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Spicy Chipotle Cauliflower Tacos

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Best-selling cookbook author Caroline Chambers says that East of Texas is a really fun BBQ restaurant in her hometown, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It meets two of her top criteria for a good time—tons of outdoor space for her kids to run around, plus gigantic margaritas. She always orders the smoked cauliflower when it’s featured on the specials board. “It’s perfectly tender, smoky and full of flavor,” she explains. “Even my meat-loving husband adores it, so I re-created it at home using ingredients like chipotles in adobo sauce and smoked paprika since cooking in a smoker isn’t always in the cards.” You’ll find this recipe in Caroline’s cookbook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 1 large head cauliflower
  • 1 medium red onion
  • 1/3 cup (3 fl. oz./80 ml) water
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 chipotle pepper (from a can of chipotles in adobo), plus 2 tsp. adobo sauce (see Tip)
  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems only
  • 2 limes
  • 1 large ripe avocado
  • 3 Tbs. neutral oil, plus more as needed
  • 1 tsp. smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
  • 12 (6-inch/15-cm) corn tortillas
  • 2 oz. (60 g) feta cheese

Directions

Slice the cauliflower into 1-inch (2.5-cm) slabs, then roughly chop. Dice the onion. Place the cauliflower (including all the little pieces that fall off!) and onion in a large fry pan.

Add the water and 2 tsp. salt to the pan, cover and cook over medium heat until the cauliflower is slightly softened but not yet tender, about 8 minutes, uncovering to stir halfway through.

Meanwhile, dice the chipotle (if you don’t like spice, also remove the seeds) and chop enough cilantro to fill 1/2 cup (3/4 oz./20 g). Halve 1 lime.

Dice the avocado. In a small bowl, combine the avocado, the juice from the halved lime, 2 Tbs. of the cilantro and a big pinch of salt. Mash to combine well.

Uncover the cauliflower, increase the heat to medium-high and stir until any excess water has evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the neutral oil and cook, stirring often, until the cauliflower has browned a bit, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the diced chipotle plus the adobo sauce, the paprika and cumin. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is dark golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes more. If the pan begins to look dry, add a bit more oil. Remove from the heat, then stir in 1/4 cup (1/3 oz./10 g) of the cilantro.

If you have a gas stove, turn a few burners to medium heat, place the tortillas directly on top of the open flames and cook until just charred, 15 to 20 seconds per side. If you don’t have a gas stove, warm the tortillas in a fry pan over medium-high heat, working in batches as needed.

Layer the tortillas with the mashed avocado and cauliflower, crumble some feta on top and finish with more cilantro. Cut the remaining lime into wedges and serve them alongside for squeezing. Serves 4.

Tip: The rest of the chipotles and adobo sauce can be frozen for later use— just transfer to an airtight container (or portion into a few small zip-top bags) and freeze for up to 4 months.

Shortcut: If you don’t feel like cutting up a whole head of cauliflower, buy 3 lb. (1.5 kg) of precut florets.

Bulk It Up: I don’t believe in sides on taco night (just eat more tacos!), but if you must—a crisp green salad with a lemon vinaigrette would make a great side salad. If you REALLY must, a pot of rice and beans would also be excellent.

Adapted from What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking by Caroline Chambers (Union Square & Co., 2024)

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