Description
Crispy, chewy, and super delicious, these Vegan Bang Bang Cauliflower Wings are a super easy app, side, or an entrée when served with rice.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Cauliflower
- 1 medium head cauliflower (about 4 cups large florets) (see note 1 for 2 different cooking methods!)
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour or gluten-free flour (see note 2)
- 1 teaspoon granulated onion
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 - 1 1/2 cups unsweetened non-dairy milk (see note 3)
- 1 - 2 cups Panko bread crumbs (use gluten-free if needed) (see note 4)
Vegan Bang Bang Sauce
- 1 cup Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
- 1 cup vegan mayo, homemade or store-bought
- 1-2 teaspoons (to taste) sriracha, optional
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, optional
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, optional
Garnish
- Green onions
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit (218 degrees Celsius). You can also use an air fryer for this but it may take a bit longer (you may have to work in batches since it's best to cook these in a single layer). Line a baking tray with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. I find that the silicone mat works a little better to get the most crispy cauliflower wings, but parchment works pretty well too.
- Method if you do NOT wish to batter your cauliflower: Mix together a little olive oil (to get it to stick, 2 tablespoons of the sweet chili sauce, salt and pepper, and about ¾ teaspoon of garlic powder (optional). Pour this mixture over your bowl of cauliflower florets and mix together. Lay the cauliflower florets on a lined baking tray, an inch or two between each piece so they can crisp. Roast 30-40 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit (218 degrees Celsius), flipping halfway through, or air fry around 15-25 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (205 degrees Celsius), shaking the basket halfway through, until crispy. Mix together approximately half of the indicated ingredients for the bang bang sauce (you need less sauce with this method). Toss cooked cauliflower in the bang bang sauce and enjoy over rice or on its own.
- Make batter: In a medium large bowl, mix together your chosen flour and spices. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and pour in the non dairy milk. Whisk until smooth. You’re looking for a thick batter that still drips so you can let the excess drip off each piece of cauliflower.
- Add SOME Panko to a bowl: Add some of the Panko bread crumbs to a medium wide bowl. I only like to add a bit of the Panko at a time, since the rest of it can get kind of wet from the batter. This way, when the remaining crumbs get too wet to adhere nicely to the cauliflower, you can dump them without losing too much of your supply and add a little fresh Panko to the bowl.
- Set up your station: After cutting your cauliflower into large florets, you can put together your dipping and rolling station. I like to organize it so I work left to right (if you're a lefty you may want to reverse it!). I put the bowl of cauliflower florets on the far left, then the batter, then the Panko, and finally the pan.
- Coat cauliflower in batter: Using a fork or your fingers , dip a floret first in the batter and flip it, making sure all sides get coated. Then, let it drip a moment over the bowl.
- Roll cauliflower in Panko: Place in the Panko and use your fingers to sprinkle the Panko on top. You can use another fork or your fingers to roll the cauliflower in the Panko until it is completely coated.
- Transfer to tray and repeat: Now just use your Panko fork or fingers to place the cauliflower wing on the lined baking tray. Repeat with all remaining cauliflower, adding more Panko to the bowl only as necessary.
- Baking Method: Place the tray in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove it, flip each wing (you may need a fork or small cookie spatula to help you (at this point they might stick a little but that's OK). Cook for 15 more minutes. The cauliflower will be lightly golden brown and crispy when finished. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes.
- Air Frying Method: Place cauliflower in a single layer and give them a bit or breathing room. Cook for 15-25 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (205 degrees Celsius), shaking the basket halfway through, until crispy. You may need to do multiple batches, so that’s why I prefer the oven for this recipe.
- Make the sauce: While the cauliflower cooks, assemble the bang bang sauce by mixing together the vegan mayo, sweet chili sauce, sriracha, nutritional yeast (if using), and sea salt (if using). Set aside until ready to use.
- Assemble Vegan Bang Bang Cauliflower: Toss the coated cauliflower wings with the vegan bang bang sauce. I recommend sprinkling with green onion and perhaps some sesame seeds. Serve bang bang cauliflower by itself or over rice for a nice meal.
- Store: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
Notes
- Note 1: While I give instructions for both battered and non, I think battered is more impressive but super easy. However, if you’re in a rush or want a lighter dish, it’s very easy to make delish bang bang cauliflower with just my simple bang bang sauce and a few other ingredients. If NOT battering the cauliflower, you may want to use a little olive or avocado oil to get your cauliflower to crisp in the oven.
- Note 2: Either regular flour or a gluten-free 1:1 flour will work well for this recipe--I’ve used both King Arthur Measure for Measure Flour and Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free flour with success, and heard good things about Cup 4 Cup Gluten-Free Flour. You could also use chickpea flour (otherwise known as garbanzo bean or besan/gram flour).
- Note 3: You can use any plant milk. I will say that even unsweetened oat milk tastes a little sweet to me so you may want to avoid that. Otherwise unsweetened almond, soy, flax, etc. milk are great for this recipe. Just make sure you get “original” flavor and not “vanilla” or something like that.
- Note 4: I used Panko bread crumbs--but you can use gluten-free Panko if you need to--just make sure to check the label because sometimes they might have egg or something in there. I can usually find GF Panko with no issue, though. I recommend Panko over regular bread crumbs for a crispier wing. If you can't find any kind of Panko, you could also try pulsing some crackers in the food processor. Otherwise this recipe will still work with regular breadcrumbs. Gluten-free folks can also try rice crumbs which I’ve seen at Trader Joe’s.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Entree, Side
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American, Game Day
Keywords: Vegan Cauliflower Recipes, Bang Bang Cauliflower, Vegan Wings