• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Start Here
  • Recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • Vegetarian Recipes
    • Vegan Recipes
    • Sourdough
      • Gluten-Free Sourdough
      • Sourdough Discard
    • Seasonal Recipes
      • Spring
      • Summer
      • Fall
      • Winter
    • Main Dish Recipes
    • Lunch Recipes
    • Breakfast and Brunch
    • Appetizers & Snacks
    • Dessert Recipes
    • Bread Recipes
      • Sweet Breads
      • Savory Breads
    • Condiment Recipes
    • Drink Recipes
      • Cocktails
      • Non Alcoholic
Vanilla And Bean

Vanilla And Bean

Sweet and Savory Vegetarian

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Subscribe
  • Shop
  • About
    • Subscribe
    • A little bit about me…
    • Contact
    • Let’s Work Together
    • Blogs I’m Reading
    • Blogger Resources
You are here: Home / Recipes / Main Dish / Mexican/Southwest / Roasted Cauliflower Tinga Tacos with Chili-Lime Slaw

Roasted Cauliflower Tinga Tacos with Chili-Lime Slaw

By Traci · Jump to Recipe ·
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my affiliate policy.

A weeknight winner, Roasted Cauliflower Tinga Tacos are simple to make, and packed with flavor. These vegetarian tinga tacos are freezer friendly and ready in about 30 minutes! Serve with your favorite Spanish Brown Rice and other inspired sides. This recipe is vegetarian or vegan, easily gluten free.

Cauliflower tinga taco on a marble table topped with pepita crema.

This recipe was first published Dec. 2017 and updated Jan. 2023 with additional recipe notes and tips. The recipe remains unchanged.

Table of Contents

  • A Weeknight Win! Vegetarian Cauliflower Tacos
  • What is Tinga? 
  • Ingredients You’ll Need
  • Quick Guide: How to Make Cauliflower Tinga Tacos
  • Variations on Cauliflower Tinga Tacos
  • What to Serve with Vegetarian Tinga Tacos
  • A Few Recipe Notes
  • More Vegetarian Taco Recipes to Love
  • Roasted Cauliflower Tinga Tacos with Chili-Lime Slaw Recipe

A Weeknight Win! Vegetarian Cauliflower Tacos

Weeknight taco night is lookin’ soooo good! Loads of flavor, tinga style, in a tasty vegetarian taco, this cauliflower tinga tacos recipe is: 

  • quick to pull together and feeds a small crowd
  • nourishing and plant based
  • meal prep ready
  • saucy!

What is Tinga? 

You may have heard of Chicken Tinga Tacos (tinga de polo), but did you know you can achieve a similar tasty flavor profile in a vegetarian version? Tinga is a Mexican recipe where onions are sautéd, then simmered in a zesty tomato and chipotles in adobo sauce – sauce. The chipotle in adobo sauce is *key* for smoky flavor and heat in this recipe. It adds SO much flavor!

Ingredients for cauliflower tinga tacos.

Ingredients You’ll Need

For the Tacos: 

  • Cauliflower: just one medium head of cauliflower cut into bite size pieces.
  • Vegetable Oil: I like olive or avocado oil.
  • Red/Purple Onion: diced medium helps flavor the tinga sauce.
  • Seasonings: simply season with ground cumin and sea salt. 
  • Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce: offer an authentic tinga flavor. You can add more or less depending on heat/flavor preference. Leftovers freeze with ease! 
  • Fire Roasted Tomatoes: adds to the smoky flavor of these vegetarian cauliflower tacos.
  • Prepared Salsa: this will be added to the tinga sauce, so keep in mind, if your salsa is spicy, your cauliflower tinga sauce will be extra spicy! If making homemade salsa, you can adjust the heat to taste. 
  • Tortillas: use corn, flour or a corn/flour mix. Cauliflower tinga filling is also delicious in crunchy tacos too! 

For the Chili Lime Slaw: 

  • Purple and Green Cabbage: a mixture for color and flavor!
  • Fresh Jalapeños: adds a bit of heat to the slaw.
  • Cilantro: for freshness and authentic flavor.
  • Fresh Lime Juice: adds a bit of acid to the tacos and ties the slaw together. 
Before and after images of raw cauliflower and roasted cauliflower on a sheet pan.

Quick Guide: How to Make Cauliflower Tinga Tacos

  • First, toss the cauliflower with avocado or olive oil, then roast the cauliflower.
  • Next, while the cauliflower is roasting, saute the onions, then sprinkle in the spices, minced chipotle peppers and adobo sauce (this is the secret!).
  • Last, to finish the tinga sauce, add your favorite salsa (homemade if you like) and fire roasted tomatoes. Stir in the roasted cauliflower and warm through for about five minutes.

While the cauliflower is roasting, whip up the vegetarian tinga sauce and chili lime slaw. Once the cauliflower tinga is done, keep it warm on the stove and whip up something creamy, like guacamole or pepita crema. Simple yet, so delish! 

Series of four images showing how the tinga sauce and cauliflower taco stuffing is made in a pan.

Variations on Cauliflower Tinga Tacos

There are many ways to personalize these tacos, but the key is to serve them with something creamy. Just smear any one (or two) you choose on the bottom of the tortilla, then pile on the cauliflower tinga and slaw. Here are a few ideas: 

Pepita Crema: This vegan tinga pairs deliciously with Pepita Creama. It’s super creamy, plant based, and delicious! We love it as a “cheezy” dip too! It requires a high speed blender for best texture (I use Vitamix). It’s perfect for meal prep and whips up in no time! 

Avocado Crema: Easy to whip up in a blender or food processor. All you need is a large avocado, a few tablespoons of sour cream, cilantro, a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lime. Drizzle in a little water to bring the mixture to desired consistency. 

Guacamole: A delicious way to add flavor and creamy to these tacos, my favorite is Creamy Guacamole with Sour Cream or for a spicy variation, Roasted Jalapeno Guacamole. 

Sour Cream: Sour cream is fabulous on these cauliflower tinga tacos as well offering a bit of tang and creamy (and doesn’t require any pre-planning or making). 

Refried Beans: For a boost of flavor and protein, my favorite is Black Refried Beans.

Cojita Cheese: A little sprinkle adds a salty cheesy component to these mouthwatering tacos. 

1. Vegan Taco Slaw in a bowl. 2. Cauliflower tinga stuffing in a pan, up close.

What to Serve with Vegetarian Tinga Tacos

Fresh or pickled jalapeños, chopped cilantro and/or diced avocado are delicious accompaniments for tacos, but these sides help round out the meal:

  • Creamy Guacamole with Sour Cream
  • Slow Cooker Pinto Beans
  • Black Refried Beans
  • Spanish Brown rice
  • Mexican Black Beans
  • Homemade Chipotle Salsa 
  • Roasted Jalapeno-Lime Guacamole
Vegan Tinga Tacos on a plate with a side of salsa.

A Few Recipe Notes

  • Taco Shells: warm soft corn or flour tortillas on a gas stovetop or in a cast iron skillet. Toasting or charring the tortillas brings out their best flavors. This vegetarian tinga taco recipe is also delicious stuffed into crunchy taco shells. 
  • Meal Prep: If meal prepping, the pepetia crema, salsa, refried beans (if using) and tinga sauce can be made up to two days ahead. 
  • Make it a Bowl: Cauliflower tinga is delicious in bowls! Layer in the tinga, Mexican Black Beans, Spanish Rice, cheese if desired, chopped romaine lettuce, something creamy like avocado crema and salsa with tortilla chips crumbled on top. 
  • Freezer Friendly? Yes please! The vegetarian tinga cauliflower freezes with ease and is perfect for meal prep! 

More Vegetarian Taco Recipes to Love

  • Tacos Rancheros
  • Creamy Corn, Zucchini and Poblano Tacos
  • Rancheros Tofu Scramble
  • Harissa Chickpea and Cauliflower Tacos
  • Black Bean and Quinoa Tacos – from Foolproof Living
  • Mexican Inspired Tofu Tacos with Chili Lime Slaw
Cauliflower Tinga Tacos on a marble table.
Print Recipe

Roasted Cauliflower Tinga Tacos with Chili-Lime Slaw Recipe

Total Time:35 minutes
Servings:14 6″ Tacos (about)
Calories:108kcal
Author:Traci York | Vanilla And Bean
A weeknight winner, Roasted Cauliflower Tinga Tacos are simple to make, and packed with flavor. These vegetarian or vegan cauliflower tacos are freezer friendly and done in about 30 minutes! Serve with your favorite inspired sides. This recipe is vegan, vegetarian and easily gluten free. 
*These are SPICY tacos! If less spice is desired, reduce the chipotle in adobo sauce or select mild salsa.* See blog post for variations and what to serve with these scrumptious tacos!

Ingredients

For the Tacos:

  • 1 Head of Cauliflower* (see note) chopped into small bite size pieces, about 1 3/4 pound (790 grams)
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil or avocado oil, divided
  • 1 cup (110 grams) Purple Onion chopped, about 1 medium
  • 1 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon Cumin ground
  • 1 1/2 – 2 tablespoons Chipotle Chilis + Adobo Sauce mince the chilis and mix with adobo sauce – omit or reduce to 1 tsp adobo sauce for a much milder tinga! Look for gluten free if needed.
  • 1 cup (274 grams) Fire Roasted Tomatoes + its juices, leftovers may be frozen
  • 1/2 cup (135 grams) Prepared Salsa I like homemade
  • 12-14 6 inch (15 centimeters) Corn or Flour Tortillas

For the Chili-Lime Slaw:

  • 3 cups (150 grams) Purple and Green Cabbage shredded, loosely packed
  • 1 tablespoon Fresh Jalapeno seeded and chopped fine, or to taste (add more to take the spicy up!)
  • 1/2 cup (20 grams) Cilantro chopped
  • Juice of Two Limes
  • 1/2 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt

Serve With (options):

  • Creamy Guacamole
  • Pepita Crema
  • Sour Cream

Instructions

For the Tacos:

  • Set oven rack to center of the oven and preheat to 425F (218C). Line a sheet pan with silpat or parchment paper. 
  • Toss the cauliflower with 1 1/2 tablespoons oil and roast for 15-20 minutes, tossing and flipping the cauliflower once while roasting. When done, it should still be firm, yet lightly golden around the edges. Set aside. 
  • While the cauliflower is roasting, heat the remaining 1 Tbs olive oil in a large saute pan until it shimmers. Add the onion and saute on medium low for about 5-8 minutes, or just until softened. Sprinkle in the salt and cumin and add the chipotles + adobo sauce. Stir to coat the onions. Add the tomatoes, salsa and roasted cauliflower. Stir to warm through, about 5 minutes. Adjust salt to taste. Remove from heat and put a lid on it until ready to serve. 

For the Chili-Lime Slaw:

  • In a medium bowl, mix the red and green cabbage, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice and sea salt. Set aside or rest in the refrigerator until ready for service. 

To Assemble:

  • Warm tortillas on a low open flame on the stove top turning with tongs a few times to lightly char or warm in a cast iron skillet. To hold them warm, place the tortillas in foil and into a warmed toaster oven on low heat.
  • On the tortilla, spoon a good schmear of guacamole, sour cream or pepita crema (something creamy) down the center of the tortilla. Spoon the cauliflower mixture evenly over the top, then top with slaw and any condiments you prefer.
  • Store the leftover cauliflower mixture in the fridge in a lidded container for up to three days or it may be frozen for up to a month. Thaw in the fridge overnight and warm gently on stovetop with a splash of water.

Notes

For a boost of protein, these tacos are delicious with a schmear of Refried Black Beans on the tortilla. 
*You can use the stem and leaves of the cauliflower! Chop the stem into bite size pieces and roast with the flowerets. Also, any extra stems and leaves can be used in smoothies. 
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
Serving: 1taco | Calories: 108kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 489mg | Potassium: 236mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 305IU | Vitamin C: 28.3mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 1.4mg
Made It? Leave a comment below! The most helpful comment may include recipe rating, feedback, any modifications and/or helping other commenters. On Instagram? Take a snap of your make and share, tagging @VanillaAndBean #VanillaAndBean!

You might also like:

Overhead shot of Cauliflower-Potato Red Lentil Curry shared with rice and Naan.

Cauliflower-Potato Red Lentil Curry

Fennel soup in a bowl with lemon and a piece of sourdough bread.

Lemon-Garlic White Bean, Kale and Fennel Soup

French Lentil Soup with Coconut milk in a bowl with a side of naan.

Coconut Curried French Lentil Soup

Grits and greens with black eyed peas with grits in a bowl with a spoon.

Black Eyed Peas with Smoky Collards and Cheesy Grits

Shares9.7kPinShareYummly

Join the Vanilla And Bean community to receive free sweet and savory vegetarian recipes, and get my Five Secrets to Vegetarian Cooking email series delivered to your inbox!

You will receive recipes and kitchen tips, along with information about our partners and offerings. For more details, review the Vanilla And Bean privacy policy.
Previous Post: « Green Olive Tapenade
Next Post: Healthy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies [vegan + easily gluten free] »

Primary Sidebar

well hello!

I’m Traci and this is my blog. So Glad You Stopped By!

Here you’ll find full of flavor vegetarian comfort food with vegan and gluten free recipes too. I also share sourdough, sweets and naturally sweetened baked goods and desserts recipes because we all gotta have a little balance!

Learn More About Traci  or  The Blog.

Get on the List!

Join the Vanilla And Bean community to receive Sweet and Savory Vegetarian Recipes, and get my Five Secrets to Vegetarian Cooking email series delivered to your inbox!

Right this Way to Subscribe

Start Here!

Why vegetarian, what you’ll find on Vanilla And Bean and fan favorites all right here!

Right this Way to Start

Footer

Affiliate Info

Vanilla And Bean is monetized in part through the use of affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This means that if you click on a link and/or purchase an item after clicking on a link, Vanilla And Bean may receive a percentage of the sales price. I only recommend products that I love and use through my affiliate links. To learn more please see my Affiliate Policy. Thank you for your support!

© Vanilla And Bean, LLC  – 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of any content or images without express and written permission from this blog’s owner is prohibited. Licensing inquiries for publication, general distribution, and/or commercial use, please contact me on my contact page.

Copyright © 2023 · Vanilla and Bean · Website by Meyne

Menu

Home · Recipes · Contact · Privacy Policy
Terms of Use · Accessibility · California Privacy Notice

Copyright © 2023 · Vanilla and Bean On Genesis Framework · Log in

Get On The List!
Get On The List!
_____________________

Join the Vanilla And Bean community to receive sweet and savory vegetarian recipes, as well as my Five Secrets to Vegetarian Cooking email series delivered to your inbox.

You will receive recipes and kitchen tips, along with information about our partners and offerings. For more details, review our Privacy Policy.
  • Recipes
    ▼
    • Recipe Index
    • Breakfast and Brunch
    • Appetizers & Snacks
    • Lunch Recipes
    • Main Dish Recipes
    • Bread Recipes
      ▼
      • Sweet Breads
      • Savory Breads
    • Seasonal Recipes
      ▼
      • Fall
      • Winter
      • Spring
      • Summer
    • Sourdough
      ▼
      • Sourdough Discard Recipes
      • Gluten Free Sourdough
    • Vegan Recipes
    • Vegetarian
    • Condiment Recipes
    • Drink Recipes
      ▼
      • Cocktails
      • Non Alcoholic
    • Dessert Recipes
  • Sign Up For Weekly Newsletter!
  • Start Here
  • Home
  • Shop
  • About
    ▼
    • Contact
    • A little bit about me…
    • Let’s Work Together
    • Blogs I’m Reading
    • Blogger Resources
Vanilla And Bean and our partners use cookies to enhance user experience and to analyze performance and traffic on our website. By using the Site, you consent to the use of cookies. Learn More

COOKIE SETTINGS   ACCEPT
Cookie Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.

Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

CookieTypeDurationDescription
__cfduid14 weeksThe cookie is set by CloudFare. The cookie is used to identify individual clients behind a shared IP address d apply security settings on a per-client basis. It doesnot correspond to any user ID in the web application and does not store any personally identifiable information.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary011 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-non-necessary011 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Non Necessary".
OptanonConsent01 yearTracks users cookie consent preferences
viewed_cookie_policy011 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Advertisement
CookieTypeDurationDescription
IDE12 yearsUsed by Google DoubleClick and stores information about how the user uses the website and any other advertisement before visiting the website. This is used to present users with ads that are relevant to them according to the user profile.
VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE15 monthsThis cookie is set by Youtube. Used to track the information of the embedded YouTube videos on a website.
Analytics

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

CookieTypeDurationDescription
_ga02 yearsThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to calculate visitor, session, camapign data and keep track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookies store information anonymously and assigns a randoly generated number to identify unique visitors.
_gid01 dayThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to store information of how visitors use a website and helps in creating an analytics report of how the wbsite is doing. The data collected including the number visitors, the source where they have come from, and the pages viisted in an anonymous form.
ad-id16 monthsProvided by amazon-adsystem.com for tracking user actions on other websites to provide targeted content
GPS030 minutesThis cookie is set by Youtube and registers a unique ID for tracking users based on their geographical location
Performance

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

CookieTypeDurationDescription
_gat01 minuteThis cookies is installed by Google Universal Analytics to throttle the request rate to limit the colllection of data on high traffic sites.
YSC1This cookies is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos.
YTCpersistent10 minutesThis cookie is set by Youtube to manage the embed and viewing of videos