Bang Bang Cauliflower Recipe

 

 

 

Bang bang sauce is a condiment served alongside Asian street foods and was made popular by the American restaurant Bonefish Grill's bang bang shrimp appetizer. The sauce is used to dip, dunk, or drizzle over fried foods like chicken, seafood, and vegetables.

This bang bang cauliflower is essentially cauliflower wings coated in crunchy panko and tossed in our sweet and spicy bang bang sauce. It's basically a healthy vegetarian spin on the original!

 

Yes! Place the breaded cauliflower into your air fryer basket, making sure the pieces aren't touching. Give them a little spray with oil then air fry them for 12-15 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 

 

Ingredients

• 1 large cauliflower, cut into florets
• ¾ cup milk of choice
• ½ cup flour, gluten-free if needed
• 1 teaspoon EACH: sweet paprika, garlic powder and onion powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups panko, gluten-free if needed
• Spray oil
• Chives or green onions and black or white sesame seeds, to serve

The Bang Bang Sauce

• ½ cup mayonnaise, can be light
• ¼ cup honey
• 2 teaspoons sriracha
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar

 

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. (See notes) In a large bowl, mix the flour, milk, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Add the cauliflower and toss to coat.

¾ cup milk of choice, ½ cup flour, 1 teaspoon EACH: sweet paprika, garlic powder and onion powder, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 large cauliflower

 

Place the panko into a shallow bowl. Add a few pieces of cauliflower to the panko and toss to coat – see notes. Put the breaded cauliflower on the baking sheet then continue until all of the cauliflower is breaded. Spray the top of the cauliflower with oil.

2 cups panko, Spray oil

 

 Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until the cauliflower is brown and crispy.

 

While the cauliflower is in the oven, prepare the bang bang sauce by mixing all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.

½ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup honey, 2 teaspoons sriracha, 1 teaspoon rice vinegar

 When the cauliflower comes out of the oven, put it into a bowl and pour the sauce over the top. Toss to coat then serve it with some chives and sesame seeds on top.  

Depending on the size of your baking sheet, you may need to use two. Make sure that the cauliflower is spread out a little so it crisps rather than steams. 

When breading the cauliflower, keep one hand for putting the wet, battered cauliflower into the panko and the other hand for breading the cauliflower and moving it to the baking sheet. This helps keep your hands clean and makes the panko last longer since it's not getting wet from your battered fingers.