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Skip the takeout and make a lighter version at home. This Sticky Sesame Cauliflower is battered and baked to perfection, then smothered in a spicy, sticky-sweet sauce. It's heavenly!
Cauliflower has been trending for a couple of years now and I don't see it slowing down anytime soon. It's one of the most versatile vegetables and many people use it as a healthier replacement for pizza crust, rice, mashed potatoes, meat, creamy sauces and so much more.
The internet is bursting with delicious cauliflower recipes and my Cheesy Vegan Cauliflower Casserole and Vegan Alfredo Sauce are just a few of what's out there. Anything is possible!
So, if you've always been a fan of sesame chicken takeout, you're going to love this recipe. It's much lighter, but all the flavors are still there. It's baked instead of fried, and I used a minimal amount of high-sodium ingredients.
You won't be missing a thing!
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you'll need to make this flavor-packed meal:
How to make Sticky Sesame Cauliflower
This is fairly easy to put together, just toss the florets into the batter and bake until crisp, then make the sticky sauce and toss it all together. Here's a step-by-step visual:
- Whisk all of the dry ingredients until combined.
- Now pour in the milk and water and whisk until combined.
- Place a handful of cauliflower in the bowl and toss to coat. Lightly shake the excess batter off each piece and place it on a baking sheet. Bake at 425° F for 20 minutes and flip midway through.
- In a large pan over medium heat, add the tamari, agave, vinegar, sesame oil, sriracha, ginger, and garlic. Whisk and bring to a light simmer. Whisk the cornstarch and vegetable broth and pour into the pan. Simmer until it thickens up and becomes sticky. Add cauliflower and toss to coat. Top with green onions and sesame seeds if desired.
Tips and Tricks
This sesame cauliflower recipe is sure to be a success. Here are some helpful tips:
- Once the cauliflower comes out of the oven, the rest goes pretty fast so make sure your sauce is ready.
- Try to cut the cauliflower into similar-sized florets so they cook evenly.
- The sauce is just enough to coat everything well, but if you want it extra saucy, you can double the amounts.
- Measure your flour correctly by weighing it (125 g) or by using this spoon and level method: don't scoop it with a measuring cup directly from the flour container. Instead, scoop it out of the container with a spoon and then into a measuring cup, being careful not to tap or pack the cup. After filling, lightly sweep a butter knife across the top to remove the excess flour.
Serving Suggestions
Anything goes! I typically serve it over rice, but you can serve it over quinoa, couscous, or even cauliflower rice. You can eat it as is, or top it with toasted sesame seeds, sliced green onion, cilantro, or anything your taste buds crave. It's a perfect meal for lunch or dinner.
FAQs
YES! Just swap out the all-purpose for a 1.1 gluten-free flour. Make sure to use a gluten-free tamari sauce too.
Just swap out the tamari for Coconut Aminos. It's just as savory and delicious!
Yes, you can omit the sesame oil in the sauce. Just add 1-2 teaspoons of toasted sesame seeds to the sauce. Make sure the vegetable broth is oil-free too.
More takeout-inspired meals
Did you make this recipe? Let me know what you think by leaving a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and sharing your feedback in the comment section below. It would make my day!
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Recipe
Sticky Sesame Cauliflower
Ingredients
Cauliflower
- 1 large head cauliflower , cut into bite-sized florets (about 1.5 lbs)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼-1/2 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup non-dairy milk , , unsweetened
- ½ cup water , more if needed
Sauce
- ¼ cup tamari , low sodium (sub soy sauce)
- ¼ cup agave nectar (sub maple syrup or light brown sugar)
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger , peeled and grated (sub frozen or paste)
- 3 cloves garlic , minced or crushed
- ½ cup vegetable broth , low sodium
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
For Serving (Optional)
- 3 green onions , sliced
- 2-3 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
- 3 cups cooked rice
Recommended Equipment
- Large Pan
Instructions
Cauliflower
- Preheat oven to 425° F (220° C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and salt. Now pour in the milk and water and whisk to combine well. The batter should be thick, but still pourable. If it's too thick, add a few tablespoons of water.
- Place a handful of cauliflower in the bowl and toss to coat well. Lightly shake off excess batter and place on baking sheet, leaving room in between each piece. (to make it faster, I put a bunch of battered cauliflower on a cooling rack to drain with parchment paper underneath) Place in the oven for 20 minutes to lightly crisp. Flip over pieces at the halfway mark.
Sauce
- To a large pan over medium heat, add the tamari, agave, vinegar, sesame oil, sriracha, ginger, and garlic. Whisk to combine well and bring to a slight simmer.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and vegetable broth and pour it into the pan. Let it simmer until it thickens up and becomes sticky. About 5 minutes. Stir often to prevent burning and turn down the heat if needed.
- Add the baked cauliflower and toss to coat well. Remove from heat and top with green onions and sesame seeds if preferred. Top on rice and serve!
Video
Notes
- The listed sauce amount is enough to coat all the florets nicely. However, if you want it extra saucy, feel free to double the amount.
- Gluten-Free Option - swap out the all-purpose for a 1.1 gluten-free flour. Make sure to use a gluten-free tamari sauce too (most are gluten-free).
Tammy
This was amazing, just a vegan for a week now. I also doubled the sauce and added some crushed peanuts at the end. Thanks for the recipe, it was amazing!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Tammy, congratulations on your new vegan journey! The added peanuts sound delicious! Thanks for making it 🙂
Michelle
Made this for dinner last night along with veggie fried rice and WOW! It is FANTASTIC!!! I made a double batch of the sauce since my cauliflower was large and it was delicious! I live in a rural area far from any take-out Chinese and so this will help to satisfy any cravings! Thanks for sharing this great recipe!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Michelle, I'm so glad you liked it! Thank you so much! 🙂
Jimmie May
Made this tonight for the fam. Everyone loved it! May go a little lighter on the ginger next time, but otherwise fantastic. Thanks so much!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Jimmie, I'm so glad your family liked it! Thank you for trying it and sharing your feedback. Have a nice weekend! 🙂
K
This was tasty and easy to make. The one issue I had was the cauliflower did not crisp up within the suggested time of 20 minutes. Wasn't a big deal, I just left it in until it was sufficiently done. Other than that it worked great. I didn't have any milk on hand and substituted water in the batter...pretty sure it didn't make a lick of difference. I also just eyeballed the salt and added some cayenned to the batter to give it some extra flavor. I was very pleased at how quickly the sauce thicked once the broth/cornstarch mix was added. I was pleasantly surprised...cutting the cauliflower and measuring the ingredients for the sauce were about the hardest parts of this recipe.
Sarah asif
Thanks For Sharing Best and delicious Recipes, I love your work
Melissa Huggins
You're most welcome, Sarah! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Virginia
1 am looking for tailgating recipes. Would this keep if made ahead? Thank you so much. It looks so yummy.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Virginia, I haven't tried making it ahead yet. I'm not sure if the cauliflower will turn soggy. I'm sorry I can't be more help.
Natalie Stocks
Fab u lous!!!! This recipe was absolutely delicious!!! Thank you for such clear directions! I've always been intimidated to try Adian cuisine at home. Thanks to you, I was able to make this even better than takw-out!
Melissa Huggins
This is such a nice compliment! Thank you for giving it a try and sharing your feedback. 🙂
Ilene
Will be trying this soon! This is a great meatless meal idea.
Melissa Huggins
Thank you, Ilene! 🙂
Eric
Thank you for the recipe! Definitely one of the best recipes we've made since going plant-based! We only did 1 tsp of sriracha for our daughter, but she loved her cauliflower "chicken nuggets."
Melissa Huggins
I'm so glad that your family liked it. Thank you for giving it a try 🙂
Kara
This dish was excellent. My husband said, "We could serve this to guests." As vegans, we don't often invite people over for dinner, but I guess now we can.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Kara, this is such a lovely compliment! I'm so glad you both loved it. Thank you 🙂
Joeyduck
This was so good. I didn't have any sriracha and I did add just a tiny pit of brown sugar. It was very filling and my crappy meat eating husband even said "That's not bad" LOL
Joeyduck
Wow I should have proofread my post. "tiny bid of brown sugar" and "my crabby meat eating husband"
Melissa Huggins
Your comment was the first thing I saw this morning! I loved the typo and it made me chuckle! Thank you for giving the recipe a try. I'm glad your hubby liked it too 🙂
Vegan.mama
Great recipe - I added a tablespoon of peanut butter - fabulous!
Melissa Huggins
Thank you so much! It sounds wonderful with the peanut butter. I'm totally trying that next time 🙂
Catherine
Wow, what a fabulous recipe. It was so fun and easy to make, I was really excited to sit down with a big bowl. Nice spice.
Cathy
Made this tonight Melissa. Just delicious. Chinese food near us isn’t always good so I like to find good, light Asian recipes. Thanks for another great recipe!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Cathy, I'm so happy you liked it! We don't have any good Chinese food places near us either. We have to drive pretty far, so I like making it at home. Thank you for making it and sharing your feedback. 🙂
Jani Revas
I'm making these as I write this. Its rare I have all the ingredients to make a recipe but I do this time. Cant wait thisnoooks so good.