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    Home » Main Dishes

    Cauliflower Taco Meat (Vegan)

    Published: Jan 10, 2020 | Modified: Jan 16, 2020 by Bree Sheree

    453 shares

    This post contains affiliate links for which I may earn a commission (at no extra cost to you) should you make a purchase. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see my disclaimer for more information.

    Jump to Recipe
    Tacos filled with cauliflower taco meat and rice topped with cauliflower taco meat.
    Cauliflower tacos with salsa and dressing, and cauliflower taco meat on a pan.

    This cauliflower taco meat is vegan and nut-free. It’s easy to make and a perfect healthy alternative to taco meat.

    Vegan cauliflower tacos with salsa and lettuce.

    Vegan tacos made of cauliflower?? YES!

    If this is something you haven’t tried before, I know it probably seems really weird, but it has actually become very popular!

    This recipe uses cauliflower as a base, along with some mushrooms, carrots, and onion to create a fake ground “meat.” It will definitely have a different texture than cooked ground beef, but the taste is perfect for tacos!

    Start by putting your cauliflower into a food processor to break it up into small cauliflower pieces, like a crumble (see image).

    Ground cauliflower in a food processor.

    Then remove the cauliflower and place it into a mixing bowl.

    Next, add the chopped mushrooms, carrot, and onion to the food processor and blend to break the pieces up some more.

    Chopped mushroom, carrot, and onion in a food processor
    Image: Chopped vegetables before being processed.

    Add to the mixing bowl, then mix in the other ingredients to add flavour.

    Image: After processing, add mushroom, carrot, and onion to the bowl with cauliflower.

    This cauliflower taco meat is super healthy because it is baked in the oven without any oil. No frying required! Just spread out your mixture on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degress Fahrenheit for 30 minutes, mixing halfway through.

    TIPS FOR MAKING THIS CAULIFLOWER TACO MEAT

    • After you have broken up your cauliflower into a crumble, remove it from the food processor. Do not continue processing the cauliflower with the other ingredients. If you process it too much, it will form a paste-like texture.
    • If you are concerned about sodium from the tamari, make sure you get the low sodium kind. 1 tablespoon of that for the entire recipe will not be too much sodium per taco.
    • Remember to mix around the cauliflower taco meat halfway through cooking. This will allow it to bake more evenly.

    TOPPINGS FOR CAULIFLOWER TACOS

    What's a taco without any toppings?? Here are some of my favourite healthy toppings for these cauliflower tacos!

    • Guacamole or just some diced avocado
    • Salsa
    • Nutritional yeast
    • Tofu sour cream
    • Beans (I like pinto or black beans for tacos)
    • Lettuce

    If you want to try another vegan taco recipe, check out this tofu crumble.

    Cauliflower tacos with salsa and dressing, and cauliflower taco meat on a pan.
    Cauliflower taco meat in soft corn tortillas with salsa and lettuce.
    Print Recipe

    Cauliflower Taco Meat (Vegan)

    This cauliflower taco meat is vegan and nut-free. It’s easy to make and a perfect healthy alternative to taco meat.
    Prep Time20 mins
    Cook Time30 mins
    Total Time50 mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Vegan
    Servings: 7
    Calories: 36kcal
    Author: Bree Sheree

    Ingredients

    • 330 grams of cauliflower (about 3 cups chopped)
    • 1.5 cups chopped cremini mushrooms
    • ½ cup chopped carrot
    • ¼ cup chopped yellow onion
    • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
    • 1 tablespoon tamari (gluten-free, low sodium)
    • 1 teaspoon cumin
    • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
    • 2 tablespoons chili powder
    • 2 teaspoons paprika

    Instructions

    • Set oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
    • Chop your cauliflower into small florets. You should get about 3 cups of chopped florets with 330 grams of cauliflower.
    • Place the cauliflower florets in a food processor and process until they are broken into small pieces, like pieces of taco meat. Then put your ground cauliflower in a medium sized mixing bowl.
    • Chop and measure out your mushroom, carrot, and onion. Add them all to the food processor and process until broken up like you did with the cauliflower. Then add to the mixing bowl.
    • In your mixing bowl, add the remaining ingredients and mix everything thoroughly.
    • On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (or another non-stick material), pour out the contents of the mixing bowl. Spread it out evenly.
    • Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes, stopping to mix it all around halfway through.

    Notes

    This recipe will make enough cauliflower taco meat for approximately 6-8 small tacos, depending on how much you use for each taco.
    Make sure you don't process the cauliflower too much, or else it will form a mushy paste. That's why you need to process the other vegetables without the cauliflower.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 36kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 131mg | Potassium: 362mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2556IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg

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    453 shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jenny

      August 16, 2021 at 2:59 am

      Can I use my Vitamix instead of a food processor? I don’t have a food processor. And can I cook this in a pan instead of baking it? Thank you!

      Reply
      • Bree Sheree

        August 17, 2021 at 7:44 am

        Hi, Jenny. Unfortunately I don't think a Vitamix would work very well for this recipe. As far as cooking in a pan, I have never tried that so I'm not sure if it would work.

        Reply

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    Hey, I'm Bree! I'm a Certified Nutritionist and a vegan. I love creating recipes and sharing information related to a vegan lifestyle!

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