Taco bowls, burrito bowls, whatever you want to call them! I went with taco bowls this time because of the homemade taco seasoning used on the roasted cauliflower, plus the fresh toppings like tomatoes and cilantro. But whatever you call it, it’s a lot of yummy stuff in one bowl! These cauliflower bowls make a super colorful, vibrant, flavorful dinner, but they also meal prep well, so consider making them for your weekday lunches!
This post contains some affiliate links, which means that we make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.
Are There Any Shortcuts I can Take?
This recipe does look like a lot of “parts” but I promise it really is easy to throw together. That being said, there are a couple of shortcuts you can take if you want to make it even easier. If you have access to Trader Joe’s, they sell frozen corn that is already “fire roasted” and it’s SO good. You can use that in place of blistering the regular frozen corn in the skillet. You can definitely use a store-bought cilantro lime ranch instead of making your own, or any southwest-inspired ranch dressing you can find (chipotle, avocado, etc.). And lastly, if you don’t have a well-stocked spice cabinet, you can use a packet of taco seasoning in place of the taco spices listed below.
What Else Can I Put in My Taco Bowl?
One of the reasons I love bowl meals the most is that they are extremely flexible and they allow you to use leftover ingredients that are lingering in your fridge, pantry, or freezer. Here are some other things that you can throw into your taco bowl if you have them:
- tortilla chips
- avocado or guacamole
- cheese (cheddar, pepper jack, Monterey jack, even feta)
- radishes (sliced thin)
- fresh red onion
- pickled red onion
- bell peppers (diced, sliced, or roasted)
- salsa
- lettuce
How to Meal Prep Your Roasted Cauliflower Taco Bowls
If you want to prepare this meal for grab-and-go lunches (meal prep), divide the roasted cauliflower, cooked rice, and blistered corn between four containers as soon as they are done cooking. You can skip heating the black beans, because you’ll just be placing the containers straight into the refrigerator, to be reheated later. Pack the bowls with the remaining fresh ingredients (tomatoes, cilantro, green onion, lime wedges), but leave the dressing separate. When you’re ready to eat your bowl, reheat the bowl in the microwave until hot, then top it with the dressing and enjoy.
Can I Use Frozen Cauliflower?
Frozen cauliflower roasts really well in the oven, but you may have a hard time getting the taco seasoning to stick to the frozen cauliflower. You would probably need to let it thaw completely before seasoning and roasting. The thawed frozen cauliflower will likely roast a bit faster than the fresh cauliflower. I would use about 1 pound of frozen cauliflower for this recipe.
Roasted Cauliflower Taco Bowls with Cilantro Lime Ranch
Servings 4Ingredients
Cilantro Lime Ranch
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise ($0.13)
- 1/4 cup sour cream ($0.11)
- 1 lime ($0.50)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder ($0.02)
- 1/8 tsp onion powder ($0.01)
- 1 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro ($0.05)
- 1 green onion, chopped ($0.11)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
Taco Roasted Cauliflower
- 1 head cauliflower ($2.39)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.32)
- 1/2 Tbsp chili powder* ($0.15)
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin ($0.05)
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- freshly cracked pepper ($0.03)
Bowl Ingredients
- 1 cup long grain white rice ($0.62)
- 1.5 cups water ($0.00)
- 1 15 oz. can black beans ($0.89)
- 1 cup frozen corn ($0.20)
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.08)
- 1 pint grape tomatoes ($2.29)
- Fresh cilantro and sliced green onion for garnish ($0.20)
Instructions
- Prepare the cilantro lime ranch first, so the flavors have time to blend. Zest the lime, then squeeze the juice from half, and cut the other half into wedges for serving. You'll need about 1 Tbsp lime juice. Finely chop about 1 Tbsp cilantro and one green onion.
- Combine the ingredients for the cilantro lime ranch in a bowl (mayonnaise, sour cream, 1 Tbsp lime juice, 1/2 tsp lime zest, garlic powder, onion powder, chopped cilantro, chopped green onion, salt). Refrigerate the cilantro lime ranch until you're ready to eat.
- Next, preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the head of cauliflower into florets, then place them in a bowl. In a separate small bowl, combine the ingredients for the taco seasoning (chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne, oregano, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper). Drizzle the olive oil over the cauliflower, followed by the taco seasoning, then toss until the cauliflower is evenly coated in oil and spices.
- Spread the seasoned cauliflower out over the prepared baking sheet. Roast the cauliflower in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes, or until it's brown and crispy on the edges.
- While the cauliflower is roasting, begin cooking the rice. Add the rice and 1.5 cups water to a sauce pot. Place a lid on top, turn the heat up to high, and bring the water up to a boil. Once it reaches a full boil, turn the heat down to low and let the rice simmer for 15 minutes without lifting the lid. After 15 minutes, turn the heat off and let the rice rest for 5 minutes without lifting the lid. Finally, fluff the rice with a fork and divide it between four bowls or containers.
- Add the undrained can of black beans to a small sauce pot and heat over medium-low, stirring occasionally, until heated through (if making the bowls for meal prep, skip heating the beans).
- Add 1 Tbsp cooking oil to a large skillet and heat over medium. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add the frozen corn. Cook the corn, stirring only occasionally, until it is browned and blistered (about 7-8 minutes). Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Slice the grape tomatoes, roughly chop the cilantro, and slice a green onions for garnish.
- To build the bowls, divide the roasted cauliflower, cooked rice, beans, corn, and tomatoes between four bowls or containers. Top with a pinch of cilantro, sliced green onion, and a wedge of lime. Drizzle the cilantro lime ranch over top just before eating.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
- Enamelware Sheet Pan
- Parchment Paper
- White Cutting Boards
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!
How to Make Roasted Cauliflower Taco Bowls – Step by Step Photos
Make the cilantro lime ranch first. Zest the lime and squeeze the juice from half of it (you’ll need 1 Tbsp juice). Slice the other half into wedges for serving. Combine 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1 Tbsp lime juice, 1/2 tsp lime zest, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/8 tsp onion powder, 1 Tbsp chopped cilantro, 1 chopped green onion, and 1/4 tsp salt in a bowl. Refrigerate the cilantro lime ranch until ready to eat.
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Cut a head of cauliflower into florets, then place them in a bowl. In a separate small bowl, combine the ingredients for the taco seasoning: 1/2 Tbsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/4 tsp oregano, 1/4 tsp salt, and some freshly cracked pepper. Drizzle 2 Tbsp olive oil over the cauliflower, followed by the taco seasoning, then toss until the cauliflower is evenly coated in oil and spices.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the seasoned cauliflower out over the baking sheet.
Roast the cauliflower in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes, or until it is browned and crispy on the edges.
While the cauliflower is roasting, begin the rice. Add 1 cup long grain white rice to a small sauce pot with 1.5 cups water. Place a lid on top, turn the heat on to high, and bring it up to a boil. Once it reaches a full boil, turn the heat down to low and let the rice simmer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn the heat off and let the rice rest for 5 more minutes with the lid in place. Finally, fluff the rice with a fork and divide it between four bowls or containers.
Add one 15oz. can of black beans (undrained) to a small sauce pot and heat over medium-low, stirring occasionally, until heated through. If making your cauliflower bowls for meal prep, you can skip heating the beans, since the bowls will be going straight into the refrigerator.
Heat 1 Tbsp cooking oil in a large skillet over medium. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add 1 cup frozen corn. Cook the corn, stirring only occasionally, until it is a little browned and blistered (7-8 minutes).
Finally, prepare the rest of the fresh ingredients. Slice the grape tomatoes in half, cut the remaining half lime into wedges (if you haven’t already), slice a green onion or two, and chop a little cilantro.
Once all the components are prepared, it’s time to build the bowls! Divide the roasted cauliflower, cooked rice, beans, corn, and tomatoes between four bowls or containers. Top with a little cilantro and sliced green onion.
When you’re ready to eat, reheat the bowl if it is refrigerated, then top with a drizzle of cilantro lime ranch and enjoy!
Excellent. We are trying to add more meatless dishes to our menus, and this will definitely be added to the rotation.
Hi, Naomi! Thanks for trying out the recipe & we’re so glad you love it! For more vegetarian recipes on the site, go to the header navigation and under the drop down “Popular,” click Vegetarian Recipes.
Here’s the link: https://www.budgetbytes.com/category/recipes/vegetarian/
– Marion :)
Can you freeze this meal?
Yes. Follow the directions for the meal prepping, and use a freezer-safe container with a layer of plastic on the surface of the food to prevent freezer burn. Be warned that some of the textures will change with freezing. XOXO -Monti
Wow! This was delicious! The ingredients were all items I pretty much always have in the house. Very fresh and satisfying without being heavy. Loved the charred frozen corn idea. I plan on using both the sauce and charred corn in other recipes. So happy I found your site and I love your content.
Question for you: why not drain and rinse the black beans? Doesn’t the bean liquid tend to give unpleasant side effects?
It’s fine to add the bean liquid to many recipes, but if you want to reduce the amount of sodium, it’s best to drain and rinse canned beans. Draining and rinsing remove, on average, 41% of the sodium. If you choose to drain the bean water, reserve it. You can use bean water to make both sweet and savory dishes. You can use it to replace egg whites when you bake and as a substitute to thicken soups, broths, or sauces. Moreover, its emulsifying properties help bind different ingredients that don’t mix easily. XOXO -Monti
This is SO delicious and easy to make! I love the layering of flavors. It’s definitely an upgrade from my usual roasted vegetables with olive oil, salt, and pepper. The best part is that all of the seasonings are standard pantry staples, not something that you’ll have to hunt down, pay an arm and a leg for, and then use 1/2 teaspoon.
This recipe is ridiculously good! The only change I make is to double the sauce. I use sour cream for all the sauce. We don’t eat mayo. Thank you for another great recipe!
Hell! I was just wondering whether I could try this with broccoli, too?
It will definitely change the flavor, but broccoli roasts really well!
This is one of my FAVORITE recipes. My boyfriend is asking for it again this week. I made a double batch last time because cauliflower cooks down and ended up with leftovers for the week (which were as delicious as the first night!). The other reviews are correct, the sauce really elevated the dish. I ended up making more when I ordered Chipotle later that week because it just belongs on any kind of burrito bowl. Thank you so much for sharing!!
Hands down an amazing recipe that is easy to follow and make, I always go back to this one. You can also sub a lot of the veggie components for something else – I like adding sweet potatoes if I want something more heavier. Also the sauce is easy to make dairy free which is a plus. Personally for me, I like adding more seasoning for more flavour impact so I just use the sauce recipe as a base and add more if need be.
Very tasty! The sauce really made the dish for us!
Despite it being a meatless dish, this is really tasty and quite satisfying. I’ve made it several times. Last night all I really had was a head of cauliflower that was nearing its life, and a bell pepper. Of course I had the corn and black beans too. I roasted the cauliflower and pepper together, added some chipotle to the beans as the warmed, and added red pepper flakes to the corn as it charred. I do recommend thawing the corn and patting it dry too get a TRUE char on it though. I also really wish the ingredients would say “1 head of cauliflower, chopped”. And “one can of black beans, I drained.” The eat your recipes are formatted are extremely irritating for the experienced cook.
Hi Kim, I’ve got to disagree with you on the formatting making things harder for an amateur cook. One of the things I’d like about the recipes on here is that the recipe directions recommend the order to chop or prep things, thus helping you save time while cooking.
I’ve been looking for creative grain bowls. This one worked well. I did skip making the dressing bc I had some store bought lime/crema sauce, and I’m always looking for a short cut. BUT, everyone here keeps raving about the dressing so I guess next time I’ll take that extra step!
Thanks for the creative veggie dish! Loved all of the flavors and it was even better the next day for lunch! I added roasted onions and roasted frozen mixed bell peppers as well.
Hi! Love your recipes and guides. Can this be made in an instant pot?
This one probably won’t work in an IP. Roasting is a very dry cooking method, whereas Instant Pots are a wet cooking environment. So you’ll get very different results.
I can’t believe this doesn’t have more ratings! This is a staple in our house for eating healthy. I usually use 1 less tbsp of oil and only about 2 tbsp of the cilantro ranch for a bowl worth about 400 calories! Healthy, low calorie, and not to mention DELICIOUS. Thanks for the recipes!
The roasted cauliflower is good, but the cilantro lime ranch is MIND BLOWING AMAZING. I will be using the sauce recipe for other things too!