Grilled aubergine and halloumi is one I put out for hospitality at work, either as a vegetarian main or as a starter, and people love it. It is colourful and full of summer flavours, and if you like halloumi there is plenty of it: aubergine marinated in balsamic, oil, honey, oregano and garlic and roasted until it is genuinely tender, then stacked with halloumi, cherry tomatoes and sweet peppers.
Almost all of it happens on one tray in the oven. The aubergine goes in first for twenty minutes, then comes out and the halloumi, tomatoes and peppers go onto the same tray, so there is one thing to wash up. It is called grilled because that is what the stacks look like, and it works on the barbecue too if you would rather have the smoke.
Serve it warm with crusty bread, or on barley, couscous or quinoa if you want it to go further. It is also in my 10 Best Summer Recipes roundup.
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Pin itHow to Choose the Best Halloumi Cheese
- Check the Ingredients - The best halloumi contains just sheep’s and goat’s milk, salt, and rennet. Some brands add cow’s milk, which makes it softer and less traditional.
- Look for a Firm Texture - Halloumi should be dense and springy with a firm consistency. Avoid overly soft varieties, as they won’t hold their shape when grilled.
- Salt Level Matters - Halloumi is naturally salty, but some brands overdo it. If you prefer a milder taste, look for low-sodium halloumi or soak it in water for 10-15 minutes before cooking to reduce saltiness.
- Authenticity Counts - Traditional Cypriot halloumi often has a higher quality and better texture than mass-produced versions. Check for PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) halloumi for the real deal.
- Choose the Right Thickness - Pre-sliced halloumi can be too thin, making it easy to overcook. Buy a whole block so you can slice it yourself into thicker, sturdier pieces.
Learn more about the origins of Halloumi cheese on Wikipedia.
A Closer Look at the Ingredients
For this Aubergine and Halloumi Recipe, I used fresh Mediterranean ingredients to create a perfect balance of flavours and textures. The aubergine is roasted until tender in balsamic vinegar with a little honey, which is what gives it that sweet, tangy depth. If you happen to have balsamic glaze in the cupboard you can use that instead and leave the honey out, since the glaze is already sweetened, but there is no need to go and buy a bottle for it.
I chose halloumi cheese for its firm texture and golden, crispy exterior when grilled. Cherry tomatoes and baby peppers add natural sweetness, enhanced by a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. To bring out more aroma and depth, I included garlic and oregano, while fresh basil and rocket add a refreshing contrast to the dish.
We often prepare this dish for hospitality events, and it’s always a hit. Guests love the combination of smoky aubergine, crispy halloumi, and roasted vegetables, making it a perfect choice for both casual and formal dining. It’s a simple yet impressive dish that never fails to stand out.
What to Serve With Grilled Aubergine and Halloumi
To turn this Aubergine and Halloumi Recipe into a heartier meal, pair it with a side that complements its Mediterranean flavours. Warm crusty bread, such as sourdough or pita, is perfect for soaking up the balsamic glaze and olive oil. Personally, I love to eat it with a fresh baguette, especially when I make this dish for a BBQ - it’s the perfect way to scoop up all the delicious juices.
If you prefer a more filling option, serve it over a bed of grains like barley, couscous, or quinoa, which will add texture and make it more substantial. For a refreshing contrast, a simple Mediterranean salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, and a lemon dressing works beautifully. You can also add a cool yoghurt sauce or tzatziki for extra creaminess.
If you want a protein boost, serve it alongside grilled chickpeas, lentils, or butter beans to keep it vegetarian while making it even more satisfying.
With these additions, this dish becomes a well-rounded, nourishing meal that’s both flavourful and filling.
How to Make Grilled Aubergine and Halloumi, Step by Step
The card below has the quantities. This is the same six steps with the reasoning attached, and nearly all of it comes down to two numbers: a centimetre thick, and twenty minutes.
- Slice the aubergine into rounds about a centimetre thick and toss them in a bowl with the oil, balsamic, honey, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper. Five minutes is all it needs. Aubergine is mostly air, so it drinks oil rather than absorbing a marinade the way meat does, and leaving it longer does not season it any more deeply, it just loads it up. And do not salt it and leave it to weep first, whatever older recipes tell you: modern aubergines are not bitter, and a hot oven collapses the flesh fast enough that there is nothing to draw out.
- Heat the oven to 200°C, 180°C fan, spread the slices out on a lined tray in a single layer and roast for twenty minutes, turning them halfway. Twenty is the number, not ten. Aubergine has a spongy, open texture that has to collapse properly before it turns silky, and a slice pulled out early is the squeaky, cottonwool sort that gives the vegetable its bad name. Spread out rather than overlapping, or the pieces in the middle steam instead of roasting.
- While that is going, cut the halloumi into slices about a centimetre thick and trim them into rounds to match the aubergine. Thickness matters more than anything else you do with halloumi: thin slices dry out and tear when you try to lift them, and a centimetre gives you enough middle to stay soft while the outside colours. Keep the offcuts. They crisp up alongside everything else and they are the best bit.
- Take the aubergine off and put the halloumi rounds, cherry tomatoes and peppers onto the same tray. Reusing it is not only about washing up. The tray is already lined and already slick with oil, and halloumi welding itself to hot metal and leaving its golden crust behind is the single most common complaint people have with this cheese. Drizzle with the last of the oil, sprinkle with oregano, and grill for ten to fifteen minutes with the offcuts alongside. Go by the look of it rather than the clock: you want it coloured and soft in the middle, and halloumi left on too long tightens up and turns squeaky.
- Build the stacks while everything is still hot, alternating aubergine and halloumi, and push a short skewer down through each one to hold it steady. Scatter the roasted tomatoes and peppers round them with the crisped offcuts, then the basil and rocket over the top. The leaves go on last and they go on cold, because they are there for the contrast against everything that has been in the oven and they lose it the moment they wilt.
- Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic and take it to the table straight away. This is not a dish that waits. Halloumi is at its best in the first few minutes out of the oven and firms up as it cools, so a stack that has stood around for twenty minutes is a different and much chewier thing from the one that comes out of the tray.
Recipe Card for Grilled Aubergine & Halloumi
Grilled Aubergine and Halloumi Recipe
Aubergine and halloumi grilled together with cherry tomatoes and sweet peppers, finished with a balsamic and honey glaze, basil and rocket.
Equipment I Use
Ingredients
Instructions
In a bowl, mix sliced aubergine with 2 tbsp olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, oregano, and minced garlic. Season with salt and black pepper. Let it sit for 5 minutes to absorb the flavours.
Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Arrange the marinated aubergine slices on a lined baking tray and roast for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Once the aubergine is done, remove it from the tray and use the same tray to place the halloumi rounds, cherry tomatoes, and baby peppers. Drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil, sprinkle with oregano, and grill for 10-15 minutes until the halloumi is golden and the vegetables soften. Grill the halloumi offcuts alongside and set aside for garnish.
Carefully layer the roasted aubergine slices and halloumi rounds into stacks, securing each stack with a short skewer to keep them stable.
Use the roasted tomatoes and peppers as garnish, along with the grilled halloumi offcuts. Scatter fresh basil leaves and rocket or microgreens over the top.
Drizzle with extra olive oil and balsamic vinegar for added flavour. Serve warm and enjoy!
Chef’s notes
Do not salt the aubergine first. A hot oven collapses it fast enough that there is nothing to draw out, and salting only means it sits about going soft before it ever sees heat.
Five minutes in the marinade is enough. Aubergine drinks oil, so a long soak does not season it, it just loads it. Toss, spread out, roast.
Watch the halloumi rather than the clock. It is ready when it has taken colour and given a little; left longer it tightens and goes squeaky and rubbery, and it will not come back.
Keep the offcuts. The trimmings from shaping the rounds grill in the same time and go on top, so nothing is wasted and the plate gets some crunch.
Nutrition per serving
FAQ for Grilled Aubergine & Halloumi
Can I make this dish ahead of time?
Yes! When I prepare this dish for hospitality events, I store premade stacks of halloumi and aubergine in the fridge, then blast them through the oven for about 10 minutes before serving to reheat. At home, you can store it in the fridge for up to 2 days, then reheat in a hot oven before serving. Use the oven or a dry frying pan rather than the microwave, which steams the halloumi and leaves it rubbery.
How long should I roast the aubergine?
Twenty minutes at 200°C, 180°C fan, turning the slices halfway. That is longer than people expect and it is deliberate. Aubergine is spongy and open, and it has to collapse before it goes silky, so pulling it out early gives you the squeaky, cottonwool texture rather than a firmer one. If your slices are thicker than a centimetre, give them a few minutes more rather than fewer.
How do I prevent halloumi from becoming rubbery?
Halloumi turns rubbery when overcooked or cooked at low heat. The best way to keep it soft and crispy is to grill it or pan-fry over medium-high heat until golden brown.
What can I use instead of halloumi?
Paneer, and it is not a close call. Paneer is one of the few cheeses that behaves the way halloumi does in a hot pan: it browns, it firms up and it holds its shape instead of running, because of how the curd is set. Mozzarella is a melting cheese and it will slump into a puddle, so while it tastes fine here you lose the whole point of the stack. Paneer is also much milder, so it is the one to reach for if you find halloumi too salty.
Pin itHow do I stop the halloumi sticking to the tray?
This is the commonest thing that goes wrong with halloumi and the reason the method reuses the aubergine tray. That tray is already lined and already slick with oil, so the cheese has something to sit on rather than bonding straight to hot metal and leaving its crust behind when you lift it. If you are cooking the halloumi on its own, line the tray and oil it, or brush oil onto the barbecue bars. And leave it alone once it is down. Halloumi releases by itself when the crust has formed, and pushing it about before then is what tears it.
Should I soak the halloumi first to make it less salty?
Only if your brand needs it, and most do not. Halloumi is meant to be salty and the saltiness is a good part of what makes it work against sweet roasted tomatoes and a honey and balsamic marinade. If you have bought one that is genuinely too much, sit the slices in warm water for half an hour before cooking, then pat them properly dry, because wet cheese will not brown. Buying a different brand next time is the easier fix.
To make it a full Mediterranean spread, serve it with a cooling Greek Tzatziki and warm homemade flatbread - and for another night, my Greek Moussaka and Halloumi Souvlaki are firm favourites.
For a cosy brunch, try my Halloumi & Aubergine Shakshouka.
More recipes you’ll like
- Lamb Kofta - spiced minced lamb skewers, grilled and tucked into flatbread
- Japanese Potato Curry - mild, comforting and thickened with a homemade roux
- Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese - creamy, baked and the best sort of vegetarian comfort food
A Few Words from the Chef
Keep the halloumi offcuts. Shaping the slices into rounds to match the aubergine leaves you with trimmings, and they crisp up on the same tray, so they go to whoever is standing nearest the oven. Tell me how yours turns out in the comments.
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