This Bang Bang Cauliflower Recipe features crispy baked cauliflower florets with the most delicious bang bang sauce. These are great as appetizer, snack or made into bang bang cauliflower tacos, ’tis bangin good!!!
How good do these look??
And, it’s not fried. Crispy exterior with soft cooked cauliflower on the inside……Best baked cauliflower recipe!
Do not skip the sauce. It is the sauce that takes humble cauliflower over the top delicious.
What makes these Baked Bang Bang Cauliflower so good?
- Crispy coating
- Baked not fried
- Healthy
- Easy
- Addictive
- Appetizer / Snack
- Great in tacos
- Delicious
Cauliflower has always been one of my go to favorites for weeknights. One of my favorite ways to cook, is simply to roast them with some olive oil, salt and pepper. My kids could finish an entire tray 🙂
Your picky eaters will devour this! They might not even realize that they are eating a veggie. More cauliflower dishes – Tandoori cauliflower wings, Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower Bites or Tandoori Wraps.
Let’s get to the secret in making Best Bang Bang Cauliflower:
The secret in making the golden, crispy baked cauliflower lies in toasting the breadcrumbs. Yes, I fell in love with this method that I saw here. A regular coating of breadcrumbs doesn’t necessarily develop a golden color but also results in uneven brown and white crumby look. So, panko is first toasted in a skillet with some oil, until golden and crisp. The cauliflower pieces are then coated with this crumb, making them crispier and more browned when baked. Brilliant!
How to make bang bang cauliflower?
Step-1: Toast PANKO breadcrumbs in some oil over medium heat, until golden and cool completely.
Step-2: Make marinade. Whisk together flour, cornstarch, egg, buttermilk and seasonings in a large bowl.
Step-3: Add chopped cauliflower florets, and toss well, making sure the marinade is coated really well.
Step-4: Coat each floret in the breadcrumbs and place on a greased baking tray.
Step-5: Bake at 400°F for 30 minutes, until deep golden.
Step-6: Make bang bang sauce and serve.
How to make Bang Bang Sauce?
Bang bang sauce is simply mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, sriracha and garlic powder mixed together.
It is creamy, sweet, spicy, garlicky …. YUMMM
Chicken and Green Beans Stir Fry <—– An easy weeknight dinner idea that uses sweet chili sauce
How to serve this healthy bang bang cauliflower?
Appetizer / Snack – It is addictive and it does not feel like you are eating cauliflower. A huge hit at parties!!
More Appetizer/Snack Ideas:
Spicy Ginger Garlic Pita Chips
Spicy Roasted Chickpeas that tastes like Tandoori Chicken
Soft Garlic Knots with Homemade Pizza Dough
Baked Chicken Meatballs with veggies
Candied Walnuts, Goat Cheese and Persimmon Crostini
Homemade Parmesan Cheese Crackers
Make them into Tacos – These are used in making an amazing Bang Bang Cauliflower Tacos <—– Charred corn tortilla topped with coleslaw, cauliflower and a generous drizzle of the bang bang sauce.
My family looks forward to taco nights. Few of our favorites include – Chickpea Tacos , Baked Fish Tacos, Easy Fish tacos with Frozen Fish Sticks, Buffalo Shrimp Tacos or Spicy Buttermilk Fried Popcorn Chicken Tacos.
Few notes:
Instead of adopting a regular breading method of flour-egg mixture-bread crumb, I’ve come up with a much easier one which involves tossing the cauliflower in a batter and then coating them with breadcrumbs. The crumbs stay intact and forms a lovely crust on the outside.
Sweet chili sauce can be found in the Asian section of all major grocery stores <— one yummy sauce. Adds so much flavor without having to add tons on ingredients.
Keeping track of all the cauliflower recipes around here?
Sweet & Spicy Sriracha Roasted Cauliflower and Cashews
Creamy Instant Pot Thai Curry Cauliflower Soup
Crispy and Crunchy Buttermilk Fried Cauliflower
Baked Bang Bang Cauliflower
Ingredients
Baked cauliflower
- 11/2 cups panko bread crumbs
- 2 tablepsoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 medium cauliflower, cut into 1 to 11/2 inch florets
Marinade ingredients
- 1/2 cup all pupose flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 egg, large, beaten lightly
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Bang bang sauce
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablepsoons sweet chili sauce
- 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 and 1/2 tablespoons water
Instructions
Toast panko
- Place a medium skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add panko and vegetable oil. Cook until evenly golden and toasted (stirring constantly). Transfer toasted panko into a bowl and let cool completely.
Baked cauliflower
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
- Stir all marinade ingredients in a medium bowl, until smooth and lump free. Add cauliflower pieces and toss around until every floret is well coated.
- Remove a floret (draining any excess marinade) into the breadcrumbs, coat all sides well with the breadcrumbs and then place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat process with all florets and place in a single layer.
- Bake cauliflower for about 30 minutes, until crisp. Serve hot.
Bang bang sauce
- Stir all bang bang sauce ingredients together (sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to a day)
- Drizzle sauce over cauliflower florets and serve immediately or serve as dipping on the side. These are delicious made into Bang Bang Cauliflower Tacos
Notes
Sweet chili sauce can be found in the Asian section of all major grocery stores <— one yummy sauce. Adds so much flavor without having to add tons on ingredients.
Due to the high water content in cooked cauliflower, these nuggets won’t be crispy when cold. Delicious nonetheless.
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Vicki
Saturday 3rd of April 2021
I did the panko crumbs, made the marinade, added the cauliflower and made the sauce earlier so putting it all together was quick and easy. My husband is STILL raving about it!!
MK
Friday 23rd of October 2020
Do these freeze well to be reheated later on?
Maria Doss
Monday 26th of October 2020
Hi MK, Honestly, you can freeze cooked & cooled cauliflower and re heat them later (just like frozen chicken nuggets) with a little compromise to the texture. Hope it helps:)
Helen
Monday 24th of February 2020
I have out of town guest, and I'm trying them today,
Mariana Lopez
Wednesday 1st of August 2018
Just made these and they are AMAZINGGGG !! super crispy and flavorful. thanks for sharing this recipe :)
Maria Doss
Thursday 2nd of August 2018
Thank you so much for trying, glad you liked it:)
Veena
Sunday 8th of April 2018
Love cauliflower, and this looks like an amazing recipe. Want to try it soon.
Could you please suggest a replacement for mayo, if possible!!
Thank you Maria
Maria Doss
Monday 9th of April 2018
You could sub greek yogurt but with compromises in flavor. I'd suggest greek yogurt + little sugar (to cut down the tartness) + sweet chili sauce + sriracha + garlic powder + water. Hope it helps:)