Roasted Cauliflower Tacos (Easy Vegan Recipe)
These roasted cauliflower tacos are anything but ordinary—made with vibrant purple cauliflower, pantry staples, and topped with creamy chipotle sauce and crispy Mexican coleslaw, they’re bursting with flavor and color in every bite!
Cauliflower Tacos
The Spanish word for cauliflower is coliflor.
Growing up, we didn’t eat too much cauliflower. However, when we did, my favorite preparation was when my mom steamed it and then melted cheese on top. Not exactly a traditional Mexican dish, but it was still scrumptious!
Cauliflower isn’t often found on Mexican menus. When it is, it’s typically steamed or boiled with other vegetables and served as a side dish.
As a result, you won’t find these cauliflower tacos at your local favorite Mexican restaurant or taco cart.
Roasting is one of the best ways to enjoy cauliflower. The golden brown bits create a deeper smoky flavor that pairs beautifully with Mexican spices and warm tortillas.
I’ve been making roasted cauliflower tacos for years now, and quite honestly, it’s my a great way to use up cauliflower that’s been in the fridge a bit too long.
This vegan taco recipe is incredibly easy to make. It’s perfect for busy nights when you need dinner on the table quickly. These may just become your new go-to weeknight tacos!
Vegan Cauliflower Tacos Ingredients
Cauliflower: I used purple cauliflower but you can use whatever color or head of cabbage you have in your fridge.
Olive Oil: You all know it’s my favorite oil to use but you can swap it for avocado oil or your favorite type of oil.
Spices: I used my own homemade taco seasoning consisting of garlic powder, onion powder, ground black pepper, sweet paprika or mild chili powder or spicy cayenne pepper and salt. In a pinch you can use store-bought taco seasoning.
Lime: You’ll need both fresh lime juice to drizzle over the roasted cauliflower florets as well as some lime wedges to serve with your tacos.
Tortillas: You can use either corn tortillas or flour tortillas.
Garnishes: This is where you can go a little wild with endless possibilities.
For these cauliflower tacos I love to serve them with a smear of Mexican sour cream on the tortilla or my homemade chipotle vegan mayonnaise. If I happen to have some almond cotija cheese or vegan queso fresco that also gets added. Of course I never forget the avocado slices. Lastly, when I have Mexican coleslaw I like to serve it as a side dish.
Salsa: If I’m using the chipotle mayo then I typically won’t serve an extra salsa. But when I do something as simple as a pico de gallo pairs great. Now if I want a spicy cauliflower taste then I’ll use my favorite taqueria-style salsa.
Customize Your Tacos
One of the best things about this cauliflower taco recipe is how versatile it is. You can mix and match for different taco moods:
- Chipotle Cauliflower Tacos: Add ground chipotle peppers to the spice mixture to add some heat..
- Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos: For a completely different taste, skip the spice and toss in hot sauce and bake, then drizzle with vegan mayo or crema.
- Fried Not Roasted Version: You can batter with panko bread crumbs to create a crispy cauliflower taco version and garnish with the same toppings suggested.
- Serve with pickled red onions, sliced jalapeños, or grilled corn for extra texture and zing!
How to Make Roasted Cauliflower Tacos
Amigos, these tacos require so little effort—especially if you already have some garnishes in the fridge ready to use.
Step 1: Prep The Cauliflower
Preheat your oven to 390F or 200C and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Drizzle with a little bit of olive oil and set it aside.
Rinse and pat dry the head cauliflower, then slice off the leaves and large stem and cut into small bite-size florets.
Combine all of the spices in a small bowl. You can taste it and adjust the salt or anything you’d like.
Spread out the florets in a single layer on the baking sheet then drizzle with olive oil.
Sprinkle the spices mixture over the cauliflower making sure to coat all sides.
Step 2: Roast Cauliflower
Place the sheet pan in the center of the oven and roast for 8 minutes then flip over and roast another 5 minutes or until the edges are a little golden brown and the center feels soft.
Carefully remove from the oven and allow to come to room temperature. Then drizzle some freshly squeezed lime juice over the florets.
Step 3: Assemble Your Tacos
Have the garnishes ready to go and warm up your tortillas.
Spread some chipotle mayo on warm corn tortilla then add the roasted cauliflower—or you can also lay the cauliflower on the tortilla then cover with the mayo.
Top with the remaining garnishes of your choice and serve right away.
How to Serve
Serve with avocado slices, crumbled cotija cheese, chipotle mayo, lime wedges, and any of your favorite taco garnishes.
These cauliflower tacos go well with my Mexican coleslaw that’s made with a creamy mayo-crema sauce and shredded red cabbage, carrots, green onions, cilantro, and fresh jalapeños or serrano peppers.
To add more protein to the meal you can serve with refried black beans on the side.
Drinks like a cucumber lime agua fresca, agua de piña, or a skinny paloma pair perfectly!
Taste
These tacos are a total burst of flavor!
The roasted cauliflower features crispy, golden edges that bring out a deep, slightly smoky sweetness.
Paired with the creamy kick of chipotle mayo, buttery avocado slices, and the salty crumble of cotija cheese, every bite is rich, bold, and perfectly balanced.
Add a side of crunchy Mexican coleslaw, and you’ve got a vibrant, textural contrast that keeps things fresh and irresistibly delicious.
How to Store and Reheat
You can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. I do not suggest freezing because the texture of the cauliflower changes quite a lot.
To reheat you can do so on the stove in a small skillet with a little bit of oil and heat for about 5 or some minutes until warmed through.
You can also reheat in the air fryer at 340F or 170C for 3-5 minutes.
Nancy’s Tips
• You can mix the cauliflower florets with the oil and spices in a large bowl instead of doing so right on the baking sheet.
• Instead of purple cauliflower you can use either white or green. They all have slightly different tastes but not dramatically different.
• A mild alternative to the chipotle mayo would be to use avocado crema.
• Use warm corn tortillas that have been heated on an open gas flame for extra flavor.
• This flavorful taco filling can also be used for quesadillas or gorditas.
• Instead of oven roasting you can cook the cauliflower on a super hot skillet to get that smoky charred flavor.
More Recipes Perfect for Taco Tuesday
- Baja-Style “Fish” Tacos
- Crispy Tofu Tacos
- Birria Tacos
- Crispy Refried Beans Tacos
- Cochinita Pibil Tacos (Yucatan-Style Tacos)
Gracias
I’m so happy you stopped by. If you have any questions or want to let me know how you liked this recipe, do leave a comment. Muchas gracias, I appreciate you!
Purple Cauliflower Tacos
Amigos, as you can see the humble cauliflower can be quite the versatile vegetable. I use it to not only make this cauliflower tacos recipe but I also make cauliflower ceviche and cauliflower rice which I top with sautéed or roasted veggies.
Plus a large head of cauliflower tends to be one of the cheaper vegetables and not to mention it having lots of health benefits.
I do hope you add this fun and delicious recipe to your weekly meals and Taco Tuesday feasts.
Buen provecho!
Roasted Cauliflower Tacos (Vegan Recipe)
Ingredients
- One 1.5lbs head of cauliflower I used purple you can use white
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder less for smaller head
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon Salt adjust to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground lack pepper
- ½ teaspoon Paprika or chili powder
- 2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 10-12 small corn tortillas or flour
- Garnishes of choice*
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 390F or 200C and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Drizzle with a little bit of olive oil and set it aside.
- Rinse and pat dry the head cauliflower, then slice off the leaves and large stem and cut into small bite-size florets.
- Combine all of the spices in a small bowl. You can taste it and adjust the salt or anything you’d like.
- Spread out the florets in a single layer on the baking sheet then drizzle with olive oil.
- Sprinkle the spices mixture over the cauliflower making sure to coat all sides.
- Place the sheet pan in the center of the oven and roast for 8 minutes then flip over and roast another 5 minutes or until the edges are a little golden brown and the center feels soft.
- Carefully remove from the oven and allow to come to room temperature. Then drizzle some freshly squeezed lime juice over the florets.
- Have the garnishes ready to go and warm up your tortillas.
- Spread some chipotle mayo on warm corn tortilla then add the roasted cauliflower—or you can also lay the cauliflower on the tortilla then cover with the mayo.
- Top with the remaining garnishes of your choice and serve right away.
Recipe Notes & Pro Tips
Serve with avocado slices, crumbled cotija cheese, chipotle mayo, lime wedges, and any of your favorite taco garnishes. Mexican coleslaw and refried black beans on the side pair well. Drinks like a cucumber lime agua fresca, agua de piña, or a skinny paloma pair perfectly! PLEASE Note that the garnishes are not included in the nutritional values.
Nutrition
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Looking for a Salsa Bowl Like Mine
Amigos so many of you ask me where I get my beautiful Mexican pottery from. The answer is Mexico. I know many of you can’t travel so I’ve put together a gorgeous collection from Amazon. Click the image below to go check it out.
Nancy Lopez is a Mexican-born food writer and author of Mexican Tamales Made Meatless. Raised in the U.S. and now living in Southern Mexico, she creates authentic vegan and vegetarian Mexican recipes rooted in tradition and tested for real home kitchens.Read more…
