These Cauliflower Tinga Tacos are the tastiest vegetarian taco ever! Cauliflower is tossed in a spicy, delicious chipotle-infused sauce and then roasted to crispy, slightly charred perfection, stuffed into tortillas, and topped with sliced avocado, chopped red onion, and cilantro.
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If you’re a vegetarian, these tacos are a gift to you, and if you aren’t a vegetarian, they’re definitely still worth trying! Vegetarian tacos don’t come along on our website often, but when they do, they come in strong and flavorful (we’re looking at you, black bean tacos!), and these cauliflower tacos are no exception.
Cauliflower florets are tossed in a flavorful, spicy, bold chipotle sauce, then spread out on a sheet pan and roasted until soft on the inside and nice and crispy on the outside. The roasted florets then get stuffed into tortillas (bonus points if you warm the tortillas on an open flame for an even more elevated experience) and garnished with a couple of fresh toppings! Whether you’re vegetarian or not, these are a tasty dinner option!
Looking for more vegetarian recipes? We’ve got a handful! If it’s chilly outside, these vegetarian chili and carrot ginger soup recipes are great options, and if you’re looking for a year-round recipe, this vegetable stir fry with noodles is a delicious, family-friendly meal.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s full of flavor – the flavors present in the tinga sauce are absolutely incredible. It’s a bold, spicy sauce that will absolutely leave you wanting more!
- It’s easy – whisk together the sauce ingredients, toss the cauliflower florets in it, and then roast! It doesn’t get much easier than that.
Cauliflower Tinga Taco Recipe Ingredients
The bulk of the ingredients needed for this recipe are for the tinga sauce, but you’ll also need to grab cauliflower, tortillas, and a couple of fresh toppings. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and swaps) below.
- Cauliflower – we used whole heads of cauliflower here and chopped them into florets ourselves, but to make the recipe even easier, feel free to grab pre-chopped cauliflower (most grocery stores sell this in bags) instead.
- Corn tortillas – we used corn tortillas in this recipe, as we do with most of our taco recipes, but you can swap for flour or grain-free tortillas too!
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Recipe Variations and Modifications
- Add an animal protein – if you stumbled upon this recipe but you aren’t vegetarian and you’d love to make this recipe with chicken instead, be sure to check out our easy sheet pan chicken tinga tacos.
- Make it as a side – hear me out, this roasted cauliflower (not taco-style, just the tinga cauliflower) would make for a killer side! If you want to go this route, simply make the sauce, toss the cauliflower in it, and then roast. Then serve alongside any protein main!
How to Make Cauliflower Tinga Tacos
This recipe is incredibly easy to make and requires hardly any hands-on time at all! Follow along below.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375℉. In a large bowl, whisk together the chipotles, tomato paste, lime juice, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, and 6 tablespoons of water.
Step 2: Add the cauliflower and toss to coat evenly.
Step 3: Spread the cauliflower out evenly on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the tops of the cauliflower florets start to darken.
Step 4: Divide the roasted cauliflower among the tortillas. Top with the avocado, cilantro, and onion and serve, with the lime wedges alongside for squeezing over the top. Serve and enjoy!
How to Serve
This recipe was created to be served taco-style, wrapped in a warm, charred tortilla and topped with avocado, red onion, and a squeeze of lime! The roasted tinga cauliflower would also be delicious bowl-style, alongside fluffy white rice, black beans, and, as with the tacos, topped with avocado and red onion.
If you really love the flavors of the spicy roasted cauliflower, you could also make it on its own (forego the tortillas and taco toppings) and serve it alongside grilled chicken breasts, crispy chicken thighs, or even a spatchcock chicken.
How to Store and Reheat
Store the cauliflower tinga tacos not assembled (this will keep the tacos from getting soggy) in the refrigerator for up to a week.
To reheat, simply pop the cauliflower in the microwave for about a minute, or, for a crispier reheat, put it in a 350°F oven for 8-10 minutes or in a 350°F air fryer for 3-4 minutes, until warmed through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Chicken Tinga originated in Puebla, Mexico – Puebla is actually an area that is credited with a lot of the Mexican dishes that are considered to be classic!
Tinga is made with chipotle peppers, tomatoes (or tomato sauce/paste), and a couple of Mexican spices. So, as you can imagine, it’s bold, smoky, and spicy.
More Favorite Vegetarian Recipes
If you tried this Cauliflower Tinga Taco recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Crispy Cauliflower Tinga Tacos
Ingredients
- 3 canned chipotle chile peppers in adobo sauce, finely chopped
- ½ cup tomato paste
- ⅓ cup fresh lime juice
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 medium cauliflower heads, cut into florets (about 6 cups florets)
- 8 corn tortillas, warmed
- 1 avocado, thinly sliced, for serving, optional
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro, for serving, optional
- ¼ cup chopped red onion, for serving, optional
- 1 lime, cut into wedges, for serving, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375℉.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the chipotles, tomato paste, lime juice, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, and 6 tablespoons of water. Add the cauliflower and toss to coat evenly.
- Spread the cauliflower evenly over a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the tops of the cauliflower florets start to darken.
- Divide the roasted cauliflower among the tortillas. Top with the avocado, cilantro, and onion and serve, with the lime wedges alongside for squeezing over the top.
- Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Add an animal protein – if you stumbled upon this recipe but you aren’t vegetarian and you’d love to make this recipe with chicken instead, be sure to check out our easy sheet pan chicken tinga tacos.
- Make it as a side – hear me out, this roasted cauliflower (not taco-style, just the tinga cauliflower) would make for a killer side! If you want to go this route, simply make the sauce, toss the cauliflower in it, and then roast. Then serve alongside any protein main!
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