Smoky Paprika Cheese Skewers
- Total Time
- 20 minutes, plus grill heating
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 2tablespoons minced shallot
- 1tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ¾teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
- ¼teaspoon hot paprika or ground cayenne
- ¼teaspoon ground coriander or cumin
- Fine sea salt (optional)
- 8ounces grilling cheese, such as halloumi, provolone, kefalotyri, queso panela or bread cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes and patted dry
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
264 calories; 22 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 13 grams protein; 371 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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- Step 1
In a mixing bowl, combine shallot, oil, spices and a small pinch of salt, if you like. (Most grilling cheese is already pretty salty; taste it first.) Add cheese and gently toss to evenly coat.
- Step 2
Heat the grill to high. While the grill is heating, pierce marinated cheese onto metal skewers or pre-soaked wooden skewers (see Tip), about 3 to 4 per skewer. Reserve any leftover marinade at the bottom of bowl.
- Step 3
When the grill is hot, brush the grates lightly with oil and add the skewers. Cook, rotating them carefully every few minutes, until evenly browned and slightly charred in places, about 3 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and brush with remaining marinade. Serve immediately.
Tip
- Using flat metal skewers is best, but not necessary. If using wooden skewers, they must be soaked in water for at least 30 minutes before grilling to prevent flare-ups. Place wooden skewers flat on a rimmed sheet pan and add enough water to cover.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Karen in Montreal
Works perfectly well to put the cheese on the skewers (leave a bit of space between pieces, as in the photo), then put them into the marinade on a platter or plate. Turn them once in a while and spoon marinade over as desired, while heating grill. Much less messy than putting marinated cubes onto skewers! Results are delish, totally worth it. And as a vegetarian, I always like to have something extra delish for a bbq, to make the meat-eaters a little jealous!
San
Indian style Paneer is a great cheese for skewers. Stands up to the piercing and the high heat of grilling. No melting issues. Found in Indian stores, whole foods and some Costco stores
Bad Chef
Provolone just melted. I thought it was an odd suggestion, because I usually use it for melting. But that's what the recipe said and I had it on hand. You can't grill it. Use a different cheese.
Barbara Thomas
Sounds like an appropriate marinade for tofu squares.
o. harper
For me, a cast iron grill pan worked beautifully
AstridOnThePrairie
What do you use if you don't have a grill?
Delgado
It was hard to skewer the cubes without breaking them even with thin bamboo skewers. The halloumi did better than the panel in staying on the skewer and not melting into the grill. In the end I put the queso panela on foil and served it as melted cheese. The flavor was great and despite the technical difficulties the dish was a hit.
Paul
Used provolone cheese and prepared as directed. Heated grill to high (>450 degrees) and brushed grill with oil. The recipe didn't say what to do with the heat after the cheese was put on the grill (keep it the same, reduce it, lid-or-no-lid, etc.). Consequently, cheese melted through the grill grates entirely within about 25 seconds of having it on there. It was a disaster; it was like a waterfall of provolone leaking down into the grill innards.
QBee
I cubed the cheese and let it warm up in the marinade before skewering, which I felt helped prevent splitting of the halloumi. Small splits don’t matter much since once they melt, they melt into blobs and fix the splits. We grilled it over a wood fire until charred or golden, and whoah were these good.
Ant'ney
Ok, so old Italian secret. ;) .... AGED provolone is fine..... YOUNG or "regular" provolone will melt.
Adriene
I used paneer, it marinated in the fridge overnight. The flavor was very good, reminiscent of BBQ sauce without the sweet. I kept it warm in the oven while I cooked some meat, and it became pretty dry. Next time I’ll try to keep them moist by pulling them off a little earlier, take them off the skewer and add to a small dish, cover and keep warm in the oven. My hope is that by controlling the amount of air they’re exposed to will keep them moist and chewy.
Lynn
Used halloumi. The marinade doesn’t add much flavor. In fact, it was hardly present after cooking. Watch the added salt. Probably wouldn’t make again.
tips for next time
Used this recipe with tofu; cooked on cast iron. And paired it with the roast cauliflower salad with lemon. Quite good. Nice new way to make todu
Ant'ney
Ok, so old Italian secret. ;) .... AGED provolone is fine..... YOUNG or "regular" provolone will melt.
Alex
So tasty! The smoke of the grill works with the paprika to create depth of flavour. My cheese stuck to the grill terribly though, and melted fairly quickly. You need a very slick surface to safely prepare the cheese this way. I transferred to a nonstick skillet to finish cooking and a really nice crust formed.
V
Fantastic recipe. I’ve used paneer, extra firm tofu, and smoked, pressed tofu, which has an interesting layered texture that works particularly well. I add salt, a clove of garlic, use both the coriander and cumin, and add Mexican Chili powder along with the paprika’s and whiz with the oil and a splash of water until slightly chunky purée. Then I marinate overnight. It’s been a huge hit at outdoor parties, even with people who swore they’d never eat tofu.
camelsamba
As recommended by one commenter, I used paneer. It was quite easy to work with and the final texture was great. However, it was a 12 oz block (not the 8 oz in ingredients list) so the spicing fell short. Next time I make it I will double the marinade - and paneer (at least the brand I used, Nanak from an Indian grocery store) definitely would benefit from salt in the mix.
Kim
These were amazing! I roasted tomatoes and grilled some sausages for my husband. I used 2 skewers for each set of cheeses. They only take 5 minutes to cook 3 on one side 2 on the other. It was very satisfying and tasty!
Paul
Used provolone cheese and prepared as directed. Heated grill to high (>450 degrees) and brushed grill with oil. The recipe didn't say what to do with the heat after the cheese was put on the grill (keep it the same, reduce it, lid-or-no-lid, etc.). Consequently, cheese melted through the grill grates entirely within about 25 seconds of having it on there. It was a disaster; it was like a waterfall of provolone leaking down into the grill innards.
Riemchen
Great on Paneer
AstridOnThePrairie
What do you use if you don't have a grill?
o. harper
For me, a cast iron grill pan worked beautifully
Mihaela
This sounds a lot like chili paneer, which I've cooked in a very hot pan. Meera Sodha has a great recipe for it in "Made in India."
Satya
Indian cottage cheese- paneer will work perfectly!
Roland Nicholson, Jr. Esq.#69
As soon as I saw this my thoughts turned to tofu. Be sure to use firm tofu. If you have already made it using silken tofu, I would suggest Aiyoung's generic rescue: Add Country Kimchee & hope for the best. Roland
San
Indian style Paneer is a great cheese for skewers. Stands up to the piercing and the high heat of grilling. No melting issues. Found in Indian stores, whole foods and some Costco stores
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