forget meat with the best buffalo cauliflower tacos

We are meat eaters around here. I’m surrounded by three teenage boys and a husband who still eats like a teenage boy.

They love meat, want it at every meal, and if bacon can be added to it, we’ve hit perfection. So busting out a vegan meal doesn’t win me a lot of popularity contests around here however these black pepper, buffalo cauliflower tacos soften the plant-based blow.

In fact, there is so much flavor and goodness packed in between these tortilla shells, you won’t realize meat is missing. Conveniently, you can easily throw on meat if desired and I’ve put some suggestions below.

Here’s the scoop. First, you have roasted cauliflower that’s coated with black pepper and buffalo sauce, which takes the heat up a notch. Next, add a creamy, fresh dill & chive ranch dressing which pairs so well with the cauliflower. Add the sweet tang from pickled red onions and you’ve got yourself a good time!

These tacos are fantastic on their own but if you want to add protein, make them low-carb, or need to save time, keep reading, I have suggestions!

how to make buffalo cauliflower tacos

These tacos make a perfect weeknight meal because they take so little time to make. In fact, you can make your life even easier by making the dill ranch and pickled onions ahead of time.

The steps are easy to follow:

• Prep sheet tray(s) and preheat oven
• Make buffalo sauce and coat cauliflower
• Roast cauliflower (20-25 mins.)
• Make pickled onions (15 mins.)
• Make dill ranch (5 mins.)
• Warm tortillas (optional)
• Assemble and add your favorite toppings (see post for suggestions)
• Enjoy!

how to make 15-minute pickled onions

There’s something about the sweet, tangy taste of pickled vegetables that goes so well with buffalo sauce which is why I’ve thrown them into this recipe.

These pickled onions are so easy to make, take 15 minutes, and go well on salads, bowls, or tacos. They can become a staple in your fridge to jazz up anything.

Another option is to buy pickled veggies versus make them yourself (pickled jalapeños would be awesome on these tacos too).

Or, you can omit all together (but why would you want to do that?!)

how to make the dill ranch

Like with the pickled onions, you have alternatives for this dill ranch. You can make it as it’s outlined below, substitute it with my avocado crema recipe or buy a healthier ranch dressing like Primal Kitchen’s ranch dressing or Tessemae’s ranch (both of these are non-dairy options).

If you choose to buy the ranch, doctor it up with the fresh herbs to give it even more flavor.

what to add to buffalo cauliflower tacos

Some of my favorite additions include (but not limited to):

• Shredded cabbage
• Shredded carrots
• Sliced Avocado or bacon guacamole
• Pickled jalapeños
• Cojita or blue cheese crumbles
• Any kind of greens (lettuce, spinach, arugula)
• Chopped red onion or jalapeños

add protein to cauliflower tacos

These tacos have 11 grams of protein but you may be looking for more. Here are some additions to consider for your tacos:

• Grilled chicken, shrimp, or salmon
• Seared or baked white fish like Cod or Haddock
• Ground turkey or beef
• Chickpeas or lentils

what are some healthier tortillas options?

Flour tortillas aren’t exactly packed with nutrients so you have options based on your diet needs. Here are some of my faves!

• lettuce leaves (Bibb or butter lettuce works best) or a whole roasted pepper
• cassava or almond flour tortillas (grain & gluten-free)
• brown rice tortillas (gluten-free option)
• quinoa flour tortillas
• Ezekial sprouted grain tortillas
• make a salad or bowl with cauliflower rice or beans

Note, I love to use these alternative tortillas which can be found on amazon or in the organic freezer isle of most grocery stores.

Since these are frozen (and also don’t have a TON of flavor), I LOVE to brown them before serving.

To brown tortillas:

1. Heat a skillet on medium heat
2. Brush both sides of each tortilla. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and/or garlic powder.
3. Lay the tortilla on the skillet and cook on each side for a couple of minutes (until nicely browned).
4. Once you take it out of the pan, I fold it while it’s still pliable from the heat.

have the ingredients delivered to your door

Olive oil

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Hot sauce – Siete

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Black pepper

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Garlic powder – McCormick

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White vinegar

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Allulose

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Tortillas – brown rice from Food for Life

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Tortillas – cassava flour from Siete

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Tortillas – quinoa flour from Maria & Ricardos

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forget meat with the best buffalo cauliflower tacos

5 from 7 votes

Recipe by Karen Lachman Course: Dinner, LunchCuisine: MexicanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4-6

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

25

minutes

Calories

316

kcal

Spicy black pepper, buffalo roasted cauliflower, covered with a fresh herb ranch, and tangy, pickled red onions make this taco complete! So perfect, you won’t miss the meat!

Ingredients

• buffalo cauliflower

• 2 heads of cauliflower, broken into florets (about 6 cups)

• 1/3 cup olive oil

• 1/3 cup hot sauce, such as Siete or Frank’s RedHot

• 1-2 tsp. freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste

• 1 tsp. garlic powder

• Kosher or sea salt

• dill ranch

• 1/2 cup sour cream or plain greek yogurt (you can use dairy-free options)

• 1/2 tbsp. white vinegar

• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh dill

• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh chives, plus more for garnish (optional)

• 1/4 cup milk of choice, plus more as needed to thin

• 1/2 tsp. Kosher or sea salt, more to taste

• freshly ground black pepper

• pickled onions

• 1 red onion, sliced thin

• 3-4 tsp. mixed spices like peppercorns, fennel seed, cumin seed, coriander

• 1 cup white vinegar or use apple cider or red wine vinegar

• 1 cup water

• 1.5 tsp. Kosher of sea salt

• 3 tbsp. sweetener of choice (sugar, honey, allulose)

• handful of fresh dill (optional)

• to assemble

• tortillas (suggestions in post)

Directions

• buffalo cauliflower
• Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, combine the olive oil, hot sauce, pepper, garlic powder and pinch of salt. Mix well.
• In a large bowl, place the cauliflower and add sauce. Toss to coat.
• Lay cauliflower on the prepared baking sheet (do not overcrowd, grab a 2nd sheet if necessary). Roast until tender and golden, about 20-25 minutes.
• dill ranch
• In a medium bowl, stir together the sour cream or yogurt, vinegar, chives, dill, salt, and milk. Add 1-2 tbsp. more milk if needed to thin as needed. Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed.
• pickled onions
• Place the onion along with the vinegar, water, salt, sweetener, whole spices and any optional additions in a small pot on the stove and bring to a simmer. Simmer 1 minutes, stirring.
• Remove from the stove and let it cool.
• Place onions and liquid in a clean jar(s) and store in the fridge. These will last 2-3 weeks in the fridge.
• to assemble
• Warm or toast your tortillas. Add all of your favorite toppings (suggestions in post), cauliflower, pickled onions and ranch dressing. Top with a spritz of lime and/or some chopped chives.
  Enjoy!

Recipe Video

Notes

• Nutrition facts based on non-fat greek yogurt, allulose, and no tortilla shell.

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looking for more taco recipes? Check out:

• buffalo chicken tacos with lime ranch (instant pot)
• make these shrimp tacos with spicy lime slaw your next obsession
• instant pot chicken tacos with avocado crema
• taco salad with lime ranch dressing