Crispy and boldly spiced, these roasted Cauliflower Tacos are a vegetarian dream dinner that meat eaters will devour with equal gusto.
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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
The Ingredients
- 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.
The Directions
- 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.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Get a Head Start. The filling tastes best right out of the oven (the chickpeas lose some crispness as they rest), but you can chop the cauliflower up to 2 days in advance and refrigerate it.
- Make Sure the Chickpeas Are Dry. To avoid mushy roasted chickpeas, remove as much excess liquid from your chickpeas as possible. Patting them dry with paper towels is an essential first step. You can take it a step further by spreading the chickpeas in a single layer on a paper towel-lined baking sheet and letting them air dry for a few extra minutes while you chop the cauliflower and onions.
- Don’t Crowd the Cauliflower. Give the cauliflower lots of space on the baking sheet. This is how it gets nicely browned, with crispy edges!
Cauliflower Tacos
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Video
Cauliflower tacos are the easy and delicious dinner you need! Chipotle roasted cauliflower and crispy chickpeas fill these vegetarian tacos.
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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
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Related Recipes
If you loved these cauliflower tacos, try one of my other flavor-packed Vegetarian Recipes:
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