Halloumi fajitas in a pan with tortillas and sour cream

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Craving fajitas but looking for a veggie-friendly option? Try these halloumi fajitas which are so unbelievably tasty that even the carnivores at the table won’t miss the meat.

With squeaky halloumi, soft cooked peppers and onion and earthy spiced seasoning, these fajitas are absolutely delicious and perfect for a midweek meal or to feed a crowd.

Is halloumi healthy?

Halloumi is, of course, cheese. Which is generally high in fat and dense in calories (as does everything that tastes. so. good!) It’s also a pretty salty cheese, so it’s not a good option if you are watching your sodium intake.

However, as part of a balanced diet, halloumi does add nutritional value. Firstly, it is rich in protein, which is essential for our body to function, and also helps to keep you satiated for longer, so you are less likely to crave snacks. Secondly, it is high in calcium, which is needed for healthy and strong bones.

If you are looking for a healthier veggie fajita option then try these vegetarian fajitas which are made with mushrooms and black beans. Black beans are still high in protein but have less than 1/3 of the calories and a fraction of the fat.

What type of seasoning can I use?

When making fajitas I prefer to make my own mix from scratch. It’s more economical than buying ready-made seasoning, you can use common spices that you probably already own, and you can control the amount of spice you use.

I use a mixture of cumin, paprika, garlic powder, oregano and chilli powder. If you don’t have garlic powder then you can leave this out and add some finely chopped garlic to the dish when you cook it instead.

Halloumi fajitas arranged on a tortilla

What can I serve them with?

You can serve these halloumi fajitas with all the usual essentials you would serve with fajitas. The only thing I would caution against is adding extra cheese since it already has a healthy dose of cheese from the halloumi (but if you want to, zero judgement!) My go-to accompaniments are:

What is the best way to cook halloumi?

While uncooked halloumi is perfectly edible, it is far tastier when cooked, plus the crispiness adds a lot of appeal to the texture, which is a bit bland when raw.

There are a few ways you can cook halloumi:

  1. Pan fried. This is my preferred option, as it’s easier to control how ‘done’ it is and you can get a beautiful seared colour on each side (as long as your pan is hot enough). This method only takes a couple of minutes of cooking on each side.
  2. Cook directly on a BBQ or cut into cubes and add to a skewer before barbequing for 1-2 minutes each side.
  3. Cook under a grill/broiler – brush with olive oil first and then cook for 4-5 minutes, turning regularly.
  4. Bake in the oven – this method will take about 10-15 minutes, and if you want to make the cooking process simpler you could do sheet pan fajitas – and throw everything on one plate. While easier, this method is a little limiting as you can’t control if the peppers cook a little slower, or if the halloumi starts to dry out before the other ingredients are done.
Halloumi fajitas on a plate

What type of tortilla should I use?

For fajitas, it is pretty much essential that you use flour tortillas. Corn varieties are stiffer, less flexible and will break easier. Which is not what you want when you are trying to roll a fajita stuffed to the brim with delicious ingredients and sauces. Corn tortillas may be a good option for simpler tacos, but not for fajitas.

How should I warm tortillas for fajitas?

You have 3 choices when it comes to warming your tortillas:

  1. In a dry frying pan/skillet – if you have a grill pan with ridges then this is hands down the best method as you can produce those lovely grill marks on them too. They need about 30 seconds on each side. As you’ll need to do them one by one this isn’t the best method if you are feeding a crowd, however.
  2. In the oven – great if you need to do a lot of tortillas, although it takes the longest. Wrap the tortillas in foil and then place them in a pre-heated oven at 180C/350F. They will take around 15 minutes to warm through.
  3. In the microwave – place damp paper towels over the tortillas and then heat in 30-second blasts until hot enough. Only do a maximum of 5-6 tortillas per batch.

Once you’ve warmed your tortillas, the next challenge is to keep them warm! You can keep them wrapped in foil or slightly dampen a clean tea towel and wrap them in there. Or you can buy one of these super useful microwave tortilla warmers which will heat them and then keep them warm for up to an hour.

Ingredients

For a full list of ingredients with weights and measurements jump to the printable recipe card.

Halloumi fajita ingredients
  • Halloumi, sliced into 1/2cm thick slices
  • Red and yellow bell pepper (capsicum), sliced into thin pieces lengthways
  • Red onion, cut into eigths
  • Tortilla wraps

For the fajita seasoning

  • Chilli powder
  • Cumin
  • Oregano
  • Garlic powder
  • Paprika

How to make it

For more detailed steps with recipe tips jump to the printable recipe card.

Recipe Steps
  1. Fry the halloumi in a pan until golden on each side. Set aside under some foil to keep warm.
  2. Add the pepper and onion to the pan and cook until starting to soften. Add the fajita seasoning and continue to cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
  3. Heat the tortilla wraps in a dry pan, in the oven or in the microwave. Serve with a selection of salsa, guacamole, sour cream or rice.

Looking for more great Mexican recipes? Try:

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Halloumi fajitas in a pan with tortillas and sour cream

Halloumi Fajitas


  • Author: caroline
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 2 1x
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

With squeaky halloumi, soft cooked peppers and onion and earthy spiced seasoning, these halloumi fajitas are so tasty, no one will miss the meat!

The default recipe serves 2


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 250g halloumi, sliced into 1/2 cm pieces
  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced into strips
  • 1 large red onion, sliced in half and then each half into quarters

For the fajita seasoning (alternatively use 2-3 tbsp ready-made seasoning)

  • 1/2 tsp chilli powder (see note 1)
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp garlic powder (see note 2)
  • 1 tsp ground oregano

To serve:

  • flour tortilla wraps
  • sour cream
  • salsa
  • rice
  • fresh coriander

Instructions

  1. Heat half the oil in a large frying pan/skillet over medium-high heat. (see note 3)
  2. Add the halloumi and cook for around 2 minutes until it’s developed a golden crust. Flip and cook for the same amount of time on the other side. 
  3. Remove the halloumi and place it on a plate under some foil to keep warm. 
  4. Add the remaining oil to the pan and then when hot add the peppers and onion. Cook through for a minute before adding the fajita seasoning and then cooking for a further 4-5 minutes until all the ingredients are softened. 
  5. Heat the tortilla wraps either in the microwave for 30 seconds or in a dry frying pan / skillet (a ridged pan will give you those lovely grill marks) (see note 4). Place everything on the table along with whatever sauces/condiments you are using. (see note 5)

Notes

  1. Adjust based on the heat of chilli powder you use (some are much hotter than others). Alternatively, you can swap this for extra paprika if you don’t want any heat.
  2. If you don’t have garlic powder you can add finely chopped garlic to the pan after step 4 instead.
  3. If you have a ridged/griddle pan then this is great for adding those tasty grill marks to the ingredients.
  4. To keep the tortillas warm you can wrap them in foil or slightly dampen a clean tea towel and wrap them in there. Or you can buy one of these really useful microwavable tortilla warmers which will keep them warm for up to an hour. 
  5. I like to serve these fajitas with sour cream, salsa, guacamole and Mexican rice
  6. Halloumi is best served freshly cooked, as it will dry out more when reheated. It is great served cold on salads, however! Leftover pepper and onion mixture can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheated. 
  7. Nutrition information doesn’t include any of the serving suggestions (garnishes, sauces or tortilla wraps)
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Hob / Stove
  • Cuisine: Mexican

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1
  • Calories: 285
  • Fat: 19g
  • Carbohydrates: 11g
  • Protein: 16g

Keywords: dinner, mexican, fajitas, spicy, vegetarian, quick, easy

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