Cauliflower Tacos
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Create incredibly flavorful Cauliflower Tacos in just 30 minutes, with only 8 ingredients, using this easy recipe! These tacos are filled with seasoned, roasted cauliflower, raisins, almonds, and smashed avocado, creating a unique and absolutely delicious vegan taco recipe.
Table of contents
Living in San Diego is like living in a land of tacos. There are taco shop tacos, fusion tacos, and Michelin star tacos. These cauliflower tacos just so happen to be inspired by Michelin-recognized Lola 55, one of my favorite restaurants in San Diego.
They’ve been featured on the Michelin Bib Gourmand list for 4 years. A list that honors quality and value in a restaurant. And on this one, they hit the mark! Lola 55 inspired me to make salsa macha, which then inspired me to make these cauliflower tacos.
While I love a good fish taco or carne asada taco, the vegan tacos on Lola 55’s menu is what really sets them apart from other taco shops. Their fried squash blossom relleno taco with beet chorizo is phenomenal. And their charred cauliflower taco tastes equally amazing, which is why I recreated it at home and I’m here to share it with you today!
These roasted cauliflower tacos are so easy to make in just 30 minutes and are guaranteed to be a hit in the flavor department with everyone at your dinner table!
Ingredients
All of the ingredients in this recipe are gluten free, as long as you use corn tortillas. If purchasing store-bought taco seasoning, always check the label to make sure it’s gluten-free.
- Cauliflower florets – for this recipe, you’ll need 4 cups of cauliflower florets. You can purchase a 24 ounce bag of cauliflower florets at the grocery store, or purchase a head of cauliflower that’s between 1 ½ and 2 pounds. Either of these should equal about 4 cups of florets.
- Olive oil – or another neutral-flavored vegetable oil, like avocado oil or canola oil, used to coat the cauliflower before roasting.
- Taco seasoning – I always recommend my homemade taco seasoning. It’s easy to mix up in 5 minutes with pantry staples like chili powder, ground cumin, paprika, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. You can make it in advance and store it in the pantry for up to 6 months. You can also use store-bought taco seasoning found on the spice aisle at the grocery store.
- Sliced almonds – for an added crunch in the tacos.
- Golden raisins – while I would never have thought to put raisins in a taco, Lola 55 did it, and I love it. These raisins add a wonderful sweetness to the tacos that pairs perfectly with the taco-seasoned cauliflower. Golden raisins are sweeter and softer in texture than traditional raisins, but if you can’t find golden raisins, you can use regular raisins in their place.
- Tortillas – I used corn tortillas for this recipe, but you can also use flour tortillas. Pick whichever one you like better. We’ve used both at home, and they both work just fine.
- Avocado + lime juice + salt – smashed together, these ingredients make a delicious base for the cauliflower tacos.
- Salsa macha (optional) – I love drizzling this salsa on top of the tacos. It adds a nice kick of spice and flavor. You can make it ahead of time and store it in the fridge for up to 4 weeks. You can also drizzle your favorite hot sauce on the tacos, or if you don’t like spice, simply omit this topping.
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos above to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Season and roast the cauliflower. Preheat an oven to 450°F. If you have a convection setting on your oven, I recommend using that so the cauliflower gets extra crispy. Dice up the cauliflower florets into small pieces. The florets should be chopped up into ½ inch pieces so that they roast up nice and crispy, and are easy to fold into a taco. Toss the chopped florets with olive oil, then taco seasoning. Arrange the cauliflower in an even layer on a baking sheet and roast for 25-30 minutes.
- Prepare the smashed avocado. While the cauliflower is roasting, smash an avocado in a small bowl, then stir in 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice and ½ teaspoon salt. Set it aside.
- Heat the tortillas. Wrap a stack of tortillas in damp paper towels. Microwave for 30 seconds. Remove the tortillas from the microwave and separate them onto plates. Spoon the smashed avocado mixture in the middle of each tortilla.
- Remove the cauliflower from the oven after 25-30 minutes, or once the cauliflower is golden brown and crispy. Stir the almonds and raisins in with the cauliflower, then scoop the cauliflower filling into each of the tacos, on top of the smashed avocado. Optionally drizzle salsa macha over each of the tacos before serving.
Optional toppings
I love these tacos just the way they’re served. But if you want to add some extra toppings, or replace the salsa macha, feel free to add any of these optional toppings.
- Sliced red onions or pickled onions
- Fresh cilantro
- Hot sauce
- Shredded lettuce
- Shredded cabbage
- Queso freso or cotija cheese (if you’re not vegan)
- Cilantro lime crema (if you’re not vegan)
Storage and reheating
Leftover cauliflower filling can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 6 days.
To reheat the cauliflower, I recommend using an air fryer or the oven to get the crispiest texture. Reheat the cauliflower in an air fryer for 3-4 minutes at 400°F. If reheating the cauliflower in the oven, spread it out on a baking sheet and reheat it at 450°F (on convection, if available) for 4-5 minutes.
How to air fry the cauliflower
To roast the cauliflower in an air fryer, instead of the oven, toss the chopped florets with the olive oil and taco seasoning, then arrange them in a single layer in an air fryer basket. If using an air fryer, you might have to cook the cauliflower in two batches.
Air fry the cauliflower at 400°F for 7 minutes. Open the air fryer, toss the cauliflower, then cook for another 7 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
What to serve with the tacos
Pair the cauliflower tacos with any of these delicious Mexican side dishes!
- Mexican Rice
- Mexican Black Beans
- Cilantro Lime Rice
- Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
- Mexican Pickled Vegetables (pickled onions, carrots and jalapenos)
- Guacamole, Salsa, and tortilla chips
More vegetarian taco recipes
Fill up your calendar with each of these vegetarian taco recipes to make Taco Tuesday a weekly tradition!
Cauliflower Tacos
Ingredients
- 4 cups cauliflower florets, cut from a 1 ½ – 2 pound head of cauliflower
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning, click link for the recipe
- 1 avocado
- 1 tablespoon lime juice, fresh-squeezed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- ½ cup golden raisins
- 8 corn tortillas
- ¼ cup salsa macha, optional – click link for the recipe
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (use the convection setting, if available).
- Dice the cauliflower into small pieces. Toss with the olive oil, then taco seasoning.
- Arrange the seasoned cauliflower in an even layer on a baking sheet. Place in the oven and roast for 25-30 minutes.
- While the cauliflower is roasting, smash the avocado in a small bowl, then stir in the lime juice and salt. Set it aside.
- Wrap a stack of tortillas in damp paper towels. Microwave for 30 seconds.
- Remove the cauliflower from the oven when it’s golden brown and crispy. Toss in the almonds and raisins.
- Spread the smashed avocado in the middle of a warm tortilla. Top with the cauliflower filling, and salsa macha (optional).
Notes
- Leftover cauliflower filling can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 6 days. To reheat the cauliflower, I recommend using an air fryer or the oven to get the crispiest texture. Reheat the cauliflower in an air fryer for 3-4 minutes at 400°F. If reheating the cauliflower in the oven, spread it out on a baking sheet and reheat it at 450°F (on convection, if available) for 4-5 minutes.
- To roast the cauliflower in an air fryer, instead of the oven, toss the chopped florets with the olive oil and taco seasoning, then arrange them in a single layer in an air fryer basket. If using an air fryer, you might have to cook the cauliflower in two batches. Air fry the cauliflower at 400°F for 7 minutes. Open the air fryer, toss the cauliflower, then cook for another 7 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
- All of the ingredients in this recipe are gluten free, as long as you use corn tortillas. If purchasing store-bought taco seasoning, always check the label to make sure it’s gluten-free.
Nutrition Facts
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