Crispy Baked Bang Bang Cauliflower
Description
Breaded and baked cauliflower bites dunked in a creamy sweet and spicy bang bang sauce. Perfect as an appetizer or vegetarian dinner!
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Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1½ teaspoons garlic powder
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch or arrowroot starch
- 1 large head cauliflower, about 2 pounds, cut into florets
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sweet chili sauce
- 1-2 tablespoons sriracha
- 2 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoon honey
For serving, optional
- thinly sliced scallions
- Bibb lettuce or iceberg lettuce
- thinly sliced english cucumbers
- thinly sliced serranos
- sesame seeds
Instructions
- Heat oven to 450°F (232ºC) with racks set in upper-middle and lower-middle positions. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk together flour and cornstarch in a large bowl. Add cauliflower florets and toss to coat.
- Dump cauliflower into a strainer set over a sink; shake to discard excess flour.
- In now empty large bowl, beat 3 eggs. Add flour-coated cauliflower and stir to coat using rubber spatula.
- Whisk together 2 cups Panko, 2 tablespoons oil, 1½ teaspoons garlic powder, 1¼ teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a second shallow bowl.
- Dredge cauliflower pieces in Panko mixture to coat.
- Arrange cauliflower pieces in a single layer on prepared sheets.
- Bake cauliflower until crispy and golden, 22–25 minutes, flipping pieces and rotating pans halfway through.
Bang Bang Sauce
- Whisk together ½ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup sweet chili sauce, 1–2 tablespoons sriracha, 2 teaspoons vinegar and 2 teaspoons honey.
- Serve bang bang sauce as a dip alongside crispy cauliflower, drizzle it over top crispy cauliflower in lettuce wraps, or toss cauliflower with sauce—you choose!
Air Fryer Instructions
- Heat air fryer to 450ºF (232ºC). Arrange coated cauliflower pieces in single layer in basket.
- Air fry until crispy and golden brown, about 13 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Notes
I love using whole-wheat Panko, but you can also use regular Panko or gluten-free Panko.
If you're making this gluten-free, use a 1:1 baking flour blend and gluten-free Panko.
This is my favorite mayo to use. Though any type of mayo will work (including vegan mayonnaise).
Nutrition
Serving: 1cupCalories: 150kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 4gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 161mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5g
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