Looking for an easy and tasty vegetarian dinner everyone will enjoy? These Halloumi Tacos with fresh tomato salsa are drizzled with a delicious Avocado Ranch. So full of flavour and ready in under 30 minutes!
Halloumi Tacos
I love halloumi cheese so, so much. If you’ve never tried it before, you are in for a treat! You can eat halloumi raw, but when cooked it becomes magnificent – crisp and savoury on the outside with a lovely soft and gooey middle.
Halloumi is quite salty and tangy in taste, so it goes well with fresh, zesty flavours – the chunky salsa and Avocado Ranch in this recipe are the perfect accompaniments! If you want to try another Halloumi recipe then both my Halloumi Wraps with Slaw and Halloumi Hummus Flatbreads make such a great lunch.
What is Halloumi Cheese?
Halloumi is a semi-hard Cypriot cheese made from a combination of sheep and goats milk. It has a high melting point which makes it great for grilling or frying. It holds its shape and has a nice ‘meaty’ texture, meaning it is great as an alternative to meat in many dishes.
Halloumi is also a good source of protein and calcium. Do be aware that not all halloumi is suitable for vegetarians though. It is sometimes made with animal derived rennet so check the packet when purchasing.
Halloumi is typically sold in blocks but you can also find it pre-sliced or in round ‘burgers’. (Side note – grilled halloumi makes an excellent veggie burger.) Most supermarkets here in the UK stock halloumi cheese.
Avocado Ranch
I love this garlicky Avocado Ranch drizzled over my halloumi tacos. It is also great as a dip or salad dressing.
I use dried herbs in this recipe, but fresh also work really well if you have them to hand – just double the amount.
I add 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise to my Avocado Ranch but you can skip it or add extra yoghurt if you prefer. Vegan mayonnaise also works really well.
Avocado Ranch is so easy to prepare – simply add all the ingredients to a blender and whizz together. It’s really easy to double the recipe and it will keep well in the fridge for up to five days.
How to Cook Halloumi
If you have never cooked halloumi before don’t fear – it’s really easy! Simply remove the halloumi from the packet and drain off any excess liquid. Pat dry with some kitchen paper. Cut the block of cheese into 1cm thick slices – if you cut the halloumi too thin it can become tough and chewy.
There are a few different ways to cook halloumi, but my personal preference is to use a frying pan or grill pan. Simply add slices of halloumi to a hot, non-stick pan and cook for 2-3 minutes each side until golden brown. If you are not using a non-stick frying pan then brush the halloumi with a little oil before cooking.
Halloumi is also great grilled – either on the BBQ/outdoor grill or under the grill/broiler in your kitchen. As above, just cook for 2-3 minutes each side until golden.
I have also had great success using a George Foreman or Pannini grill to cook halloumi!
Serving Suggestions
I love to serve these Halloumi Tacos with a big bowl of salad on the side and some tortilla chips to scoop up any extra salsa and ranch.
They are great as-is, or you can bulk them up with some extra toppings. Shredded lettuce or cabbage, sliced avocado or jalapeños for a nice kick are all excellent ideas.
I hope you like this recipe as much as I do!
Don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment or tag me on Instagram @carrieskitchen_ if you make it!
More easy Taco recipes:
- Easy Prawn Tacos with Red Pepper Slaw
- Chicken Fajitas with Homemade Seasoning
- Chorizo Breakfast Tacos
- Minced Beef and Black Bean Tacos
Halloumi Tacos with Avocado Ranch
Ingredients
- 500 grams (1.1 lb) halloumi cheese - 2 standard blocks
- 8 small tortillas
Avocado Ranch
- 1 ripe avocado
- ½ cup greek yoghurt - 125 grams
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- juice of ½a lemon
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ tsp dried chives
- ½ tsp dried parsley
- ½ tsp dried dill
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- pinch salt and pepper - to taste
Tomato & Pepper Salsa
- 1 red onion - diced
- 1 red or yellow pepper - diced
- 200 grams (7 oz) cherry or grape tomatoes - quartered
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- juice of ½ a lemon
- small bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped - or 1 tbsp dried
- pinch salt
Instructions
- To make the tomato and pepper salsa, combine the tomatoes, pepper and onion in a large bowl. Pour over the lemon juice and olive oil.
- Sprinkle in the chopped parsley and a pinch of salt and stir everything together. Add more salt if required. Leave to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.
- To make the avocado ranch, slice the avocado in half and scoop out the flesh. Add to a blender with the rest of the ranch ingredients and blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Open the halloumi packets, drain off the excess liquid and pat dry with some kitchen paper. Cut into slices, roughly 1cm thick.
- Heat a non stick frying pan over medium heat and add the halloumi slices. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until crisp and golden. (Use a little oil if your pan is not non-stick)
- While the halloumi is cooking, warm the tortillas in the microwave or wrapped in foil in the oven (check the package instructions for timings).
- To assemble the tacos, place 1 to 2 slices of halloumi on a warm tortilla. Top with a generous spoonful of salsa and a drizzle of avocado ranch. Serve immediately with any desired accompaniments.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe has been linked up to CookBlogShare hosted by Chloe at Feast Glorious Feast
We love halloumi too and these tacos look delicious! I really like the sound of the avocado ranch dressing on them too.
Thank you!
Avocado ranch sounds immense, got to try that on my next tacos!
Yes you need to try it!
I’ve got halloumi in the fridge and its lunch time – Off to the kitchen now to make this
Yay, I hope you enjoy!
Fantastic recipe, so much flavour.
Thank you!
I adore halloumi and your recipe looks ace. As soon as our tomatoes start to ripen, I’m so going to make this. Love your avocado ranch dressing idea too. Yum!
I love tacos and halloumi so these are perfect for me!
I love a great quick and simple dish like this, what a great meat-free dinner option. I particularly love the avocado ranch dressing, you’ve packed lots of great flavour in there.
Thank you so much!