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These crispy cauliflower tacos are packed with bold flavor and topped with creamy Yum Yum sauce. They’re the perfect vegetarian favorite for taco night!
Over the years, I’ve found a trick to making vegetables taste delicious: the taco. I created this recipe inspired by a taco I had in Texas, and it’s stood the test of time: my Crispy Cauliflower Tacos! When I created this recipe, I had no idea how popular it would become.
What makes these tacos special is the crispy breaded cauliflower, roasted and covered in a lightly spiced breading: like the coating on fish tacos but totally vegetarian. Add some refried black beans, zingy cabbage slaw, and savory Yum Yum sauce. It’s an unexpectedly delicious bite that satisfies everyone I’ve served it to, from kids to meat lovers!
Why you’ll love this recipe
Here’s why I hope you’ll love these cauliflower tacos:
- Bold, layered flavors: Between the savory breaded cauliflower, tangy lime-dressed slaw, creamy Yum Yum sauce, and earthy refried beans, every bite offers something different
- Crowd-pleaser appeal: Even self-proclaimed cauliflower skeptics have been converted by this cauliflower tacos recipe: I’ve had readers stop me on the street or send emails to tell me how much they love this one!
- Flexible and customizable: Make it vegan with plant-based mayo in the sauce, load it up with your favorite toppings, or adjust the spice level to your preference
- Quick weeknight dinner: With a 40-minute total time and simple prep and make-ahead tips, these roasted cauliflower tacos fit easily into busy schedules
5 star reader review
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “”AMAZING FLAVORS!!! The flavors come together so well. Absolutely so delicious! My nephew, who doesn’t like cauliflower, tasted one and went back for more. This is not your ordinary breaded cauliflower by any means. I will make this again and again!” -Jeanette
Ingredients you’ll need
Here are a few notes on the ingredients you’ll need to put together these cauliflower tacos:
- Cauliflower: Fresh cauliflower works best. You can use pre-cut cauliflower, but it can come out slightly dryer.
- Breadcrumbs and cornmeal: These are what make the crisp texture! I use panko for extra crispiness. Use gluten-free panko or crushed GF crackers (mild flavored) for gluten-free.
- Spices: A blend of cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and turmeric gives the breading its signature flavor.
- Coconut oil, peanut butter, maple syrup, soy sauce and hot sauce: These ingredients combine to make a seasoned “glue” to hold on the breadcrumb mixture.
- Corn tortillas: Corn tortillas are naturally gluten-free, but flour tortillas work too.
- Refried beans: I typically use store-bought vegetarian refried beans and add cumin. You can also make my simple refried black beans from scratch if you have time, but I would do this in advance.
- Red cabbage, lime juice, and cilantro: Shredded cabbage adds crucial crunch and color.
Topping & sauce ideas
The Yum Yum sauce is what transforms these from good tacos to great ones. This creamy, slightly tangy Japanese steakhouse-style sauce adds richness and a subtle sweetness that works well with the zingy slaw and savory cauliflower.
Here are a few more sauce and topping ideas:
- Chipotle sauce: Smoky, spicy and naturally vegan
- Avocado sauce: Bright green and creamy
- Cilantro lime sauce: Deliciously zingy, or try this vegan cilantro sauce
- Fish taco sauce or salsa ranch dressing: Quick and tasty with Greek yogurt and mayo
- Sliced avocado: Adds healthy fats and creamy texture
- Pickled red onions: These add a tangy, slightly sweet punch that cuts through the richness
- Pico de gallo: Fresh tomato salsa adds brightness
- Jalapeños: Fresh or pickled for heat
- Queso fresco or cotija cheese: Crumbled cheese adds salty, tangy notes (skip for vegan)
How to make crispy cauliflower tacos
Making these crispy cauliflower tacos is straightforward, but a few key techniques ensure success every time. Here’s my tested method:
1. Prep the breaded cauliflower.
Start by following the crispy breaded cauliflower recipe. The key is cutting the florets into evenly-sized pieces so they cook at the same rate. Check out my how to cut cauliflower tutorial for details!
Spread the coated florets on the baking sheet in a single layer, and bake 25 to 30 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
2. Prep the toppings.
This is when you can multitask! Toss the shredded cabbage with lime juice and salt.
Taste your refried beans, then add cumin and a pinch of salt if needed. Warm them gently in a small saucepan or microwave.
Whisk together the Yum Yum sauce in a small bowl: it takes just a few minutes!
3. Warm the tortillas.
How to warm tortillas properly is crucial: cold, stiff tortillas will crack when you try to fold them. You can char them over a gas burner for a few seconds per side, using tongs to flip them, warm them in a dry skillet, or wrap in a damp towel and microwave for 30 seconds.
4. Assemble the tacos.
Here’s how I like to assemble the tacos:
- Spread warm refried beans on each tortilla
- Add 3 to 4 pieces of the crispy cauliflower
- Add a handful of lime-dressed cabbage and drizzle with Yum Yum sauce
- Garnish with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime
What to serve with your tacos
These cauliflower tacos are filling on their own, but I love rounding out the meal with complementary sides and drinks:
- Rice dishes: I love serving with cilantro lime rice or Spanish rice for a filling meal
- Corn based sides: Try my Mexican street corn salad or black bean and corn salad
- Salads: This Mexican chopped salad is delicious, or a juicy mango salad with lime is a fresh contrast
- Tortilla chips with salsa: Try tortilla chips with a fresh pineapple salsa or mango salsa, or my favorite quick bean dip.
- Margaritas: Of course! Try my classic margarita recipe. For non-alcoholic, try fresh limeade.
- More ideas: Try more of my best sides to go with tacos.
Storing leftovers
This recipe tastes best freshly made, but you can prep the cauliflower in advance and reheat prior to serving. If you have leftover cauliflower, reheat it in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes, flipping once. Store leftover Yum Yum sauce up to 2 weeks, refrigerated.
Dietary notes
This cauliflower tacos recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free. For vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free, use the vegan Yum Yum Sauce variation or chipotle sauce.
Frequently asked questions
Frozen cauliflower releases more moisture, which makes it harder to get that crispy exterior. I don’t recommend using frozen cauliflower in this recipe.
Preheat your air fryer to 370°F. Toss the cauliflower florets with olive oil and seasonings just as you would for oven roasting.
Cook in a single layer (you will need to work in batches) for 9 to 11 minutes, shaking the basket every 5 minutes to ensure even browning. The exact cook time varies by air fryer model.
Tip: Don’t overcrowd the basket. Giving the cauliflower space allows hot air to circulate, which is what creates that crispy texture. Two smaller batches will always beat one crowded batch.
Cauliflower Tacos with Yum Yum Sauce
These crispy cauliflower tacos with breaded cauliflower, refried beans, and creamy Yum Yum sauce are all about bold flavor and satisfying texture.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Mexican Inspired
Ingredients
- 1 recipe Crispy Breaded Cauliflower
- 15-ounce can vegetarian refried beans (or homemade refried black beans)
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 2 cups red cabbage, shredded
- 2 limes (1 for the cabbage & 1 to serve)
- 8 corn tortillas
- Fresh cilantro, for garnish
Yum Yum Sauce
- 1 cup mayonnaise (vegan if desired)
- 1 tablespoon melted butter (use coconut oil for vegan)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Make the Crispy Breaded Cauliflower (about 40 minutes total; use the remaining time to complete the steps below.)
- If using purchased refried beans, taste and if needed, mix with ½ teaspoon cumin and/or a pinch or two kosher salt. (Or, you can make our Supremely Simple Refried Black Beans but for this recipe we preferred using storebought so we could focus on the cauliflower!)
- Thinly slice the cabbage, enough for 2 cups. Mix it with 2 tablespoons lime juice and a pinch or two of salt. Allow it to stand at room temperature until serving.
- Make the Yum Yum Sauce: mix all ingredients together in a bowl.
- Warm the tortillas, or char them by placing them on grates above an open gas flame on medium heat for a few seconds per side, flipping with tongs, until they are slightly blackened and warm.
- Chop the cilantro for a garnish.
- To serve, place refried beans in a tortilla, top with cabbage, breaded cauliflower, Yum Yum sauce, and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges to spritz prior to serving. (If you have leftover cauliflower, you can reheat them in a 350F oven for 10 minutes, flipping once.)
Notes
Air fryer method: Follow the FAQ instructions above for air fryer cook time and settings.
Sauce variations: For vegan cauliflower tacos, use vegan mayo in the Yum Yum sauce. Chipotle sauce is another great dairy-free option.
Make ahead: The cauliflower can be breaded and roasted up to 2 days ahead. Store in an airtight container and reheat in the oven before serving.
Toppings bar: Set out bowls of different toppings like sliced avocado, pickled red onions, pico de gallo, jalapeños, and extra lime wedges for a build-your-own taco night.
More vegan & vegetarian tacos you’ll love
- Best Vegetarian Tacos Recipes: 15 creative veggie taco ideas
- Black Bean Tacos: So quick and easy
- Avocado Tacos: A delicious vegan option
- Shrimp Tacos: Great for seafood lovers
Your recipes look and sound delicious. I can’t wait to try them. Thank you for sharing such goodness!
You’re welcome!
I really have always loved this recipe. I had not made it in a while so I was excited to make it again. I didn’t use red cabbage though. I instead sauteed sliced orange peppers and zucchini strips with salt and fresh lime juice. I then let it come to room temperature. I had not made this recipe in a while but I think last time I didn’t add the water to the yum yum sauce and I think when you add the water it’s not thick enough. I do also like to put all of the cauliflower in the yum yum sauce so it’s really moist when I eat it. I’ve found if I just put a little of the sauce on top, the cauliflower feels too dry but that’s just my personal preference. so exciting to eat this again. :)
Excellent cauliflower tacos Thanks
Been eating vegan for approximately 4 months with the help of delicious recipes such as yours. Love these 🌮 🌮 🌮 added a little minced red 🌰 because I had it. Keep these fantastic recipes coming!
AMAZING FLAVORS!!! The flavors come together so well. Absolutely so delicious! My nephew who doesn’t like cauliflower tasted one and went back for more. This is not your ordinary breaded cauliflower by any means. I will make this again and again! Thank you for sharing the goodness!
This was horrible in so many ways. No one in my family could finish it. Threw most of it out. What a waste of time.
I’m sorry you had such a poor experience! I’m not sure what went wrong.
These.Are.Amazing.
My husband and I are doing a fast with our church where we’re basically eating vegan, no yeast breads, and nothing with sugar so it’s harder than you think to find good recipes that aren’t just basic salad. I am adventurous with my food so I was excited to try this recipe; my husband was super skeptical. My husband was BEGGING for more of these tacos and so glad when we had leftovers for the next day! The cauliflower doesn’t have a “cauliflower” taste so don’t be worried about that if you aren’t a cauliflower fan. This is going to be on our normal rotation of meals after our fast. Can’t wait to share this with our extended family too!
Look delicious . I love it to eat
This is one of our favorite recipes! My husband jokes with my daughter’s fiance and asks if he could please come over to our house for dinner so I can make these, since they are his favorite, too. 😃
One of the best recipes ever. I share it with everyone.
My partner just made these for dinner and they were fantastic!!! We will be having these again for sure. We went the vegan route but used miyokos butter instead of coconut oil.
Just love this recipe. I made it for myself and from there I just had to make it for my family that is not keen on Vegan food at all. They enjoyed it so much! When anyone asks me what to make for dinner I say Cauliflower taco’s haha
Haha! So glad you enjoy!
This is such a great recipe. We have started to incorporate at least one vegetarian dinner per week in our meal planning, and this is one we look forward to every time! Easy, delicious, and has quickly become a favorite.
Wow!! Tasty!! This cauliflower can be eaten on it’s own as side dish or cold the next day. My husband and I loved the flavours. We purchased another cauliflower to make more.
So glad you enjoyed it!
One of the worst recipes we’ve ever had! We put the weird flavour combo down to Americans needing something super salty and super sweet but yuk! I reckon if you showed this recipe to European chefs they’d be horrified. I started making the sauce for the cauliflower but threw it out as it was awful.
I’m so sorry you didn’t enjoy the flavors!
Aren’t you SOOOO sophisticated? You started to make the sauce but you didn’t actually complete the recipe, you stopped to post a review talking about European chefs?? Are you a European chef or just someone who has to sound superior on line to people you don’t know?
I have to say, your review is not helpful to anyone. I made the whole thing, I love this recipe, I’m American, I have a very sophisticated Palate and I’m not a jerk.
You guys are two for two. I tried the Mexican sweet potatoes and it was one of the best festive meals i have made for vegan guests.
Today I tried your cauliflower tacos. Loved them too! Keep doing what you’re doing you are inspiring and deeply helpful. I’m looking forward to buying your cookbook on Amazon.
We love to hear this! Thanks for commenting! :)
We are trying to go more vegan with our diet and saw this recipe and wanted to give it a try. This was amazing! Very flavorful and 4 of the 5 of our family members loved it and had seconds. Highly recommend this recipe.
Our friends made this for us and we loved it so much, we had to try it ourselves. Turned out soooo goood! Thanks for a great recipe!
This was so delicious!! Made it exactly as written. Really really good!
So glad you enjoyed it!
This was so very tasty!
Best Veg tacos I’ve ever eaten! The cauliflower and yum yum sauce are to die for!
So glad you enjoyed it!
I loved these so much! So delicious and a fun twist on the classic taco.
Yum these are delicious, I also posted a pic to my IG and tagged you This recipe is a keeper and easy. 😋
These are so damn good.
:)
I made these last night for a vegan themed dinner party and they were a hit. I added an avocado and coriander salsa and also pickled the red cabbage, it was delish!
So glad you enjoyed!
FANTASTIC! I used bang bang sauce instead of the sauce in the recipe and opted for a side of black beans instead of the refried beans on the tacos. Tasted just like Baja shrimp tacos.
My husband and I are on a limited meat (10%) diet for the welfare of animals and our health. I made these tonight and they were terrific.. we also threw some pickled red onion for a bit of taste bud surprise and wow, just awesome! Thanks for the great recipe and looking forward to trying others!
So glad you enjoyed!
This recipe is ridiculously good!! Would recommend this to all… It takes time to make but the end result is worth it. I enjoyed it a lot. Thank You!!!
Loved these. My husband is not a big cauliflower eater and was skeptical but loved it too!
These were so good!! I made the cauliflower and your refried black beans as directed, and then adjusted the sauce and toppings with what I had on hand. Definitely will be making again and already excited about leftovers :)
So glad you enjoyed :)
Oh my gosh–so good. I am trying to go vegan. My husband is not. We both loved this!!! I love the yum yum sauce and am going to keep it as a separate recipe for salad dressing (struggling with the store bought). Also, gotta say it– the wet ingredients of the breading without the hot sauce makes a great, super easy peanut sauce. Definitely going to try that on Chinese food. Bravo!!! Thanks for the recipe.
You’re welcome! Thanks for making :)
Thank you so much for sharing this delicious recipe!! 5 stars!! I made it for my very discerning family (vegan and non-vegan) and added fresh queso for the non-vegans. It was a hit and a great recipe to celebrate Cinco de Mayo early. The cauliflower and yum-yum sauce were my favourite! It’s such a great reminder that simple (cabbage slaw and pickled onions) bring on incredible flavour combinations when paired with the breaded cauliflower. Thank you again, love your recipes and insta posts
So glad you enjoyed! Now I want to try it with queso :)
These tacos are AMAZING, I highly recommend!! I made the yum yum sauce and homemade refrained beans and I’m so glad I did, the flavor combo was perfect. My boyfriend had 5 tacos! We topped them with jalapeño hot sauce and avocado too. This is definitely in our rotation now, thank you so much!
You’re welcome! So glad you enjoyed :)
Hi there, i recreated this using your pickled cabbage, yum yum sauce. I didn’t exactly used the breaded cauliflower recipe, but next time i will. I wanted to let you know that the limed cabbage tasted so well with other ingredients, it balanced the taste so perfectly with the yum yum sauce. Thanks again…
So glad you enjoyed!
Finally, a CRISPY cauliflower recipe.. I’ve been trying to find baked crispy cauliflower recipe forever and none of them are ever crispy enough! This was great, we made it last night. Thank you so much!
Glad you enjoyed it!
This recipe is sooo good! My husband is not a big fan of cauliflower and he thought it was awesome. I did the vegan plan coconut oil, avocado mayo etc. We absolutely loved it. Thank you!
So glad you both enjoyed! :)
These are ridiculously good. I followed the recipe to the letter all three times I have made it and it never disappoints.
We are SO happy to hear this! Alex and I are so glad you enjoyed them — makes our day! Thank you for letting us know!
I am thinking about making these for a school project featuring vegan foods, but we don’t have a lot of the spices needed. Will the taste change drastically if I, say, take out the Yum Yum sauce? Or is there another sauce that I can replace it with and still maintain the same flavor?
Good question! Instead of the Yum Yum sauce, you could just mix together vegan mayo and hot sauce — would that be easy enough for you?
Wow! Thank you so much!
Loved this, did make a few errors! Added cinnamon instead of cumin. Did add coriander pdr, forgot to add panko bread crumbs, so cauli not so crunchy. Will make again. Made these into quesadilas, with grated carrot and zucchini as no cabbage on hand. Such a versatile recipe.
Holy Crap! No offense, but I did not expect this to be as good as it was. The crunch and flavor on the cauliflower was phenomenal! I also made your linked refried black beans, which I previously had no idea how easy they were to make. The only thing I added to the tacos were some pickled red onions. My husband even got a third serving! We are both good cooks, but have recently fallen into a recipe rut, which had us fall further into a processed food rut. This was our first meal to snap out of it and I’m so glad we found it.
We are so thrilled you loved our cauliflower tacos! Pickled red onions is the PERFECT adder (it’s my favorite for tacos.) Alex gets all the credit for that crunchy cauliflower — he’s genius :) Thanks so much for making our recipe!
I’ve tried to leave this comment on Pinterest, not sure if their sight is down or what but it won’t let me post it, I will try again latter because EVERYONE needs to try this recipe!! .I can’t say enough about these tacos!! My husband picked this recipe out when I was gripping at him about needing more veggies. He is strictly a steak and potatoes kinda guy, so is my 16 y/o son. I made them with absolute confidence they were going to be inedible, after all peanut butter, soy sauce and maple syrup !?? I couldn’t have been more wrong. These tacos were MIND BLOWING fabulous!!!! I couldn’t stop talking about how SHOCKED I was for days! Not just “good for vegetarian tacos” but genuinely FANTASTIC!! We all LOVE them and now make them often. SO SO GOOD!! Makes my daughter happy as she and I would like to drastically reduce meat. Win Win for sure! When I make them I increase the ingredients slightly for the yum yum sauce as the original recipe wasn’t quite enough for #2 of cauliflower for us. Also if I use a full #2 of cauliflower (which makes a lot for 4 people, and that’s ok) I will slightly increase the amounts of the peanut butter, soy, syrup mixture. And we don’t use the cabbage mixture, instead we use chopped cilantro and lettuce with a little Mexican crumble cheese or….cheddar. Also I make my own refried beans in the crockpot but I’m certain canned would be just fine. All around one of my top recipes, hands down!
I’m so glad you and the family loved the tacos! Tell your husband that there are more tasty vegetable recips where this came from ??
What breading do you use??
The recipe is here: https://www.acouplecooks.com/crispy-breaded-cauliflower/
I made these tonight, they turned out great!! My daughter just ate the cauliflower and she told me it tasted like chicken nuggets! I am a vegetarian but my husband and daughter are not so it is always great when I can please everyone with one meal! I am going to make this all the time.
My family is trying to move to a more plant based diet and I found this recipe extremely easy and delicious. Thank you for sharing this excellent healthy recipe.
I made these last night and they were amazing! Thank you so much for this!
Love the tip above on adding liquid smoke. Next time I’ll also add jalapeños or more hot sauce. Delicious recipe … just wanted more heat. Thank you!!
Yes, hot sauce or jalapenos would be great for people who love a spicy kick! and we want to try this with liquid smoke too :)
These are AMAZING!!! The breaded cauliflower and yum yum sauce work sooo well together, we loved it. Im definately making these again soon.
I switched out the cabbage (just not a fan..) for fried bell pepper slices and that worked great. I also added some liquid smoke to the cauliflower breading and I love the extra little smokeyness.
Ahhh SO glad to hear you enjoyed it! Great idea on sub-ing bell pepper for cabbage and liquid smoke? Fantastic. (We’re always up for some!
These are SO GOOD! Made them exactly as shown. Definitely another keeper…y’all do such a great job coming up with so many tasty meals! Thank you!
Oh thank you so much! That is so kind. We are so glad you enjoyed them!!
My husband and I loved the cauliflower tacos. What a great way to take a boring vegetable to the next level. We used Romain lettuce leaves instead of tortillas. They were messy but so fun to eat. This is a definite keeper for veggie night.