Battered and breaded with light Panko breadcrumbs, this crispy gochujang cauliflower is flavorful and satisfying, covered in a sweet and spicy sauce. A great appetizer or side dish.
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I love this recipe, it's like spicy vegetarian wings. You could also use this sauce to coat chicken wings. For this recipe, cauliflower florets are dipped in spiced batter and then coated in Panko breadcrumbs and fried until super crispy.
They are then coated in a spicy gochujang sauce. The flavorful sauce is made with sambal oelek, sugar, lime, garlic, and gochujang paste.
What is Gochujang?
Gochujang is a fermented chili paste commonly used in Korean cuisine. It's typically made with glutinous rice flour, soy beans, Korean red chili called Gochugaru. It's spicy and savory.
I have a soy allergy, so I use this Gochujang from my local grocery store.
The breaded cauliflower is shallow fried and then coated in the sauce for a delightful dish. The result is a crispy, spicy, satisfying bite. I love vegetable side dishes where they're so full of flavor and texture.
For more breaded cauliflower, try my crispy cauliflower bites.
The photo above shows the fried breaded cauliflower without the sauce, I like it this way too! You could put any sauce on, like bbq sauce, honey garlic sauce, or buffalo sauce. Love cauliflower? Read this post where I tested 3 cooking methods for breaded cauliflower.
Ingredients
See the recipe card for exact amounts.
- cauliflower: you'll need a large head of cauliflower, this is the main ingredient.
- for the batter: the batter is mostly flour but some corn starch helps achieve a crispy coating. The batter is spiced with onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika for more flavor. Panko breadcrumbs are the key to super crispy cauliflower as they are lighter and crispier than regular breadcrumbs.
- for the sauce: gochujang paste - this is a Korean ingredient and while I can find it at my local grocery store now, it wasn't the case until recently. Before this, I would visit my local Asian supermarket for ingredients like this. The sauce also includes sugar for sweetness, lime juice for acidity, ketchup for flavor, sambal oelek for a deeper spice, sesame oil, and fresh garlic for a more savory flavor.
- to serve: garnish the cauliflower bites with sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds.
Using a flour batter in combination with breadcrumbs eliminates the need for egg. This recipe is vegan.
Substitutions
- sugar: try brown sugar instead
- lime juice: try rice vinegar instead or white vinegar.
- ketchup: if you don't use ketchup, try tomato paste instead.
Instructions
Prep Tips
Make the spicy sauce
- Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a small bowl, except for the garlic and the frying oil.
- Heat a small saucepan over medium heat and add the oil and then the garlic. Cook for 30-60 seconds, until fragrant. Carefully pour in the combined sauce ingredients.
Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer for 5 minutes. Keep warm until the cauliflower is done.
Make the cauliflower
- In a large bowl, combine the batter ingredients, adding the water last. Whisk until smooth, adding more water as needed. The consistency should be that of pancake batter.
- Place the breadcrumbs in a separate bowl. Dip cauliflower florets one at a time. Let the excess batter drip off. Place the battered cauliflower pieces into the bowl of breadcrumbs and coat them.
Fry the cauliflower
- Place breaded cauliflower on a plate or baking sheet until you're ready to fry them.
- Heat a wide skillet over medium heat and add oil for frying. You can shallow fry the cauliflower so cover the bottom of the pan with a thin layer of oil. Place the battered cauliflower in a single layer into the hot oil.
Fry the cauliflower for 2-3 minutes per side, flipping once, until golden brown. Make sure all batter is cooked.
Remove the cooked cauliflower to a cooling rack set on top of a baking sheet while you finish cooking the cauliflower. You'll need to fry in a few batches, depending on how large your skillet is.
- Once the cauliflower is done, place them in a large bowl. Pour the sauce on top and toss to coat.
- Serve hot.
Garnish with sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds.
Tips for making breaded cauliflower
- Get a head start by making the sauce the day before.
- The batter should be about pancake batter thickness. If it's too thin, the breadcrumbs won't stick. Add more flour if the batter is too thin. If the batter is too thick it won't cook properly. Add a splash more water if the batter is too thick. Watch the video tutorial in the recipe card to see what the batter will look like.
- Don't overcrowd the skillet when frying, this will cause the temperature lower drastically causing the cauliflower to become soaked in oil rather than getting crispy. Crowded pans also lead to steaming when the moisture escapes, which also prevents browning.
What to serve with Gochujang Cauliflower
Gochujang cauliflower works well as a main dish or a side dish. For a main dish, serve with white rice, coconut Jasmine rice, or Instant Pot brown rice. To serve as a side, try pairing it with Air Fryer chicken katsu or panko chicken strips and garlic noodles.
Love spicy vegetables? Try this gochujang cucumber salad next!
Want even more cauliflower? Try crispy cauliflower bites, honey garlic cauliflower, or harissa cauliflower steaks next!
Storage
Store leftover cauliflower in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat in the microwave, oven, or air fryer until hot.
FAQs
Fresh cauliflower works best for this recipe as frozen cauliflower can be too soft and watery when thawed but you can try it.
Recipe
Crispy Gochujang Cauliflower
Ingredients
For the Cauliflower
- 1 head cauliflower cut into florets
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 cup cold water + 1 tablespoon
- 1 ½ cups panko breadcrumbs
- oil for frying (about ½ cup depending on the size of your pan)
for the sauce
- ¼ cup Gochujang paste
- 1 tablespoon sambal oelek
- 2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon oil to fry garlic
- 3 cloves garlic
- sesame seeds to serve, optional
Instructions
- Make the sauce. Combine all ingredients except garlic and the tablespoon of frying oil and stir to combine. Set aside.
- Heat a small saucepan over medium and fry the garlic for 30-60 seconds. Carefully add the rest of the sauce ingredients. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer for 5 minutes. Keep warm until the cauliflower is done.
- Make the batter. Mix the flour, cornstarch, salt, and spices. Slowly add the cold water, while whisking. You may need a tablespoon or two more water.
- Place panko in a separate bowl.
- Add the cauliflower florets to the batter and stir, covering each florets completely in batter.
- Bread the cauliflower. Designate one hand as a wet hand and one hand as a dry hand. Coat each cauliflower floret individually. Use your wet hand to remove a batter floret from the bowl, and let excess batter drip off. Place the floret into the bowl of breadcrumbs. Use your dry hand to sprinkle breadcrumbs on top of the floret and then toss it around to coat it in breadcrumbs. Place it on a plate. Repeat for each remaining floret.
- Fry the cauliflower. Heat oil in a large skillet, over about medium heat.
- Fry the cauliflower in batches, depending on how much fits in your pan. Don't crowd the pan. Add florets to the pan and fry about 2-3 minutes per side, flipping once. Some cauliflower florets seem to have three sides that need to be fried, while most only need to be fried on two sides. Make sure the whole floret is browned and crispy.
- Set each fried floret on a cooling rack with a paper towel underneath it. Sprinkle immediately with a bit of kosher salt. Repeat for all florets.
- Serve. You can serve the cauliflower as is, with the sauce to dip in, or you can coat the cauliflower in the sauce. To coat the cauliflower add half of the sauce to a large bowl. Add the fried cauliflower and then the rest of the sauce. Either stir and toss the cauliflower to coat.
Video
Notes
Nutritional information is an estimate. Values vary based on products used. Read our full Nutrition Disclaimer.
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