Crispy Brussels Sprout Tacos with Creamy Jalapeño Sauce

I had never considered making a Brussels sprout taco until I had one at a local restaurant. I couldn’t believe how much flavor and texture they packed into a taco with Brussels sprouts as the main ingredient.

I have been working to try and recreate something similar to this taco. I am so happy with how these Brussels sprout tacos turned out! I hope you enjoy these at your next taco night.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Brussel Sprouts: When looking for Brussel sprouts try to go for the largest ones you can find. You will be shredding them and shredding larger Brussels sprouts is much easier.
• Corn: You can use fresh corn or canned corn. I used canned corn in my recipe because it was much easier to find. You could probably use frozen corn as well but I have not tried it with that.
• Cotija Cheese: I love to use Cotija cheese in this recipe. It is nice and crumbly and adds the perfect bit of creaminess to the taco. You could easily swap this out for any other Mexican-style cheese you prefer.
• Tortillas: I love this recipe with corn tortillas but you could also use flour tortillas. Try to find 4 or 6-inch-sized tortillas for this recipe.
• Pickled Onions: This recipe includes a quick pickled onion recipe. If you don’t like pickled onions you can easily use diced white or red onion.
• Jalapeño Sauce: The jalapeño sauce is made with sour cream and lime. It makes a spicy and creamy sauce. If you don’t like spice you can use half of the jalapeños or swap out the jalapeño for an avocado in the sauce.

How to Shred Brussel Sprouts

When slicing Brussels sprouts you want to get them nice and thin so they cook easily and are easy to eat. Before slicing them try to clean and remove any outer leaves that look damaged. When slicing Brussels sprouts try to find as large of sprouts as you can. This will make it easier to cut them if you are using a mandoline or knife. There are 4 different ways you can slice the Brussels sprouts.

1. Mandoline: My favorite way to slice the Brussels sprouts is to use a mandoline. Since the Brussels sprouts are very small I like to use a mandoline glove to make sure I don’t cut myself
2. Food Processor: If you have a food processor with a shred attachment you can use that. You can also add your trimmed Brussels sprouts right into the food processor and pulse to break up the sprouts. This won’t give you perfect slices but it will give you smaller pieces.
3. Knife: If you don’t have a mandolin or food processor you can just use your chef's knife to cut into slices.
4. Buy Shredded: If you want to skip shredding the Brussels sprouts altogether you can buy pre-shredded Brussels sprouts at the store. If you can find them they are often in the salad section of the grocery store near the sliced cabbage.

Tips for the Best Brussels Sprout Tacos

• Warm the tortillas. Having warm tortillas is a simple way to make your tacos that much better. To do this, heat a skillet over medium heat and warm each side for about 20 seconds. Alternatively, you can place them on a plate in the microwave for a few seconds.
• Adjust the spice level. Everyone has a different heat tolerance so feel free to change this recipe based on yours. If you like spicy you can add an extra jalapeño in the sauce or slice one up to put on top. If you are sensitive to spice, use half a jalapeño in the sauce and half of the chili powder in the Brussels sprouts.
• Add in extra protein. These are great veggie tacos as is but if you want to add in some extra plant-based protein feel free to add in a can of black beans to the sprout and corn mixture before adding it to the tacos.
• Add extra toppings. If you want something extra on the taco feel free to add some fresh cilantro or a squeeze of lime on top.

Other Vegetarian Taco Recipes You Might Enjoy

• Potato Poblano Tacos
• Portobello Mushroom Asada Tacos
• Roasted Cauliflower and Bean Tacos
• Other Vegetarian Tacos