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    Home » Recipes » Burgers, wraps and sandwiches

    Published: May 27, 2021 · Modified: Sep 22, 2021 by kseniaprints · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads · #sponsoredpost · 22 Comments

    Halloumi Tacos With Pepita Salsa, Cherry Tomatoes And Avocados

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    one halloumi taco with more in background

    Halloumi tacos with homemade salsa macha, cherry tomatoes and avocados will give a little Middle Eastern kick to your taco night routine!

    This post is a collaboration with Happy As a Yam. I am proud to only work with people and businesses I truly believe in!

    Jump to:
    • Halloumi tacos with homemade salsa macha, cherry tomatoes and avocados will give a little Middle Eastern kick to your taco night routine!
    • Discovering grilled halloumi
    • What's halloumi cheese?
    • What is Pepita Salsa, or Salsa Macha?
    • Blogger Spotlight: Happy As a Yam
    • Halloumi Tacos Ingredients
    • How to Make Halloumi Tacos
    • Adaptations
    • Accompanying Dishes
    • Pin for Later!
    • Recipe
    three halloumi tacos on board
    grilled halloumi cheese on cutting board

    Discovering grilled halloumi

    My first time trying halloumi cheese was on a date when I was 15 years old.

    After saving our restaurant earnings and tips for over six months, my high-school sweetheart and I decided to go celebrate our anniversary in a local vegetarian restaurant. Over glasses of chilled lemonade and doe-eyed looks, we shared a portion of pasta alfredo and a large, entree-side halloumi cheese salad.

    As soon as I tasted those "steaks" of grilled halloumi, my eyes felt like they would pop out of their sockets. The combination of the gooey, stretchy and chewy cheese with the other flavors in the plate - cherry tomatoes, spicy peppers, avocados - was truly a celebration of texture and tastes.

    The cheese was delicious, unlike anything else I've tried in my life - and coming from a true cheese-aholic even at the age of 15, that was saying something.

    halloumi cheese on cutting board

    What's halloumi cheese?

    But what is halloumi cheese, you ask? Let's break it down!

    Halloumi cheese is a Middle Eastern cheese that originates from Cyprus, and is traditionally made from sheep's or goat's milk, or a mix of the two - though today, cow's milk halloumi is also fairly common.

    Halloumi is famous for retaining its shape when grilled, instead becoming crispy and browned on the outside while gooey and melted on the inside.

    • sliced halloumi cheese on cutting board
    • slicing halloumi cheese

    Is halloumi cheese healthy?

    Like most cheeses, Halloumi cheese is high in calcium and is a source of zinc, magnesium and vitamin A and B.

    However, it is rather high in salt and fat, so don't eat a whole block in one sitting!

    • frying halloumi cheese
    • grilling halloumi cheese
    • hand grilling halloumi cheese

    How to grill halloumi cheese?

    Halloumi cheese can be cooked directly on an outdoors grill, or in a pan on a regular stovetop.

    To grill halloumi cheese at home, grab a non-stick pan and use it on the stovetop. Drizzle the pan slightly with oil, and preheat the pan over medium-high heat.

    Once your pan is pre-heated and oiled, place the halloumi cheese slices directly on the pan; cook them for 2 minutes on one side, and 1 minute on the other.

    Remove halloumi from the pan, and use in the halloumi tacos immediately - it will lose its gooey texture and become more rubbery as it cools.

    pumpkin seed salsa or salsa macha

    What is Pepita Salsa, or Salsa Macha?

    All this talk about halloumi cheese is great, you may think, but what about the other ingredients in our tacos? For example, what is pepita salsa, also known as Salsa Macha?

    Salsa Macha is an unusual rich sauce that hails from Veracruz, Mexico. Unlike more typical salsa that is based on fruit or even veggies, Salsa Macha is made from ground and processed dried chiles, garlic, nuts and seeds.

    A lot of Salsa Macha is made largely from peanuts or sesame seeds. For my recipe, I wanted to make a salsa based on another seed: pumpkin seed salsa.

    In this deeply flavored salsa, ground and toasted pumpkin seeds are joined with mixed dried chiles, sesame seeds and garlic and ground into a delicious, slick pumpkin seed salsa. This salsa goes beautiful with the cheesy flavor of hallomi cheese, but I also love drizzling it on tofu, roasted cauliflower or using in other vegetarian tacos of your choice.

    For example, it would go really well on my friend Katia's Curried Jackfruit Tacos.

    You can find my pumpkin seed salsa recipe here.

    assembling halloumi tacos

    Blogger Spotlight: Happy As a Yam

    Let me tell you a bit about the blogger who sparked up this delicious recipe: Katia from Happy As a Yam.

    I got to know Katia through Instagram, where her colorful and beautiful feed of gluten-free and vegan recipes made me drool every time. Once we started chatting, I was thrilled to discover Katia was also based in Montreal, spending her days cooking and baking gluten-free dishes, just like me!

    With a unique palette, an eye for international recipes and an easy-going, light and bright photography style, Happy As a Yam's recipes offer something for everyone. I can't wait to try her gluten-free and vegan croissants, her savory portobello mushroom spaghetti squash boats, or her eggplant ratatouille once my favourite summer vegetable appears!

    For this recipe collaboration, Katia developed mouthwatering Curried Jackfruit Tacos that would put any pulled pork recipe to shame. They remind me of my vegan pulled pork sandwich, only they sound even better!

    ingredients for halloumi tacos

    Halloumi Tacos Ingredients

    To make these veggie tacos with grilled halloumi cheese, you will need:

    • 1 halloumi
    • 1 avocado
    • 8 corn tortillas
    • 1 pint cherry tomatoes
    • ½ purple onion
    • Fresh cilantro, to taste
    • Lime wedges, to taste
    • ½ cup pumpkin seed salsa (salsa macha)
    components for halloumi tacos

    How to Make Halloumi Tacos

    To grill halloumi cheese:

    To grill halloumi cheese at home, grab a non-stick pan and use it on the stovetop. Drizzle the pan slightly with oil, and preheat the pan over medium-high heat.

    Once your pan is pre-heated and oiled, place the halloumi cheese slices directly on the pan; cook them for 2 minutes on one side, and 1 minute on the other.

    Remove halloumi from the pan, and use in the halloumi tacos immediately - it will lose its gooey texture and become more rubbery as it cools.

    close up on halloumi tacos

    Assemble halloumi tacos:

    Lightly toast your corn tortillas in the same pan you used to fry the halloumi cheese. Lay 2 pieces of grilled halloumi cheese per taco, topping them with halved cherry tomatoes, and a few slivers of purple onion.

    Dilute desired quantity of pumpkin seed salsa with a few teaspoons of water to make it more drizzable. Top halloumi tacos with a generous drizzle of salsa and a generous sprinkling of fresh cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

    hand grabbing halloumi tacos

    Adaptations

    vegan and dairy-free

    To transform these grilled halloumi tacos into vegan tacos, substitute the halloumi cheese for sliced extra firm tofu. Sprinkle each slice with salt and pepper before grilling the tofu slices the same way you would prepare the halloumi cheese.

    keto, paleo and whole 30

    For keto tacos or Whole 30 tacos, sub the corn tortillas for thinly sliced daikon radish. You will end up with miniature, bite-size halloumi cheese tacos that are adorable!

    Unfortunately, there's no easy to make these paleo as they would require too many adaptations.

    Accompanying Dishes

    The following dishes can go nicely alongside these halloumi tacos with pumpkin seed salsa, the ultimate in Mexican - Middle Eastern fusion!

    • Mexican Gluten-free Cornbread that is Sweet and Spicy
    • Discover Spiced Middle Eastern Grilled Corn, the Powerful Street Food of Your Dreams
    • Quick-pickled jalapeno peppers, and the Friday link round-up {V, GF, Paleo}
    • Quick-pickled fall vegetables, or how to punch up any salad {V, GF, Paleo}

    Pin for Later!

    the only halloumi tacos recipe you need to take your taco night to another level

    To see the step-by-step story on how to make halloumi tacos, check out my web stories!

    Recipe

    three halloumi tacos on board

    Halloumi Tacos With Pepita Salsa, Cherry Tomatoes And Avocados

    Halloumi tacos with homemade salsa macha, cherry tomatoes and avocados will give a little Middle Eastern kick to your taco night routine! Our Salsa Macha is a take on pepita seed salsa or pumpkin seed salsa, and it's a delicious sauce you'll go back to over and over again.
    5 from 27 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course, Tacos
    Cuisine: Mexican, Middle Eastern
    Keyword: avocado, cherry tomatoes, chiles, chili, cilantro, dairy, gluten-free, halloumi, onions, pepitas, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 649kcal
    Author: Ksenia Prints

    Equipment

    • Non-stick pan
    • Blender or Food Processor

    Ingredients

    • 1 halloumi
    • 1 avocado
    • 8 corn tortillas
    • 1 pint cherry tomatoes
    • ½ purple onion
    • Fresh cilantro to taste
    • Lime wedges to taste
    • ½ cup Pumpkin seed salsa (Salsa Macha) Recipe here: https://immigrantstable.com/pepita-salsa-macha/

    Instructions

    To grill halloumi cheese:

    • To grill halloumi cheese at home, grab a non-stick pan and use it on the stovetop. Drizzle the pan slightly with oil, and preheat the pan over medium-high heat.
    • Once your pan is pre-heated and oiled, place the halloumi cheese slices directly on the pan; cook them for 2 minutes on one side, and 1 minute on the other.
    • Remove halloumi from the pan, and use in the halloumi tacos immediately - it will lose its gooey texture and become more rubbery as it cools.

    Assemble halloumi tacos:

    • Lightly toast your corn tortillas in the same pan you used to fry the halloumi cheese. Lay 2 pieces of grilled halloumi cheese per taco, topping them with a few avocado slices, some halved cherry tomatoes, and a few slivers of purple onion.
    • Dilute desired quantity of sunflower seed salsa with a few teaspoons of water to make it more drizzable. Top halloumi tacos with a generous drizzle of pumpkin seed salsa and a generous sprinkling of fresh cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

    Notes

    To transform these grilled halloumi tacos into vegan tacos, substitute the halloumi cheese for sliced extra firm tofu. Sprinkle each slice with salt and pepper before grilling the tofu slices the same way you would prepare the halloumi cheese.
    For keto tacos or Whole 30 tacos, sub the corn tortillas for thinly sliced daikon radish. You will end up with miniature, bite-size halloumi cheese tacos that are adorable!

    Nutrition

    Sodium: 354mg | Calcium: 128mg | Vitamin C: 40mg | Vitamin A: 5821IU | Sugar: 13g | Fiber: 15g | Potassium: 1144mg | Calories: 649kcal | Trans Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Fat: 48g | Protein: 13g | Carbohydrates: 51g | Iron: 5mg
    « Bulgur salad with feta, blood orange and pomegranate seeds
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Liz says

      June 14, 2021 at 3:39 pm

      5 stars
      I am obsessed with halloumi and tacos are my new favorite! Love these toppings ideas to take them to the next level. YUM!

      Reply
      • kseniaprints says

        June 14, 2021 at 4:01 pm

        So glad to hear you find these inspiring!

        Reply
    2. Marta says

      June 14, 2021 at 8:45 pm

      5 stars
      Your vibrant images sell this recipe and the flavors do not disappoint at all! Great recipe for a weeknight dinner.

      Reply
      • kseniaprints says

        June 22, 2021 at 1:54 pm

        Thank you! I'm so happy to hear this was what you expected

        Reply
    3. Jere Cassidy says

      June 14, 2021 at 11:14 pm

      5 stars
      Your photos just look delicious. These halloumi tacos are perfect for our meatless dinners

      Reply
      • kseniaprints says

        June 22, 2021 at 1:55 pm

        Thank you!!

        Reply
    4. Petro says

      June 15, 2021 at 8:58 am

      5 stars
      And now I'm hungry! Such a delicious recipe, thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • kseniaprints says

        June 22, 2021 at 1:55 pm

        Thank you! Hope it satisfied your craving for tacos.

        Reply
    5. Hayley Dhanecha says

      June 18, 2021 at 4:24 am

      5 stars
      I was looking for a vegetarian taco recipe different from what I have tried in the past. This was amazing. My friends loved it too.

      Reply
      • kseniaprints says

        June 22, 2021 at 1:55 pm

        I'm so glad, Hayley!

        Reply
    6. AISilva says

      June 18, 2021 at 8:37 pm

      5 stars
      I've never cooked much with halloumi so I appreciate you giving a background on it! That salsa macha looks mouth watering. We've been having more taco nights lately so I can't wait to try this!

      Reply
      • kseniaprints says

        June 22, 2021 at 1:56 pm

        I think you will absolutely love it!

        Reply
    7. Tristin says

      June 19, 2021 at 10:17 pm

      5 stars
      We love halloumi! These are on the menu for taco Tuesday, can't wait to try them out!

      Reply
      • kseniaprints says

        June 22, 2021 at 1:56 pm

        Thank you Tristin!!! Hope they worked for you

        Reply
    8. Jacqueline Debono says

      June 20, 2021 at 1:49 am

      5 stars
      These tacos look fabulous! I love halloumi. Sadly, it's not easy to find here in Italy. But next time I come across it, definitely going to give this recipe a go! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • kseniaprints says

        June 22, 2021 at 1:56 pm

        Ahh, Italy, where the only cheese you may have difficulty finding is halloumi

        Reply
    9. Kushigalu says

      June 20, 2021 at 9:55 am

      5 stars
      Love the combination of ingredients in this tacos recipe. I would love to make this for my family soon. Thanks for sharing

      Reply
      • kseniaprints says

        June 22, 2021 at 1:56 pm

        Let me know how they like it!

        Reply
    10. Jenny says

      June 20, 2021 at 11:13 am

      5 stars
      The tacos came out really great! Your recipe is easy and fuss-free; I love the halloumi as an ingredient. Thanks so much; we will definitely make them again.

      Reply
      • kseniaprints says

        June 22, 2021 at 1:57 pm

        I'm so glad, Jenny!!!

        Reply
    11. Jen says

      June 20, 2021 at 8:40 pm

      5 stars
      Yum! Halloumi tacos sound like such a great idea and the pumpkin salsa is the perfect touch. I'm trying these on taco Tuesday!

      Reply
      • kseniaprints says

        June 22, 2021 at 1:57 pm

        Hope they go over well!

        Reply

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    Privet, I am Ksenia Prints! A food and travel blogger, photographer and storyteller. I help adventurous home cooks explore the world through healthy, beautiful immigrant recipes.

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