BBQ Cauliflower Tacos
These barbecue cauliflower tacos have only five ingredients, but they’re filled with flavor! This simple recipe is perfect for a plant-based taco night!
I love filling my taco shells with veggies, and after making lots of these buffalo cauliflower tacos, I realized how easy it would be to switch things up and make barbecue tacos! This recipe only requires a few basic ingredients, but I’ve also included lots of suggestions for toppings and variations so you can customize these exactly the way you like!
I’ve included directions for the oven and the air fryer. Both are simple, but the air fryer is a bit faster, so if you need to get dinner on the table quickly, it’s a great shortcut!
How to Make BBQ Cauliflower Tacos
Bake for 30 minutes, flipping once halfway through. Brush with remaining barbecue
sauce after baking.
How to Cut Cauliflower
To cut cauliflower into florets, start by removing the leaves and cutting off the stem at the base of the cauliflower. Then, cut the cauliflower into quarters through the core. Break each quarter into smaller florets by cutting through the core again. Remove the large stems at the base. Repeat until all the cauliflower is cut into small, bite-size florets.
Additional Topping Ideas
The sky is the limit with the toppings for these tacos! Here are a few of my favorite ideas:
- Salsa or additional hot sauce– This is an easy way to add a little heat or spice to the mix!
- Guacamole– Swap the avocado slices for a dollop of my 4 ingredient guacamole.
- Sliced radishes or diced tomatoes– This is an easy way to add more veggies to these tacos.
- Ranch– A drizzle of ranch (regular or vegan) will amplify the flavor of these tacos.
- Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt– A dollop of sour cream can also be a great way to tame the heat if you’re heavy handed on the hot sauce.
- Fresh cilantro– I love the flavor of fresh cilantro on top of my tacos.
- Jalapeños– Thinly sliced jalapeños are another way to add more heat to these tacos.
- Cilantro sauce– I could drizzle this sauce on just about anything, it’s that good.
- Burrito sauce– To boost the flavor of these tacos, try adding a drizzle of my creamy burrito sauce.
The Best Barbecue Sauce for Tacos
I used Texas Pete’s classic BBQ sauce for these tacos and it was delicious! It had a slightly sweet, tangy flavor that worked really well with the cauliflower. You can use any barbecue sauce you like, or you can even make your own if you’re feeling ambitious!
The Best Tortillas for Tacos
The best tortilla depends on personal preference, but it’s easy to customize these tacos based on your diet preferences. If you’re gluten-free, use corn tortillas. If you’re trying to eat lower-carb, try low-carb tortillas. I like the taste and texture of flour tortillas, but sometimes I’ll swap in a whole wheat tortilla for extra protein and fiber.
What to Serve with Cauliflower Tacos
Since cauliflower doesn’t have a lot of protein (or calories), I like serving these tacos with a black bean dip so I can add some additional protein and fiber to the meal. You can make my vegan black bean dip or cheesy black bean dip, depending on what you’re craving! You could also add some seasoned TVP to these tacos if you want to add additional protein to your taco.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is cauliflower healthy? Cauliflower is low in calories but it’s a good source of fiber, Vitamin C, and folate.
- Can I make this recipe low-carb? You could use lettuce wraps instead of tortillas, but you’ll also need to find a low-carb BBQ sauce. Most BBQ sauce is sweetened, so it’s not low in carbs.
- Can I make this recipe gluten-free? Yep! Use corn tortillas and check your BBQ sauce to make sure it doesn’t contain gluten.
- How do I know if my avocado is ripe? It should give slightly when squeezed. If it feels hard, it’s not ripe. If it feels mushy, it might be overripe. I like to let my avocados ripen in the refrigerator so they ripen slowly and evenly, but it does require a bit of planning. For a faster option, buy pre-made guacamole.
BBQ Cauliflower Tacos
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 tacos 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Oven or Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These barbecue cauliflower tacos are only five ingredients but they’re filled with flavor! This simple recipe is perfect for a plant-based taco night!
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into 1” pieces
- 3/4 cup barbecue sauce, divided
- 4 flour or corn tortillas
- 1 avocado, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup shredded cabbage
- Optional toppings: cilantro, sour cream, jalapeños, etc.
Instructions
Oven Method
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a large bowl, toss the chopped cauliflower in 1/2 cup barbecue sauce.
- Spread the cauliflower in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 30 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
- Brush with remaining barbecue sauce after baking, if desired.
- Divide the cauliflower between the tortillas and top with avocado, cabbage, and any other toppings you like.
Air Fryer Method
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees.
- In a large bowl, toss the chopped cauliflower in 1/2 cup barbecue sauce.
- Spread the cauliflower in a single layer in the air fryer basket. (If your basket is does not have a non-stick coating, use a silicone air fryer basket liner.)
- Bake for 30 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
- Brush with remaining barbecue sauce after air frying, if desired.
- Divide the cauliflower between the tortillas and top with avocado, cabbage, and any other toppings you like.
We loved these, they were so tasty and so easy to make too! Thanks for the recipe.
never thought i can make such a beautiful taco in my life! and telling from the pictures, it is one of the most gorgeous tacos I’ve seen!
This was such a unique and unexpected twist to the traditional taco! Easily, a new favorite recipe; my whole family loved these!
super tasty BBQ Cauliflower Tacos that is perfect for meatless mondays. It was hearty and super flavourful!
This recipe is so simple yet the cauliflower is so delicious in these tacos. The BBQ sauce gets all sticky and caramelised and adds enough flavor to the cauliflower without having to add any spices. Loved it!