These maple chili cauliflower tacos might be the BEST tacos I’ve ever made! Cauliflower is bathed in a maple chili marinade, roasted until slightly charred, and paired with a mango jalapeno salsa, avocado crema and pickled cabbage. Each bite is pure heaven.
If you’re thinking that my description might be over the top, then I DARE you to try this recipe! These maple chili cauliflower tacos are the best tasting tacos I’ve ever had; hands down! The star of the show is the maple chili bathed cauliflower that’s roasted until slightly charred. For the main protein, I have used seitan but you can absolutely use black beans if you’re gluten-free or seitan isn’t your thing. There are three components to this recipe so let’s dig in!
The Cauliflower
Whether you choose a cauliflower head or pre-packed cauliflower florets (cuts down the prep time), both will work for this recipe! The cauliflower is brushed with a maple, chili and garlic marinade and then roasted in the oven. As I mentioned above, I’m using seitan as my plant-powered protein source. However, if seitan isn’t your favorite thing, I have two options. First, skip the seitan altogether and let the cauliflower shine on its own. Secondly, you can use black beans (or other bean) to help boost the protein in this dish. I’ll provide recipe notes down below for those opting for the beans.
Mango, Jalapeno & Corn Salsa
This incredibly easy salsa is made in just five minutes with the easiest and simplest of ingredient lists. The sweetness of the mango and the heat of the jalapeno dance for a very balanced combo of sweet and spicy.
Avocado Crema
I really wanted to amp these tacos up in a different way rather than the traditional guacamole. I would literally never skip avocados in any of my tacos so I found a way to use it for delicious taste but also, to help tamp down some of the heat from the jalapeno. Avocado, lime, plant milk and a little bit of water are all the ingredients you need for this magical avocado cream sauce.
Some final notes here: I’m using grain-free taco shells from Siete, however you can use any taco shell you like! I’ve also topped off my tacos with pickled cabbage. This is totally optional but it adds an extra layer of flavor and dimension. I’m so excited for you guys to try these so make sure you tag me on Instagram with your own versions!
Maple Chili Cauliflower Tacos
Ingredients
Tacos
- 1 head of cauliflower or 2 bags florets
- 8oz seitan sub with 1 can black beans
Cauliflower Marinade
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1-2 cloves of minced garlic
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp chili powder
Seitan/Black Bean Seasoning
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp chili powder
Mango Jalapeno Salsa
- 1 yellow mango, peeled & cubed
- 1 small jalapeno, deseeded and diced
- 1/2 cup of cooked/canned sweet corn
- 2 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
- juice from 1-2 limes
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- salt, to taste
Avocado Crema
- 1 large avocado
- juice from 1 lime
- 3/4 cup plant milk
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup water for thinning
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425.
- Place cauliflower florets onto a sheet pan. Brush with the marinade. Roast for 20-25 minutes. Set aside.
- While the cauliflower is cooking, saute the seitan or the beans with its seasoning for 2-3 minutes. Then set aside.
Mango Salsa
- Dice the mango and jalapeno and add to a bowl. Add the chopped cilantro, lime juice, corn, salt, and chili powder. Gently mix until well incorporated. Set aside.
Avocado Cream
- Blend the ingredients for the avocado crema in a high speed blender until smooth with desired thickness.
- Assembled the tacos with cauliflower and Seitan, mango salsa, avocado crema, fresh cilantro and if desired, pickled cabbage/onions.
Video
@thewholescoopblog Maple Chili Cauliflower & Seitan Tacos! #vegan #veganrecipes #cooking #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #climatechange
♬ Levitating – Dua Lipa
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