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

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:

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

Crispy Cauliflower Rice Tacos

Servings: 12 tacos
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
These Crispy Cauliflower Rice Tacos are layered with flavor – chipotle walnut taco "meat", refried beans, crispy shells and vegan ranch!
5 from 6 ratings

Ingredients

FOR THE CAULIFLOWER WALNUT TACO "MEAT"

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

FOR THE JALAPEÑO RANCH

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.
Calories: 266kcal, Carbohydrates: 21g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 487mg, Potassium: 231mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 3g, Iron: 1mg
Cuisine: Mexican
Course: Main Course
Did you make this recipe?Leave a review below or take a photo and share it on Instagram @thissavoryvegan with #thissavoryvegan.

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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