In the grand scheme of vegetarian tacos on Naturally Ella, most, if not all, revolve around using legumes. This is great but I felt it time to share one of my favorite, extremely quick tacos that involved zero beans or lentils. Enter halloumi tacos. I shared these on instagram some time back and since then, I’ve been making them quite often.
These tacos, along with a salsa and two salads, encompass my favorite taco party recipes. I like to keep these halloumi tacos simple: a few greens, the fried halloumi tossed in garlic and cilantro, and topped with a sprinkle of onion and hot sauce.
Halloumi Tacos
variations
This taco recipe serves a great base for many different toppings and taco combinations. The halloumi is a mild tasting cheese so it’s all about the garlic, cilantro, and sauces. A few other ways I’ve served these tacos:
Vegetables: Grill (or roast) a zucchini and corn relish- the perfect way to use summer produce. If in the winter months, try squash or sweet potatoes that are chopped into a small dice and roasted until tender.
Sauces: Go crazy with the hot sauce and salsas. Even if I’m only making one variety of taco, I’ll have about five different salsas to choose from. A few of my favorite: roasted tomato salsa, roasted salsa verde, and stone fruit salsa (which is really good with fried cheese!)
Greens: I used a lettuce mix for these tacos but spinach, arugula, or kale would also be really nice with the cheese.
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PinDescription
An easy vegetarian taco, the star is the fried halloumi enhanced with garlic and cilantro. These tacos can be a great base for adding roasted or grilled vegetables.
Ingredients
- 4 ounces halloumi or similar frying cheese (see note)
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 3 tablespoons minced cilantro
- 4 corn tortillas
- Red onion (for serving)
- Lettuce (for serving)
- Hot sauce (for serving)
- Lime wedges (for serving)
Instructions
- Cut the halloumi into 4 slices, roughly 1/4″ thick. Heat a frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil, swirling the pan around to cover the bottom. Lay the halloumi in the oil and fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip and fry for 2 to 3 more minutes, until both sides are golden. Transfer halloumi to a bowl.
- Turn off the heat to the pan, add the garlic, and sauté for a minute, just to warm the garlic. Add to the bowl with the halloumi along with the minced cilantro. Toss until everything is well combined.
- Assemble tacos with a pinch of lettuce, two slices of the halloumi, a sprinkle of minced onion, and drizzle of your favorite hot sauce or salsa.
Notes
Tips and Tricks: Not all halloumi is vegetarian. Check the package and look for an ingredient list that contains ‘vegetarian rennet or microbial rennet’.
Stock up: get the pantry ingredients you will need: corn tortillas, olive oil
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tacos
- Calories: 298
- Sugar: 2.8
- Sodium: 544
- Fat: 18
- Carbohydrates: 24.7
- Protein: 11
- Cholesterol: 50.5
Keywords: halloumi recipe, vegetarian tacos, fried halloumi
Explore Halloumi
Halloumi is an easy friend to vegetarians. It’s high melting point means it’s perfect on the grill or fried in a bit of oil. It’s a semi-firm, salty cheese that can be made from goat, sheep, or cows milk. Just check the label- halloumi is made with rennet and not all brands are vegetarian!
Hummus Wrap with Halloumi
Fried Halloumi Toast with Bruschetta
Grilled Halloumi Skewers with Cilantro-Tahini Sauce
Zoe says
This looks so fabulous, I can’t wait to try it! I am a die hard halloumi fan, but I happen to have some paneer hanging out in my fridge. I should be able to sub this for the halloumi, right? Thank you, Ella!
★★★★★
erin says
Yeah! I think paneer would be perfect in these tacos
Fernando @ Eating With Your Hands says
Love this! It’s so good to use halloumi in a taco…I made one myself using zucchini as the soft shell! Check it out if you want https://eatingwithyourhands.com/fried-halloumi-zucchini-taco/
Dominique says
I can’t wait to try some of your recipes! I really struggle to cook for my vegetarian husband as most vegetarian meals tend to be too light for him. Your blog looks fantastic I think I might actually be able to make a few of your recipes that he will consider to be a meal rather than a side dish.. Pretty much anything with halloumi makes me salivate so going to try this one asap 🙂
dani says
I love halloumi in all it’s squeakiness and to put in in a taco…. genius! Can’t wait to make these 🙂