These sweet chilli halloumi rice bowls are colourful, punchy and full of texture, with golden halloumi, sticky Thai rice, quick pickled red onions, pineapple, avocado, baby corn, lime and fresh chilli.

This is exactly the sort of dinner I love when I want something bright and fun but still properly filling. You’ve got a lot going on? Yes. In a good way? ABSOLUTELY.

The halloumi is the star here, as it should be. It’s fried until golden, then tossed in sweet chilli sauce so it becomes glossy, sticky and slightly caramelised around the edges. Pile that onto a bowl of rice with all the toppings and you’ve got a really satisfying vegetarian dinner that feels a bit special.

This is perfect if you love easy halloumi dinner recipes.

Why You’ll Love These Sweet Chilli Halloumi Rice Bowls

This is a brilliant weeknight dinner because most of the work is just chopping and assembling.

The quick pickled red onions take minutes to make and add such a good sharpness to the bowl. You can make them the day before if you like, which is always handy.

The halloumi cooks quickly in a frying pan, and once it’s golden on both sides, you turn off the heat and toss it in sweet chilli sauce (shop bought). That’s it. No complicated marinade.

The toppings do a lot of work too. Pineapple gives sweetness, avocado adds creaminess, baby corn adds bite, lime adds tang and fresh chilli brings heat if you want it.

It’s a bowl of salty, sweet, sharp, creamy, crunchy loveliness.

golden sweet chilli halloumi in a rice bowl

Ingredients

Red onion – This is turned into a quick pickle with white wine vinegar, salt and sugar. It adds a sharp, tangy bite that works beautifully with the salty halloumi and sweet pineapple.
White wine vinegar, salt and sugar – These make the quick pickling liquid.
Sticky Thai rice – Sticky rice is lovely here because it gives the bowl a really satisfying base. Cook it according to the packet instructions, as different brands can vary. You could also use ordinary white rice.
Olive oil – Used for frying the halloumi until golden. Feel free to switch for vegetable oil if you need to.
Halloumi – Cut it into thick slices – you want three slices per serving – so it gets beautifully golden on the outside while keeping that lovely firm texture.
Sweet chilli sauce – This coats the halloumi after frying. Add it once the heat is off so it clings to the cheese without catching too much in the pan.
Baby corn – Baby corn only needs 5-6 minutes in a small amount of water so it stays al dente. You can use a tin of sweetcorn (cook on the hob or in the microwave) in place of baby corn if you like.
Avocados – Creamy avocado is perfect with the salty halloumi and sharp pickled onions. Use ripe avocados if you can.
Pineapple chunks – Pineapple is gorgeous in this bowl. It brings juicy sweetness and works so well with sweet chilli halloumi. I use a tin – you can also use fresh.
Lime – Serve with lime slices so everyone can squeeze over as much as they like.
Red chilli – Use to taste. Add a little for gentle heat or more if you like a proper kick.

How to Make Sweet Chilli Halloumi Rice Bowls

Start with the quick pickled onions. Finely slice the red onion, then put it in a small bowl with the white wine vinegar, sugar and salt. Stir and leave it to one side while you make the rest of the recipe.

Cook the sticky Thai rice according to the packet instructions. This usually takes about 12 minutes.

Next, cut the halloumi into thick slices. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, then cook the halloumi until golden brown on both sides.

Turn off the heat, add the sweet chilli sauce and toss the halloumi gently until it’s coated. Leaving the heat off stops the sauce from burning.

For the baby corn, add 50ml water to a small pan, then add the baby corn and cook for 5-6 minutes until al dente. You want it tender but still with a bit of bite.

rice bowl with hallumi, sweetcorn, pickled onions and pineapple

Peel and chop the avocados, slice the lime and chilli, then assemble the bowls.

Pile the sticky rice into bowls and top with the sweet chilli halloumi, pickled red onions, baby corn, pineapple chunks, avocado, lime slices and red chilli.

Variations You Can Try

You can easily adapt these bowls depending on what you have.

Swap the baby corn for cucumber, edamame, mangetout, peppers or steamed broccoli.
Use mango instead of pineapple if you want another sweet, juicy option.
Add a spoonful of yoghurt or a drizzle of sriracha mayo if you want a sauce over the top.
You could also serve this with jasmine rice, basmati rice or microwave rice if that makes life easier.