These delicious vegetarian halloumi fajitas are served with all the trimmings. This is a simple and flavorful meal perfect for any occasion and ready in less than 30 minutes.
Make some halloumi fajitas tonight! The perfect vegetarian alternative to our Chicken Fajita Tacos, these cheesy-filled tortillas are also super easy to make, quick, and inexpensive. They are so satisfying and full of flavor; no one will miss the meat!
Try another quick, vegetarian, Mexican recipe, our Refried Bean Quesadillas.
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What is halloumi?
Cypriot semi-hard, unripened, and brined cheese made from a mixture of goat, sheep, and sometimes cow milk. It is mostly made with vegetarian rennet, but to make sure that the cheese you intend to buy is suitable for vegetarians, check what’s written on the package.
The best thing about it? Except for that squeaky feeling you get when you eat it? It doesn’t melt; it keeps its shape when grilled or fried. This makes it a superb alternative to meat, especially at grill parties when you know that some of the guests are vegetarian.
Recipe ingredients
- Halloumi
- Vegetables: Bell peppers of any color.
- Seasoning: Ground coriander and cumin, dried oregano, and cayenne pepper. You can also use your favorite brand of fajita seasoning.
- Tortillas: Plain flour or whole wheat tortillas. To make them more pliable, heat them in a large clean pan for a few seconds on each side just before serving. If you have leftover tortillas make our simple Cucumber Wrap Recipe or some Pinwheel Sandwiches.
- Salsa ingredients (optional): Two tomatoes, avocado, and lime juice.
- Other optional trimmings: Guacamole instead of salsa, lettuce, sour cream or creme fraiche, fresh cilantro or parsley.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make fajitas with halloumi cheese?
Step #1: Halve cheese and pat it dry. Slice the halves and mix them with lime juice and spices.
Step #2: Fry cheese for 2 minutes, turning halfway through; they should be golden. Remove from the pan.
Step #3: Cook vegetables until they start to soften, about 5 minutes.
Step #4: Add the halloumi and cook for another 2 minutes.
Build the halloumi wraps
Make the salsa: Deseed one or two tomatoes, depending on size. Chop them into small cubes. Chop one avocado into similar-sized cubes. Mix with freshly squeezed lime juice (to taste), salt, and pepper. You can also make guacamole instead.
Build the halloumi and veggie fajitas:
- Place some of the halloumi fajitas on the tortillas.
- Top with lettuce, sour cream, crème fraiche, guacamole, or salsa.
- Squeeze some lime juice on top and add some chopped cilantro or parsley.
- If you are using soft tortillas, fold or roll them.
- Serve immediately.
Serving Alternatives
Make fajita bowls. Add all the serving ingredients listed above, except for the tortillas. Replace the tortillas with one of the following:
- Cooked rice, quinoa, or other grains like bulgur or couscous
- Pan-fried or baked sweet potato slices, roasted butternut squash, potato wedges, or fries.
- Refried beans or regular canned beans.
- Roasted vegetables like carrots, beets, cauliflower, broccoli, etc.
Tip
Serve anything made with halloumi right away, when the cheese is soft and warm. It will harden again as it cools.
Recipe FAQs
The cheese is slightly salty, and some brands are too much, so I got into the habit of buying certain brands that are salty but not overly so. If you find the cheese you bought too salty, you can soak it in water for about 30 minutes to 1 hour, discard the water, and pat the cheese dry afterward. It’s a trick I’ve learned from a Syrian friend who makes this kind of cheese at home.
The cheese-veggie mixture keeps well in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat before serving, the cheese should be warm and soft again.
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📖 Recipe
Easy Halloumi Fajitas
Equipment
- 1 Large cast-iron skillet or nonstick pan
Ingredients
Halloumi fajitas:
- 1 lb halloumi Notes 1,2
- 1 small lime
- 1½ teaspoon ground coriander
- 1½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1½ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper more to taste
- 3 bell peppers green, yellow, red
- 1 large onion
- 2 tbsp olive oil divided
- 1 pinch fine sea salt or Kosher salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
Serve fajitas:
- flour tortillas
- homemade salsa Note 4
- guacamole
- lettuce shredded
- sour cream or creme fraiche
- cilantro or parsley
Instructions
- Prepare halloumi cheese: Halve the blocks of cheese. Pat them dry with kitchen towels. Slice the halves thickly. Squeeze the lime and pour the juice into a large bowl. Turn the halloumi strips into the lime juice. Mix the spices and sprinkle over the cheese. Turn the cheese slices into the spices to coat on both sides.1 lb/ 450 g + 1 small lime + 1½ teaspoon ground coriander + 1½ teaspoon ground cumin + 1½ teaspoon oregano + ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Prepare vegetables: Cut the peppers and the onion into strips as well. Set aside.3 bell peppers + 1 large onion
- Fry halloumi: Heat one tablespoon of the oil. Fry the cheese strips for 2 minutes, turning halfway through; they should be golden. Remove them from the pan.
- Cook vegetables: Add the remaining oil to the pan and cook the peppers and onions for about 5 minutes or until starting to soften.
- Mix: Return the halloumi to the pan, and gently reheat for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season lightly with salt and pepper, the cheese is already salted.1 pinch fine sea salt + 1 pinch black pepper
- Serve halloumi fajitas: Anything made with halloumi should be served immediately, while the cheese is still soft and warm, it will harden again once it cools.
Notes
- The nutrition is calculated without counting the serving ingredients.
- Halloumi is usually sold in blocks weighing 225 g/ 8 oz, so you will need 2 blocks.
- To make tacos fill soft tortillas with halloumi fajitas. Add shredded lettuce, sour cream or crème fraiche, guacamole or avocado-tomato salsa, chopped cilantro or parsley, and a squeeze of lime juice.
- Homemade salsa: Mix 2 chopped tomatoes with one chopped avocado, lime juice, and seasoning to taste.
- To make a fajita bowl, leave out the tortillas. Fill bowls with fajitas, lettuce, or other salad leaves, guacamole, or salsa. Replace tortillas with roasted or pan-fried potatoes or sweet potatoes, cooked or refried beans, roasted vegetables, and so on.
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