These Crispy Cauliflower Tacos make Taco Tuesday the best day of the week! Top them with smoky, spicy chipotle crema and tangy slaw for a healthy, flavourful taco dinner.
These Crispy Cauliflower Tacos are some of the best tacos I’ve ever made, right up there with my Crispy Beer-Battered Vegan Fish Tacos and BBQ Chickpea Tacos. Every bite is kind of like a mini adventure. (I love adventures, don’t you?) And this particular adventure starts with crispy breaded cauliflower, then finishes with a smoky vegan crema and tangy, crunchy slaw. Oh, and we can’t forget the avocado or the slices of jalapeño for an extra kick!
Basically, these tacos have it all—and then some.
While the ingredient list for these cauliflower tacos is long, they’re quite easy to make and every ingredient complements the others, so I don’t recommend skipping anything! The good news is that the slaw and crema can both be made in advance, so all you really need to make the day-of is the crispy cauliflower. Then, assemble and devour!
Notes on Ingredients
Please note that this is important information on the ingredients and instructions and the FULL recipe with amounts and details can be found DOWN BELOW (scroll to it) in the recipe card.
For the Crispy Cauliflower:
- Cauliflower
- All-purpose gluten-free flour – Or use regular all-purpose flour if you’re not on a gluten-free diet.
- Almond milk
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Garlic powder
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Breadcrumbs
For the Kale Cabbage Slaw:
- Kale – Any variety will work here.
- Carrots
- Purple cabbage
- Apple cider vinegar
- Raw cane sugar
- Sea salt
- Ground black pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil
For the Chipotle Crema:
- Vegan Greek yogurt – Use plain Greek yogurt.
- Lime juice
- Garlic
- Sea salt
- Ground black pepper
- Chipotle chili in adobo – You can usually find this in the International aisle of the grocery store.
- Paprika – Use regular paprika or smoked to play up the smoky flavour in the chipotle.
- Almond milk
To Assemble the Tacos:
- Soft taco shells
- Jalapeño – You can omit this if you prefer milder tacos!
- Avocado
- Cilantro
- Limes
How Do You Clean and Cut Cauliflower?
Rinse the cauliflower in cold water and pat it dry. Remove the leaves (these are edible, so you can throw them in with the slaw if you like), then cut the whole cauliflower into quarters. Remove the cores and stems, then pull apart the florets with your hands.
How to Make Crispy Cauliflower Tacos
Ready for some flavour-packed vegan tacos?! Here’s what you’ll need to do.
Make the Cauliflower:
Prepare. Preheat your oven to 450ºF and line a sheet pan with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
Make batter. Whisk all the ingredients for the batter except the breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Put the breadcrumbs in a second bowl.
Coat the cauliflower. Dip a piece of cauliflower into the batter, shaking off the excess. Then, coat the cauliflower in the breadcrumbs and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all of the cauliflower is breaded.
Bake. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 22 minutes, or until the cauliflower is golden brown and crispy.
Make the Kale Cabbage Slaw:
Combine the ingredients. In a medium bowl, toss all of the slaw ingredients until well-combined.
Marinate. Let the slaw sit in the fridge or on the counter until you’re ready to assemble the tacos.
Make the Crema:
Combine the ingredients. While the cauliflower is baking, blend the crema ingredients in the small bowl of a food processor. Season with salt and pepper to taste; if you plan on drizzling the crema, you can add a tablespoon of water to thin it a bit.
Chill. Transfer the crema to a squeeze bottle or bowl and refrigerate.
Assemble the Tacos:
Warm the tortillas. Heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place a tortilla in the skillet and heat it until it’s slightly puffy and golden brown in spots. Flip and heat the other side; repeat with remaining tortillas.
Assemble. Layer each tortilla with the slaw, crispy cauliflower, avocados, jalapeños, and cilantro, then drizzle with the chipotle crema and serve with lime wedges.
Tips for Success
Here are some tips for perfect cauliflower tacos!
- The smaller the florets, the better. More florets mean more time spent dipping and breading them, but it also yields more tender cauliflower because smaller florets cook faster. Large pieces may be hard and have a bit of a raw taste even after roasting.
- Coating the skillet. I use a pastry brush to brush the oil onto the skillet and make sure it’s evenly coated.
- Meal prep. If you’re making this recipe for meal prep, be sure to store each component separately, then assemble right before eating. You want to be able to heat only the cauliflower and tortillas, not the slaw and crema, which is why assembled tacos won’t work for storing!
How to Store and Reheat
The components for this recipe will last up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Reheat the cauliflower in a 350ºF oven until it’s warmed through, or warm it in the microwave or a skillet set over medium heat.
Can This Recipe Be Frozen?
This recipe isn’t ideal for freezing; the cauliflower can be frozen, but the slaw, crema, and other toppings cannot.
Enjoy friends! If you make this crispy cauliflower taco recipe, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!
Crispy Cauliflower Tacos with Chipotle Crema
Ingredients
Crispy Cauliflower
- 1 small head cauliflower
- 1/2 cup AP gluten free flour
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup bread crumbs seasoned with salt and pepper
Kale Cabbage Slaw
- 2 cups kale shredded
- 2 cups carrots shredded
- 2 cups purple/red cabbage shredded
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon raw cane sugar
- sea salt and ground black pepper to season
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Chipotle Crema:
- 1/4 cup vegan greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- 1/2 tsp finely minced garlic
- sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 1 chipotle chili in adobo finely minced
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon almond milk
Tacos:
- 10 6 ” inch soft taco shells
- ¾ of a small jalapeño sliced (about 1 1/2 teaspoons)
- 1/2 ripe avocado sliced
- 2 tablespoons cilantro chopped
- 2 limes sliced into wedges for garnish
Instructions
Tacos
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with a silicone baking sheet or parchment paper, NOT foil.
- Remove florets from the cauliflower (aka don’t use the stem).
- Chop the cauliflower into smaller pieces to resemble the size of wings.
- In a separate bowl, whisk all the batter ingredients together EXCEPT the bread crumbs. Place the bread crumbs in a bowl. Line it up beside the batter bowl.
- Toss the cauliflower in the mixture one at a time, shaking off excess batter. Then, dip the cauliflower into the breadcrumbs to coat, then place onto the baking sheet. Repeat until all of the wings are coated.
- Bake for 22 minutes.
- While baking, prepare the ingredients for the sauce by whisking together.
- Remove from oven. You can stop here, and serve the wings sauceless with sauce on the side. The wings will be crispy this way. Alternatively, coat the wings in the sauce. With a pastry brush, brush the sauce onto the wings. Bake for another 5 minutes for the sauce to soak into the wings.
- Remove from oven and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Kale Cabbage Slaw
- Mix all the ingredients for the slaw together while cauliflower is baking. Let sit on the counter or in fridge if not using immediately while everything else is being made so all the flavours can marry together.
Lime Crema
- While cauliflower is baking, in a small food processor or with an immersion blender, blend all the ingredients together. Add a tablespoon or water to thin out the lime crema for drizzling if you so desire. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place in a squeeze bottle and in the fridge until ready, or in a small bowl to spoon over tacos.
To Assemble Tacos
- Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat (if possible, brush with a pastry brush).
- Place a taco shell in the heat until golden brown spots appear and they are slightly puffy for a few seconds, then flip and cook the same. Set on a plate to assemble.
- Layer with slaw, crispy cauliflower, avocados, jalapeños and cilantro over the soft taco shells.
- Drizzle the taco shells with the chipotle crema.
- Serve with limes. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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