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Weeknight style Crispy Cauliflower Tinga Tacos with Honey Lime Avocado Crema. Cauliflower seasoned up with smoky chipotle peppers and enchilada sauce, then mixed with cheese, stuffed into tortillas, and oven-baked. Each tinga taco is crunchy on the outside, but spicy and cheesy inside. Serve with a creamy, salty honey-lime avocado crema sauce, and a mix of your favorite toppings. These come together easily and are so delicious. The perfect vegetarian twist on a classic taco that everyone loves!
So, I’m sure I mentioned this, but brother Red has been in town since a little before Christmas. He’s here snowboarding until the end of the month. We almost never see Red since he’s constantly traveling, but because of COVID, his travel schedule is much mellower this year. It’s a huge bummer of course, but the silver lining is that we get to have him home for more than a few days at a time. Personally, I love having him around. He’s one of those kids that can always bring a smile to your face.
And let’s be honest, I’m a real sucker when he asks anything of me. But especially when it comes to the question, “what’s for dinner”? I cave-in and make him pretty much whatever he asks for.
Unlike my oldest brother, Creighton, Red actually enjoys a meat-free dinner. His all-time favorite…The Crispy Buffalo Cauliflower from the HBH Super Simple Cookbook. I’ve been making it on repeat.
But guys, while I love that recipe, I also love trying new things. Since Red is very, very into cauliflower right now, tacos seemed like a great idea.
Enter these crispy cauliflower tinga tacos…still cauliflower but presented in a whole new way.
The inspiration…
I’ve actually had this recipe on my list for a while, so when I realized just how much Red has been loving cauliflower I thought I’d make these while he’s in town. I drew inspiration from my chicken tinga taquitos that I shared last year. We all LOVE that recipe so much. I want to see if I could make something vegetarian, but with those same flavors.
I also really, really wanted to do crispy taco shells, since the cauliflower itself is saucy, not crispy. So I grabbed my hard shell taco recipe from my family’s favorite classic taco. I put the two recipes together, then added the cauliflower tinga. Guys, they turned out even better than I had thought.
I wasn’t sure how the cauliflower would hold up to the tinga sauce, but in all honesty? Everyone said they enjoyed the cauliflower, more than any other meat.
Making these tacos is pretty easy, here are the steps.
Aside from these tacos being delicious, they really are so easy to make. I start with the cauliflower tinga. If you’re new to Chicken Tinga, it’s a Mexican dish consisting of shredded chicken in a tomato-based chipotle sauce with sliced onions. It’s actually very simple, but the flavors from the chipotle peppers are KEY, and what is most traditional with any Tinga dish.
Cook the cauliflower and onion together in a super hot skillet. You’ll want to get a char on the cauliflower, but leave it tender, not mushy. Once the cauliflower starts to char, add in chipotle peppers and enchilada sauce. I use enchilada sauce as the tomato base for my tInga sauce. Once the cauliflower simmers in the sauce for a bit, it’s ready. It shouldn’t take more than fifteen minutes, then you can assemble the tacos!
Now onto the crispy shells.
Instead of using store-bought taco shells, I like to take corn tortillas and stuff them with the cauliflower tinga and a sprinkling of cheese. I throw them in the oven to bake until the tortillas are crispy.
This method is my GO-TO. It’s become a staple in a lot of my taco recipes. I love the crispy oven “fried” shells. Nothing beats them!
And finally, the crema.
While the shells bake, make the crema. I wanted something cooling and creamy to balance the heat from the chipotle sauce. So instead of using a classic cream-based crema, I went a little healthier and whipped my avocado in the food processor.
It is so creamy, and a touch of lime plus flaky sea salt makes it so delicious.
Serve up the cream with the crispy tacos and you’ll have the perfect dinner.
If you wanted to take the toppings a step further, I would recommend a pineapple salsa or mango salsa. You all know me, I love a good fruity salsa. The perfect way to liven up an average Tuesday night at home.
Oh, and yes, Red LOVED these (so did the rest of the fam). So I’d say I’m really close to winning that sister of the year award this year. Cool, Cool!
Looking for more simple, Mexican recipes? Here are a few favorites:
Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup with Salty Lime Chips
Cauliflower Al Pastor Quesadillas with Lime Smashed Avocado
Mushroom Al Pastor Tacos with Garlic Lime Special Sauce
Healthier Homemade Crunchwrap Supreme
Lastly, if you make these, Crispy Cauliflower Tinga Tacos with Honey Lime Avocado Crema, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Crispy Cauliflower Tinga Tacos with Honey Lime Avocado Crema
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 503 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for rubbing
- 1 large head cauliflower, cut into small florets (about 6 cups chopped)
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2-3 chipotle peppers in adobo, finely chopped use to your taste
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup red enchilada sauce homemade or store-bought
- 8-12 corn tortillas, warmed
- 1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- salsa, shredded lettuce, and pickled onions for serving
Honey Lime Avocado Crema
- 1 large avocado, halved
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
- 1-2 teaspoons honey
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- juice from 2 limes
- kosher or flaky salt
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425° F.2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the cauliflower and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is charring, about 5 minutes. Add the chipotle peppers, enchilada sauce, oregano, salt, and 1/3 cup water. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.3. Warm the tortillas for 30 seconds to 1 minute in the microwave, until pliable. On a baking sheet, rub the tortillas with olive oil. Lay each flat and then layer evenly with cheese and cauliflower. Fold the other half of the tortilla over the filling, gently pushing to adhere (see above photo). Transfer to the oven and bake for 5-8 minutes, then flip and cook another 5 minutes more, or until the cheese has melted and the tortillas are crisp. 4. Meanwhile, make the Honey Lime Avocado Crema. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Season with salt.5. Serve the tacos topped with avocado, lettuce, limes, and any other desired toppings.
Would love to make these but a bit confused about the cheese and tortillas part. Do we add the cheese on top of tortillas or around them?
Thank you in advance and love your recipes and cookbooks!
Hi Nick,
You are going to add the cheese into the tortillas, you can refer to the photos above too! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
My very meat focused family loved this recipe! They want to try adding pork or beef next time but all agreed the cauliflower was excellent. We really enjoy your flavorful recipes that are easy to follow and turn out great. Thank you!
Hey Kristine,
Awesome! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! xTieghan
This a whole new level of taco badassery! It’s as good as (better even?) the Birria tacos that are all rage right now without all the work!
Have made these 3 times already using fajita filling, pork and zucchini and veggie and all three were AMAZING!
And that crema… don’t skip this! I put that everything now!
Hey Lisa,
Fantastic! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have a great weekend:) xxT
OMG, these were amazing!! Not that I had low expectations, but thought I would just try it and see, since I had some cauliflower from my CSA bag… The taco + crema combo truly exceeded my expectations! Wow, so so flavorful!! Plus the mix of textures from getting the tacos crispy in the oven, yum! Even meat-eating boyfriend approved of the cauliflower filling! 😀 Also, that crema will be going on everythinggg. I used an immersion blender in a little bowl and easy peasy!
Thanks for another great recipe!
Hi Nicole,
Awesome!! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
So delicious!!! My new favorite taco recipe. Easy to make, amazing flavors, and such a healthy, filling vegetarian dish!
Hey there,
Awesome!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was a winner! xTieghan
I made these last night and they were fantastic. Very easy to put together and I will definitely make them again. Thank you for sharing your recipes!
Hi Melanie,
Happy Sunday! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was a winner. xxTieghan
I roasted the cauliflower with carrots instead of using the stove top. Added some yogurt to the sauce for extra creaminess. I used a corn flour mix tortilla that held up well in the oven. Mine didn’t look nearly as good as Tieghan’s, but they were still tasty. Winner!
Hey Sarah,
Wonderful! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it. Have the best weekend:) xTieghan
Life changing recipe! These tacos are SO delicious that they made it on to the dinner menu two consecutive weeks. For us, 2 chipotle peppers in adobo provides the right amount of heat (3 was a tad too spicy!) The honey in the avocado crema provides such a nice subtly sweet hint to complement the spice from the chipotle peppers. YUM!
Hi Katherine,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Love all your taco recipes and have tried most of them! Delicious. One question tho…I can’t seem to make them without the tortillas splitting when they are in the oven, no matter how careful I am and I do try not to overfill them. Could you share what corn tortillas you use for yours? Thanks!! Btw…the Honey Lime Avocado Crema is to die for!
Hey Debbie,
Thanks so much for making the recipes! I like to use Whole Foods 365 brand. I always warm them and coat in olive oil first to prevent the splitting. I hope this helps! xTieghan
Made these last night and we LOVED them! My husband and I are flexatarians and eat about 80% plant based meals. Recipes as great as this one make it fun and we don’t feel like we are missing anything. Thanks for yet another win!
Hi Steph,
Fantastic!! I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try. Have the best week! xTieghan
Made these a couple nights ago and they were delicious! I’m DF and GF so skipped the cheese and used Siete GF Chickpea tortillas. I prefer not to add “sugar” in an entree so I skipped making the avocado crema and layered the tacos with slices of avocado, cilantro and a squeeze of lime. I’ve already shared the recipe with several people. Thanks for a great plant based meal!!
Hi Alexis,
Fantastic!! I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try. Have the best week! xTieghan
These are so delicious and simple to make! I have made them twice in the last week because they are so good! Since there’s just 2 of us we had plenty for leftovers for lunch, and I even added the cauliflower mixture to some scrambled eggs and it was so good! My husband said these were the best tacos I’ve ever made! The avocado crema was so delicious too!! Thank you for sharing all your recipes, they’re the BEST!
Hey Kristen,
Fantastic!! I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try. Have the best week! xTieghan
These were delicious! I’m veg and my boyfriend eats meat so I made two batches. In his, I used some cut up leftover chicken breast (already cooked) instead of cauliflower. We both loved it!
Hi Sammi,
Happy Sunday! So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks a lot for making it! xxT
Made these tonight and loved them! The recipe is easy to make and has lots of flavor.
Hey Lisa,
Wonderful! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a lot for making it. Have the best weekend! xT
Having this for dinner tonight! So so yummy
Hey Tiffany,
Happy Friday! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan