Fried Cauliflower
Fried Cauliflower is hands down the best way to enjoy Cauliflower! Super Crunchy and Delicious, perfect for dipping in just about anything!
I made some Buffalo Cauliflower a while back, and realized that they were actually pretty good even before slathering in Buffalo Sauce, so I thought I’d make them on their own for good measure!
And these are super good as an alternative to Fried Tofu if you have a soy allergy. They are also super good dipped in just about anything you can think of!
Ingredients for Fried Cauliflower
- Cauliflower – Obviously we need some Cauliflower! You can use a whole head like I did, or buy some bagged florets for a short cut.
- Flour & Cornstarch – I call for equal amounts AP Flour and Cornstarch to get some good crunchy action. You can use an all-purpose GF flour too.
- Baking Powder – The secret ingredient to super crunchy fried anything, thanks to SCIENCE!
- Cayenne – Feel free to add as much cayenne as your spicy loving heart desires! The amount I use makes these pleasantly spicy, but if you like things HOT I would triple or quadruple it.
- Seasonings – I call for garlic and onion powder, smoked paprika and nutritional yeast, but add whatever you like.
- Vegan Buttermilk – To make our wet dredge we’ll be using some unsweetened plant milk, Frank’s hot sauce, apple cider vinegar, Vegan Worcestershire and a few tablespoons of the dry dredge to thicken it even more. I’ve found that some plant milks won’t thicken and curdle with just the apple cider vinegar, so this is a failsafe and will guarantee a crispy breading.
How to make Fried Cauliflower
Breakdown the Cauliflower into bite sized pieces.
Prepare the Dredging Stations.
Dredge the cauliflower in the wet then the dry, and repeat for a double dredge.
Fry in some hot oil.
do i need to par-cook cauliflower before frying?
I personally found the texture of the cauliflower perfect after frying. It was soft but not mushy, and wasn’t raw or crunchy at all. It had a little bit of a snap, but nothing unpleasant. But feel free to steam them until fork tender if you want a very soft texture!
Can I bake or Air Fry Cauliflower?
I tried baking and air frying these, and I gotta be honest, they were not that good. Don’t get me wrong, I ate every single one of them, but compared to the deep fried, they leave a lot to be desired. I think I need to develop a recipe specifically for baking or air frying them. You can try doing something like THIS RECIPE too.
But if you want to bake them, I would suggest dredging them in some panko breadcrumbs after the wet dredge. Then bake at 400 F / 200 C for 20 minutes, baste them with Buffalo Sauce and then bake for another 5 – 10 minutes.
Same for air frying, except half the time (so 10 minutes flipping halfway through, and then 2 – 5 minutes after basting with sauce).
TIPS FOR Deep Frying
- Use a heavy bottomed pot (Stainless Steel, Cast Iron, Carbon Steel etc)
- I highly recommend a Deep Fry Thermometer to monitor the oil temp.
- Use a neutral tasting, high smoke point oil (Canola, Vegetable, Peanut etc.)
- Make sure to use UNSWEETENED plant milk. I like RIPPLE the best.
- Add flour as needed to thicken the vegan buttermilk mixture.
- Shake off the excess flour and batter when you dredge.
- Fry a test nugget to test the seasoning and adjust as needed.
- Let the fried nuggets rest on a Wire Rack after frying to prevent soggy breading.
SAFETY TIPS FOR DEEP FRYING
- Don’t leave the pot unattended.
- Keep children away from the pot.
- Don’t fill the pot more than halfway with oil. Don’t overcrowd it as well.
- Turn the handles of the pot away from you to avoid accidental spills.
- Keep a lid or fire blanket nearby so you can cover the pot if it catches fire.
- Never use water to put out an oil fire.
- Get a Fire Extinguisher just to be extra safe. This isn’t just good for deep frying, but for having in the house in general!
Deep Fry Alternatives
If you want to see about alternatives to deep frying, check out my BEST WAYS TO FRY VEGAN CHICKEN post!
other buffalo recipes!
Fried Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1 head Cauliflower
- Neutral Oil for frying (Canola, Vegetable, Avocado)
Dry Dredge
- 1 cup All Purpose Flour
- 1 cup Cornstarch
- 2 Tbsp Baking Powder
- 1 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Cayenne (more or less to taste)
Wet Dredge
- 1 1/2 cups Unsweetened Plant Milk
- 1/2 cup Frank's Hot Sauce
- 2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 Tbsp Vegan Worcestershire
- 3 Tbsp Dry Dredge
Instructions
- Cut the head of cauliflower in half, and then into quarters, and then into eighths. Break or cut off bite size pieces of cauliflower, making sure to trim out the tough core / stems.
- You can steam the cauliflower until fork tender, or just fry them raw (I personally liked raw but if you want a really soft texture steam them first).
- To make the Dry Dredge, simply combine everything in a small baking pan or wide rimmed dish. Do the same to prepare the wet dredge.
- Fill a dutch oven or large pot with enough neutral high smoke point oil to cover the cauliflower, but don't fill up the pot more than halfway. Heat the oil to 350 F / 175 C.
- For a thinner breading, dredge the cauliflower pieces first in the dry dredge, coating thoroughly, shaking off the excess, and then into the wet dredge, coating thoroughly and shaking off the excess. Repeat in the dry dredge. For a thicker and crunchier breading, Double Dredge! Start with the wet, then dry, and then repeat. You may need to increase the wet batter a bit to compensate for the double dredge however I had no issues).
- Once cauliflower is coated, fry them in batches, making sure not to crowd the pan. The temperature will drop by about 15 degrees, but as long as you keep it between 330 – 360 F, you should be fine.
- Fry Cauliflower until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from pan and let them rest on a wire rack.
- Serve immediately with some Vegan Ranch and ENJOY!
