These Vegan Chickpea Cauliflower Tinga Tacos are the perfect hit of spicy and smoky and loaded with flavor for a plant-based spin on Tinga de Pollo (or Chicken Tinga)! You’ll love these tasty tacos and want to share them with friends and family. Plus, they are ready to eat in less than 30 minutes!
Cauliflower is one of my favorite veggies because it is so versatile and absorbs any flavor with ease. The mix of cauliflower and chickpeas in this saucy vegan Tinga taco recipe creates a filling plant based dinner that everyone will enjoy.
Tinga is a Mexican dish that is traditionally made by simmering shredded chicken in a tomato-based chipotle sauce that is smoky, spicy, and tangy. I’ve made this plant based Tinga sauce with chipotle chilis in adobo and spices. This plant based Chickpea and Cauliflower Tinga taco recipe is a delicious and healthy take on traditional Mexican Tinga. You can load these vegan tacos up with your favorite toppings. I love to add shredded cabbage, avocado, vegan sour cream, and cilantro.
How To Make Vegan Tinga Tacos
This recipe for plant based Tinga tacos is easy to cook, which makes it perfect for a quick and tasty weeknight dinner. Here are the steps to make these epic vegan tacos:
- Bake cauliflower florets and chickpeas for 15-20 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook until the cauliflower is fork-tender, but not too soft. Make sure to use sustainable baking paper or a reusable silicone baking sheet so it doesn’t stick to the pan.
- While the cauliflower and chickpeas are baking, you can save time by preparing the Tinga sauce. To make the sauce, all you need to do is saute onion and garlic for a couple minutes in a pan and then add to a blender with the chilis, seasonings, and canned tomatoes.
- Coat the cooked cauliflower and chickpea mix with the vegan Tinga sauce.
- Assemble tacos!
Tacos are the best because they are quick, easy, and always delicious. Also, there are so many different kinds of vegan tacos to make! If you’re here, I’m assuming you love tacos like I do. Check out these other plant based taco recipes to spice up your life:
Hungry for more delicious vegan recipes? Rooted is full of healthy, mouthwatering vegan recipes that anyone can cook and everyone will love! Easy recipes with step-by-step directions that use simple everyday ingredients to make healthy and delicious meals.
I love sharing new recipes with you and I hope you love these Vegan Chickpea Cauliflower Tinga Tacos like I do! For more vegan recipes, check out my eCookbooks and subscribe to my YouTube Channel =]
Vegan Tinga Tacos
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 10-12 tacos 1x
Description
Vegan Tinga Tacos with Cauliflower and Chickpea filling will likely be your new favorite spicy plant based taco. This flavorful taco filling also works great in other recipes, like burritos, nachos, sandwiches, and breakfast scrambles.
Ingredients
For the Vegan Tinga Taco Filling
- 1 small head cauliflower
- 1 can (15 oz.) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 TBSP olive oil
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced or grated
- 2-4 chipotle peppers in adobo (depending on spice level)
- 3/4 cup canned fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 TBSP maple or agave syrup
- 1 TBSP lime juice
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp Mexican oregano
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp pepper
For the Tacos
- Corn Tortillas
- Cilantro
- Avocado or Guacamole
- Vegan Sour Cream
- Lime
- Shredded Cabbage
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Chop the cauliflower into small florets. Spread the cauliflower florets and chickpeas on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or baking paper and mix with the olive oil. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until fork-tender.
- Meanwhile, sauté the onion and garlic in a non-stick pan with a bit of water or oil for 2-3 minutes, until softened and fragrant.
- Transfer the onion and garlic to a blender and add the chilis, canned tomatoes, maple syrup, lime juice, and spices. Blend until smooth. Alternatively, you can blend with an immersion blender.
- Once the cauliflower and chickpeas are cooked, coat them with the Tinga Sauce. You may have some sauce leftover depending on the size of your cauliflower and how saucy you like your tacos. You can freeze the extra sauce for later use.
- Warm the tortillas and assemble your tacos! Enjoy =]
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
