Charred Pepper Halloumi Traybake with Smoky Chickpeas

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Charred pepper and halloumi traybake is a one-pan dinner of blistered bell peppers, red onion, smoky roasted chickpeas and golden halloumi, roasted at 220 C / 425 F for 35 minutes. It eats like a full meal, no side dishes needed.

I roast the vegetables and chickpeas on their own for 20 minutes first, then add the halloumi. Cheese that goes in at the start dries out and turns rubbery before the peppers have any color.

Hands-on time is about 15 minutes, and you wash one pan afterward. Finish with lemon and parsley, and serve within 10 minutes of leaving the oven, while the halloumi is still soft inside.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• One sheet pan and about 15 minutes of hands-on work
• Chickpeas crisp at the edges and make it a full meal
• Halloumi goes in late, so it browns instead of drying out
• Keeps vegetarian and gluten-free with no substitutions

Ingredient Notes

• bell peppers: Red, yellow and orange char sweet. Green stays grassy, so use it as one of the three at most.
• halloumi: Use a 250 g block. Paneer swaps in at the same weight, and pressed extra-firm tofu works if you need dairy-free.
• canned chickpeas: One 400 g can gives about 240 g drained. Cannellini beans work, but they stay softer and won’t crisp.
• smoked paprika: I use sweet smoked paprika. If you only have regular paprika, add a small pinch of chipotle flakes for the smoke.
• lemon: The juice cuts through the salty cheese. Swap 1 tbsp red wine vinegar if you’re out of lemons.

Charred Pepper Halloumi Traybake with Smoky Chickpeas

A sheet pan dinner of peppers, chickpeas and halloumi roasted at 220 C / 425 F, with the cheese added for the last 15 minutes so it browns without drying out.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Calories: 379

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 3 bell peppers, mixed red, yellow and orange large (about 600 g); seeded, cut into 3 cm strips
• 1 red onion medium (150 g); cut into 8 wedges
• 1 can canned chickpeas (400 g); drained, rinsed and patted dry
• 3 garlic cloves unpeeled
• 3 tbsp olive oil (45 ml); divided, 2 tbsp for the vegetables and 1 tbsp for the halloumi
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 250 g halloumi sliced 1 cm thick, then halved
• 1 lemon half juiced, half cut into wedges
• 15 g fresh flat-leaf parsley roughly chopped

Method

 

1. Heat the oven to 220 C / 425 F. Cut the peppers into 3 cm strips and the onion into 8 wedges, then slice the halloumi 1 cm thick and halve each slice.
2. In a 4-quart / 3.8 L mixing bowl, toss the peppers, onion, dry chickpeas and unpeeled garlic with 2 tbsp olive oil, the smoked paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Spread in a single layer on a 33 x 46 cm / 13 x 18 inch rimmed sheet pan, leaving small gaps between pieces.
3. Roast for 20 minutes, until the pepper edges are blistered and starting to darken and the chickpeas look dry and slightly crisp.
4. Toss the halloumi with the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and nestle the slices among the vegetables. Roast for 15 minutes more, turning each halloumi slice once after 8 minutes, until the halloumi edges are golden brown and the peppers have dark charred spots.
5. Squeeze the soft garlic out of its skins and mash it into the pan juices with the juice of half the lemon. Toss gently, scatter the parsley over the top, and serve within 10 minutes with the remaining lemon wedges.

Notes

• Dry the chickpeas well so they roast instead of steam.
• Keep the pan in a single layer, with no stacked pepper strips.
• Add the halloumi after 20 minutes and turn each slice once after 8 minutes.
• Halloumi is salty already, so go light on added salt.

Tips for Success

• Pat the rinsed chickpeas dry with a clean towel before tossing, because surface water steams them and they never crisp at the edges.
• Spread everything in a single layer with small gaps between pieces so the peppers blister instead of steaming in each other’s moisture.
• Add the halloumi only after the first 20 minutes, then turn each slice once after 8 minutes so both sides brown.
• Cut peppers into strips about 3 cm wide so the edges char before the centers collapse into mush.
• Serve within 10 minutes of leaving the oven, while the halloumi is still soft inside and the edges are golden.

Variations

• Swap the chickpeas for 400 g halved baby potatoes and give them a 10 minute head start before the peppers go on the tray.
• Add 200 g cherry tomatoes with the halloumi. They burst and make a loose, jammy sauce for the chickpeas.
• Replace the smoked paprika with 1 tsp za’atar, then serve with a spoonful of harissa-swirled yogurt on the side.

Storage and Reheating

Charred pepper and halloumi traybake is best eaten straight from the oven, because halloumi turns firm and squeaky once it cools. Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days. Eat them cold or at room temperature over greens or in a wrap, and skip reheating, which dries the cheese out.

For make-ahead, prep the raw parts instead. Cut the peppers and onion up to 2 days ahead and slice the halloumi up to 1 day ahead, each in its own airtight container in the fridge. Roast everything fresh when you’re ready to eat.

Freezing isn’t worth it here. The peppers turn soft and watery, and the halloumi crumbles when thawed.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the traybake straight from the pan with lemon wedges, within 10 minutes of leaving the oven. That’s when the halloumi is soft in the middle and the edges still have some bite.

Warm flatbread, herbed couscous or plain rice soak up the pan juices. A garlicky yogurt sauce cools the smoked paprika, and a handful of arugula on the side adds a peppery bite.

If you’re planning a week of lunches, cook a batch of lemony herb couscous on the side. Spoon cold leftover traybake over it with fresh greens for a no-reheat lunch.

FAQ

Why is my halloumi rubbery in a traybake, and how do I know it’s done?

Halloumi is done when the edges are golden brown, which takes about 15 minutes on the tray at 220 C / 425 F after the first 20 minutes of vegetable roasting. Rubbery halloumi usually went in too early or stayed in too long, so add it late and pull the tray as soon as the edges color.

Can I use paneer or feta instead of halloumi in this traybake?

Paneer swaps in at the same weight and browns in the same 15 minutes, though it’s milder, so add an extra pinch of salt. Feta works too if you add it for the last 8 minutes, but it softens and crumbles instead of forming golden slabs.

Can I prep a halloumi and pepper traybake ahead of time?

Yes, but prep the raw parts and roast fresh. Cut the peppers and onion up to 2 days ahead and slice the halloumi up to 1 day ahead, all in airtight containers in the fridge. Cooked leftovers keep 3 days, but halloumi turns firm and squeaky once cold, so eat them at room temperature over greens.

What goes well with halloumi and roasted peppers?

Warm flatbread, herbed couscous or plain rice soak up the lemony pan juices, and a garlicky yogurt sauce cools the smoked paprika. A handful of arugula on the side adds a peppery bite against the salty cheese. Serve any of them alongside the tray, not under it, so the halloumi edges stay golden.

Is this charred pepper and halloumi traybake gluten free?

Yes, as written. Halloumi, peppers, onion, chickpeas, olive oil and the spices contain no gluten, though it’s worth checking the label on canned chickpeas and pre-ground spice blends. It can’t be made dairy free without replacing the halloumi, so use pressed extra-firm tofu if you need that.

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