Cauliflower Tinga Tacos

Cauliflower Tinga Tacos are filled with tender smoky cauliflower and a homemade avocado sauce you make yourself in minutes. Use my easy technique for frying the corn tortillas and every bite will be crunchy, creamy, and one thousand percent delicious.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Cook Time 55

Total Time 55

Servings servings

Calories 412kcal

Author Meggan Hill

Ingredients

For the avocado sauce:

2 avocados halved, pitted, and peeled
1 serrano chile roasted (see note 1)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice from 1 lime
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the tinga tacos:

3 Roma tomatoes
1 cup water (reserved from boiling tomatoes if desired)
1/4 medium onion
1 clove garlic
4 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce or more to taste (see note 2)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large head cauliflower cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
vegetable oil to fry the tortillas
8 (8-inch) corn tortillas (see note 3)
shredded lettuce for serving
6 ounces radishes thinly sliced, for serving
2 avocados pitted, peeled, and thinly sliced, for serving
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint for serving (see note 4)

Instructions

To make the avocado sauce:

To a blender, add avocados, roasted serrano chile, and lime juice. Blend until smooth (add water as needed to blend smoothly). Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To make the tinga tacos:

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Set a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil.
In a medium saucepan bring 4 cups water to boil. Add tomatoes and boil until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Reserving 1 cup of cooking water, remove tomatoes and transfer to a blender.
To the blender with the tomatoes, add 1 cup water (reserved from boiling tomatoes if desired), onion, garlic, and chipotle chiles in adobo. Blend until smooth, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
In a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium-high heat, add sauce and cauliflower florets and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until florets are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and keep warm.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add about 1/2 inch vegetable oil and heat to 350 degrees. Add one tortilla to the skillet and cook until it is blistering but still soft, 10 to 15 seconds. Using tongs, turn tortilla over and then immediately fold to form a taco shell.
Once the tortilla is holding its shape, turn until crisp and golden all over, 15 to 30 seconds longer. Transfer to wire rack and keep warm in oven while repeating with remaining tortillas.
To assemble the tacos, line the bottom of a shell with lettuce. Top with cauliflower tinga, sliced radishes, avocado sauce, and fresh mint.

Notes

Serrano chiles: These spicy guys are slightly thinner, straighter, and spicier than jalapeño peppers. To roast, turn the flame of a gas stove to HIGH. Using tongs, place chilies directly in or over the flame until the skin is charred and blistered but not ash white, turning occasionally, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let stand until the skin starts to loosen and the peppers are cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Rub off and discard the blackened skin.
Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce: Smoky chipotle peppers are the star of the show in my recipe for Chicken Tinga, too. Even though the can is small, it packs some serious heat, so you'll almost always have extra. Good news: you can freeze the leftovers in a little baggie, so you'll have it ready to go next time.
Corn tortillas. The freshest you can find, about 8" in diameter for a good size taco.
Fresh mint. Grab some out of your neighbor's garden! Mint stands in for cilantro in the tacos and you'll love it! Use cilantro if you can't find mint.

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