Red Hot Cauliflower Wings

5 from 9 votes

I made a few modifications to Cook with Manali’s recipe based on what I had on hand. I used panko for the breadcrumbs, which gave the nuggets a light crunch, and sriracha for the hot sauce. And because I am very, very lazy, instead of putting the baked florets into a grill pan after breading them, I put them back on the baking sheet (with a fresh sheet of parchment) and popped them back in the oven for another 10 minutes. They came out golden and crisp and I didn’t have to stand over the stove or wash an extra pan. Finally, because I love the idea of Buffalo wings so much (despite the fact that I have no love for chicken wings), I served them with the original dish’s classic partner, a creamy buttermilk blue cheese dressing for dipping, but they would also be great with Manali’s Creamy Cucumber Dip or her Cilantro Mint Chutney. Along with some bread, cheese, and salumi—and a nice glass of bubbly—this will make the perfect romantic meal for me and my Valentine.

Course Appetizer Recipes

Cuisine American

Keyword buffalo cauliflower, vegetarian wings

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings to 4 servings

Calories 174kcal

Author Robin Donovan

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower cut into florets
⅓ cup all purpose flour
3 tablespoons corn starch
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons water plus more if needed
½ teaspoon kosher salt plus more for seasoning
2 tablespoons sriracha
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon cooking oil Grapeseed, safflower, canola, etc.
1 cup panko breadcrumbs

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450ºF and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, pepper, cumin, and salt. Whisk in the water and continue to whisk until well combined. If the mixture is too thick (you want it thin enough to lightly coat the cauliflower), add a bit more water and whisk to combine.
Add the cauliflower florets to the bowl and toss gently until all of the florets are well coated with the batter. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the florets to the prepared baking sheet, leaving the excess batter behind. Spread the florets out on the pan so that they are in a single layer with plenty of room between them.
Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Turn the florets over and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the sriracha, ketchup, honey, and oil and stir to mix well. Place the panko in another bowl.
Add the baked cauliflower florets to the sriracha mixture and toss gently until all of the florets are well coated with the sauce. Dredge the florets in the panko to coat and return them to the baking sheet (you may want to discard the original parchment or foil and replace with a new sheet). Return to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes, until the florets are lightly browned and crisp.
Season with salt and serve warm.

Nutrition