Food Recipes Breakfast & Brunch Crispy Halloumi Pancake 5.0 (1) A hot cast-iron skillet turns potatoes and halloumi into a crisp, golden, shareable pancake. By Craig Ruff Craig Ruff Craig Ruff is a food editor and recipe developer at Food & Wine. He joined People Inc. as a fellow before moving into the test kitchen as a full time assistant, where he cross-tested and developed countless recipes for Food & Wine and other People Inc. food brands. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on September 9, 2026 Save Rate PRINT Share Close Credit: Food & Wine / Photo by Robby Lozano / Food Styling by Sally McKay / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle Active Time: 20 mins Total Time: 1 hr 35 mins Servings: 6 Jump to recipe Preheating the cast-iron skillet gives the pancake an immediate blast of heat, helping the underside develop a browned, crisp crust.Soaking the grated potatoes removes some excess surface starch, helping the interior stay tender rather than gummy.Halloumi softens without completely disappearing into the pancake, adding rich, salty pockets throughout. Golden and crisp around the edges, this skillet potato pancake is packed with shredded Halloumi, the firm Cypriot cheese that softens and browns rather than fully melting, adding salty richness throughout. The center of the potato pancake stays tender, while lemon zest and fresh oregano bring brightness that balances the potatoes and cheese. The appeal is all in these contrasts: crisp against tender, salty against bright, rich against fresh. The streamlined method delivers plenty of browning without the work of frying individual pancakes. The potato mixture is pressed into a preheated cast-iron skillet, which helps form a crisp, browned underside. From there, the oven does the work, creating a bronzed top and dark, crunchy edges worth reaching for first. A final scattering of flaky sea salt adds pops of salty crunch for a last textural contrast. Slice the pancake into generous wedges and serve it as a brunch centerpiece or a substantial side with dinner. Can I use a different type of potato? Yes. Russets are the best choice for the crispiest texture because their higher starch content and lower moisture help the pancake brown well, but Yukon Gold potatoes will also work, although they’ll give you a slightly denser, creamier interior and may not crisp quite as deeply. Avoid waxy potatoes, such as red potatoes, which tend to hold more moisture and can make the pancake softer. The Best Potatoes for Mashed Potatoes, According to Chefs Does Halloumi melt when cooked? Halloumi softens when heated but still holds its shape rather than melting and spreading. That heat stability allows it to brown during grilling or frying and, in this case, leaves distinct pockets of cheese inside the potato pancake. Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Wringing the soaked potatoes dry removes moisture that would otherwise create steam and prevent crisping. Make sure the Halloumi is evenly distributed before adding the water so you don’t end up with dense pockets of cheese. Don’t skip resting the pancake. This gives the center time to set so the slices hold together cleanly. Keep Screen Awake Ingredients 1/2x 1x 2x Oops! Something went wrong. Our team is working on it. This recipe was developed at its original yield. Ingredient amounts are automatically adjusted, but cooking times and steps remain unchanged. Note that not all recipes scale perfectly. Original recipe (1X) yields 6 servings 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and grated on large holes of a box grater 6 ounces Halloumi cheese, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups) 1/2 cup (about 2 1/8 ounces) all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, plus more for garnish 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest, plus more for garnish 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, plus more for garnish 1/2 cup water 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided Flaky sea salt Directions Soak potatoes in a large bowl of cold water for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in center position. Squeeze potatoes dry in a clean kitchen towel to remove as much liquid as possible. Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet on center oven rack. Toss together squeezed potatoes, Halloumi, flour, oregano, lemon zest, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until evenly distributed. Stir in water until mixture forms a shaggy, thick batter. Remove skillet from oven, and add 2 tablespoons oil; carefully swirl to coat. Add potato mixture, and spread into an even layer, pressing lightly with a fork or spatula. Drizzle evenly with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Return skillet to oven, and bake until pancake is golden brown on top and deeply browned around edges, 35 to 45 minutes. Let cool in skillet 5 minutes. Garnish with oregano, lemon zest, pepper, and flaky sea salt. Cut into 6 wedges, and serve. Cook this recipe and more in the MyRecipes app. Get the App Save Rate Print Loading shell for RecipesUgcThreaded1 Vue component in Globe.