Spicy Cauliflower and Black Bean Tacos Recipe

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Cauliflower and black bean tacos are packed with flavor! Made with only a few ingredients in less than an hour, they are perfect for busy weeknight dinners. These tacos will surely become one of your favorites in no time!

a close up picture of three cauli tacos on a plate

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You will love the variety of textures in these tacos that are quick, healthy and full of flavor. They are the ideal meal for taco Tuesday or meatless Monday or any taco night!

If you love tacos, try my healthy beef taco or Korean beef tacos recipes!

Why you will🤍this recipe

These tacos are economical and made with simple ingredients that you most likely already have in your kitchen.
Cauliflower is a versatile vegetable! It’s not only healthy, it adds a nice meaty texture to the taco filling that meat lovers will like too!
Cauliflower and black bean tacos are versatile. You can customize them with different toppings and seasonings to make them your own.

Here is what you will need

This is an overview of the ingredients and steps to make this recipe; scroll down for a printable recipe card with exact measurements and detailed instructions.

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🛒Ingredients

Olive Oil
Cauliflower
Black Beans
Taco Seasoning (here is my recipe for homemade taco seasoning)
Flour or yellow corn tortillas
Cheddar cheese
Your favorite taco toppings

🥄Equipment

Large Skillet
Cutting Board
Chef’s Knife

How to make black bean and cauliflower tacos

Prepare the ingredients: Chop the cauliflower into small pieces, but not cauliflower rice. You want it to be similar in size to crumbles of ground meat.

Drain and rinse the black beans, and mix together the taco seasoning (3 tablespoons chili powder, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper).

Step 1.

Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot add the cauliflower and cook until the cauliflower starts to soften.

Step 2.

Reduce the heat to medium heat and stir in the spice mixture along with the water. Cook for about 3 minutes.

Cauliflower bean tacos process 3 cauliflower with beans in skillet

Step 3.

Reduce the heat to medium low heat, stir in the beans making sure they are mixed in with the spicy cauliflower florets. Remove the filling from the heat and assemble the tacos.

Note: If you use my homemade seasoning blend to make these tacos, you will have some leftover. Store it in a small glass jar in your spice cabinet for 6 to 8 months).

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

The complete list of ingredients to make this recipe is above. Below are notes about some of the ingredients, along with ideas for substitutes.

Cauliflower – You can use a head of cauliflower and cut it into small pieces or you can save time and use packaged cauliflower florets and roughly chop them.

Black Beans I use black canned black beans for convenience in this recipe. You can also use dried black beans that you have cooked as well.

If you don’t have black beans you can also use kidney beans or pinto beans.

Taco Seasoning – Homemade taco seasoning is simple to make, here is my recipe for taco seasoning. You can also use a good quality store bought taco seasoning blend to save time.

How to make cauliflower tacos ahead of time

Even though this recipe is easy to make, it’s also a great recipe for meal prep. You can mix up the spice blend and chop up the cauliflower up to two days ahead of time.

Store the cauliflower in the refrigerator in an airtight container and the spice blend at room temperature.

You can also cook and season the cauliflower and store it in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Just before serving your tacos, heat the cauliflower up with drained and rinsed black beans.

How to store leftovers

Leftover tacos can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days in an airtight container. Reheat the tacos on top of the stove, in the oven or microwave.

An overhead view of 3 tacos on a plate with lime slices

Recipe variations

Taco recipes are so versatile, you can make them extra spicy, or mild or add any variety of toppings to make them your own. Here are a few ways you can change these tacos up.

Hot sauce – Instead of seasoning the cauliflower and beans with taco seasoning, use a teaspoon or two of your favorite hot sauce combined with a little bit of olive oil. Or you can make buffalo cauliflower in the air fryer instead of a skillet.

Vegan tacos – Make a vegan version of cauliflower tacos and leave the cheese out of use your favorite vegan cheese.

Seasoning blend – Change up the seasoning blend and use cajun seasoning or jerk seasoning instead of taco seasoning.

Lettuce wraps – Instead of traditional tortillas, use leaves of Boston lettuce or romaine lettuce.

Crunchy tacos – Replace soft tortillas with crispy taco shells for crunchy tacos.

a picture of three cauliflower tacos on a plate with lettuce and limes

Serving suggestions

Serve your cauliflower and black bean tacos with your favorite taco toppings such as chopped fresh cilantro, salsa, guacamole, shredded lettuce, shredded red cabbage, slices of avocado, pico de gallo, chopped red onion or green onion, sour cream or Greek yogurt.

💡Tip

For a bright and fresh flavor, add a squeeze of lime juice from a lime wedge over your tacos before eating them.
If the cauliflower sticks to the pan while it’s cooking add a little more water to keep it moist.

Can you roast the cauliflower taco filling instead of cooking it in a skillet?

Yes. Roasted cauliflower will work! Toss the cauliflower florets in a tablespoon of oil along with the taco seasoning. Arrange the cauliflower pieces on a large baking sheet and roast in preheated 400 degree oven for approximately 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and add the beans and toss.

Can you make cauliflower tacos with cauliflower rice?

You can, but I don’t recommend it. The cauliflower rice will be softer than bigger pieces of cauliflower. If you don’t mind the softer texture, follow the instructions in the recipe card, but cut the cooking time down to a few minutes.

Are cauliflower and black bean tacos healthy?

Yes, they are healthy. They are packed with protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals.