This Halloumi Tacos Recipe is my favorite way to make high-protein vegetarian tacos.
They’re even a strong contender against your classic meat taco. The salty, chewy halloumi pairs so nicely with the roasted cauliflower, and the black beans provide that extra protein punch.
The result? The perfect vegetarian taco recipe.
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This post is all about my favorite halloumi tacos recipe, the perfect high-protein vegetarian tacos.
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💚 Why this recipe is dietitian-approved
Plant-based protein: We're sneaking in some vegetarian protein sources with halloumi, which actually contains 7g of protein per serving. The black beans and the Greek yogurt in the sauce boost the protein content even further to an impressive 30g.
The avocado provides healthy fats. Halloumi cheese is a salty, dry cheese, so the avocado really helps balance the two. The combo is a match made in heaven.
Fiber! This recipe adds fiber from several different sources: cauliflower, black beans, and onion. Then consider the tortilla wrap and the spices, and you will get a huge mix of different plant foods. Your gut microbes love a diverse diet, and they are guaranteed to love this recipe.
🧀 What is halloumi cheese?
Halloumi (known as the "squeaky cheese") is a magical cheese that you can fry or grill. Most cheeses would turn to mush under those conditions, but halloumi has a very high melting point that works in our favor.
Halloumi becomes incredibly delicious after it’s fried or grilled. It’s creamy and salty, and the outside develops a firmer texture after it’s been heated.
If you're looking for an alternative to grilled chicken, cooked halloumi has a similarly tender bite. It’s also a fun substitute for fish in tacos or salads.
🥘 Ingredients
The complete ingredient list with measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
So here’s what you need to make it:
Cauliflower. This is my favorite vegetable to roast. With just a drizzle of oil and some simple seasonings, its flavor and texture are perfect. It transforms from dry and tasteless to soft, sweet, and juicy with terrific, caramelized edges.
It also requires minimal work to prepare to pop into the oven and is a lot less messy to cut than broccoli.
Onion & Garlic - Yellow onions work well here, but white onions or shallots are other good options for roasting.
Olive oil - For roasting vegetables, olive oil is usually my first choice as it imparts its own unique flavor that you just don’t get from neutral oils like rapeseed or canola. While the smoke point of olive oil is a bit lower than our roasting temperature in this recipe (220°C/425°F), it’s still a solid choice for roasting. This goes for both extra-virgin (the exact smoke point of this variety largely depends on quality) and oil labeled as “virgin” or light olive oil, which is more refined and has a higher smoke point at around 465°F.
Seasonings: I use paprika and cumin here, but you can change this up depending on your preferences. Sumac is another spice that works excellently on roasted cauliflower, but I decided to omit it from this recipe because I'm conscious that not everyone typically has it in their pantry.
Black beans - I use canned black beans. The beans add texture PLUS some added fiber and protein!
Halloumi - To lower the calories in these halloumi tacos, I use low-fat halloumi. The difference in flavor/ texture between normal halloumi and low-fat halloumi is undetectable, so it's a personal choice! If you are vegan, you can use Violife Mediterranean-style block non-dairy cheese alternative.
Yogurt. I use 2% plain Greek yogurt in most of my sauces and dips. It's still creamy but slightly lighter than full-fat Greek yogurt.
Jalapeno. For spice! But optional. Plus, I only use ½ the jalapeno, so it doesn’t make the sauce too spicy. Just make sure you de-seed it first and avoid eye contact while dicing it.
Cilantro/Coriander. Fresh is always best. If you don't like cilantro, you can omit it.
Lime juice. Fresh lime juice is always best if you have it available to you.
Tortillas: I used plain mini flour tortillas for this recipe; they make the best soft tacos, but you can use whole-meal tacos if you want to add more texture/fiber to this recipe. I also opted for the mini size, as these are the best for this style of taco, in my opinion.
Avocado: This pairs perfectly with the halloumi, adding a creamy texture.
Sesame seeds to garnish (optional).
🔧 Instructions
- Step 1: Prepare the roasted veggies. Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F. On a baking sheet, toss together the cauliflower, garlic, onion, 2 tablespoon of the oil, and the spices. Transfer to the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Flip the cauliflower, stir in the black beans, and roast for a further 5 minutes until the edges are golden and the cauliflower is soft all the way through.
- Step 2: The Halloumi. In a small skillet/frying pan, heat the remaining oil over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the halloumi. Cook the cheese until the undersides are golden, about 2 to 4 minutes. Carefully flip each piece of cheese and cook until the other side is golden, about 2 to 4 minutes. In the meantime, place a few paper towels on an empty plate or cutting board to absorb excess oil. Place each piece of cooked cheese onto the plate and let the cheese cool down a bit before handling.
- Step 3: The Yogurt Sauce. In a blender or food processor, combine the yogurt, cilantro, lime juice (jalapeno if using), and a large pinch of salt. Pulse until smooth, about 1 minute. Taste and add more salt as needed.
- Step 4: To serve. Heat the tortillas gently on a stove top, pan or in the microwave. Add the cauliflower filling to the tortillas and top with the halloumi, avocado and yogurt sauce. Sprinkle some sesame seeds and garnish with some extra coriander/cilantro
🍽️ Variations
To make gluten-free: if you are using 100% corn tortillas, this recipe is gluten-free.
To make dairy-free: swap the Greek yogurt for a dairy-free yogurt of choice.
To lower the calories, Options include using 0% fat Greek yogurt, air-frying the cauliflower, using low-fat halloumi, and trying low-carb tortillas.
🍳 Equipment
A good non-stick pan is essential for frying the halloumi in this recipe.
📦 Storage
I would advise storing each component of the tacos separately, e.g., the veggie mix in one lunch box and the halloumi in another. Then, assemble everything together when ready to eat. They are good for 3-4 days.
💭 Top Tips
The biggest mistake most people make with roasted cauliflower is roasting at too low a temperature. We need a hot oven of 220°C/425°F so the cauliflower gets nice browning on it before the inside turns into soggy mush!
If pan-frying the soft tortillas, use medium heat rather than high heat to prevent any burning.
Don’t skip the sauce because it really brings the taco components together.
💭 FAQ
Sorry, I wouldn’t freeze this recipe. But trust me, you’ll want to eat these halloumi tacos straight away!
Yes, you can use a different type of cheese if you prefer, for example, crumbled feta or grated cheddar cheese. However, the unique salty and firm texture of halloumi makes it a great choice for this dish.
For these halloumi tacos, I use low-fat halloumi to lower the calories. The difference in flavor/ texture between normal halloumi and low-fat halloumi is undetectable, so I always use low-fat! If you are vegan, you can use Violife Mediterranean-style block non-dairy cheese alternative.
📖 The Recipe
Halloumi Tacos Recipe (High Protein Vegetarian Tacos)
Equipment
- 1 non stick frying pan (skillet)
Ingredients
Taco filling
- 2 tablespoon olive oil 30mls
- 1 head cauliflower roughly chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced or grated
- 2 teaspoon paprika
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt & pepper
- 1 14 oz /400g can black beans drained and rinsed
For the halloumi
- 1 tablespoon olive oil light or virgin as this has a higher smoke point
- 8 oz 225 g block low fat halloumi cheese cut into long rectangular strips about ½ cm thick
Yogurt sauce
- 1 cup 250 ml 2% fat plain Greek yogurt
- 1 handful fresh cilantro/coriander & extra to serve
- ½ jalapeno pepper seeded and sliced (optional)
- Juice of 1 lime
- Kosher salt
For serving the tacos
- extra cilantro/coriander to garnish
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds to garnish
- 12 mini flour or corn tortillas warmed for serving
- 1 avocado sliced
Instructions
Filling
- Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F. We need a hot oven, so the cauliflower can get nicely browned on the edges.
- On a baking sheet, toss together the cauliflower, garlic, onion, 2 tablespoon of the oil, and the spices. Transfer to the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Flip the cauliflower, stir in the black beans, and roast for a further 5 minutes until you have golden edges and the cauliflower is soft all the way through.
Halloumi
- In a small skillet/frying pan, heat the remaining oil over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the halloumi (be careful; the oil can splatter). Leave a little room around each piece of cheese so they don’t stick together (I usually cook the cheese in two batches). Cook the cheese until the undersides are golden, about 2 to 4 minutes (if it’s taking forever to brown, raise the heat a bit; if it’s browning very quickly or you catch any whiff of smoke, turn down the heat). Carefully flip each piece of cheese with the tongs, and cook until the other side is golden, about 2 to 4 minutes.In the meantime, place a few paper towels on an empty plate or cutting board to absorb excess oil. Place each piece of cooked cheese onto the plate and let the cheese cool down a bit before handling.
Sauce
- In a blender or food processor, combine the yogurt, cilantro, lime juice (jalapeno if using), and a large pinch of salt. Pulse until smooth, about 1 minute. Taste and add more salt as needed.
To serve
- Heat the tortillas gently on a stove top, pan or in the microwave
- Add the cauliflower filling to the tortillas and top with the halloumi, avocado and yogurt sauce
- Sprinkle some sesame seeds and garnish with some extra coriander/cilantro
Video
Notes
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Maria Lucey RD says
Amazing thank you