Cauliflower Tacos
Cauliflower tacos are crispy, golden florets of battered cauliflower tucked into soft homemade corn tortillas, then topped with creamy guacamole and a fresh cabbage slaw. They give you all the comfort and crunch of a classic taco while keeping the filling fully vegetarian and packed with seasonal vegetables. If you have ever wanted a meat-free taco that still feels generous and satisfying, this is the one to make.
I hope you will dare to try this reinterpretation of tacos, which will surely surprise you in the most pleasant way possible. The idea came from two things I wanted at once: to enjoy a proper taco, and to build it around vegetables that are in season and easy to find.
Why homemade tortillas make the difference
I chose to make the tortillas from scratch, which is an excellent option for those who want to experiment and enjoy the total freshness of the ingredients. The base is simple: masa harina (white corn flour) and water, mixed into a soft dough that is easy to shape. You divide it into twelve equal pieces and press each one flat, either with a tortilla press or between two sheets of baking paper and a rolling pin.
The trick to keeping them soft is what happens after cooking. Fry each tortilla in a dry pan over medium heat for about one minute per side, then stack them on a plate under a damp towel. That little bit of steam keeps them pliable so they fold around the filling instead of cracking.
What goes into these tacos
The recipe comes together in four little parts, and none of them are complicated once you have your ingredients lined up:
- The tortillas: masa harina and water, nothing else.
- The crispy cauliflower: a whole cauliflower broken into florets, dipped in beaten egg and then a seasoned all-purpose flour coating spiced with chili, cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper. If you love that fried-floret texture, you already know it from crispy cauliflower popcorn.
- The guacamole: ripe avocados mashed with crushed garlic and lime juice. It is the same easy method I use for my classic guacamole.
- The slaw: red and white cabbage with chopped red pepper, dressed in olive oil, apple cider vinegar and a spoon of honey, finished with fresh coriander.
A quick note on diet: because the batter uses eggs and the slaw dressing uses honey, this recipe is vegetarian rather than vegan. If you want to make it fully plant-based, swap the honey for maple syrup or agave and use a plant-based batter in place of the egg. For more ideas along those lines, my roundup of vegan cauliflower recipes is a good place to start.
How to fry the cauliflower crisp
The coating is what turns plain cauliflower into the star of the taco. Set up two bowls: one with the eggs whisked with a tablespoon of water, and one with the flour and all the spices mixed together. Dip each floret first in the egg, then in the seasoned flour, so the spice mix has something to cling to.
Heat your frying oil to around 160 C. Keeping the temperature steady is the single most important step, because oil that is too cool leaves the coating greasy and oil that is too hot burns the outside before the inside softens. Fry the cauliflower in small batches of five or six pieces at a time for about seven to eight minutes, until golden and crisp, then lift them onto a paper towel to drain the excess oil. Frying in batches keeps the oil temperature from dropping and gives every piece room to crisp evenly.
Assembling and serving
To build each taco, spread a spoonful of guacamole over a warm tortilla, pile on a few pieces of crispy cauliflower, and top with the slaw. Finish with a squeeze of lime juice and a scatter of fresh coriander leaves. Serve them right away, while the cauliflower still has its crunch.
These tacos are a full meal on their own, but they also fit nicely into a bigger taco spread. If you are feeding a crowd, set them alongside my smoky vegan tacos with salsa verde or a batch of hard shell veggie tacos so everyone can mix and match. For even more inspiration, browse my collection of veggie taco recipes, and if you want the wider context, my guide to Mexican cuisine has plenty more to explore.
Make-ahead and storage tips
The components store better separately than the finished tacos do. You can press and cook the tortillas ahead of time and keep them wrapped so they stay soft, and both the guacamole and the cabbage slaw can be made a few hours in advance and chilled. Press a little plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the guacamole to keep it from browning.
The fried cauliflower is the one part that is best cooked fresh, since the coating loses its crunch as it sits. If you do have leftovers, reheat them in a hot oven or air fryer for a few minutes rather than the microwave, which will bring back some of the crispness. The slaw, on the other hand, only gets better after resting, because the cabbage keeps softening in the dressing. If cabbage is a vegetable you cook with often, you might also like my oven-roasted cabbage.
If you make these cauliflower tacos, I would love to know how they turned out for you. Leave a star rating and drop a comment below telling me which topping combination you went with — your notes always help other readers decide to give the recipe a try.
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Cauliflower Tacos
Ingredients
For homemade taco tortillas:
- 270 g white corn flour masa harina
- 300 ml water
For the crispy cauliflower:
- 1 medium cauliflower divided into florets
- 2 eggs beaten
- 150 g white all-pirpose flour
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- oil for frying
Guacamole:
- 2 avocados ripe
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- ½ chopped red pepper
For cabbage salad:
- ¼ small red cabbage
- ½ small white cabbage
- 2 tablespoons fresh coriander chopped
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 spoon of honey
Instructions
For the homemade taco tortillas:
- In a bowl, add water and masa harina and mix with a fork, until you get a soft dough that is easy to shape.
- Divide the dough into 12 equal parts.
- To shape the tortillas, you can use a tortilla press or use two sheets of baking paper.
- Put the dough for one tortilla in the middle, between two sheets of baking paper.
- With the help of a rolling pin, stretch the dough into an even circle.
- Repeat this process with all 12 pieces of dough obtained.
- Fry the tortillas on a pan, over medium heat. One minute on each side.
- Transfer the cooked tortillas to a plate and cover with a wet towel, to help maintain their elasticity.
For the Guacamole:
- In a bowl, mash the avocado with a fork.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and mix.
For the cabbage salad:
- In a bowl, add all the ingredients and mix with your hands, squeezing the cabbage so that it becomes smoother and absorbs the juices.
For the cauliflower:
- In a bowl, mix the eggs with a tablespoon of water.
- In another bowl, mix flour, chili, cumin, garlic, salt and pepper.
- Heat the oil for frying to 160 C.
- Dip the cauliflower pieces, one by one, in the egg and then in the flour.
- Fry the cauliflower for around 7-8 minutes, 5-6 pieces at a time.
- When it's ready, put the fried cauliflower on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil.
- Assemble tacos with guacamole, cooked cauliflower and coleslaw.
- Sprinkle with lime juice and coriander leaves.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not as written. This version dips the cauliflower in beaten egg before frying and sweetens the slaw dressing with honey, which makes it vegetarian rather than vegan. To make it fully plant-based, swap the honey for maple syrup or agave and use a plant-based batter in place of the egg.
Soft homemade corn tortillas made from masa harina and water are ideal, because they stay pliable and fold around the filling without cracking. Press the dough thin with a tortilla press or between two sheets of baking paper, cook it about a minute per side, then keep the tortillas under a damp towel so they stay soft.
Dip each floret in beaten egg, then in seasoned all-purpose flour so the spices cling to the surface. Fry in oil heated to around 160 C in small batches of five or six pieces for seven to eight minutes, until golden, then drain on paper towel. Keeping the oil temperature steady is what gives you an even, crisp coating.
Yes. Coat the florets the same way, then bake or air-fry them until golden and tender, turning once for even color. The texture will be a little lighter and less crunchy than deep-fried cauliflower, but it uses far less oil and still works well in the tacos.
This recipe pairs the crispy cauliflower with creamy guacamole and a red-and-white cabbage slaw brightened with red pepper and coriander. A squeeze of fresh lime juice at the end ties everything together. You can also add extra chopped coriander or a spoon of your favorite salsa if you like more heat.
Yes, and the parts keep better separately than assembled tacos do. The tortillas, guacamole and slaw can all be prepared a few hours ahead and chilled, with plastic wrap pressed onto the guacamole to stop it browning. Fry the cauliflower fresh just before serving, since the coating loses its crunch as it sits.
