I think it’s safe to say that I’m now officially obsessed with cauliflower. Especially these Sweet and Sour Cauliflower Wings! I know, I know… for someone who’s never been the biggest fan of cauliflower this is shocking! After making the Spicy Cauliflower Wings with Maple Glaze, I knew I had to come up with some different variations. I’d been craving a dish with an Asian flare, so these seemed like the perfect move to make!
So what are baked sweet and sour cauliflower wings exactly? I’m glad you asked! Sweet and sour cauliflower wings cauliflower wings are made using fresh florets of cauliflower. They’re then coated in a seasoned mixture of panko and regular breadcrumbs, then baked in the oven to get crispy! The finished product is tender on the inside and perfectly crispy on the outside. Finally, the cauliflower is tossed in the best and most simple homemade sweet and sour sauce. YUM!
This is the perfect recipe for Meatless Monday and gives you those “takeout vibes,” only much cheaper! Oh, and the leftovers will taste better too! More about that below 🙂
How to Make Cauliflower Wings
Making sweet and sour cauliflower wings is super easy and requires pretty few ingredients. You’ll start by cutting up your fresh cauliflower into florets. I prefer smedium sized pieces, as they seem to have a good cauliflower/breading ratio. Once your cauliflower has been cut, you’ll want to round up all of your ingredients to prepare your dipping bowls.
Your first bowl will be your wet bowl where you’ll combine your unsweetened almond milk, all-purpose flour, soy sauce and salt + pepper. In your second bowl, combine the ingredients for the breading.
The recipe suggests using a mixture of both regular breadcrumbs and panko breadcrumbs. For a little extra crunch, you can certainly opt to use all panko instead. I was running low on panko, so I decided to use a combination (#QuarantineLife).
Once your bowls are prepared now the fun part begins! Before you begin dipping, be sure to have a baking pan lined with foil and sprayed with olive oil ready so that you can place the cauliflower that’s been breaded on it. Now that your two bowls have been set up, you can toss a handful of the cauliflower pieces in bowl one, coat them using a spoon or your hands, then transfer them to bowl two and coat each piece with the breading mixture.
Once each piece has been coated with the panko mixture from bowl two, add them to a foil lined baking pan that has been sprayed with oil to avoid sticking. Toss them in the oven and bake them for 22-25 minutes!
Can Sweet and Sour Cauliflower be Made in the Air Fryer?
Absolutely! To make these crispy Sweet and Sour Cauliflower Wings in the air fryer, you can place them in a single layer along the bottom of your air fryer basket. I like to line mine with foil, then spray it with a little oil to ensure they don’t stick. If you have an air fryer rack accessory, you can use that to create a second layer overtop of the first. Finally, spray the breaded cauliflower with a light layer of oil and cook them on 400° for about 12 minutes. While they’re cooking, you can put together your Sweet and Sour Sauce.
How to Make Sweet and Sour Sauce from Scratch
Making sweet and sour sauce is really simple! Just a few basic ingredients whisked together and you’re all set! You’ll start by sautéing the minced garlic in a little bit of oil until it’s fragrant. Once fragrant, begin whisking in all of the remaining ingredients (except the cornstarch mixture, we’ll add this last). Once everything is combined, slowly mix in a little of the cornstarch mixture at a time in order to get it thickened to your liking. You may not need the entire mixture (I used a little more than half). Because the sauce comes together so quickly, you may find it preferable to leave it on a low heat to keep warm while your cauliflower wings are still cooking.
What do I Serve with these Cauliflower Wings?
If you’re looking for something to pair with these Sweet and Sour Cauliflower Wings, I’ve got a few suggestions!
- Vegan Honey Butter Garlic Chick’n
- Easy Vegan Fried Rice
- Quinoa Pineapple Fried Rice
- Baby Bok Choy
- White or Brown Rice
- Quinoa
You could even serve these sweet and sour cauliflower wings as an appetizer for a gathering. Just think of them as wings with a dipping sauce!
How Do you Cut Cauliflower?
I’ve. found that the best way to cut a head of cauliflower into florets is to simply take it one step at a time. It’s really tough to get it wrong! Here’s what I do to prep for making these sweet and sour cauliflower wings:
- Remove the leaves from the bottom area of the cauliflower
- Turn the cauliflower head on its side and cut off the bottom stem
- Cut the cauliflower in half, then in quarters
- Begin cutting florets into the desired size you would like for your cauliflower wings to be (I prefer smedium pieces for a good cauliflower/breading ratio)
I know you’ll love these baked Sweet and Sour Cauliflower Wings! They’re easy to make, crispy and delicious! Plus, they can be reheated in the air fryer so they make for great leftovers! Give this recipe a try and let me know what you think in the comments below!
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Sweet and Sour Cauliflower Wings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 medium head of white cauliflower cut into medium-sized florets
- chopped green onion for garnish optional
Bowl #1
- ¾ cups +1 tbsp all-purpose white flour
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
Bowl #2
- 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
- ½ cup Breadcrumbs
- ½ tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground ginger
Sweet and Sour Sauce
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- ¼ cup agave
- 2 tbsp organic ketchup
- ½ tbsp soy sauce
- 1 pinch of salt
- ¼ cup white vinegar
- ½ tbsp cornstarch + ½ tbsp water mixed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°
- In one medium-sized bowl, whisk together the ingredients for Bowl #1. Set aside.¾ cups +1 tbsp all-purpose white flour, 1 tbsp soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste, 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- In a separate medium-sized bowl, combine the ingredients for Bowl #2. Set aside.1 cup Panko bread crumbs, ½ cup Breadcrumbs, ½ tbsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp onion powder, 1 tsp black pepper, ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp ground ginger
- Grab 6-8 pieces of fresh cauliflower and toss them into Bowl #1. Use a spoon (or your fingers) to coat each piece.1 medium head of white cauliflower
- Transfer each piece into the breading mixture (bowl #2), then move to a foil-lined baking pan sprayed with oil to avoid sticking.
- Repeat until all cauliflower has been coated, lightly spray the breaded cauliflower with oil, then transfer to the oven and bake for 22-25 minutes.
- Air Fryer Cooking: Place the cauliflower in a single layer along the bottom of your air fryer basket, spray each piece with a little oil and cook them on 400° for about 12 minutes.
- While the cauliflower is baking, begin making the sweet 'n sour sauce by sautéing the minced garlic in a small sauté pan with a few drops of a neutral oil or water. Sauté until fragrant.1 tbsp minced garlic
- Add in the agave, ketchup, soy sauce, vinegar and salt. Whisk to combine. Lastly, add in the cornstarch and water mixture slowly while simultaneously whisking the mixture. Note: may not need all of it depending on how thick you want it to be. Bring to a low boil, then reduce heat to a very low to keep warm until ready to use.¼ cup agave, 2 tbsp organic ketchup, ½ tbsp soy sauce, 1 pinch of salt, ¼ cup white vinegar, ½ tbsp cornstarch + ½ tbsp water
- Once the cauliflower is finished cooking, remove them from the oven and drizzle with the sweet and sour sauce or use as dipping sauce. Garnish with chopped green onion. Enjoy!chopped green onion for garnish
Notes
