Baked Bang Bang Cauliflower recipe (2024)

Published: Feb 16, 2018 · Modified: Jan 11, 2024 by Maria Doss · This post may contain affiliate links · 14 Comments

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!!!

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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 sawhere. 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.

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!!

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?

Creamy Instant Pot Thai Curry Cauliflower Soup

Deep Fried Cauliflower

Baked Bang Bang Cauliflower

This bang bang cauliflower recipe features crispy baked cauliflower bites with the most delicious sweet chili mayo. 'Tis bangin good!!

4.7 from 18 votes

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Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Baked cauliflower

▢ 11/2 cups panko bread crumbs
▢ 2 tablepsoons vegetable oil
▢ ½ medium cauliflower, cut into 1 to 11/2 inch florets

Marinade ingredients

▢ ½ cup all pupose flour
▢ ¼ cup cornstarch
▢ ½ cup buttermilk
▢ 1 egg, large, beaten lightly
▢ 1 teaspoon salt
▢ 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce
▢ ½ teaspoon garlic powder

Bang bang sauce

▢ ½ cup mayonnaise
▢ 2 tablepsoons sweet chili sauce
▢ 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce
▢ ½ teaspoon garlic powder
▢ 1 and ½ 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.

Nutrition

Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.

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