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The crispiest cauliflower you’ve ever had…and it’s baked, not fried! Crispy, crunchy, creamy – you can have it all with these Baked Vegan Cauliflower Tacos!
I have to admit I haven’t been this excited about a recipe in a long time! These seriously turned out better than I could have ever imagined and now I can’t stop eating them. They are the perfect light summer meal!
Easy with super fresh flavors, this recipe hits on all the best textures – crispy, crunchy and creamy. You have to try these Baked Vegan Cauliflower Tacos!
The crispy cauliflower, the crunchy coleslaw, the creamy tartar sauce – it all works so perfectly together to create one delicious bite!
Reminiscent of a fried fish taco, it’ll have you dreaming of the waves breaking on the sand while you dine seaside. Perhaps a Pineapple Coconut Smoothie, which tastes like a virgin piña colada, or a blood orange margarita, would be a great choice to wash it down.
I can easily take down three of these crunchy Cauliflower Tacos in one sitting – sometimes more! It’s so hard to stop! And the whole family loves them too!
I am not even kidding when I say this cauliflower is the CRISPIEST you’ve ever had! The panko breadcrumbs and coconut flakes combine to make a super crunchy crust surrounding the cauliflower. The cauliflower, on the inside, is tender and delicious!
With absolutely no oil, it’s BAKED, not fried. I almost couldn’t believe it myself. I have made these cauliflower tacos a huge number of times now because I wanted to make sure it wasn’t just a fluke and that it would turn out super crispy when you guys make it too. I promise, it will!
Just look at all that crispy breading! These are just like your favorite crispy fish tacos, but so much better because they are plant based, healthy cauliflower tacos!
These do take a little bit of time to prep, but trust me, it’s worth it! Feel free to skip the tortilla, dip the baked cauliflower right into the tartar sauce and pop it right into your mouth. De-lish! Serve the coleslaw on the side.
Tip – bagged coleslaw works just as well here and would be a nice time saver.
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you tried it, please use the rating system in the recipe card and leave a comment below with your feedback.
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Crispy Vegan Cauliflower Tacos
Ingredients
Baked Cauliflower
- 1 medium cauliflower sliced into long pieces – see note
- ½ cup full fat coconut milk
- Juice and Zest of 1 lime
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs gluten free if necessary
- ½ cup cornmeal
- ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Sweet and Sour Slaw
- ¾ cup chopped red cabbage
- ¾ cup chopped green cabbage
- ½ cup shredded carrots
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1-2 teaspoon(s) pure maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon salt
Tangy Vegan Tartar Sauce
- ⅓ cup homemade vegan mayonnaise or your favorite store-bought vegan mayo
- ⅓ cup diced dill pickle
- Juice and Zest of 1 lime
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried dill
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Dash of sriracha optional
Extras
- Tortillas use corn tortillas for gluten free
- Extra Lime Wedges
- Dash of Sriracha
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
For the Slaw:
- Make the slaw first so it has time to marinate and soften just a bit. Whisk all the wet ingredients together and pour them over the veggies in a medium bowl. Cover it and put it in the fridge.
For the Baked Cauliflower:
- Whisk together the coconut milk, zest and juice of 1 lime and½ teaspoon salt in a wide shallow bowl, set aside.
- Whisk together the panko, cornmeal, shredded coconut, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, turmeric, ½ teaspoon salt and the pepper in another wide shallow bowl, set aside.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and line up your breading station in this order: cauliflower, wet batter, dry breading, baking sheet.
- Take a slice of the cauliflower and place it in the coconut milk batter, flipping it over to make sure all sides are covered. Next, place that piece of cauliflower in the dry breading mix, pressing it down and flipping it over to make sure it’s coated evenly on both sides. The breading should stick easily and not fall off. Transfer your breaded piece of cauliflower to the lined baking sheet. Repeat with all remaining slices of cauliflower. My medium sized cauliflower filled up one baking sheet perfectly!
- Bake the breaded cauliflower for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping each piece over after 15 minutes, until both sides are golden brown and crispy.
For the Tartar Sauce:
- While the cauliflower is baking, make your tartar sauce. In a small bowl, stir together all ingredients. Place in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
For the Tacos:
- To assemble the tacos, place a tortilla on a plate, top with a bit of the slaw, a piece or two of the crispy breaded cauliflower and top with a big dollop of tangy tartar sauce. Garnish with an extra squeeze of lime or dash of sriracha.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition values are calculated using online calculators and are estimates only. Please verify using your own data.
Sandra says
I use a little less lime in the slaw and sauce, but amazing recipe!!! A fam favourite 🙂
Jenn Sebestyen says
I’m so glad you like them! Thank you!
Alicia says
Made this for dinner, and it was phenomenal! I subbed a premade “coconut shrimp breading” mix (no shrimp in it) from Costco for the panko/cornmeal/coconut (it was the same ingredients), added a little chipotle chili powder to the tartar to make it a Mexican tartar (sounds weird but it was delish) and topped with some sliced avocado. Seriously one of the best things I have eaten in a while; thanks for the recipe and inspiration! Happened upon you with a google search, and now I’ll be checking out your blog. 🙂
Jenn Sebestyen says
Thank you, Alicia! I’m thrilled that you love it! I hope you find lots of other delicious recipes here, too.
Ashley says
I cannot wait to try these!!! I had a similar meal at a restaurant yesterday and I can’t wait to recreate these. Do you think could I eat the leftovers cold as a wrap for lunches?
Jenn Sebestyen says
Yes, for sure. They won’t be as crispy cold, but still delicious! Let me know how they turn out.
Cyn says
I made this tonight and it was amazing. I even used cabbage from my garden for the slaw. The flavors work so well together. Thanks for sharing.
Jenn Sebestyen says
I’m so glad you love the recipe. I’ve never tried growing cabbage before…how long does it take?
CYNTHIA LOPINTO says
I live in Florida and grow them from small plants and they do really well here. It takes a couple of months for them to be ready to eat, but well worth it.
Jenn Sebestyen says
I bet. Yum!
June says
The first time I made this and took my first bite, I felt my taste buds had exploded. I don’t make them often (due to time constrictions or me, just being lazy) but each time I do, I never want to stop eating them.
Great recipe, Jenn.
Jenn Sebestyen says
Thank you, June! I feel the same way!
Michelle says
this was great! I made it as written, and it was fantastic, thank you. The kids loved the “tartar sauce” although for someone who has had real tartar sauce (albeit a long time ago), I don’t think it tasted anything like it. Whatever you want to call it, it was tasty and went well with the dish. 🙂
Jenn Sebestyen says
I’m so glad you all loved it, Michelle! And, admittedly, it’s been many many years since I’ve had real tartar sauce, too, so you’re probably right about the flavors being off. Delicious, nonetheless! Thanks for your comment.
Ekta says
Hello! What can I use if I don’t have cornmeal? Thank you!
Jenn Sebestyen says
Just use extra breadcrumbs. Enjoy.