Cauliflower Air Fryer Taco Bowls are a simple vegetarian option that's perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or meal prep! Add your favorite toppings for a simple meal your family will love.
CAULIFLOWER AIR FRYER TACO BOWLS RECIPE
These Cauliflower Air Fryer Taco Bowls are super simple to assemble and perfect for meal prep! This naturally vegetarian recipe is great for Meatless Monday and easy to make vegan without the sauce.
Add this deliciously seasoned cauliflower to your favorite taco toppings for an easy weeknight dinner in a flash your family will love. Everyone can make their own bowl, so picky eaters rejoice!
INGREDIENTS IN CAULIFLOWER AIR FRYER TACO BOWLS
- Cauliflower: This is my favorite meat alternative! It goes well with most seasonings and can be made to fit any cuisine.
- Oil: I try not to use excess oil when I don't need it, but without it in this taco bowl recipe, the seasonings don't stick to the cauliflower!
- Chili powder: This is the base of my seasoning blend for this basic taco seasoning. It's usually a blend of spices like cumin, garlic powder, oregano, paprika, and cayenne pepper.
- Garlic salt: I use this A LOT in my recipes because it combines the salt with the flavor punch of ground garlic.
- Smoked paprika: You can use regular paprika in a pinch, but I love the added smokey flavor this brings to the dish!
- Cumin: Often found in Indian and Mexican food, cumin brings a warm, earthy flavor to the mix.
- Oregano: This leafy herb comes in two varieties: Mediterranean oregano, popular in Italian recipes and Mexican oregano, which is the ideal option here.
- Cayenne pepper: A little goes a long way with this spice! I like a little heat in my taco bowls, but you can skip it, too.
If you have any questions about this recipe, leave me a comment below and I'll get back to you ASAP! 🙂
HOW TO MAKE AIR FRYER TACO BOWLS
- First, wash your cauliflower completely!
- Next, remove the stems and leaves and chop the cauliflower into bite-sized pieces. You want the pieces to be about the same size so they cook evenly. Add a little oil.
- Then, mix all your taco "meat" seasonings together in a bowl.
- Now, stir your oiled cauliflower with the seasonings and coat evenly.
- Finally, air fry your cauliflower bites at 380 degrees F (or 193 degrees C!) until fork tender.
- Divide the cauliflower into bowls with your favorite taco toppings and enjoy! I prefer white rice, tomatoes, corn, cilantro, green onions, and a great lime crema sauce!
These numbered steps match the numbered photos above and are for illustration purposes. For the complete list of ingredients, please see the recipe card below!
WHAT TO SERVE WITH AIR FRYER TACO BOWLS
Rice and beans are my favorite part at Mexican restaurants. These easy southwest seasoned black beans are my favorite!
For an Air Fryer-only meal, make this Air Fryer Elote! This Mexican corn on the cob cooks in less than 10 minutes, so you can build your bowls while it roasts.
I love tater tots, and this Mexican Tater Tot Casserole is a great easy side dish packed with black beans, corn, olives, and cheese.
HOW TO MEAL PREP TACO BOWLS
Cauliflower Air Fryer Taco Bowls are so easy to meal prep! One recipe makes four servings, so you can make this on Sunday and eat it for lunch Monday through Thursday!
Air fry the cauliflower and let it cool completely before assembly. The steam can wilt ingredients like cilantro, lettuce, and tomatoes.
Assemble your bowls and put the sauce in a small container to add after reheating. I also put my garnishes in a bowl until time to eat.
BEST TOPPINGS FOR TACO BOWLS
Most taco bowls have a base of rice, but you can skip this step or swap for black beans for added protein.
I like to keep the toppings simple with corn, cherry tomatoes, cilantro, green onions, and a little lime juice. I also add a creamy lime sauce on top, but you can skip or modify that for vegan options.
You can also add lettuce, sautéed peppers and onions, your favorite salsa, cheese, sour cream, or guacamole. The sky's the limit for these Cauliflower Air Fryer Taco Bowls!
If you're looking for tofu taco bowls, try this Tofu Sofritas that's great for any Mexican dish!
MORE YUMMY AIR FRYER RECIPES
- Air Fryer Fried Rice
- Air Fryer Tostadas
- Sticky Ginger Chicken in the Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Enchiladas
- Air Fryer Sweet and Spicy Chicken
Pro Tips
- Use Any Air Fryer: This recipe can be made in an air fryer unit with a basket or an air fryer oven. If you're using an air fryer oven, place your food on the middle rack and select the "air fry" function.
- Check your food as it cooks! Since each air fryer runs differently, sometimes air frying is a trial and error process. When cooking a new recipe, be sure to check on your food often. This will help you avoid over or undercooking, and help you learn your air fryer's specific ways!
Cauliflower Air Fryer Taco Bowls
Equipment
- Knife
- Small bowls, for sauce and toppings
Ingredients
Cauliflower Taco "Meat" Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- Cayenne pepper optional
Sauce Ingredients
- ½ cup mayo
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 lime juiced
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons cilantro diced
Bowl Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 1 cup corn cooked
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 lime quartered
- Cilantro for garnish, optional
- Green onions for garnish, sliced, optional
Instructions
- Whisk sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Cut the stem and leaves from the cauliflower. Cut cauliflower into bite-sized pieces.
- Add oil to cauliflower. Mix cauliflower seasonings together in a mixing bowl. Stir cauliflower in spices to coat evenly.
- Air fry the cauliflower at 380 degrees F (193 degrees C) for 12 to 14 minutes or until cauliflower is fork tender.
- Equally divide the cauliflower into four bowls with other bowl ingredients. Sprinkle with cilantro and green onions. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Air Fryers can vary greatly. Please take the time to learn your specific air fryer. You may need to adjust times and temperatures based upon your air fryer. All though this website attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, the information should only be considered an estimate. Varying factors such as different product types, different brands, etc. can change nutritional information. It is your responsibility as a consumer to read all labels to make sure the ingredients fit your dietary needs as well as calculate your own nutritional information as a double check.
April
My family loves making new recipes, we tried this last week and the kids are making me to make it again this week! Perfect for meatless monday!
Biana
Looks so good, we love taco bowls! Love that it has so many yummy veggies in it.
Toni
I love that this is made with cauliflower! I’m new to air frying snd it was very easy with great flavors!
Tara
What a delicious vegetarian meal with cauliflower and definitely perfect for weeknights! I love all the vibrant color and flavors. Yum!
Kay
The seasoning on the cauliflower makes this dish amazing!! I will try out with the sauce next time as didn't have any sour cream to make it!
Kay
The cauliflower tastes amazing with this seasoning! I didn't get to try the sauce with it this time as didn't have any sour cream. Will try that next time!
Charla
I'm always looking for new ways to participate in meatless Mondays so will definitely try your recipe.