Cauliflower goes from ‘blah’ to ‘yum!’ in these Crispy Cauliflower Tacos! Panko-coated cauliflower is roasted until golden, then drizzled with chipotle cream to make this easy taco recipe a must-try for weeknight meals and Taco Tuesday.
Looking for more plant-based taco recipes? You’ll also love these Shredded Tofu Tacos, Spicy Potato Tacos, and Jackfruit Tacos!
I love a simple side of roasted cauliflower every now and then, but when I’m craving an explosion of flavors and a ton of crunch, I’ll make these Crispy Cauliflower Tacos with Chipotle Cream. It’s a simple taco recipe that makes cauliflower the star of the show. Even the pickiest of eaters love them!
Cauliflower florets are quickly seasoned and tossed in a simple breadcrumb coating, then roasted until they’re ultra crispy and golden brown. They’re piled into tortillas with refreshing toppings, while a generous drizzle of my Vegan Chipotle Sauce on top takes them to the next level. Trust me, these simple tacos are not to be missed!
Why you’ll love these vegan cauliflower tacos
- Transforming cauliflower from boring to addictively delicious! A well-seasoned and crunchy panko breadcrumb coating is the secret to making the roasted cauliflower for these tacos addictively delicious.
- A simple Taco Tuesday dinner – From breading and roasting the cauliflower to assembling a few simple taco toppings, this cauliflower tacos recipe is quick and easy.
- Endless ways to enjoy the crispy cauliflower – Just like my Garlicky Roasted Cauliflower Recipe, the baked cauliflower for the tacos is delicious with all kinds of meals (not just in tacos!).
How to make crispy cauliflower tacos
Find the complete printable recipe with measurements below in the recipe card.
Whisk the water, flour, and seasonings together in a large bowl. Add the cauliflower to the bowl with the batter and toss to coat each floret. Next, add the panko breadcrumbs and toss once more to coat.
Transfer the breaded cauliflower to a baking sheet, spray the tops with oil, and bake until they’re golden and crispy.
While you wait, make a batch of my Chipotle Sauce.
Serve the roasted cauliflower tacos in tortillas with a drizzle of Chipotle Sauce, shredded red cabbage, avocado slices, and lime wedges. Serve and enjoy!
Taco topping ideas
My homemade Chipotle Sauce is one of my favorite sauces to drizzle over these roasted cauliflower tacos because the spicy creaminess complements the crunch so well. It’s not your only option, though. Give any of these toppings a try as well:
- Bang bang sauce
- Diced avocado
- Guacamole
- Red salsa
- Shredded red cabbage
- Pickled red onions
- Vegan sour cream
- Salsa verde
- Shredded vegan cheddar cheese
- Shredded lettuce
- Cilantro
- Pico de gallo
Frequently asked questions
If you’re up for an epic Taco Tuesday or Cinco de Mayo, make sure you serve these tacos with even more vegan taco recipes. I like them best with my Classic Vegan Tacos and these Shredded Tofu Tacos.
If you’re planning on serving the tacos as a main dish for dinner, start the meal with black bean soup or vegan queso with tortilla chips for dipping, then bring out the tacos and serve them with a side of rice and beans. This Vegan Tres Leches Cake would be perfect for dessert!
The crispy roasted cauliflower is delicious outside of tacos, too. Use it as a topping on burrito bowls, taco salads, and grain bowls; fold it into burritos or veggie wraps; or enjoy it as a snack with the chipotle sauce on the side for dipping.
Yes, the roasted cauliflower can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days before serving it in the tacos. The breadcrumb coating will soften over time, but the cauliflower will still taste great. Before serving, reheat the cauliflower in a toaster oven or air fryer to make the coating nice and crispy again.
Yes, air frying the breaded cauliflower should work just as well as the oven, although I haven’t tested it. Just make sure to air fry the florets in two or three batches to help them cook and crisp up evenly.
Crispy Cauliflower Tacos with Chipotle Cream
Ingredients
Crispy Cauliflower
- 1 medium head cauliflower about 5 cups florets
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
For Serving
- 1 Recipe Chipotle Sauce
- corn or flour tortillas
- shredded red cabbage
- avocado slices
- lime wedges
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray generously with oil.
- Wash and cut cauliflower into bite sized pieces.
- In a large bowl, add water, flour, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika and salt. Whisk until well combined.
- Add the cauliflower to the batter in the bowl with the flour-water mixture and toss to combine and really coat the cauliflower. Add the panko breadcrumbs and toss to coat.
- Place the cauliflower pieces on the prepared baking sheet.
- Spray the cauliflower with oil (this helps them get super crispy) and bake for 20 minutes. Flip the pieces over and bake for 20 more minutes, until golden and crispy.
- While the cauliflower pieces bake, prepare a batch of Chipotle Sauce.
- Serve in tortillas with Chipotle Sauce, shredded red cabbage, avocado slices and lime wedges, if desired.
Notes
- For gluten free, use a quality all purpose gluten free flour. Either skip the breadcrumbs or use gluten free breadcrumbs instead.
Fantastic recipe! The cauliflower was so easy to make and was tender on the inside and crunchy on the outside. The star of the meal was the chipotle sauce. It had the perfect combination of heat and sweetness. I served with Ezekiel tortillas, avocado, and red cabbage. I also made freekah in the instant pot. My husband requested I make this meal again VERY soon!
Hi Susan. Your meal sounds incredibly delicious! I’m so glad that you and your family loved the tacos and chipotle sauce. Thank you for sharing your terrific review and feedback! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Nora, I’m beginning to suspect you’re a divine being sent to help us mortals on our plant-based journeys. This was so good! I’ve tried various crispy cauliflower recipes before and they are always a big hassle and the breading ends up falling off. This was super easy, crispy but tender inside, and next-level flavorful. I’m blown away yet again. Thank you!!
You are welcome, Alyssa! I love to create delicious and simple vegan recipes for everyone to enjoy! I’m thrilled that you are loving my recipes, and I appreciate your awesome support and encouragement! Thank you for sharing your fabulous review and comments! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Another winner! I made this for my family tonight (kids ages 3-7), and it was a big hit. There were no leftovers! My husband said it reminded him of fried seafood tacos.i thought the cauliflower tasted like popcorn shrimp. Thanks! You make vegan eating so easy!
You are welcome, Christa! I just love hearing the different ways that people experience my recipes! Thank you for taking time to share your stellar review and recipe experience! I’m thrilled that my recipes are helping you make delicious vegan food for your family! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Wow, this recipe is amazing. They were so crispy and delicious. I can’t believe I’m saying that about cauliflower 🙂
I’m so glad that you loved the tacos! Isn’t it amazing how delicious cauliflower can be! Thank you for sharing your fantastic review! Wishing you happy cooking!
So fun and easy to make! I love an easy-to-follow recipe that tastes great.
I added some extra spice to the mix, and also used regular bread crumbs since we had no panko. They turned out amazing! They got crispy on the outside and actually CREAMY on the inside. We are them and were almost indistinguishable from fish tacos
Hi Amber. Thanks for sharing your recipe experience and terrific review! I’m thrilled that you loved the cauliflower tacos!
Another HIT RECIPE from Nora!! My non vegan son was visiting and I made these amazing tacos for dinner. He ate EIGHT of them!!! Needless to say it was a hit with my husband as well. I think the thing that impressed us the most was the level of crispiness we were able to obtain on the cauliflower using this recipe. We have been cooking plant based for 6 years and know that is usually the hardest challenge. Thank you for sharing this incredible recipe. This is my go to website since I have had so much success with the recipes over any other platform.
We really appreciate your time and creativity. 🙂
Hi Shelda. Your positive words really mean so much to me! I’m so glad to know that you are loving my recipes and having great success with them! Thank you for taking your time to share your stellar review and feedback! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Fantastic! Perfectly crispy, great flavor, and easy to throw together. Added to burrito bowls. My picky husband raved.
Hi Barbara. How fabulous that the tacos were a hit with your husband! I’m so glad that you found them easy and delicious! Thank you for taking time to share your glowing review and feedback! Happy cooking!
Stunning dish, thank you!
These are SO good! I love the flavor and crispiness and how easy they are to make. Thank you for this great recipe!
You bet, Julie! Thank YOU for using my recipe! I’m so glad you loved it! I appreciate your awesome review and feedback!
This came out delicious! 🤤
So crispy and perfect. Never realized cauliflower could be so yummy. Thank you Nora
Isn’t it awesome, Dani?! Cauliflower totally can be cooked up in so many fun and delicious ways! I’m thrilled you loved the recipe! Thanks for your stellar review and feedback! Wishing you happy cooking!
This is by far the best & easiest way to make crispy cauliflower! Thank you for such a simple and effective way to do this all in one bowl 😊 the sauce is amazing too. I often avoid recipes like this because I don’t love the messiness of batter and panko crumbs, going back and forth is not my favorite, this solves it! Highly recommend!
Hi Leah. The easier, the better in my book! I’m so glad you love the recipe, and find it simple and delicious! I appreciate you sharing your terrific review and feedback! Wishing you happy cooking!
Absolutely amazing! To spice it up even more, we added blackened Cajun seasoning to the batter on the second batch and also added pico-de-guac. It’s a 10/10 meal! Thanks, Nora!
You are welcome, Danny! Your meal sounds amazing! Thanks for your great ideas and stellar review! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Thanks for this great recipe. I am making it for the 2nd time and added a little more liquid and some nutritional yeast. I substituted the cream with a simple to make peanut sauce. Had the 1st one with steamed vegetables one day and leftovers next day with a salad.
Do you think I could substitute flour with almond flour?
That sounds great, I’m glad you’re enjoying the cauliflower. I haven’t tested almond flour. It might work, but the outcome will be different.
Hi Nora, an update on my playing around with this wonderful recipe. I made it for family who don’t eat regular flour or bread. Instead of flour I used a mixture of almond flour (I ground almonds until they turned into powder) with nutritional yeast. The batter required a little extra water and I omitted breadcrumbs. We all very much enjoyed it. My husband and I love it either way. Thank you.
Five stars are not nearly enough! TEN!!! I will *never* make cauliflower any other way regardless of what I’m doing with it. I’ll admit I was dubious, but this is so much better (and easier) than the multiple-bowl, dip-here-then-there technique! ONE bowl! I sprayed with olive oil and baked as directed. I did give it another spray after I flipped it. Amazing! Delicious!
I spread some vegan sour cream on a tortilla, topped that with sliced avocado, pickled red onion, purple cabbage and the cauliflower. A few dribbles of Chipotle from the bottle for a little kick.
Nora, thank you so much for this recipe!
You are welcome, Suzy! Wow, your meal sounds awesome! Thank you for sharing your glowing 5 star review and feedback! I’m thrilled you loved the recipe! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!