Let’s turn my favorite bang bang shrimp into bang bang cauliflower – a fun vegetarian version that’s just as delicious! The cauliflower is battered and baked to crispy golden perfection and then covered in a sweet and tangy bang bang sauce. You won’t have cauliflower any other way after this!
I made the intention that 2022 would be the year I put out more vegetarian, plant-based recipes and so far I’ve been loving it. First we made crispy potato tacos and now we’re making bang bang cauliflower.
The recipe is super simple to make and insanely delicious. It’s the perfect appetizer, finger food, or even main dish to enjoy with rice.
How to Prepare the Cauliflower
You will need a whole head of cauliflower with all the florets cut off. Then we are going to prepare a batter for the cauliflower. In a mixing bowl, combine buttermilk, cornstarch, flour, garlic powder, paprika, salt, black pepper, and chili powder. The final consistency will be pretty thick.
Add the florets to the batter and mix it around to make sure each floret is evenly coated. Then sprinkle some Panko breadcrumbs and mix that in too!
Transfer to a baking tray lined with parchment paper, making sure each piece is spread apart and not touching. Pop in the oven to bake at 350°F for 20 minutes. Flip each piece over and bake for another 15 minutes or until golden and crispy.
Although this recipe calls to bake them, if you want to make it more indulgent, you can always choose to fry them.
How to Prepare the Sauce
While the cauliflower bakes away, prepare the bang bang sauce which is both tangy and sweet! To a bowl, mix together mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, minced garlic, rice vinegar, sriracha, and chopped parsley. Mix all together and it’s ready to go.
Once the cauliflower is out of the oven, transfer it to a large bowl. Add as much or as little bang bang sauce that you desire and shake it around so they’re all evenly coated.
Transfer to a plate and add some sliced green onions on top to enjoy.
Other Vegetarian Recipes to Try
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Extra Crispy Halloumi Nuggets
- Ful Medames – Vegetarian Fava Bean Stew
- Creamy Fettuccine Alfredo
- Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta
If you tried this recipe and loved it, drop by down below and let me know how you liked it with a rating and comment! Feel free to also leave a question there about this recipe and I’ll get right back to it.
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Bang Bang Cauliflower
Ingredients
BANG BANG SAUCE
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sriracha more to taste
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh parsley finely chopped
CAULIFLOWER & BATTER
- 1 whole head cauliflower florets cut off
- 1 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 2/3 cup all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- In a small bowl, make the bang bang sauce. Combine mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, garlic, rice vinegar, sriracha, and parsley until smooth. Set aside.
- To a mixing bowl, add the buttermilk, cornstarch, flour, chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Whisk together until you have a thick batter consistency.
- Add the cauliflower florets and mix until all are coated evenly. Then add the panko breadcrumbs and mix again.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add the battered cauliflower so that they’re not touching.
- Pop in the oven to bake for 20 minutes. Flip over each floret and then bake for an additional 15 minutes.
- Once golden and crispy, take out of the oven. Add to a bowl and add as little or as much sauce as you’d like and toss it. To keep the cauliflower more crispy, just dip in the bang bang sauce instead of tossing it in.
- Top it off with sliced scallions and enjoy.
Did You Make This Recipe?
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