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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!
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.
Sesame Cauliflower 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.
Can I make it gluten-free?
YES! Just swap out the all-purpose for a 1.1 gluten-free flour. Make sure to use a gluten-free tamari sauce too.
How can I make it soy-free?
Just swap out the tamari for Coconut Aminos. It's just as savory and delicious!
Can I make it oil-free?
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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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).
Stephanie
Hi Melissa - can I use frozen cauliflower instead of fresh?
Melissa Huggins
Hi Stephanie, yes, you can use frozen, just thaw it first and let it drain well. Have a great weekend! 🙂
Debbie S
I made this last night and my whole family loved it!
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Debbie! We are so happy to hear that you and your family loved the recipe! Thanks for giving it a try 🙂
Christine M Fensky
I found out about this recipe from a Facebook group I belong to called What's for Dinner! Someone had posted it and it looked delicious. Fast forward to me actually making it. I didn't like it, I LOVED IT!! I didn't use the agave nectar, but, used brown sugar instead and topped it with some chopped cashews. I served it over brown rice and we were stuffed! Here is the kicker - My husband who poo-poos anything veggie LOVED IT! It even tasted better the next day for lunch. He suggested next time to incorporate some broccoli and chicken in it for him. I am putting this on my regular rotation for sure. The sauce was so good, you could totally mix in some chopped asparagus, or green beans, zucchini, or whatever else you have laying around, Thanks for a great recipe!
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Christine! Thank you so much for the wonderful review! We are so thrilled to hear how much you both loved the recipe and happy to hear that you will be making it again 🙂
Annika
Another winner! I've made several versions of "fried" cauliflower and this one wins... by a landslide! My husband even took our leftovers for lunch today (he never eats leftovers). And I secretly wanted to strangle him for taking it all. I actually put my rack over the sink and let the pieces drip right in to the sink for easy clean up, and then I cooked them on the same rack on the convection setting, Yummmmmm!
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Annika! Great idea, we love an easy clean up! So happy to hear that you both loved the recipe so much, it sounds like you'll have to double it next time 😉 Thanks for giving it a try!
Steffani
This recipe is so good! My boyfriend said I should make it every week. I love the healthy twist of the cauliflower but the classic taste of a good takeout.
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Steffani, we are so happy you both loved the recipe! Thanks so much for giving it a try 🙂
Jackie Wilson
Very good! We aren't vegan, just vegetarian, so we used dairy milk and it worked fine. We also added a few dashes of fish sauce and substituted sambal oelek for the sriracha as it's just better! We will add this to the monthly menu.
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Jackie! We are very happy to hear that you loved the recipe so much and that it tasted delicious with the substitutions! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Maria H
Tastes exactly how I imagined..delicious!
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Maria! We're so happy you loved it, thank you for sharing 🙂
Jenna D
Husband said “this might be your best dish yet”! 🙂
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Jenna! That's awesome, so happy you both loved it, thank you for sharing!
Laura Findorff
I rarely comment on recipes, but OMG, these are amazing. Easy to make and much better than Trader Joe Kung Pao cauliflower bites. I am eating much more plant based these days in an attempt to lower my cholesterol, but even my meat loving husband loved them.
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Laura! What an amazing compliment! We are so happy to hear that you loved these, and that your husband did too! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Kate
This is great! I doubled the sauce and was glad I did. I also used soy sauce and shouldn’t of added the extra salt because it was pretty salty, but we still enjoyed it. Thank you for the recipe!
Melissa
We have made this recipe multiple times with no modifications! I have two boys, one is pretty picky and he loves this dish as well. So delicious !
Melissa Huggins
I'm so glad it was a hit with your family. Thank you for giving it a try. 🙂
Caroline
Easy to make (might put the cauli on a rack next time as I had a had a fair bit of excess batter). Sriracha made it spicy enough. We usually go down the Middle Eastern route with cauliflower so this was a tasty change.
Gina
Loved it. We'll do it again. It was a little too spicy for us so next time I'll probably do 1/2 the sriracha and up the agave just a bit. I think we'd prefer a little more sweet, little less spice. But my husband said he's order it out which his supreme compliment!
Laura Magnan
DELICIOUS dear lord lollll
Melissa Huggins
Yay! So glad you liked it! Thank you so much 🙂
Annie
Wonderful! I placed all the cauliflower florets on a plate and just poured the flour mixture on them. Then I cooked them on a rack with parchment paper underneath. Perfection and so easy. The sauce is very good. To be repeated!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Annie, I'm so glad it worked out with your method. Sounds so easy! Thank you for sharing. 🙂