The BEST Vegan Cauliflower Tinga Tacos are saucy, smoky and spicy. Ready in under 30 minutes and packed with flavor – add all your favorite toppings and enjoy it! Better than takeout!
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If you love cauliflower and love tacos, then these vegan cauliflower tinga tacos are going to be your new favorite dish!
When your looking for a super easy dinner recipe idea with restaurant quality take-out flavors with only 30 minutes until dinner – these cauliflower tinga tacos are just up your ally! The cauliflower gets so tender from simmering in the juices and you are absolutely going to love it!
You will love this twist on the traditional, popular Mexican recipe to make it plant based.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Why is Tinga called Tinga?
Tinga refers to a Mexican dish made with shredded chicken that has been braised in a tomato sauce with chipotle chilis, onions and seasonings.
Today, we are taking the same concept, however, since we are vegan, we are swapping the chicken for cauliflower.
Are vegan cauliflower tinga tacos spicy?
We made this recipe to give you a choice. You can either increase or decrease the spice level on these while making. The recipe calls for 1-2 chipotles in adobe sauce.
If you use 2 of these peppers, then these tinga tacos can be pretty spicy. We recommend making this the first time around with only one, or even half of one if you really don’t handle spice well.
After trying it out you can determine if you would like to up the stakes!
Can I substitute the cauliflower with something else?
Yes! While we love this dish, we understand that no matter what seasonings and spices, some people just do not care for cauliflower. Luckily, we can help.
You could make this dish with tofu, seitan, vegan chicken substitutes, mushrooms, chickpeas, and more. Great creative and share with us what you did.
How long are vegan cauliflower tinga tacos good for?
We wouldn’t recommend premaking the whole tacos (like in the shells), but the cauliflower can be made and store ahead for up to three days. We suggest putting the mixture into an air-tight container and storing in the fridge.
Is this vegan tinga taco dish Top 8 Free?
This recipe as written is Top 8 Allergen Free. No substitutions need to be made to the actual recipe.
What other vegan taco ideas could I make?
If you love tacos as much as we do, then you’ll love these other ideas as well!
- Vegan Quinoa and Black Bean Tacos
- Easy Vegan Lentil Tacos with Spinach and Feta
- Korean Inspired Vegan Broccoli Tacos
Pin these vegan cauliflower tinga tacos for later!
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Vegan Cauliflower Tinga Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 large cauliflower florets, cut into bite size pieces (about 6 cups)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large sweet onion, finely chopped, divided
- 1 28oz can peeled tomatoes
- 1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo
- 4 large cloves of garlic
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried marjoram
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup vegan white wine (optional)
- 2 tablespoon cane sugar
Optional
- soft or hard taco shells or lettuce wraps
- avocado
- red onions
- cilantro
- sliced jalapeno
- vegan feta crumbles
Instructions
- Cut the cauliflower into bite sized pieces.
- Heat the oil in a large pan (or skillet) over medium heat and add the cauliflower and ½ of the chopped onion. Cook until the onions are soft and translucent and cauliflower is slightly charred-about 5-6 minutes.
- While onions and cauliflower cook; In a blender, add remaining chopped onions, tomatoes, chipotle peppers, garlic, and salt. Blend until smooth or similar to a salsa.
- Pour the blended mixture over onions and cauliflower. Add bay leaf, oregano, thyme, marjoram, pepper, white wine and cane sugar. Stir together.
- Reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally, to reduce a bit and make more thick, about 8-10 minutes (longer if you'd like a thicker sauce)
- Serve as desired with toppings.
The sauce is so good I could drink it. My family likes spice so I used 2 chipotles – I think next time I’ll use 1 1/2” 🥵
Thank you so much, we love, love, loved it!
hahah, glad you enjoyed it!
Absolutely delicious!!! Great balance between sweet and spicy.
So happy that you enjoyed it! Thanks for leaving the review