Crispy and boldly spiced, these roasted Cauliflower Tacos are a vegetarian dream dinner that meat eaters will devour with equal gusto. Chipotle roasted cauliflower and hearty chickpeas make them super satisfying!
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Why You’ll Love This Roasted Cauliflower Taco Recipe
- Supremely Satisfying. Thanks to nutrient-dense cauliflower and protein-packed chickpeas, this recipe for cauliflower tacos is hearty, filling, and will leave you satisfied (one of my vegetarian recipe rules is that a plant-based dinner should never leave you missing the meat).
- Flavorful Roasted Cauliflower. Roasted cauliflower is a revelation compared to raw; it’s robustly caramelized and tender inside, with a slightly nutty flavor. For today’s roasted cauliflower tacos, we’re using an array of southwest spices, including chipotle, which makes the tacos robust and smoky.
- Dinner’s Done in Under an Hour. With roasted chickpeas (which become marvelously crispy in the oven), red onions, and that hit of Tex-Mex spices, these cauliflower tacos taste like a whole lot of effort went into them, but they take just 45 minutes from start to finish!
5 Star Review
“We made this for dinner last night and it was absolutely amazing!!”
— Tracy —
How to Make Cauliflower Tacos
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Cauliflower. Our nutrient-packed veggie taco base. In the oven, the cauliflower becomes tender and almost meaty (similar to how the mushrooms work in these Mushroom Tacos).
- Chickpeas. Add extra bulk to the filling, along with a crispy texture.
- Red Onion. Adds a little zip and bite to the roasted cauliflower and chickpea mixture.
- Spices. I used my favorite spice blend of cumin, regular chili powder, and chipotle chili powder for these tacos to add depth, heat, and a little smokiness.
- Tortillas. Are you team corn tortilla or flour tortilla? Choose your favorite—there is no wrong decision. Or try serving the roasted cauliflower and crispy chickpeas over a bed of brown rice or quinoa with your choice of toppings for a healthy vegetarian burrito bowl.
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Season. Toss the cauliflower, chickpeas, and red onion in a large bowl with the olive oil, and spices.
- Roast. Bake until the chickpeas are crispy and the cauliflower is tender.
- Serve. Spoon the warm filling into tortillas, top with any desired toppings. ENJOY!
Cauliflower Taco Topping Ideas
Here are some of my favorite ways to top these addicting cauliflower tacos with crispy chickpeas.
- Avocado
- Thinly sliced red cabbage
- Jalapeno slices
- Lime wedges
- Plain non-fat Greek yogurt (or your favorite non-dairy yogurt to make this recipe vegan)
- Fresh cilantro
What to Serve with Cauliflower Tacos
- Rice. Instant Pot Brown Rice with a squeeze of lime juice and chopped cilantro is like the rice at Chipotle!
- Salsa and Guacamole. Corn Salsa or Salsa Roja would be a great addition to these tacos, as would guacamole.
- Veggies. You can’t beat tacos with Grilled Corn, especially with some Tajín mixed into the butter.
- Salad. This Grilled Corn Salad is an easy side for tacos.
Cauliflower Tacos
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Video
Cauliflower tacos with crispy chickpeas deliver bold flavor and crunchy texture in a satisfying plant-based dinner perfect for taco night!
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Ingredients
- 1 medium head cauliflower about 6 inches in diameter, chopped into florets
- 1 (15-ounce) can reduced-sodium chickpeas rinsed, drained, and patted dry
- 1 small red onion diced
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground chipotle chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Flour or corn tortillas for serving
- Toppings of choice thinly sliced cabbage, lime wedges, sliced jalapeños, avocado, plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a large baking sheet or line with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Place the cauliflower, chickpeas, and red onion in a large bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with the chili powder, chipotle chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and salt.
- Toss to evenly coat, then spread in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring twice, until the chickpeas are crispy and the cauliflower is just tender. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- To serve, warm the tortillas. Pile high with the warm cauliflower and chickpea mixture. Sprinkle on any desired toppings. Enjoy immediately.
Notes
- TO STORE: This cauliflower taco filling tastes best the day the tacos are made. However, you may keep it refrigerated for up to one day in an airtight container.
- TO REHEAT: Warm in a microwave or in an oven, preheated to 350 degrees F, until heated through.
- TO FREEZE: I do not recommend freezing this filling as the chickpeas will lose their crunch once thawed.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.25of filling with one flour tortilla and no toppingsCalories: 273kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 11gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gPotassium: 725mgFiber: 9gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 394IUVitamin C: 72mgCalcium: 119mgIron: 4mg
Yum yum YUM! I made this tasty dish and had no leftovers!! I opted to eat it on naan instead of the tortilla boats and also had to cook it an additional 10+ min to get all the chickpeas nice and crunchy. Great flavor!
Emily, YAY!!!! I am so happy to hear this. The naan sounds like a delicious twist. Thanks for trying the recipe and taking time to leave this wonderful review!
We made this for dinner last night and it was absolutely amazing!! So flavorful and as a bonus it was really easy and quick to make! Our goal for this year has been to not waste food so instead of buying a new head of cabbage we decided to use up several Brussels sprouts that were hanging out in the fridge. We finely shredded them in the food processor and tossed with a little lime juice, olive oil and salt and pepper. Everything was delicious!!!!! You are seriously the best! Thanks for all of the amazing recipes. :)
Tracy, thanks for sharing this awesome review! The brussels sprouts sound like a delicious addition, and I’m so glad to hear that the whole recipe was a hit! :)
Absolutely wonderful! Made them on the grill my wife loved them too! Great recipe!
I am so happy to hear that Steve! Thank you so much for trying the recipe and taking time to leave this wonderful review. It means a lot!
First time making anything quite like this. And it was quite a crowd pleaser even for meat lovers! Great option. Would use this in lettuce wraps with leftovers and maybe even just a burrito bowl type dish. Thank you!
Great to hear, thank you Natasha!
So happy I found this and tried it! Tacos were my favorite food before I gave up meat and this really hits the spot! Easy to make, wouldn’t change a thing!
Glad to hear you enjoyed it, Ashley! Thank you!
These tacos were delicious and so easy to make. Exactly what I was looking for. It’s rare to find a recipe that pleases both vegans and meat-eaters alike, but this one does it effortlessly! Thank you for such a great and flavorful recipe!
Great to hear, thank you Yvette!
I made these last week because I had a head of cauliflower that needed to be used. So good! I had leftovers so have been reheating in the air fryer – day 5 and the tacos still excellent. Another win for Wellplated and for me. Definitely will make again.
Makes me so happy to hear, Diane! Thank you!
I would make this recipe again. it is delish!
So glad to hear, Heather!