Chipotle Roasted Cauliflower Tacos
on Mar 13, 2023, Updated Mar 05, 2024
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These chipotle roasted cauliflower tacos are great for busy weeknight dinners. The marinade is quick to make, and the cauliflower roasts in 25-30 minutes in the oven. If you’re looking for easy vegetarian tacos with a lot of flavor and a little bit of a kick, this recipe is for you.
Also try these smashed chickpea tacos for another sheet pan recipe.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
You can never have too many sheet pan recipes. That is a fact. Vegetables like cauliflower are wonderful roasted, and you can customize them with a quick marinade that you can whip up in minutes.
Cauliflower is an incredibly nutritious vegetable. It is loaded with vitamin C, vitamin K, fiber and antioxidants. Its mild taste is a bit nutty, and it can take on so many other flavors.
This chipotle marinade is very versatile. Depending what veggies you have in your kitchen, you can also toss them in this mix of chipotles, lime juice and spices and roast them too.
The Ingredients
This is what you need:
- Cauliflower: Look for cauliflower that doesn’t have any brown spots and overall feels heavy for its size. You can use any color cauliflower you want. It’s important to slice the cauliflower rather than breaking it up into florets. Those flat sides make better contact with the pan for roasting.
- Chipotles en adobo are what give the cauliflower smoky and spicy flavor. They are the base of the marinade. I include 1 chopped chipotle pepper and 1 tablespoon of sauce.
- Dried spices: The marinade has a combination of cumin, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper.
- Lime juice is in both the marinade and the avocado crema. I also serve the tacos with sliced limes on the side.
- Olive oil helps to emulsify the marinade and encourages the cauliflower to brown when it is in the oven.
- Greek yogurt or sour cream can be used in the avocado crema. I always have yogurt in my fridge. It’s healthier than sour cream, so that’s why it’s my go-to. If you prefer vegan tacos, use a plant-based yogurt that’s dairy-free.
- Cilantro is in the crema, and I still garnish the tacos with chopped cilantro too.
- Black beans add protein to these vegetarian tacos.
- Radishes, thinly sliced, are a crunchy fresh addition to the tacos. You can substitute with shredded cabbage, which will give you a similar variety textures.
- Tortillas: You can use flour tortillas or corn tortillas. Stick to corn if you want the tacos to be gluten-free.
Variations
You can think of these like roasted vegetable tacos. Once you have made the marinade, you can stir in other vegetables, roast them and go ahead with the avocado crema and garnishes. Other vegetables include:
- Sweet potatoes
- Butternut squash
- Bell peppers
- Red onions
How to Make Roasted Cauliflower Tacos
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
1. Cut the head of cauliflower into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Break up any larger pieces. Remember that you want them to be appropriately sized to fit into a taco.
2. Make the marinade. Whisk the olive oil, chopped chipotles and sauce, lime juice, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper in a bowl big enough to hold the cauliflower.
3. Stir the cauliflower into the marinade. I end up using my hands to make sure every floret is well coated.
4. Spread the cauliflower across a sheet pan. It should be in a single layer.
5. Roast the cauliflower until it is lightly browned at the edges and tender in the middle, about 25-30 minutes, flipping over halfway through roasting.
6. Combine the avocado, yogurt, lime juice, water, cilantro, salt and pepper in a food processor.
7. Puree the avocado crema until smooth. You can make this while the cauliflower roasts.
8. Assemble the tacos. Fill each tortilla with roasted cauliflower, black beans, radishes and cilantro. Spoon on the avocado crema. Serve with lime wedges on the side.
Serving Cauliflower Tacos
It is up to you whether you assemble the tacos for everyone or let them do it on their own. If you make it a DIY taco bar, put everything into individual serving bowls with the cauliflower in the biggest dish.
You can pair a salad with the tacos such as a quinoa black bean salad or mango avocado salad. I love adding more fresh flavors to go with the roasted veggies. Also try this red cabbage slaw for a side dish.
If you prefer taco bowls, you can skip the tortillas and make a batch of cilantro lime rice to go with the cauliflower. Still top it with radishes. And you can add shredded cabbage for a hybrid between a bowl and a salad.
Leftovers
You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days. Keep the avocado crema in a separate jar. Warm the cauliflower in the microwave or on a baking sheet in a 350-degree F oven for 5-7 minutes.
Recipe Tips
Cut a full head of cauliflower and do not buy precut florets. Those flat sides will maximize direct contact with the pan helping the cauliflower brown. Also, you will end up with less waste when you slice it.
Do not line the pan. Since the marinade has oil in it, you shouldn’t have an issues with the cauliflower sticking. In general, veggies brown better when they make direct contact with the hot metal of the pan.
Use fresh lime juice in the avocado crema. This is important for any recipe and any type of citrus juice. You will get the best taste when you squeeze it from the fruit rather than pouring it from a bottle.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. You can make these roasted vegetable tacos and use a mix of vegetables. Options include sweet potatoes, butternut squash, red peppers and red onions.
Use plant-based Greek yogurt in the avocado crema.
If you use corn tortillas, they will be gluten free.
More Tex-Mex Recipes
Sheet Pan Vegetarian Fajitas
Sheet Pan Nachos
Baked Sweet Potato Black Bean Quesadillas
Baked Mushroom Kale Quesadillas
Slow Cooker Tortilla Soup
Ground Beef Tacos
If you love roasting vegetables, don’t miss my seasonal recipe guide for ideas all year long.
I hope you enjoy these cauliflower tacos. Please leave a rating and comment below. Thanks!
Chipotle Roasted Cauliflower Taco Recipe
Ingredients
For tacos
- 1 head cauliflower, about 2 pounds, leaves removed, bottom stem trimmed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 chipotle pepper, roughly chopped, plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from a can of chipotles en adobo
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
For avocado crema
- 1/2 ripe avocado
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
For serving
- 1-15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 8-10 flour or corn tortillas, warmed
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced radishes
- Chopped cilantro
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Cut the cauliflower into 1/2-inch thick slices. Break up any larger pieces of cauliflower.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, chopped chipotles and sauce, lime juice, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper.
- Stir the cauliflower into the marinade.
- Spread the cauliflower across a sheet pan in a single layer. Roast for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking, until browned at the edges.
- While the cauliflower is roasting, make the avocado crema. Combine the avocado, yogurt, lime juice, water, cilantro, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Puree until smooth.
- To assemble the tacos, fill the warmed tortillas with roasted cauliflower, black beans, radishes and cilantro. Generously dollop on the avocado crema. Serve with lime wedges on the side.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Originally published February 1, 2021. Updated: March 13, 2023.
All the fat your family is consuming is not healthy. Fat is not a whole food…it is part of a food. If you want fat eat a little avocado or eat an olive.