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    Crispy Cauliflower Rice Tacos

    April 27, 2021 By Rene 7 Comments

    These Crispy Cauliflower Rice Tacos are layered with flavor - chipotle walnut taco "meat", refried beans, crispy shells and vegan ranch!

    Jump to Recipe
    These Crispy Cauliflower Rice Tacos are layered with flavor - chipotle walnut taco "meat", refried beans, crispy shells and vegan ranch | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #vegantacos #crispytacos

    I don't know what else to say about these tacos other than they are freaking delicious. The "meat" is a flavor-packed combo of cauliflower rice, crushed walnuts, and seasonings. The tortillas get an extra dose of flavor by being dunked in enchilada sauce before being layered with refried beans & taco "meat" and fried until crispy. Served up with my favorite vegan jalapeño ranch. Doesn't get better than that.

    How to make Crispy Cauliflower Rice Tacos

    Start off by making the taco "meat". It is made up of cauliflower rice, crushed walnuts, taco seasoning, chipotle peppers, onion & a splash of enchilada sauce. Once everything is combined, lay it out on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes, flipping halfway.

    These Crispy Cauliflower Rice Tacos are layered with flavor - chipotle walnut taco "meat", refried beans, crispy shells and vegan ranch | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #vegantacos #crispytacos

    Meanwhile, prep the dipping sauce by adding all of the ingredients to a food processor. Set aside and get your dipping station set up.

    Before frying the tacos, the tortillas are going to get a dip into some red enchilada sauce. It gives the outside of the taco an extra crispy layer. It is a must!

    These Crispy Cauliflower Rice Tacos are layered with flavor - chipotle walnut taco "meat", refried beans, crispy shells and vegan ranch | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #vegantacos #crispytacos

    How to fry Crispy Cauliflower Rice Tacos

    You have a couple options when it comes to frying the tacos - and sorry, no baking instructions for this one.

    You can either use a really good non-stick skillet and only use a light layer of oil. OR you can use any other type of skillet and add a thicker layer of oil. This will keep the tacos from sticking to the bottom and will give you a crispier taco. It is up to you - choose your own path.

    Dip one side of a warm corn tortilla into some enchilada sauce. Place the tortilla in the hot pan - sauce-side down. To one side, spread some refried bean and a spoonful of the taco "meat". Use the spatula to close the tortilla and fry until slightly crispy on both sides. Remove from the pan and repeat with the remaining tacos. I did two tacos at a time.

    These Crispy Cauliflower Rice Tacos are layered with flavor - chipotle walnut taco "meat", refried beans, crispy shells and vegan ranch | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #vegantacos #crispytacos

    How to serve Crispy Cauliflower Rice Tacos

    Once the tacos are done, serve them up with cilantro, lime wedges and a side of jalapeño ranch. You could also forego the ranch and use your favorite guacamole, salsa or hot sauce.

    These tacos can easily be reheated on the stove or in the air fryer.

    These Crispy Cauliflower Rice Tacos are layered with flavor - chipotle walnut taco "meat", refried beans, crispy shells and vegan ranch | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #vegantacos #crispytacos

    Need more recipe inspo? Check these out:

    • Roasted Corn Tostadas with Vegan Habanero Cream Sauce
    • Healthy Cauliflower Taco Bowls
    • Chipotle Lentil Taco Meat
    • Roasted Eggplant Sandwiches with Vegan Arugula Walnut Pesto
    • Chickpea Lentil Taco Rice Bowls
    These Crispy Cauliflower Rice Tacos are layered with flavor - chipotle walnut taco "meat", refried beans, crispy shells and vegan ranch | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #vegantacos #crispytacos
    These Crispy Cauliflower Rice Tacos are layered with flavor - chipotle walnut taco "meat", refried beans, crispy shells and vegan ranch | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #vegantacos #crispytacos
    Print Pin
    5 from 6 votes

    Crispy Cauliflower Rice Tacos

    These Crispy Cauliflower Rice Tacos are layered with flavor - chipotle walnut taco "meat", refried beans, crispy shells and vegan ranch!
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Mexican
    Keyword cauliflower, jalapeno ranch, ranch, tacos
    Prep Time 20 minutes
    Cook Time 50 minutes
    Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
    Servings 12 tacos
    Calories 266kcal

    Ingredients

    FOR THE CAULIFLOWER WALNUT TACO "MEAT"

    • 1 cup walnuts
    • ½ yellow onion roughly chopped
    • 2 chipotle peppers in adobo or to taste
    • 1 packet taco seasoning
    • 3 cups cauliflower rice
    • 2 tablespoon red enchilada sauce
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil

    FOR THE JALAPEÑO RANCH

    • ½ cup vegan mayo
    • ¼ cup olive oil
    • 1 jalapeño roughly chopped, remove ribs & seeds if you're sensitive to heat
    • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
    • ½ teaspoon onion powder
    • 1 clove garlic peeled
    • ¼ cup parsley roughly chopped
    • 1 tablespoon dried chives
    • salt if needed

    FOR THE TACOS

    • 12 corn tortillas*
    • 1 15-ounce can vegan refried beans**
    • red enchilada sauce
    • oil for frying
    • cilantro, lime wedges for serving

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and grease a baking sheet. Add the walnuts, onion, chipotle peppers and taco seasoning to a food processor. Pulse until combined. Transfer the walnut mixture to a large bowl with the rest of the taco "meat" ingredients and toss to combine. Spread out on the baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, flipping halfway.
    • Meanwhile, prepare the jalapeño ranch. Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse until combined. Set aside.
    • Heat some oil in a pan*** over medium heat. Pour some enchilada sauce in a bowl. Dip one side of a warm tortilla in the enchilada sauce and place it in the pan, sauce-side down. Spread some refried beans on one half of the tortilla and top with a spoonful of the cauliflower taco "meat". Use the spatula to fold the tortilla over the beans/cauliflower and cook until slightly crispy on both sides.**** Remove from the pan and repeat with the remaining ingredients.
    • Serve with cilantro, lime wedges and the jalapeño ranch.

    Video

    Notes

    *Before dipping the tortillas, heat them up. I like to wrap them in a moist paper towel and microwave them for 30-60 seconds.
    **To make the beans easier to spread, I like to place them in a bowl with a splash of water and mix until smooth.
    ***If you are using a GOOD non-stick pan, you can use less oil. For all other pans, be sure to add an even layer of oil to the bottom of the pan to ensure they don't stick.
    ****This aren't meant to be SUPER crispy. They will stay slightly tender from the enchilada sauce. I cooked 2 tacos at a time.
    The nutrition info includes all of the jalapeño ranch - you probably won't use all of the ranch, so the numbers are slightly higher.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 266kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 487mg | Potassium: 231mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 3g | Iron: 1mg

    This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on one and make a purchase I will receive a small percentage of the sale. Please know I would never link a product unless I have personally used it and loved it!

    If you make any of these recipes be sure to snap a photo + post it + and tag #thissavoryvegan and  @thissavoryvegan!

    These Crispy Cauliflower Rice Tacos are layered with flavor - chipotle walnut taco "meat", refried beans, crispy shells and vegan ranch | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #vegantacos #crispytacos
    « Sheet Pan Harissa Cauliflower Rice Bowls
    Sweet and Spicy Braised Eggplant »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jen

      January 08, 2023 at 5:10 pm

      Can you suggest a nut rather than walnuts? I'm allergic. I'm thinking pecans but always have cashews on had.
      TIA 🙂

      Reply
      • Rene

        January 09, 2023 at 8:24 am

        I would go with chopped almonds!

        Reply
    2. Karen

      October 26, 2022 at 8:59 am

      5 stars
      I made these for my non-vegan husband. They were delicious! He had 3. I followed the directions as noted. My only comment/criticism would be that adding a bit of oil to crisp them up made the pan splatter excessively when I put in the enchilada sauce dipped tortilla (imagine like oil and water). It was worth the mess as they were delicious! But be aware of the splatter!

      I am relatively new to your site. All of the recipes I have tried have been amazing! So glad I found you! Thanks so much!

      Reply
    3. Jacky

      August 20, 2022 at 9:41 pm

      5 stars
      Rene, thank you for sharing this recipe! My friend and I made it for dinner earlier tonight and after taking our first bites, we just looked at each other with big smiles on our faces. They are as DELICIOUS as they look and ridiculously simple to make, definitely a new favorite! So excited to try your other recipes

      Reply
      • Rene

        August 21, 2022 at 7:42 am

        Awwwww, I love that! So glad you both enjoyed them!

        Reply
    4. Dianne

      April 28, 2021 at 8:06 am

      Looks tasty but also a little greasy, no? Might be worth a try though! I just discovered you.... everything look soooo good! Looking forward to trying some of your recipes.

      Reply
      • Rene

        April 28, 2021 at 4:39 pm

        Hi Dianne - So glad you found me! Check out the recipe notes to see different options for the amount of oil to use. Enjoy!

        Reply

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    I’m Rene! So-cal native, dog mom and lover of all things spicy. Learn more.

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