These vegetarian Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos with coleslaw, avocado and ranch are SO addictive – even meat eaters will devour them!
Ingredients and substitutions
Cauliflower
- Flour – make this recipe gluten-free by using almond flour or cornstarch.
- Garlic powder – onion powder or garlic flakes would be the best substitute.
- Cauliflower – fresh cauliflower is best but frozen cauliflower will work, just make sure it’s thawed and pat dry.
- Buffalo sauce – use your favourite Buffalo sauce or make your own using hot sauce, butter, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne and garlic powder.
- Melted butter – the butter helps cut the buffalo sauce so you can leave it out, but the flavour will be different.
To serve
- Corn tortillas – flour tortillas would also be delicious with these tacos or you can use lettuce wraps for a low-carb option.
- Avocado – use guacamole orleave this out altogether if you don’t like avocado.
- Jalapeno – any kind of peppers would be good in this recipe like Poblano peppers or even bell peppers.
- Cilantro – use parsley or leave this out altogether if you don’t like cilantro.
- Ranch dressing – blue cheese dressing would also be good but has a different flavour.
Coleslaw
- Coleslaw mix – thinly sliced green or red cabbage would also work here.
- Vinegar – white vinegar is best but cider vinegar or even lemon juice would work in a pinch.
- Sugar – swap out for your favourite sugar-free alternative or leave out the sugar if you don’t want your coleslaw to be too sweet.
- Canola oil – use any other neutral cooking oil like olive oil, avocado oil or grapeseed oil.
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
How to make buffalo cauliflower tacos
Step 1: Coat the cauliflower.
Preheat oven to 500 F. In a large bowl, combine water, flour and garlic powder. Add cauliflower, tossing to combine.
Step 2: Bake the cauliflower.
Add florets to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper, then bake for 15 minutes.
Step 3: Make the coleslaw and sauce.
Meanwhile, mix buffalo sauce and butter together and make coleslaw by combining all ingredients under the coleslaw heading together.
Step 4: Toss the cauliflower in the sauce.
When cauliflower is done, pour sauce overtop and gently toss to combine.
Step 5: Bake in the oven.
Bake another 10 minutes. Meanwhile, slice avocado, chop up cilantro and heat corn tortillas for a few seconds in the microwave to soften them.
Step 6: Serve and enjoy!
Remove cauliflower from the oven. Add coleslaw to tortillas, followed by cauliflower, sliced avocado, sliced jalapeno and chopped cilantro. Drizzle with ranch or blue cheese dressing, then serve and enjoy!
Topping ideas for cauliflower tacos
The sky’s the limit when it comes to what you want to put on your buffalo cauliflower tacos! Everyone has different preferences so feel free to mix up the toppings to whatever you’re craving. I like to add some avocado, jalapeno, cilantro and ranch dressing to mind. Some other topping ideas include:
- Avocado crema
- Pico de gallo
- Salsa
- Guacamole
- Diced white or red onion
- Corn
- Tomatoes
- Hot sauce
- Lime wedges
Frequently Asked Questions
I find that these buffalo cauliflower tacos are super filling on their own, but you can always cut down on the serving size and eat them with a side of cilantro lime rice or even taco soup.
This buffalo cauliflower taco recipe is healthier than the fried cauliflower tacos you can get at restaurants or takeout spots and there are about 200 calories per taco or 618 calories for three tacos. If you want to cut down on the calorie count even further, you can leave out the butter and swap out the corn tortillas for lettuce wraps.
Buffalo cauliflower first became popular in the early 2010s when the vegan and vegetarian movement really took off. Buffalo cauliflower wings are now a bar staple across North America and cauliflower tacos are just as delicious!
Storing and reheating
These buffalo cauliflower tacos are so delicious I doubt you’ll have any leftovers – but if you do, I recommend storing all the toppings and ingredients separately in airtight glass containers for 4 to 5 days.
To make sure the buffalo cauliflower maintains that crispy texture, reheat in the oven for 5-10 minutes at 350° Fahrenheit on a baking sheet covered in tinfoil. When the cauliflower’s heated through, serve with fresh corn tortillas and all the fixings! I don’t recommend reheating in the microwave as the cauliflower will lose its texture.
Freezing this recipe
The texture might not be exactly the same, but you can totally freeze the buffalo cauliflower! Once the cauliflower pieces have completely cooled, stick them on the baking sheet in the freezer for an hour to make sure they don’t stick together. Transfer them to airtight glass containers or freezer-safe Ziploc bags and freeze for up to 3 months.
When you’re ready to eat, reheat from frozen on a baking sheet in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 375° Fahrenheit. Again, I don’t recommend using the microwave to reheat the buffalo cauliflower as the cauliflower will get soggy. Once you’ve reheated the cauliflower, use it to make fresh cauliflower tacos with all your favourite toppings.
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Meal Prep Tools
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning these tacos into your weekly lunches.
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Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos {Best Ever!}
Ingredients
Cauliflower
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tsp garlic or onion powder
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- 1 head cauliflower
- 2/3 cup buffalo sauce
- 1/4 cup melted butter
To serve
- 12 corn tortillas
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1 jalapeno, sliced
- 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
- Ranch or blue cheese dressing to serve
Coleslaw
- 1 (397g) bag coleslaw mix
- 3 tbsp vinegar
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 500 F. In a large bowl, combine water, flour and garlic powder. Add cauliflower, tossing to combine.
- Add florets to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper, then bake for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, mix buffalo sauce and butter together and make coleslaw by combining all ingredients under the coleslaw heading together.
- When cauliflower is done, pour sauce overtop and gently toss to combine. Bake another 10 minutes. Meanwhile, slice avocado, chop up cilantro and heat corn tortillas for a few seconds in the microwave to soften them.
- Remove cauliflower from the oven. Add coleslaw to tortillas, followed by cauliflower, sliced avocado, sliced jalapeno and chopped cilantro. Drizzle with ranch or blue cheese dressing, then serve and enjoy!
Comments & Reviews
Laura Farris says
These were so different and amazing! My family really enjoyed them. I did pop them in the air fryer after baking to crisp them up, THEN added the sauce and broiled for a few minutes. Served with coleslaw, jalapeños, avocado, crispy red pepper strips, and ranch on corn tortillas. Thank you for the recipe! Will make these again!
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy you enjoyed! You’re reminding me that I have to make these again soon lol!