These crispy cauliflower tacos are a fantastic meat-free alternative for taco Tuesday! Find out how to make them below.
Cauliflower Popcorn "Chicken"
I've given Cauliflower Popcorn Chicken a spicy coating to make them the perfect meat-free alternative for taco Tuesdays. They are soft in the centre but crispy on the outside giving them the perfect texture for including in a soft flour tortilla.
The spicy coating is subtle rather than overpowering which means it will go with whatever taco toppings you choose whether it's salsa, guacamole, re-fried beans or shredded vegan "cheese".
But best of all, they are the perfect size meaning you won't get in a mess when tucking into your taco!
How to get the perfect crispy coating
The crispy cauliflower in these tacos is baked rather than fried. It gets its crispy coating by dipping each cauliflower floret in a batter made from chickpea flour (also known as gram flour), water and spices. Once the cauliflower is coated in the wet batter it then gets dipped in a bowl of seasoned breadcrumbs.
Coating the cauliflower can be messy work! Be prepared to have your hands covered in breadcrumbs by the time you are finished. But don't worry, I promise it is worth it.
To create minimal mess, keep your work surface clear, have you cauliflower, batter, breadcrumbs and baking tray carefully laid out. You will probably want to wait until you have finished the whole batch before you wash your hands!
Make sure you leave enough room between the pieces of cauliflower on your baking tray. This will make sure the heat gets to each piece and allows the coating to get nice and crisp! When you bite into the cauliflower you want that satisfying crunch followed by the soft centre.
Some like it HOT!
Adding chilli powder to the crispy coating is entirely optional. I use a medium heat paprika because I like to add chilli heat to my tacos in the form of pickled jalapenos. If you like your food spicy then you can add the optional chilli powder to the batter before dipping in the breadcrumbs. The choice is yours.
More like this...
If you like these, you'll love this Vegan Shredded "Chicken" and my Vegan Chorizo and Potato Tacos.
The recipe
Crispy Cauliflower Tacos
Ingredients
For the crispy cauliflower pieces
- 1 cauliflower
- 75 g chickpea flour also known as gram flour
- 0.5 teaspoon paprika
- 0.5 teaspoon ground coriander
- 0.5 teaspoon dried oregano
- 0.25 teaspoon ground cumin
- 0.25 teaspoon garlic powder
- 0.25 teaspoon onion powder
- 100 ml water
- 200 g fine breadcrumbs
- salt and pepper
To serve (suggestion)
- 16 small tortillas flour or corn
- 4 tablespoon vegan chipotle mayonnaise
- 0.5 lettuce shredded
- 0.5 small red cabbage shredded
- 1 red pepper cut julienne
- 1 avocado cut into slices
- pickled jalapeno slices
- 1 bunch fresh coriander
Instructions
To make the crispy cauliflower
- Pre-heat your oven to 180C / 356F / gas mark 4.
- Remove all of the leaves from the cauliflower and cut the florets from the stem.
- Break the florets into small bite size pieces and chop the stem into pieces roughly the same size.
- In a bowl, whisk together the chickpea flour, spices and the water until you have a smooth but thick batter. (Add a little extra water if your chickpea flour is particularly thirsty.)
- In a second bowl place your breadcrumbs and season with a little salt and pepper.
- Before you begin coating your cauliflower in the batter and breadcrumbs make sure you have your baking tray next to you.
- Carefully dip each piece of cauliflower into the batter and let any excess drip off. Immediately place the battered cauliflower into the breadcrumbs. Roll it around the ensure it is well coated and then place on to the baking tray.
- Repeat until all of the cauliflower has been coated in this way.
- Place the baking tray in the centre of the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender with a crispy coating.
- Serve with your favourite accompaniments in soft tortillas or taco shells.
Nutrition
Serve with...
Below you will find all of the essential components for a vegan taco party. Why not serve these alongside these Crispy Cauliflower Tacos!
You can find all the recipe you need for the perfect Taco Tuesday in my Mexican Recipe Archives. Enjoy!
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