White cabbage and red onion are shaved paper-thin with a vegetable peeler, tossed with salt, pepper, paprika and olive oil, and air-fried at 180 °C / 350 °F for 15 minutes plus 10 more after a shake. The shreds shrink to half and go crisp and brown. They are folded into small tortillas over a sauce of thick yogurt, tahini, lemon, salt, pepper and a pressed garlic clove. Makes 2 tacos.
Instructions
- 1
Shave the cabbage paper-thin with a vegetable peeler. Shave the red onion the same way so both cook at the same speed.
- 2
Put cabbage and onion in a bowl with the salt, black pepper and paprika. Drizzle with olive oil and toss until every shred is orange.
- 3
Tip the pile straight into the air fryer basket, no foil pan, so hot air reaches it from below too.
- 4
Air-fry at 180 °C / 350 °F for 15 minutes.
15:00 - 5
Meanwhile stir the yogurt with the tahini, a squeeze of lemon, salt and pepper.
- 6
Pull the basket out, shake it well so the shreds brown evenly, and cook 10 more minutes at the same temperature. The pile should shrink to about half and turn crisp.
10:00 - 7
Press the garlic into the sauce and whisk it in.
- 8
Spread the sauce thickly on the tortillas, pile the crispy cabbage on top, add sliced green onion and fold once.
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Notes from our kitchen
The peeler matters: shreds this thin dry out and crisp in 25 minutes, while knife-cut cabbage stays soft. Shave the onion just as thin or it will still be raw when the cabbage is done. Skip the foil pan so air hits the shreds from below. The shake at 15 minutes turns the pale bottom layer up. Add the garlic to the sauce at the end so it stays sharp against the hot cabbage.
Variations
- Smoky. Use smoked paprika and add a pinch of cumin to the cabbage before tossing.
- Bigger batch. Double everything but cook the cabbage in two rounds; a full basket steams instead of crisping.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a mandoline instead of a peeler?
Yes, on the thinnest setting. The goal is shreds you can almost see through.
Why is my cabbage soft rather than crispy?
It was cut too thick, the basket was overfilled, or it was cooked in a pan. Shave it thin, cook in a loose layer directly in the basket and give it the full 25 minutes with a shake halfway.
Can I make the sauce without tahini?
Yes. Yogurt with lemon, garlic, salt and pepper works; the tahini adds the nutty richness, not the structure.
How do I store leftovers?
Keep the cabbage and sauce in separate containers in the fridge for up to 2 days. Re-crisp the cabbage in the air fryer for 3–4 minutes at 180 °C / 350 °F before assembling.
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