Cauliflower Tinga Tacos with Avocado Crema 🌮🥑 feature roasted cauliflower drenched in a smoky, perfectly spicy chipotle sauce, then folded into corn tortillas with plenty of cheese and baked until crispy. A bright avocado crema adds the perfect finishing touch. These naturally gluten free vegetarian tacos are so flavorful, you’ll never miss the meat!
Easy Vegetarian Cauliflower Tinga Tacos Recipe
- These cauliflower tinga tacos check so many boxes: they’re hearty, flavorful, saucy, a little smoky, and baked until perfectly crispy.
- Roasted cauliflower is tossed with sautéed onions, tomato sauce, and chipotles in adobo, which gives the tacos that classic tinga flavor and a satisfying, almost meaty texture.
- The saucy cauliflower gets tucked into corn tortillas with shredded cheese, then baked until crisp. Add lime juice, cilantro, and a generous drizzle of avocado crema, or try this easy Chile Crema.
- They’re naturally gluten-free, vegetarian, and easy to make vegan if needed. Even meat lovers won’t feel like they’re missing anything here.
Ingredients in Cauliflower Tinga Tacos
- Cauliflower: Since cauliflower is the star of the recipe, I like chopping my own from a whole head. Precut cauliflower florets can be used to save time, but the bags are often on the smaller side, so you may need more than one. Check that the florets look fresh and are not too tiny.
- Olive oil, onions, chipotles in adobo sauce, and tomato sauce: These create the smoky, saucy cauliflower tinga filling. The tacos are smoky and flavorful, but not overly spicy in my opinion. To make them spicier, use more chipotles in adobo and reduce or omit the tomato sauce depending on how much chipotle you add. A sprinkle of cayenne pepper can also be added for more heat.
- Corn tortillas: Corn tortillas are the best choice for these cauliflower tinga tacos. To keep them from ripping, warm them briefly in the microwave with a slightly damp paper towel so they become more flexible before filling and rolling.
- Olive oil spray: Helps the tacos bake up crispy. Regular olive oil can also be brushed on if that is what you have.
- Shredded cheese: Use your favorite shredded cheese for the filling. To make the tacos vegan, use vegan shredded cheese instead.
- Avocado crema: Avocado, sour cream, cilantro, lime juice, garlic, salt, and pepper make the creamy, tangy sauce that finishes the tacos. For a vegan version, use vegan sour cream.
- Optional garnishes: Mexican crema or sour cream, queso fresco, cilantro, and lime wedges are all great finishing touches. Mexican crema is thinner and easier to drizzle than sour cream, but sour cream works well too. With the avocado crema, you may not need much else.
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Roasted Cauliflower Tacos with Avocado Crema
- Roast the cauliflower until tender and lightly browned.
- Sauté the onions, then stir in the chipotles in adobo and tomato sauce to create a smoky, flavorful tinga sauce.
- Add the roasted cauliflower to the sauce and stir until it is well coated.
- Fill the tortillas with the saucy cauliflower and cheese, then fold and bake until the tacos are crispy.
- Blend the avocado crema ingredients until smooth, then drizzle it over the tacos and finish with any extra toppings you like.
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for step-by-step photos and process shots of the cooking process.
Cauliflower Tinga Tacos with Avocado Crema
Ingredients
Cauliflower Tinga Tacos
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided or as needed
- 6 cups cauliflower florets, from 1 large head cauliflower recommended
- 1 small yellow or white onion, sliced into thin strips
- half of one 7-ounce can chipotles in adobo sauce
- ½ cup tomato sauce
- 10 corn tortillas
- Olive oil spray, or olive oil
- 1 cup shredded cheese, such as a Mexican cheese blend
Avocado Crema
- 2 ripe large Hass avocados, pit removed
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons cilanto
- Juice from 1 medium lime
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic
Optional Garnishes
- Mexican crema or sour cream
- Queso fresco
- Cilantro
- Limes
Instructions
Cauliflower Tinga Tacos
- Preheat oven to 400F, lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking spray, add the cauliflower to the baking sheet, evenly drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, and using your hands, toss to evenly coat.
- Roast for about 35 to 40 minutes total, flipping once midway through roasting. Tip – Baking time is very dependent on the exact size of your cauliflower florets so keep an eye on them.
- While the cauliflower roasts, continue by adding 2 tablespoons olive oil to a large skillet, add the onions, and saute over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, or until becoming soft and translucent; stir frequently.
- Add the chipotles in adobo sauce*, tomato sauce, stir to combine, and simmer for 5 minutes; stir occasionally.
- After the cauliflower has roasted (keep the oven on and at 400F), add it to the chipotle mixture, and toss to coat well.
- Toss to coat well the cauliflower.
- Using the same baking sheet that you roasted the cauliflower with, spray each of the 10 tortillas with Olive Oil Spray on both sides, or brush them lightly with olive oil.
- Evenly divide the cauliflower mixture among the 10 tortillas, placing the mixture on one side only of the tortilla, not in the middle. It should be a generous amount in each of the tortillas.
- Evenly divide and sprinkle the cheese over the cauliflower in each tortilla.
- Fold each tortilla over.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, or until lightly golden browned and crispy. While baking, made the avocado crema.
Avocado Crema
- To the canister of a food processor or blender, add all ingredients.
- Blend on high until smooth and creamy, about 30 seconds.
Garnishing and Serving
- Drizzle the avocado crema over the tacos as desired.
- Optionally garnish the tacos with any additional items such as Mexican crema, sour cream, cilantro, or lime juice as desired and serve immediately.
- Tacos and best warm and fresh. Extra cauliflower mixture will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or the freezer for up to 3 months. Assemble the tacos and then bake them if you find yourself with leftovers. Already assembled and baked tacos don't keep well in the fridge or freezer for reheating later.
Notes
- Place a very slightly damp paper towel (some people use dry but I add a few drops of water for some steam) on a microwave-safe plate, add 10 tortillas, and heat for 15 to 20 seconds.
- When adding the ten tortillas, don’t just plop them all down in one perfectly uniform stack. Stagger them a little bit so they are mostly overlapping each other, but not in a perfect stack. This will make them easier to separate later.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
©averiecooks.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
More Easy Mexican Recipes:
Easy Chicken Tinga Tacos — FAST, super easy, and the super juicy chicken has AUTHENTIC smoky chipotle FLAVOR!! When you’re craving tacos, these are the tacos to make!
Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef – Learn how to make authentic-tasting barbacoa beef in your Instant Pot or slow cooker!! EASY, tastes BETTER than a restaurant, and is a dinnertime WINNER!!
Easy Carne Asada Tacos — EASY carne asada at home that rivals your favorite restaurant!! Tender juicy beef that’s seasoned to perfection and topped with pico de gallo and salsa make these carne asada tacos INCREDIBLE!!
Loaded Smothered Beef Burritos Recipe — Mexican comfort food that’s loaded with seasoned ground beef, refried beans, rice, and smothered with sauce and CHEESE!! Tastes BETTER than from a restaurant, plus these burritos are freezer-friendly and so EASY!!
Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas — EASY juicy enchiladas with so much flavor from the salsa verde and TONS of melted CHEESE!! Ready in 30 minutes, are made with just a handful of ingredients, and will be an instant family favorite!!
Ground Beef Taco Salad Bowls — Making homemade taco salad bowls is so easy and they’re perfect for holding this family-favorite taco salad including seasoned ground beef, black beans, cheese and more! Everything is topped with a creamy lime-cilantro dressing that’ll have everyone finishing their salad!
Loaded Beef Taco Salad – Crisp romaine lettuce, sweet corn, juicy tomatoes, and more! It comes together in just 20 minutes and is topped with the most incredible cilantro lime dressing.
Layered Beef Taco Salad – A classic taco salad that everyone LOVES, it’s EASY, and it’s ready in 20 minutes!! There’s ground beef, refried beans, red peppers, tortilla chips, cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes!!
Cheesy Beef Taco Dip – EASY, ready in 15 minutes, and tastes like an awesome beef taco that’s extra CHEESY in dip form and so good!! The Bakeable Tortilla Bowls are so fun! PERFECT for game day parties and get-togethers!!
Loaded Chicken Taco Salad — Fast, easy, fresh and healthy!! All your favorite taco flavors in one big kickin’ salad that everyone will love!!
Buffalo Chicken Burrito Bowls — These chicken burrito bowls are ready in 15 minutes, making them perfect for busy weeknights or a quick lunch! Plus, they’re easily customizable.
great
great