Halloumi in everything! It seems to be a theme for us at How to Eat, and I will NOT be shy to add yet another recipe to this stellar lineup of faves:
Maple Roasted Squash and Seared Halloumi Salad
Roasted Halloumi, Vegetable and Farro Bowl
Grilled Peach and Halloumi Salad
Warm Mushroom and Seared Halloumi Salad
Curried Sheet Pan Halloumi and Chickpeas
Sheet Pan Halloumi and Vegetables
Just when you thought our bff halloumi couldn’t get any better, this time we’re treating it with a little extra love by pan frying with panko breadcrumbs to make it CRISPY. Now it’s crispy, ooey gooey salty goodness. And just like that, life as we know it just got a little bit better.
I’ve used a simple dredging technique to coat the cheese. A quick pass through some flour, following by a dip in the whisked egg, before a final coat of light and airy panko breadcrumbs. Any breadcrumb will do of course, but panko is near and dear to my heart because it gets satisfyingly crisp. Prep the entire batch before you get the oil heated, because once you start, it all happens super fast. In fact, prep everything you need (salsa, sauce, set the table, everything) because you’re going to want to eat the cheese while it’s still hot.
Once your oil is hot enough – I usually test it by throwing in a few breadcrumbs to see of they sizzle – your cheese will only need about 30-40 seconds per side. See what I mean? QUICK. Transfer to a paper towel and start the next batch. If you do make these in advance, to reheat and crisp them up, transfer them to a baking sheet and bake them for about 5 minutes in a 400F oven (until they start sizzling again).
The salsa is in such drastic contrast to the salty cheese – it’s hard to imagine anything going together as well as this. Just a total rager in your mouth. And of course, taco night is always a hit around our homes, because it’s easy for selective eaters to pick and choose just what they want in theirs. I would also serve a side of plain pineapple and slice up the remaining red bell pepper to be considerate of heat sensitive palates. 
Now off you go to enjoy this life changing discovery
Erin
Crispy Halloumi Tacos with Pineapple Salsa
Print recipeIngredients
Crispy Halloumi
- 1 package of halloumi cheese (sliced into 1/4 inch strips)
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 Large egg (lightly whisked)
- 3/4 cups panko breadcrumbs
- enough canola oil to fill a non stick frying pan with about 1/8 inches of oil
- soft wheat tortillas
- bagged cabbage slaw or chopped greens of choice
Pineapple salsa
- 2 cups chopped fresh pineapple
- 1/2 red bell pepper (diced)
- 1/2 jalapeño (seeded and diced)
- 2 tablespoons finely diced red onion
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Lime Sauce
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- juice and zest of 1 lime
Directions
| 1. | Prepare the pineapple salsa first, by combining all of the ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside. |
| 2. | Prepare lime sauce, by whisking mayonnaise, lime zest and juice together. Add water a tsp at a time, until it reaches a pourable consistency. Set aside |
| 3. | Add flour, whisked egg and breadcrumbs to three separate bowls. For each slice of cheese, dredge through flour, dip into egg and then coat with breadcrumbs. |
| 4. | In a nonstick pan heat canola oil over medium heat. Oil is hot enough when it appears to shimmer slightly on the surface and when breadcrumbs sizzle when tested. Gently place 4-5 halloumi slices in the oil and pan fry for 60-90 seconds, flipping carefully with tongs about halfway through, until golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel and continue with next batch. |
| 5. | Assemble tacos with shredded cabbage, halloumi, pineapple salsa and lime sauce and enjoy right away. |
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