This super delicious Bang Bang Cauliflower is baked rather than fried for a skinny take on this famous recipe. The tasty sauce is sweet, spicy and a little smoky thanks to a special Korean ingredient.

Skinny Bang Bang Cauliflower | theendlessmeal.com

Is there anything cauliflower can't do or be? I swear you can take any recipe and swap the main ingredient with cauliflower and it will turn out. It's genius.

Normally this recipe would be made with deep-fried shrimp. Now, I'm not going to sit here and try and convince you that cauliflower tastes just like shrimp. It doesn't. Not at all. End of story.

But let's be honest, bang bang shrimp is really all about the sauce, and the shrimp are there only to help you get more of the sauce in your mouth. AmIRight?

Bang bang cauliflower runs on the same concept … the cauliflower's role is to act as a vehicle for the sauce. That's it. That's all. And because of all the little nooks and crannies in the cauliflower, it does a damn good job of capturing lots of sauce.

Let's talk about this sauce …

Skinny Bang Bang Cauliflower | theendlessmeal.com

Oh, the sauce. It's sweet, spicy and smoky. Those three little words are like music to my ears.

The secret ingredient here is something called Gochujang. It's a Korean chili paste that is slightly smoky, a little spicy and crazy delicious. I buy it at the little Asian market that is up the road from where I live. You should be able to find it at well-stocked grocery stores. If not, you can buy it here on Amazon. It's so worth picking up a jar!

I've used it before here on TEM in the Sweet Korean Paleo Chicken Thighs recipe. The truth is, once I found out about Gochujang I got a little crazy with it. The first jar I bought was gone after a week. #Obsessed

Skinny Bang Bang Cauliflower | theendlessmeal.com

Skinny Bang Bang Cauliflower | theendlessmeal.com

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Skinny Bang Bang Cauliflower | theendlessmeal.com

Skinny Bang Bang Cauliflower

  • Author: Kristen Stevens
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 30 mins
  • Total Time: 40 mins
  • Yield: 4 as an appetizer 1x
  • Category: Appetizer
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

This super delicious Bang Bang Cauliflower is baked rather than fried for a skinny take on this famous recipe. The tasty sauce is sweet, spicy and a little smoky thanks to gochujang, a Korean chili paste.

Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 large or 2 small heads of cauliflower, cut into florets
  • 1/2 cup milk (I use Veggemo original)
  • 1 cup panko (or sub gluten-free breadcrumbs, if needed)
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
  • Finely minced parsley or cilantro, to garnish

For the bang bang sauce:

  • 1/4 cup Hellmen's light mayo*
  • 2 tablespoons honey*
  • 1–2 teaspoons (depending on how spicy you like it) gochujang or Sriracha (I prefer gochujang)
  • 1 teaspoon rice vinegar

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 420 degrees. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
  2. Place the milk in a medium-sized bowl. Place the panko, garlic powder, sea salt and pepper in another medium-sized bowl.
  3. Using one hand for the milk and the other for the panko, dip one cauliflower floret into the milk then the panko then place it on the prepared baking sheet. You'll need to press the panko into the cauliflower a little so it sticks. Repeat with the remaining cauliflower florets.
  4. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until the cauliflower is brown and crispy.
  5. While the cauliflower is in the oven, prepare the bang bang sauce by mixing all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.
  6. When the cauliflower comes out of the oven, drizzle it with the bang bang sauce and top with minced parsley or cilantro and serve immediately.

Notes

* If you eat a plant-based diet, use a vegan mayo and sub maple syrup for the honey.