March 5, 2020
Chipotle Maple Cauliflower Tacos
Chipotle Maple Cauliflower Tacos. Kinda spicy, kinda sweet, and SO. SO. DELICIOUS. Loaded with quick pickled red onions and homemade lemon crema, these tacos are bursting with flavor in every single bite! Seriously, these are are what taco dreams are made of.
Not your average cauliflower taco
If you’re looking to spice up your weeknight dinner routine, THESE TACOS ARE IT. Slightly sweet, slightly spicy, perfectly roasted chipotle maple cauliflower is packed into warm corn tortillas with fresh cabbage, zesty quick pickled red onions, and creamy lemon crema — taking your taco nights to a whole new level! From different textures, to complimentary flavors, I can pretty much guarantee you’ve never had a taco like this before.
Grab a drink and let’s get to cookin’ the best Chipotle Maple Cauliflower Tacos!
perfect roasted cauliflower
Golden and slightly charred on the outside, but perfectly soft on the inside is what we’re trying to achieve with roasted cauliflower! The secret to getting perfectly roasted cauliflower every single time is HIGH HEAT! Also, don’t overcrowd your pan to ensure each floret has enough room to get nice and crispy on the outside. Follow these general rules, and you’ll have perfect roasted cauliflower every single time!
how to make chipotle maple cauliflower tacos
Besides the obvious chipotle maple seasoned cauliflower, here are the rest of the ingredients that take these cauliflower tacos from 0-100 real quick:
- Quick pickled red onions. I make these first. All you need is 20-30 minutes for these quick pickled red onions, so make them first and let them vibe out in the fridge while your cauliflower is in the oven. The acidity in these pickled onions balance out the sweet and spicy flavors from the chipotle maple cauliflower, which makes this ingredient a MUST.
- Lemon crema. Another MUST HAVE for these tacos. I like to prepare the crema while the tacos are in the oven. It comes together in less than 5 minutes in your blender. The chipotle maple glaze is a bit spicy, and the crema lends a nice texture in mellowing out the spice. Plus, you can’t have tacos without a finish of citrus, am I right?
- Cabbage. Fresh cabbage adds a nice, crisp and fresh element to these tacos.
- Cilantro. If you don’t put cilantro on your tacos, what are you even doing with your life?!?!
more cauliflower recipes?
Love cauliflower as much as I do? Here are some more of my favorite cauliflower recipes for you to enjoy!
- Garlic Peppered Cauliflower : My go-to 20 minute cauliflower dish! It’s garlicky, peppery, savory, and extra saucy. Pair it with jasmine or brown rice, and you’ve got the most delicious and healthy meal that everyone is sure to love!
- Cauliflower Gratin : Creamy, cheesy, and super EASY! Baked until golden brown and bubbly, this vegan cauliflower gratin is sure to be the new star at any dinner table.
- Sweet Chili Habanero Glazed Cauliflower Wings : These are sweet and spicy and crispy and so, so good!
taco tuesday ftw?!
If you make these Chipotle Maple Cauliflower Tacos for your next Taco Tuesday night (or any night for that matter), I’d love to see! Snap a photo or a video, share it on Instagram, and tag me at @eat_figs_not_pigs and #EatFigsNotPigs. The best part of recipe development is seeing all of your amazing recreations of my recipes! Til next time, friends!
XOXO!
- 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 6 cloves garlic, smashed
- 3 TBS white sugar
- 3 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes, optional
- ½ cup raw cashews
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 whole lemon)
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
- 1 small head of cauliflower, about 2 LBS, cut into florets
- 2-4 chipotles in adobo sauce + 3 TBS of the adobo sauce (I use more chipotles because I like it spicier)
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp each : cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt
- ½ tsp liquid smoke
- Warmed corn tortillas, for serving
- Shredded cabbage, for serving
- Chopped Cilantro, for serving
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Place the thinly sliced red onion into a mason jar. In a small sauce pan, add the rest of the ingredients, whisking to combine. Turn the heat the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Continue to whisk until the salt and sugar have evaporated. Pour the hot liquid into the mason jar with the onions, close the lid, and give it a good shake. Let sit, covered, at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.
- Combine all the ingredients in a high speed blender. Pulse until smooth, about one minute. Taste and adjust seasonings. Set aside.
- Place the cauliflower florets into a large bowl and set aside. In a high speed blender, add chipotles and the adobo sauce, water, maple syrup, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and liquid smoke. Blend until smooth. Pour the sauce over the cauliflower and mix to combine, ensuring each floret is covered in the sauce. Place the cauliflower onto a parchment paper lined baking tray, and bake until slightly charred on the edges, about 25-30 minutes.
- Prepare tacos with fresh cabbage, chipotle maple cauliflower, pickled onions, a healthy drizzle of lemon crema, and some fresh cilantro.
- ENJOY!!!
Made this last night and loved it! Easy to throw together and super flavorful. Some things I noticed: I used bottled lemon juice instead of fresh juice and that seemed to work fine. I found the lemon crema to be a little thin/watery so I upped the amount of cashews until I got the consistency I wanted. The chipotles in adobo I used were HOT (for my taste). I don’t cook with chipotle peppers very often so I’m not sure if they can differ in spiciness from brand to brand. I added a little extra maple syrup and water to balance it out a little more. That being said, once you put the tacos together, the toppings balance out the spice of the cauliflower really well. I love the inclusion of liquid smoke in this recipe. It’s a small amount, but makes a HUGE difference (sort of like vanilla extract in baking). Overall, this is a wonderful recipe and I would definitely make it again. I think the lemon crema could be used in many delicious ways so that recipe will become a staple in my kitchen. Thanks, Ashley!
Just made this and loved it! Super simple to throw together and really flavorful. Some things I noticed: I used bottled lemon juice instead of fresh and that seemed to work fine. My lemon crema was a little thin/watery so I upped the amount of cashews until I got the consistency I was looking for. The maple chipotle sauce was HOT (for my tastes). Not sure if the chipotles in adobo sauce vary in spiciness by brand or not, but I added a little extra maple syrup and water to bring down the heat a bit. Once I put the tacos together, the toppings really balanced everything out and I didn’t find them too hot. All of the flavors were amazing together. Overall, great recipe and I would definitely make it again. The lemon crema could be used for a lot of different recipes so that will become a staple in my kitchen. Thanks, Ashley!
Amazing Recipe!! Excited to make again! Thank you for sharing ♥
This dish pushed me out of my comfort zone and I’m so glad I tried it. It’s packed with loads of flavor you need to try it!! I did not bake the cauliflower but I did my best to toast them in a pan. It had a tiny crunch and still tasted delicious. The lemon crema did have a thicker consistency but it added such a great taste to the taco. The pickled onions were SO yummy! All wrapped in a warm tortilla makes it that much better. Thank you for this recipe!
These tacos are super delish and so dang easy to make. Everything goes together perfectly…from the spicy cauli and the crunchy cabbage to the lemon crema, pickled onions, and cilantro! So good!!