These Cauliflower Tinga Tacos are loaded with spicy chipotle flavour for a vegan taco that packs a punch! They’re topped with avocado crema and cilantro for an easy, delicious, and healthy dinner!

a cauliflower tinga taco on a marble board

We all know cauliflower can be pizza crust, nuggets, or rice (like in these Cauliflower Rice Burrito Bowls). But today, cauliflower is being transformed into the best taco filling ever!

Vegan roasted cauliflower tacos

These Cauliflower Tinga Tacos are naturally vegan and made with roasted cauliflower for some amazing bold flavour! The cauliflower gets roasted to crispy perfection, tossed in a spicy tinga sauce with chipotles, chilli and garlic and stuffed into some grilled corn tortillas. Drool.

Roasted cauliflower makes a great meat alternative for tacos since it has a really nice bite to it and is mega satiating. Roasting the cauliflower also helps it build some great flavour which is really important when making a vegan taco filling!

I use a dairy-free sour cream to top these tacos to keep them vegan-friendly, but you can skip out on this entirely or add some vegan cheese to top these off instead.

Roasting or not, if you have leftover cauliflower, use it to make these Thai Peanut Cauliflower Wings, and this Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Mac and Cheese for your next dinner!

cauliflower in a baking dish

How to make cauliflower tacos

To make these cauliflower tacos, start by cutting your cauliflower into florets. You want the florets to be small enough so they fit nicely inside the taco shells.

Then, roast the cauliflower in the oven for about 20-25 minutes until golden brown and crispy. While your cauliflower is baking, you can prepare the sauce and any additional ingredients for the tacos.

When the cauliflower comes out of the oven, toss it in the tinga sauce and fill your taco shells right away.

tinga sauce in a pan

A few notes on the recipe

I highly recommend using corn tortillas for this recipe and heating them directly on your stove top or an open flame. (If this isn’t an option for you, just toast them slightly.) This will totally change the flavour of the tortillas, and make them taste SO GOOD with your tacos!

The tinga sauce is a little bit on the spicy side, so this is definitely a recipe for those who like heat! If you want to make the sauce less spicy, simply add 1/2-1 chipotle pepper instead of 2.

I like to puree my avocado and sour cream together to make an avocado crema. This is a great tasty alternative to adding avocado and sour cream separately onto your tacos.

five cauliflower tinga tacos

More cauliflower recipes to try

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Cauliflower tinga tacos

Cauliflower Tinga Tacos

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 18 reviews
  • Author: Jess
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 mins
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
  • Category: Entree
  • Method: Cook
  • Cuisine: Mexican
Print Recipe

Description

Spicy and tangy these cauliflower tinga tacos pack a punch! 

Ingredients

Scale

Cauliflower tinga 

  • 1 tbsp olive oil 
  • 1 medium cauliflower, cut into florets
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 chipotle peppers in adobo
  • 1 tsp chilli powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 4–5 tbsp water

Other

  • Corn tortillas
  • Shredded cabbage
  • cilantro
  • avocado
  • sour cream (vegan or regular)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and line a baking pan with parchment paper. 
  2. Coat the cauliflower with olive oil and roast for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. 
  3. Heat olive oil in a small pan on medium-high heat then add the onion and garlic let cook for 2 minutes. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and let cook on medium for 2-3 minutes.
  4. Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth.
  5. Pour the sauce on the roasted cauliflower and toss together until evenly coated.
  6. Toast your corn tortillas and fill them with the cauliflower tinga and toppings.

Notes

Don’t forget to toast your corn tortillas! This makes them taste SO good! 

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 taco
  • Calories: 140g
  • Sugar: 4g
  • Fat: 6g
  • Saturated Fat: 1g
  • Carbohydrates: 20g
  • Fiber: 6g
  • Protein: 4g

If you tried these Cauliflower Tinga Tacos or any other recipe on the blog let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment/rating below! Be sure to follow along on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook for even more deliciousness!