We’ve been making these cauliflower tacos with golden-brown, crispy, spiced roasted cauliflower for years! They’re vegetarian, super satisfying, and so good that I’d be happy to eat them every week.
My family loves tacos, and these roasted cauliflower tacos are always in our dinner rotation. They’re budget-friendly, meatless, and packed with flavor. We fill our tortillas with chili lime roasted cauliflower (a classic Inspired Taste recipe we also use for our veggie burritos).
These tacos really are a weeknight lifesaver. They are quick, easy, and always a crowd-pleaser since you can have fun with your favorite toppings. When I’ve got the time, I especially love them when made with our homemade flour tortillas. For more vegetarian taco recipes, check out our roasted veggie tacos (with the best sauce!) or sweet potato tacos with black beans.
Key Ingredients
- Cauliflower: Look for firm, creamy white heads with tight florets. Pass on any cauliflower that’s spotted or discolored. For more tips, see how to buy and cut cauliflower.
- Spice Blend: I make my spice mix by combining salt with chili powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and cayenne. Adjust the cayenne to your liking. Stay closer to 1/8 teaspoon for mild, and use 1/2 teaspoon for spicy cauliflower tacos. Chipotle powder is also an excellent substitute for cayenne, with a similar heat level.
- Oil: I like using a neutral, high-heat oil like avocado or safflower for roasting veggies.
- Lime: You’ll want a bowl of lime wedges handy for this recipe. I use it in three ways. First, you’ll squeeze some juice over the roasted cauliflower, then make a simple lime crema (or lime sour cream), and finally, for the table when serving the tacos.
- Tortillas: Use your favorite store-bought tortillas or make your own! Here are our recipes for corn tortillas and soft flour tortillas!
- Toppings: I am sure you have a few favorite taco toppings. I’ve listed some options in the recipe, but my favorites for these are mashed avocado (or guacamole), shredded cabbage, extra lime juice, and pickled red onions.
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Cauliflower Tacos
Tip 1: Make our chili lime roasted cauliflower. This roasted cauliflower recipe has been a favorite on the blog for years. You’ll toss the florets with our spice blend and a bit of oil, then spread them out on a baking sheet. Slide the baking sheet into a hot oven at 425°F, and let them roast. In about 30 minutes, the cauliflower becomes tender, and you’ll start to see lots of golden, caramelized edges (the best part).
Here’s my best tip for roasting cauliflower: give those florets some space on the baking sheet! If they’re crowded, they’ll steam instead of getting those lovely browned edges.
Tip 2: Make a lime crema. It’s the little touches that make homemade meals feel extra special, and this simple lime sour cream is one of my favorites for taco night. Just stir together sour cream, a squeeze of lime juice, and a pinch of salt. For a spicy kick, add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce.
Tip 3: Warm your tortillas. My favorite way is to toast them one at a time over the gas burner until they’re soft with a few charred spots. If you don’t have a gas burner, just heat them in a hot pan until they’re warm and still soft. Stack them up and wrap in a clean dish towel until you’re ready to eat.
Tip 4: Building your tacos. There’s no wrong way to do it, but here’s how I love to stack mine: start with a layer of mashed avocado on the tortilla (I do this with shrimp tacos, too), then pile on shredded cabbage, roasted cauliflower, pickled onions, and finish with a generous drizzle of that lime crema.
Serving Suggestions
These work well on their own (they really are so satisfying), but you can always add a side or two to round out the meal. We love rice and beans, so our Mexican rice or cilantro lime rice are on regular rotation in our kitchen. For the beans, try homemade refried beans or these creamy black beans.
A few nibbles in the middle of the table work, too. Think homemade guacamole, red salsa, queso, or a bowl of homemade tortilla chips!
More Cauliflower Recipes
Chili Lime Cauliflower Tacos
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
These roasted cauliflower tacos are seriously good. We toss the florets in a simple spice mix made with spices you probably already have in your spice cabinet, then roast the cauliflower until golden and a little crispy. To serve, tuck them into warm tortillas with mashed avocado, crunchy shredded cabbage, and tangy pickled onions. I also love the homemade lime crema shared below (it takes 2 minutes!).
You Will Need
1 medium cauliflower, cut into small florets, 1 ¼ pounds
2 tablespoons avocado oil
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder, try homemade chili powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more for spicy tacos
2 to 3 lime or lemon wedges
8 corn tortillas or flour tortillas
1 medium avocado, mashed
2 cups thinly shredded cabbage or lettuce
Lime crema, recipe below
Optional: pickled onions, pickled jalapeños, fresh cilantro leaves, crumbled or shredded cheese
Lime Crema½ cup sour cream or crema
1 to 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
Pinch of salt
Directions
1Prep: Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat (lining the pan is not entirely necessary, but this does help with cleanup).
2Prepare the cauliflower: In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower florets with the oil, salt, chili powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Add the seasoned florets to the baking sheet. Spread them out, facing as many flatter edges onto the baking sheet so they brown nicely.
3Roast the cauliflower: Roast until the edges are crisp and brown and the insides are tender, 20 to 35 minutes. After 20 minutes, stir the cauliflower to promote even browning. Remove the cauliflower from the oven and toss with a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
4Make the lime crema: Combine sour cream (or crema) with a teaspoon of lime juice and a pinch of salt. Taste, and then add more lime juice as needed.
5Warm tortillas: For a gas burner, turn the burner to medium, place the tortilla over the flame, and heat through. When it starts to blister a bit, flip and warm the second side. Continue with the remaining tortillas. Alternatively, to warm in a skillet, place a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, add the tortillas (one at a time), and cook until warm, soft, and toasty. Keep warmed tortillas wrapped in a clean dish towel to keep them warm.
6Build the tacos: Spread about 1 tablespoon of mashed avocado onto each tortilla. Then add a handful of shredded cabbage, some roasted cauliflower, a drizzle of the lime crema, and any additional taco toppings.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Crema is a thickened tangy cream (similar to sour cream). We buy ours at a local Mexican market, but you might find that your local grocery store sells it. If you cannot find it, use sour cream as a substitute.
- Any chili powder will work for this recipe, but we love using ancho chili powder, which tastes sweet, fruity, and mild. We also love substituting our homemade chili powder blend, which is packed with flavor.
- Smoked Paprika is made from dried and smoked pimiento peppers. It adds a deep smoky aroma and flavor. Unless noted on the packaging, it isn’t typically hot (spicy) and instead is mild and a bit sweet.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
I happened to have a coleslaw mix and head of cauliflower languishing in my fridge, so when I found this recipe, I knew it was meant to be! After all the taco toppings are on there, I can honestly say I’d rather eat this than a meat-based taco for many reasons, but especially that this tastes great, is filling, and I feel better after eating it. Heating tortillas directly over the grate on the gas stove is brilliant too. Thank you for such a good recipe!
Yay! You are so welcome! 🙂
This was a great recipe. Loved the heat the roasted cauliflower brought. I like the idea of smearing the mashed avocado on the tortillas first. Small thing, good idea! I used your pickled onion recipe as well. And delish and made for a Very good dinner. Thank you.
We are thrilled you loved the recipe. Adding our pickled onions on to is a great idea 🙂
This recipe is amazing. My husband and I have made this a couple of times and love it! The cauliflower picks up the flavors of all the spices and we didn’t miss the meat at all. Delish!!
I used your fabulous vegan mayonnaise recipe for the crema, and it was perfect!