This Crispy Teriyaki Cauliflower is sweet and savory with a crunchy outside and tender inside. It has great texture and kids love it too!
If you’ve been around here for a while you may have realized that I’m a little obsessed with crispy cauliflower recipes. When you batter and bread cauliflower florets it gives it such a great taste and texture and is perfect for coating with a sticky, flavorful sauce. This Crispy Teriyaki Cauliflower is so delicious and your entire family will love it!
This crispy teriyaki cauliflower is a veganized version of teriyaki chicken and I wouldn’t be surprised if you were able to trick some people into thinking it was real chicken! My kids call it chicken and have no idea it’s actually cauliflower 😉
INGREDIENTS FOR THIS CRISPY TERIYAKI CAULIFLOWER RECIPE
- Cauliflower – I like to use white cauliflower for this recipe since it most resembles the color of chicken but you could also use purple or yellow. You will want to cut the cauliflower into small florets, the smaller they are, the crispier they will get!
- Batter – I make an easy batter by whisking together flour and almond milk. I also like to add a few spices to make it more flavorful.
- Panko – I love to use panko in this recipe because it’s light and super crispy. You could also use regular breadcrumbs or even crushed up crackers.
- Teriyaki Sauce – I like to use my favorite homemade teriyaki sauce (Stir Fry Sauce) for this recipe and it’s super easy to make. You could also use a bottled teriyaki sauce though.
RECIPE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- Does it taste like cauliflower? No! As I said above, my kids think it’s chicken! Cauliflower has a very mild flavor and the coating and sauce completely mask the cauliflower.
- Can I make this ahead of time? It tastes best when fresh out of the oven. I would recommend reheating in the oven for leftovers.
- Can I use broccoli instead of cauliflower? I personally haven’t tried that yet. I think it would work but the texture would be different.
- Can I use store-bought teriyaki sauce? Yes! My recipe is super easy to make but a bottled sauce would definitely work.
- What should I serve this with? I like to serve with rice and top with green onions. You could eat just by itself or serve with your favorite grain.
FILLING PLANT BASED DINNER
If you’re wondering if this meal is very hearty and filling since it’s made with cauliflower instead of chicken, don’t worry! Cauliflower is actually very high in protein and this crispy cauliflower teriyaki will leave you feeling completely satisfied. Cauliflower is also high in fiber and has lots of antioxidants.
Looking for more delicious Crispy Cauliflower Recipes:
- Vegan Orange Chicken
- Sticky Lemon Cauliflower
- Cauliflower Parmesan
- BBQ Cauliflower and Chickpea Tacos
- Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos with Ranch Slaw
Crispy Teriyaki Cauliflower
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Crispy Teriyaki Cauliflower is easy to make and so delicious! It’s sweet and savory and has great texture.
Ingredients
- 1 medium sized head cauliflower
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup plain, unsweetened almond milk, or other plant based milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- Optional garnishes: sesame seeds, sliced green onion, cilantro
Teriyaki Sauce:
- 2/3 cup water
- 2/3 cup tamari, I like to use low sodium
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup toasted sesame oil
- 1 large clove garlic, finely grated
- 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated ginger
- 2 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees F. Cut the cauliflower into small to medium sized florets. The smaller they are, the crispier they will get.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and almond milk. Add all the cauliflower to the bowl and mix until each floret is coated in batter.
- Next, pour the panko over the cauliflower and mix until cauliflower completely coated with batter and panko.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a non-stick mat and lay cauliflower out. You want to make sure that it’s touching as little as possible and not piled on top of eachother. Bake cauliflower until crispy and starting to brown, 20 minutes, and then remove from oven.
- While cauliflower is baking, add all teriyaki sauce ingredients to a medium sized bowl and whisk. Pour into a saucepan and cook until thickened, 7-10 minutes.
- Pour about 3/4 of the sauce over the baked cauliflower and mix until combined. I find it easier to do by adding the cauliflower to a large bowl, pouring the sauce over and mixing until combined but you could also mix it together on the sheet pan. Place back into the oven for about 10 minutes, until crispy.
- Serve over rice, if desired, and spoon remaining teriyaki sauce over cauliflower just before serving. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onion.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Dinner, Vegan
- Method: Stovetop, Oven
- Cuisine: Asian
This is the very best method of breading and baking cauliflower. Love it for this teriyaki, and orange or sweet and sour. Thanks for simplifying the annoying breading task.
Hi Linda, that’s so nice to hear! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for the review!!
My daughter just made these and they are delicious. Lots of sauce left over. Any other vegetarian recipes you’d recommend using it for?
So glad you enjoyed! I use this sauce as a stir fry sauce and a sauce for tofu!
Any chance we can do this with frozen cauliflower? Any recommendations?
For the record, I did end up trying this with frozen cauliflower, and it worked great! The recipe was a huge hit and will be a repeat meal!
Yah!!! And good to know it worked with frozen cauliflower! <3
Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe! We will be making this a lot and I can see many possibilities with the breaded cauliflower ,
This is my first dish I tried from your site and looking forward to try more
Thank you! And, yes, so many delicious possibilities!!
Fantastic dish! I have made it a few times with big ++ from my family, even my meat-eating – and usually, never-eating cauliflower daughter loves these cauli nuggets in the teriyaki sauce! Thanks for yet another great veggie recipe.
That’s so nice to hear!!