Cauliflower Tacos

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Looking for a meatless option on taco night? Roasted cauliflower tacos are a great choice! Cauliflower is tossed in your favorite taco seasonings and roasted until tender for a wonderful tortilla filling.

Tacos are a weekly offering at my house, which shouldn’t be a surprise considering how many years we spent in Texas.

My kids love ground beef tacos and slow cooker chicken tacos, but sometimes I want to opt for vegetarian when it comes to taco night.

Butternut squash tacos are some of my favorites, but these cauliflower tacos are right up there with them.

Cauliflower makes a great base for tacos because it is mild in flavor, easily taking on any seasonings you put with it.

Roasting the cauliflower brings out a bit of natural sweetness while taming any bitter base flavor. 

Add sweet bell pepper and sharp red onion, and you’ve got a winning combination for any tortilla!

Ingredients for cauliflower tacos

To make these tacos, you’ll need:

Cauliflower – This recipe uses 1 head of cauliflower.

Untrimmed, cauliflower heads weigh approximately 2 pounds, however, we don’t use the entire head for the tacos. Discard the leaves and save any stems for cauliflower rice or stir fry, if you like.

Cauliflower is available in yellow, green, and purple, though I recommend white cauliflower for this recipe. 

Olive oil – Oil helps the vegetables roast, as well as allows the seasonings to adhere. 

You can swap in avocado, vegetable, or canola oil if you prefer.

Red onion – Roasting red onion reduces its sharp flavor while providing a good contrast to the mild cauliflower. Red onions are often large, so use as much as you like. I used half an onion here.

Bell pepper – I love red bell peppers for their sweet flavor and use them often in cooking. Yellow or orange bell pepper, or mini sweet peppers, will also work well in this recipe.

Chile powder – Not to be confused with the chili powder blends used for making chili, this chile powder is a single ingredient of ground pepper. 

I like to use ground ancho chile, which is lightly sweet and earthy with a nice spice level.

Smoked paprika – Smoked paprika is one of the most-used spices in my kitchen. It adds a lovely smoky depth that is especially good with vegetables.

Cumin – Cumin is warm and lightly peppery, and a must-have for many cuisines. As with any ground spices, make sure it is fragrant, or you might need a new batch.

Garlic powder – To get garlic flavor without overpowering the other ingredients, garlic powder is added to the spice mix. Make sure you use powder, not dried minced or granulated.

Salt – Salt brings out all the other flavors, so don’t forget it! 

Tortillas – I like these tacos with corn tortillas, but you can use your own favorite variety.

Cotija and avocado – Must-have toppings!

How to make roasted cauliflower tacos

First, preheat the oven to 400°F.

You can line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a reusable silicone baking liner. This is optional, but I like to do it to make cleanup easier, and prevent the vegetables from sticking to the pan.

Cut the cauliflower into bite-size pieces.

To do this, work from the bottom and peel away any leaves, then carefully cut into the core to separate the florets. Work your way around the core until it comes away from the head and discard.

Cut off any excess stems. You can cook these along with the florets, or save for another recipe.

Place the cauliflower into a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Use tongs to toss the cauliflower and coat it in the oil.

Mix together the spices and sprinkle over the cauliflower, then toss again until it is coated evenly.

Spread the cauliflower onto the baking sheet in an even layer.

Slice the onion into thin wedges and slice the bell pepper. Arrange around the cauliflower, then drizzle a bit of olive oil over the whole pan.

Place into the oven and roast for 30-35 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender and lightly caramelized on the bottom.

Serve immediately in warmed tortillas with cotija, avocado, and your favorite toppings.

How to warm corn tortillas

Did you know you are supposed to heat up the tortillas you buy at the grocery store?

While this might seem obvious to some, I frequently see people struggling to eat unwarmed tortillas and even giving up on corn tortillas completely.

Warming your tortillas only takes a few minutes for the whole batch, so you can take care of it while the cauliflower is roasting.

Heat a flat griddle, a frying pan, or an open flame burner to medium.

Place the tortillas on the heat for 15-30 seconds (15 seconds for open flame, longer for griddle or pan). Use tongs to flip and cook the other side.

You want the tortilla to soften and become pliable, with small char spots.

Wrap the tortillas in a kitchen towel to keep warm and soft, or store in a tortilla warmer. 

Serving suggestions

For a complete meal, serve these cauliflower tacos with borracho beans (leave out the bacon to turn them into charro beans) or your favorite rice.

I always recommend a spread of toppings so everyone can dress up their tacos how they like. Try some of these:

• Pickled red onion or pickled jalapeño
• Sliced fresh avocado or guacamole
• Chopped fresh cilantro
• Lime juice wedges for squeezing
• Roasted tomato salsa or tomatillo salsa
• Sour cream or Mexican crema
• Crumbled cotija or queso fresca

You can also make an avocado crema by blending avocado, sour cream/crema, lime juice, and salt until smooth. Add a little water to thin, if desired.

You’ll love these easy cauliflower tacos the next time taco night rolls around!