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.
Garlicky Halloumi Tacos
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.
by Erin Alderson
Recipe 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 Facts | |
|---|---|
| Serving Size | |
| Amount Per Serving | As Served |
| Calories 298 kcal Calories from fat | |
| % Daily Value | |
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs:
| Calories | 2000 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Fat | Less than | 65g |
| Sat Fat | Less than | 25g |
| Cholesterol | Less than | 300mg |
| Sodium | Less than | 2,400mg |
| Total Carbohydrate | 300g | |
| Dietary Fiber | 25g | |
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.
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
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!
Yeah! I think paneer would be perfect in these tacos
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/
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 🙂
I love halloumi in all it’s squeakiness and to put in in a taco…. genius! Can’t wait to make these 🙂