a really high melting point so it’s perfect for grilling or frying. Making these fried Halloumi bites would be a great “crouton” addition to your salad! If you can’t find Haloumi, try and look for Paneer, a cheese mainly used in Indian cuisine. I’ve found Paneer at both Costco and Restaurant Depot.  All you do is sprinkle the cubed Halloumi in some flour (I used coconut flour and some salt and pepper) and fry away. I just did a shallow pan fry but these will definitely be crispier if you deep fry or use your air fryer, if you have one.

KC style

Alright, don’t hate on me, but my BBQ sauce may not be the most super KC style ever, so I did tweak it a bit. But it’s okay to play with your food, right? Kansas City BBQ sauce is the perfect balance of both sweet and tangy flavors. Typically made with molasses and bright acidic flavors from tomato and vinegar, it also has the right balance of sweet and heat. It’s that classic, ketchup-based BBQ sauce that will be the perfect dipping sauce for these fried bites of goodness. I also made this recipe low carb and with only stevia instead of ketchup or adding additional sugar. But go ahead and use ketchup if you prefer it!

Be sure to check out Daniel’s Super Bowl recipe for Chicken Wings with a three different Sauces.

Want even MORE recipes to serve for the big game? Check out some of our favs!

“Bacon” Ranch Crack Dip

Grandma Janie’s Hot Mushroom Dip

Nacho Jalapeno Cheese Crisps

Tater Tot Nachos

Cheddar-stuffed Jalapeno Hush Puppies

Almond Butter Snickerdoodles

Happy Snacking and Super Bowl watching! Go CHIEFS!

0 from 0 votes
Fried Halloumi bites with Kansas City-style BBQ sauce
Course: Appetizer
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
Kansas City-style BBQ sauce (sugar-free)
  • 8 oz. Tomato Sauce (or Ketchup) Not pasta sauce, but just the canned tomato sauce, or the ones in the boxes
  • 2 tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1 tbsp. Worchestershire Sauce, or Coconut Aminos
  • 1 tsp. Liquid Smoke You can add another teaspoon if you like it more smoky, but start with 1 tsp to taste
  • 1 tbsp. Liquid Stevia Add more if you like it sweeter, but start with 1 tbsp. to taste
  • 1 tsp. Sea Salt
  • 1/2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
  • 1/2 tsp. Chili Pepper
  • 1 tsp. Onion Powder
  • 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
  • 1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
Fried Halloumi Bites
  • 9 oz. Halloumi cheese Doesn't have to be exact weight here
  • 2 tbsp. All-purpose Flour, or Coconut Flour
  • Vegetable Oil, or Avocado Oil, for frying I did a shallow pan fry so I just added a little bit to start and fried the Halloumi, just start with a few drizzles and add more if you need
Instructions
  1. Cut the cheese into cubes - whatever size you like!

  2. Spread the flour, salt and pepper on to a plate and roll the Halloumi on all sides, while it's wet

  3. Heat up the oil on medium heat, with a few tablespoons at a time and add more if you need. Add the cheese cubes and fry on all sides until crispy and golden (about 2-3 minutes). You're looking for the color of French Fries! But be careful they don't get too dark or burnt, but hey, unless you like burnt cheese

  4. Using tongs, or a slotted spoon (if deep frying), carefully lift the cheese cubes and let it cool slightly on a cooling rack with a paper towel underneath to catch any drippings

Make the BBQ sauce
  1. Add all ingredients in a saucepan and whisk until all ingredients are mixed

  2. Simmer on medium-low for about 5 minutes and let cool. Serve with Fried Halloumi bites!

Jicama shoestring fries with lemon garlic aoli

Jicama FriesAh, the New Year.  The time for resolutions – either staying the course and keeping to them, or breaking on day 2.  But how about feeling like you’re “cheating” without doing so – eating some “fries” without the guilt?  (shaking your head).  I’m with you on this.

A glorious thing happens when someone eating low carb, like me, tries to reinvent the wheel with comfort food.  Believe me, there are so many ways you can enjoy some serious decadent comfort foods without overloading it for your daily food intake.

But we’re not going to over-complicate things here – let’s bring it back to basics.  Jicama is a great alternative to potatoes!  It’s basically a cousin of the humble tuber, and has a mild potato-like taste and texture…so here goes nothin’!

This is not a Rachel-original idea though.  I’ve seen lots of other keto bloggers try out this type of recipe but I like to put my person spin on it.  Add some herbs and spices and dip it in a rich homemade lemon garlic aioli.  Because, what goes better than a lemon garlic dipping sauce?  Really…if you have any other ideas, I’m listening! 🙂  And for the record, if you don’t feel like making your own homemade aioli, by all means, use store-bought mayo, and just add in some minced garlic, lemon juice, and some spices and you’re good to go.

Truthfully, jicama is not the easiest to prep.  You have to wash and peel the tough other skin, then slice it into matchsticks.  So, when I found some prepped jicama slices in the grocery store, you better believe I bought it.  It saves me a TON of time!  Although I did end up slicing these sticks in half, to get that “shoestring” fry shape I was going for.  And one last thing to note – these fries can burn pretty quick if you’re not keeping an eye on them, but…I prefer a little bit of that dark brown crispiness.  Not all of them will get super crispy, but of course you can always fry these instead of baking – I mean, why not? #YOLO (do people even say that anymore? ha).

So go enjoy a big stack of fries!  Even if they’re “healthy” for you, right? 🙂

0 from 0 votes
Jicama shoestring fries with lemon garlic aioli
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 15 mins
 
Servings: 4 people
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
Jicama shoestring fries
  • 1 lb. jicama - cut into matchsticks or thinner
  • 4 tbsp. avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp. hot paprika
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion salt I love the Trader Joe's brand - or you can just use minced onion, or onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp salt I like using pink Himalayan salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
Lemon garlic aioli (makes 16 oz. of aoli)
  • 2 eggs I prefer using good quality eggs for this aoli, since it's raw egg, so look for pasturized eggs
  • 2-3 garlic cloves
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1 cup avocado oil You want to use a light-tasting oil, so you can use light olive oil instead, if you prefer
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

  2. Add the jicama slices, oil and spices in a large bowl and mix well.

  3. Spread out the jicama on the baking sheet, making sure the jicama is in an even layer, if they overlap on the pan, they won't get crispy.

  4. Bake for 50-60 minutes - checking the last 10 minutes to make sure they aren't burning.  I prefer mine on the darker side since they get more crunchy that way, but you don't want them burnt to a crisp - and they can burn quick if you're not watching!

  5. Meanwhile, make the aoli - in a high powered blender, add the eggs, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

  6. With the motor running on medium speed - drizzle in the oil in a slow stream until the aoli is emulsified.  I estimated about a cup, but you'll see the mayo dressing come together and your blender will make a "chugging" sound when the aoli is fully combined.  It should be thick like mayo. 

  7. Serve the fries either hot or room temp with the aioli - dunk and devour!

If you liked this recipe don’t forget to checkout Daniel’s take Jicama Fries: Loaded Jicama Fries Two Ways