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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
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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).
Maria
Made this tonight and the family and I loved it.
Melissa Huggins
So glad you liked it! Thank you so much! 🙂
Stacy
I didn’t have sriracha or fresh ginger but it still turned out heavenly! Thank you for the simple yet tasty recipe!
Melissa Huggins
Thank you, Stacy! So glad you liked it. 🙂
Carla
This dish was delicious! Going to put it on my “be sure to make again list”!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Carla, I'm so glad you liked it. Thank you so much! 🙂
Zoe
Hi! Excited to try this recipe. Do you know if you can sub out the all-purpose flour for almond flour or something similar?
Melissa Huggins
I haven’t tried it with anything else, but I think a GF all-purpose will work nicely. I’m not sure about the almond flour. I hope this helps. Thank you for stopping by. 😀
Jeanne Wilson
I used your recipe as an inspiration. The sauce was delicious. Instead of battering the cauliflower, I simply tossed the florets with oil and salt and then roasted at 425 degrees F until tender and staring to brown. That saved time and calories in addition to making it gluten free. I also used two heads of broccoli. The saucy cauliflower/broccoli was delicious served over rice and topped with green onions, toasted sesame seeds and finely minced sweet red pepper.
I will definitely make it again.
Tammy
Very tasty, but time I would skip the siracha sauce, it was way to spicy.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Tammy, I'm glad you liked it! If you omit the sriracha, but you still want a mild heat, you can add 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper instead. Thanks for giving it a try! 🙂
Tarisa
This was AMAZING. We’re making the switch to a meat-free diet and our 12 and 14 year old boys LOVED this. Paired it with noodles and veggie egg rolls and inhaled it all! Will absolutely make again and again
Melissa Huggins
Hi Tarisa, this is such a nice compliment! It sounds perfect with the noodles and veggie egg rolls. Thank you for giving it a try. 🙂
diana nikoloski
amazing. i just made it for my family whose in love with meat and they rated this a 10/10 i love it so much. its worth the hour cooking!
Melissa Huggins
I'm so glad it was a hit with your family! Thank you for giving it a try. 🙂
Rachel
I have made this twice and it is my absolute FAVE right now! The store was out of regular cauliflower so I bought frozen florets, will that work the same, and should I thaw it first? Thanks!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Rachel, I'm sorry for the late reply. I'm so glad you like the recipe. I haven't tried it with frozen cauliflower yet, but I would probably try thawing it first. Not sure how the batter will stick if it's frozen. I'd love to hear how it turns out if you give it a try. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Renee
This recipe is Great! Really satisfied my Asian food craving. Since I like spicy food I put about 1tsp. of cayenne pepper in the flour mixture that coats the cauliflower. Also to reduce the sodium I use half the soy sauce and added more broth.
Melissa Huggins
This is such a nice compliment! Thank you for giving it a try and sharing your modifications. 🙂
Amanda
This is so good! I added a bit too much ginger I think so it is incredibly spicy, but it’s still sooo yummy!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Amanda, I'm so glad you liked it! Thank you so much. 🙂
Rachel
Oh my goodness this is so good!! The flavor. The texture. All of it. My whole family loved it so much that I’ve made it twice in two weeks. I added broccoli too bc I only had a small head of cauliflower. The broccoli worked great as well! GREAT recipe!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Rachel, this is wonderful! I'm so glad your family loves it! I'm so glad it worked out well with the broccoli too. Thank you for sharing 🙂
Molly
Could I substitute either rice flour or chickpea flour for the AP flour? Thanks!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Molly, I haven't tried it, so I'm not sure how it will work. Maybe a GF all-purpose? I'd love to hear how it turns out for you if you give it a try 🙂
Meg C
This was a huge hit w my family! Perfect flavor, if a tad sweet but my kids lived it! We were out of rice so I put it over quinoa & added steam veggies (an bag of asian medley). It is a great weeknight meal!
Melissa Huggins
I'm glad it was a hit with your family! It sounds perfect with the quinoa and the extra veggies. Thank you for giving it a try 🙂
Kelly
Loved this recipe! It will be a regular in our rotation!! I tripled the sauce and used two heads of cauliflower. Thank you!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Kelly, I'm so glad you liked it! Thank you for trying it out 🙂