If you have never been a cauliflower enthusiast, think again: these Oven-Fried Sticky Cauliflower are a real crowd-pleaser and will convert any cauliflower sceptics out there!
You guys, these Oven-Fried Sticky Cauliflower Wings are everything. I would go as far as to say that these are the best cauliflower wings ever. And this comes from somebody who has NEVER enjoyed cauliflower before. In fact I always found it very bland at best and mildly fart-smelling at worst. And I really could not see how literally everyone seemed to adore it instead. So I decided to give cauliflower yet another chance and make one of the most appetizing things I can think of: hot, sticky wings. And to achieve perfect cauliflower wings, it took me a few trials and experiments. Although the taste was always nice, texture is what I cared about the most. I wanted something that had a thick, lightly crunchy batter, but without the fuss of frying. I very rarely fry at home because it is so hard for me to get it right and I find it a very messy, smelly process (maybe because I don't do it right). So I developed this idea of "oven-frying" which I had already encountered in my yearsof trying every recipe available on this planet. And it was amazing. Way healthier than fried and still so satisfying.
I was so mindblown by how good these cauliflower wings were, that I just kept making them. And I can see them bveing a staple in my meal rotation. Also because at first, I thought of them as an appetizer, and they could totally work as one. But they are so addictive and yet so filling, that I ended up having almost the whole cauliflower head to myself, and being so full, that these wings have become a legit meal in my book. And if this is my reaction as cauliflower-hater, God knows what will happen to you when you try them!
The fundamentals of making the perfect cauliflower wings:
Eggs: as we speak, I am trying to develop a vegan version of these wings that delivers the same light crunch. But until then, I can only offer a vegetarian version of these. I find that many recipes for cauliflower wings only call for one egg. And yet, the real game changer for me was using 2 medium eggs! There is a reason for this. The more egg you use, the more you can fully dip each floret fully in the egg mixture. This will make the breadcrumb mixture attach to the floret way better and will deliver chunkier, crunchier wings. And just so you know, you will not unfortunately be able to use all the egg mixture, and some will be thrown away. But using just one egg doesn't do the trick for me.
Breadcrumb mixture: again, you want to be generous with your breadcrumbs, to make sure that you get a nice thick coating. But also, you don't want bland breadcrumbs: that would be a missed opportunity to make your wings even more flavourful! I added some ground ginger, some chilli powder, garlic powder and salt. Game changing!
Sauce: and finally, the pièce of resistance - the sauce. This sauce is sticky, a bit salty, a bit sweet, a bit spicy. It's basically everything. And, belive me, you'd eat it over anything. My mind is racing with all the possibilities. Like glazing it on top of salmon or some crunchy chicken pieces. Or tofu, in a stirfry! Mmmm....
Some final considerations when making these cauliflower wings:
Serving options: I love having these wings as they are, straight out the oven, in a bowl or platter. But recently, I have also really enjoyed serving them is some cute lettuce cups. Not only it sneaks some extra veggies into my daily routine, but it is also very practical, as all the dripping sauce is caught by the lettuce leaves, leaving my hands nice and clean.
Sauce quantity: there is a lot of soy sauce and oyester sauce going on here, but that's because a whole head of cauliflower is actually pretty big. Of course, you can always decide to only bake half and therefore halve the amount of soy sauce going on in here.
Coating: there are two ways to coat these cauliflower wings: you can either add the baked florets straight to the pan where the sauce is, or you can transfer the cauliflower florets to a bowl (or you can leave them in the baking tray) and then pour the sticky sauce all over. I find that my favourite method is the latter, as the first one gives you a very crowded pan making it hard to fully coat each floret. But that being said, you do you.
Whatever you do, I am sure these cauliflower wings will convert the picky eaters in your life and will become the appetizer of choice for every family dinner or potluck!
Ingredients:
1 large cauliflower head
60 gr plain breadcrumbs (you could also use panko breadcrumbs)
2 medium eggs
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp salt
Extra virgin olive oil
For the sticky sauce:
7 - 8 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce (you can also use tamari or coconut aminos)
2 heaped tbsp oyster sauce (or, for a sweeter version ketjap manis)
2 1/2 tbsp honey
5 tbsp water
1 tbsp hot sauce
2 tsp cornflour (or cornstarch)
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 crushed garlic clove
Extra garnishes:
2 spring onions
Method:
Preheat your oven to 180°C.
Wash your cauliflower head and then pat it dry with a lint-free kitchen cloth or some paper towels.
Cut the cauliflower into florets.
Mix two eggs in a medium bowl. In another bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, chilli powder, garlic powder, ground ginger and salt.
Take each floret and dip them into the beaten eggs first and then coat them with the breadcrumb mixture. Make sure that the florets are fully coated in both mixtures.
Transfer them to a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Drizzle with a dash of olive oil and then bake for 35 minutes.
In the meantime, assemble your sauce: add all the sauce ingredients into a medium bowl and mix until fully combined.
When the cauliflower florets are almost done, transfer all the sauce ingredients to a pot and cook on a medium-high heat for about 2 minutes, or until the sauce as thickened. Stir every so often to check the consistency. When the sauce has thickened up, remove from the heat.
Once the florets are done, you can either add them to the pan with the sauce and mix or you can drizzle the sauce all over the florets directly.
Garnish with some optional but fully recommended chopped spring onions.
These cauliflower wings are best enjoyed immediately.
Enjoy!
Did you try this recipe? We would love to hear from you! Let us know how it turned out by leaving a comment below! Xx
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