Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos with Ranch
These spicy buffalo cauliflower tacos feature baked buffalo cauliflower bites with cilantro lime slaw and a creamy tahini ranch dressing.
Easy to make and full of flavor, these are perfect for a meatless taco night or easy weeknight dinner. Vegan tacos always make a great option for Taco Tuesday – for more, you’ll have to try these Easy Tofu Tacos with Creamy Avocado Sauce, Peanut Chickpea Tacos or Vegan Tempeh Tacos next.
If you love spicy comfort food, you’re going to love this buffalo cauliflower tacos recipe.
The crispy buffalo cauliflower is made by coating cauliflower florets in a simple seasoned batter, roasting and then tossing in a spicy buffalo sauce and roasting once more, until brown and crunchy.
Paired with a creamy ranch dressing and simple tangy cabbage slaw, this recipe delivers plenty of flavor for a mouthwatering meal.
Recipe Highlights
- Vegan.
- Can be gluten-free (use corn tortillas and gluten-free flour).
- Baked, not fried.
- Easy to make.
- High in fiber.
- Easy to customize.
- Buffalo cauliflower can be served on its own as “wings”.
Ingredient Notes
- Cauliflower: Use one medium to large-sized head of cauliflower. The amount doesn’t have to be exact.
- Flour: You can use all-purpose flour, oat flour, brown rice flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour.
- Milk: Use any plain unsweetened plant-based milk such as oat, almond or cashew.
- Buffalo Sauce: Use any buffalo sauce you enjoy. I recommend Frank’s Buffalo Sauce. Not all sauces not vegan so be sure to read the label if that’s a concern.
- Butter: You can use butter, plant-based butter or margarine. Coconut oil may be substituted.
- Maple Syrup: This can be substituted with honey or agave syrup.
- Tahini: The ranch dressing is tahini-based. Please see Variations & Additions below for alternative sauce options.
- Nutritional Yeast
- Tortillas: Use any small soft tortillas such as flour or corn. For gluten-free, be sure to use corn tortillas.
- Cabbage: You can use green, red cabbage or coleslaw mix.
This list is not complete. Please see the recipe card at the end of the post for the complete ingredient list with measurements and detailed instructions.
Variations & Additions
- For alternative sauces, use the cilantro lime crema from this vegan black bean taco recipe, the garlic lime cashew cream from this tempeh taco recipe, the queso sauce from these sweet potato black bean tacos or the Southwest chipotle dressing from this vegan taco salad.
- If you’d rather not make a sauce, use vegan sour cream, salsa, guacamole or other prepared condiment of choice.
- Other toppings you could add are black beans, refried beans, shredded lettuce, pickled onions, minced onions.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Before you start, prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 450 F.
Step 1: Mix the flour, cornstarch, salt, garlic powder and onion powder in a large mixing bowl. Add the milk and whisk to combine.
Step 2: Cut the cauliflower into florets. Dip or toss the pieces in batter in batches, dripping off excess batter before placing them on the baking sheets. Make sure to give the pieces space so they roast, not steam.
Bake the cauliflower for 20 minutes, turning the pans half way through.
Step 3: Mix the buffalo sauce, melted butter and maple syrup in a bowl. Toss the roasted cauliflower in the sauce in 2-3 batches and place them back on the baking sheet.
Step 4: Bake the cauliflower for another 15 minutes until browned and crispy.
Step 5: While the cauliflower finishes baking, make the sauce and cabbage slaw. Mix the ranch sauce ingredients in any bowl or container, slowly adding water while continuing to mix until you reach a creamy consistency.
Step 6: Add the shredded cabbage, fresh cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper to a bowl. Massage with your hands and set aside until ready to assemble your tacos.
Step 7: Once the cauliflower is done, add a little slaw to each tortilla then top with a few pieces of the buffalo cauliflower bites, ranch sauce and fresh cilantro. Add any other toppings you might like, such as avocado, black beans or pickled red onions and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Buffalo cauliflower tacos are gluten-free as long as you use corn tortillas (not wheat) and a gluten-free flour such as oat flour or gluten-free all purpose flour.
Leftover buffalo cauliflower can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, though it’s best served fresh when it’s crispy. Reheat in the oven on a pan at 350 F until hot. It’s not advised to reheat in the microwave or it will be soggy.
Leftover buffalo cauliflower makes a delicious salad with romaine lettuce, the cabbage slaw and tahini sauce. You can add extra ingredients like red onion, corn, etc. Buffalo cauliflower is also delicious in a burrito with rice.
Cooking Tips
- Use a fork to tongs to dip the cauliflower in the batter so you can tap off excess.
- Be sure to give the cauliflower pieces space on the baking sheets. This is key for a crispy result.
More Vegan Tacos
Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Scroll down to the comment section to leave a star rating and review.
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Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 tacos
- Category: Main Dish
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Spicy cauliflower tacos featured crispy baked cauliflower, tahini ranch dressing and cilantro lime cabbage slaw. Perfect for a veggie taco night! Enjoy with the ranch dressing and cilantro slime slaw or your favorite toppings.
Ingredients
For the Buffalo Cauliflower
- 1 medium head of cauliflower
- ¾ cup flour*
- ¼ cup cornstarch or arrowroot powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup unsweetened plain dairy-free milk
- ⅔ cup of buffalo sauce, like Frank’s
- 2 tbsp vegan butter, melted
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
For the Ranch Sauce
- 5 tbsp tahini
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- ½ tsp dried dill
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt
- pinch of black pepper
- water to adjust consistency, approx. 3-6 tbsp
For Serving
- soft flour or corn tortillas
- 2 cups shredded green or purple cabbage
- 1 lime
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- Avocado, diced, optional for topping
Instructions
- Prepare Cauliflower: Preheat the oven to 450 F. Prepare two parchment-lined baking sheets. Cut cauliflower into 1-2-inch bite-sized pieces. In a large bowl, add flour, cornstarch, garlic power, onion powder and salt. Add milk, then whisk until smooth.
- Dip cauliflower pieces into the batter, letting excess batter drip off. Transfer battered pieces to the prepared baking sheets. Spread cauliflower out in an even layer. You want space between, so that they do not steam.
- Roast Cauliflower: Roast on the middle and lower racks for 20 min, rotating baking sheets halfway through.
- Mix Hot Sauce: To a large bowl, add hot sauce, melted butter and maple syrup. When the cauliflower has roasted for 20 mins, carefully transfer to the bowl with hot sauce, in 2-3 batches, tossing to coat.
- Return cauliflower to the baking sheets and roast for another 15 min, until tender, lightly browned and crisped around the edges.
- For the Ranch: While the cauliflower bakes, Mix all of the sauce ingredients in any bowl or container. Whisk until smooth, slowly adding water 1-2 tbsp at a time while mixing until you reach a creamy consistency.
- Mix Slaw: In a medium bowl, add shredded cabbage, juice of half a lime and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Using your hands, massage cabbage to soften.
- Assemble Tacos: Divide a little slaw between tortillas. Top with cauliflower. Drizzle ranch over top, then garnish with avocado and cilantro. Cut remaining lime into wedges, serve on the side.
Notes
You can use oat flour, all-purpose flour, gluten-free flour, brown rice flour.
Makes 8-10 roughly 6-inch tacos or 4 servings, depending on how many pieces of cauliflower you add to each
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tacos
- Calories: 483
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 1099 mg
- Fat: 17 g
- Carbohydrates: 71 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 16 g
Omg these were good, I’m obsessed with the cauliflower, it is so good. I didn’t make the ranch sauce. We just did sour cream with the cabbage and they were so tasty. I’ll be making the cauliflower again asap!