Spicy Cauliflower Tacos
When I first heard of cauliflower tacos I admit I didn't understand the hype. How could a meatless taco be that good, and how would I convince my husband that forgoing a meat-based protein in our dinner was going to be worth it? I answered both when I made them because gooood grief these tacos are GOOD. They're great, actually. And everyone who has them cannot believe how good they are.
This recipe is vegetarian but could be vegan if you omit the cheese and butter on the corn. It's a great Taco Tuesday option or Meatless Monday dinner idea if you want to get your taco on a day early haha!
I've followed a few different recipes and finally honed it down to the best version. Best in terms of time, nutrition, and taste. I've also made some changes to make it more family friendly (AKA get the kids to eat it) but you can always adjust the spice levels to suit your tastes.
Now! Let's get to the good stuff.
Spicy Cauliflower Tacos
*This recipe serves our family of three -- two adults and one toddler. You may want to double up on some ingredients like the cauliflower and avocados to serve a larger party.
Ingredients
1 head cauliflower, chopped into bite-sized florets.
3 ears corn
1 can refried black beans
1 avocado, sliced
Feta cheese or queso fresco, crumbled
Corn tortillas
Sriracha or favorite hot sauce
Optional toppings: cilantro, jalapeño
Oils and Spices You'll Need:
Olive oil
Garlic powder
Cumin
Chili powder
Onion powder
Garlic salt
Method
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Chop cauliflower into florets. Toss with olive oil and garlic powder. (You can toss it with hot sauce, too, but I don't so my daughter can eat it. I add the hot sauce later. You can always use two pans to separate it as well.) Spread evenly on baking sheet and cook for 50 minutes, tossing once halfway through.
Shuck corn and rub with butter. Wrap in aluminum foil and roast in oven along with cauliflower for about 25 minutes. You can take it out when you toss the cauliflower.
Remove refried black beans from can and place into microwave safe bowl or sauce pan. Sprinkle cumin, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic salt onto beans and stir to combine. Heat beans about 1 minute in microwave or heat on stovetop in pan.
Once corn cools, cut kernels off the ear. (I usually leave one ear whole so Harlow can eat her corn on the cob as she prefers. Two ears worth of kernels is plenty for two people's tacos.)
Assemble tacos: lay corn tortilla on place and smear black beans down center of tortilla. Next add the cauliflower, then the corn. Add however much hot sauce you want now (totally optional if you don't want any) so that it doesn't get soaked up by your toppings. Finally add the cheese crumbles and avocado slices. Garnish with cilantro and jalapeño if you like!
Kid-Friendly Adaptions
Serve cauliflower, black beans, corn, and avocado as individual items. The black beans are a great "glue" for keeping the corn and cauliflower on the forks of unsteady little hands. You can also serve your kids corn on the cob instead of just the kernels. I will add some rotisserie chicken pieces to her plate if I want to give her some extra protein.