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My General Tso’s cauliflower recipe will convince you to love cauliflower–I guarantee it. Starting with lightly battered florets, they’re baked until crisp and tossed in a sweet and savory sauce.
General Tso’s chicken is my guilty pleasure whenever my family and I get Chinese takeout, but sometimes I want a healthier option I can enjoy at home.
That’s where my cauliflower version comes in. With the same sweet and spicy sauce the dish is known for; the only difference is that I serve it atop crackling crispy cauliflower.
Why I love this recipe
- It’s actually healthy. Unlike other recipes, mine is 100% oven-baked and NOT deep-fried.
- Minimal clean-up. No deep frying means no pot of hot oil to deal with- Win-win!
- The perfect meaty texture. While no chickens were harmed in the making of this recipe, you still get a firm yet tender bite that almost (yes, almost) reminds you of meat.
If your craving more cauliflower fakeout dishes, try my kung pao cauliflower, buffalo cauliflower bites, cauliflower pizza crust, and Asian cauliflower next.
Key Ingredients
- Cauliflower. Chopped into bite-sized pieces. I don’t recommend using frozen cauliflower.
- Flour. Mixed with milk to form a thick batter. Use either all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour.
- Milk. I typically use unsweetened almond milk, but any milk will do.
- Smoked paprika. Adds a slight, smoky flavor to the batter.
- Salt and pepper. Just a pinch for flavor. Don’t go overboard with this, as the sauce is fairly salty and spicy.
For the General Tso’s sauce:
- Oil. Use a neutral-flavored oil, like peanut oil or vegetable oil. Avoid using sesame oil as it has too strong of a flavor.
- Vegetable broth. I opted for a vegetable broth to keep it vegan and vegetarian. You can use any low-sodium stock.
- Hoisin sauce. This gives the sauce a sweet, salty element and a shiny glaze.
- Brown sugar. Balances out the saltiness of the sauce. You can also use coconut sugar.
- Soy sauce. You can also use gluten-free soy sauce or liquid aminos.
- Corn starch. Thickens the sauce so it doesn’t slip off the cauliflower.
How to make General Tso’s cauliflower
Step 1- Prep. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2- Dredge. In a medium bowl, combine the milk, flour, and spices. Dip each cauliflower floret in the batter, then place it onto the lined baking dish. Repeat with the remaining cauliflower.
Step 3- Bake. Bake the cauliflower for 40-45 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Step 4- Make the sauce. Add oil to a small saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add the sauce ingredients (except the cornstarch) and simmer until warm. Mix the cornstarch with cold water. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes.
Step 5- Assemble. Once the cauliflower is golden brown, remove it from the oven. Place it in a large mixing bowl and toss in the sauce. Serve immediately.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Make the sauce in advance. It can be made up to three days ahead of time, but you’ll want to add some water to thin it out as it will thicken up quite a bit.
- Chop the cauliflower into even-sized pieces. So they cook evenly.
- Serve it immediately! The longer the cauliflower sits in the sauce, the sauce will begin to soften the batter.
Storage instructions
To store: If you don’t plan on eating this dish straight away, keep the sauce and cauliflower separate. They can both be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to one week.
To freeze: Place the cauliflower and sauce in separate freezer-safe containers and freeze both for up to two months.
To reheat: Sauce can be reheated in the microwave or saucepan. For the cauliflower, reheat it in a preheated oven or air fryer.
Frequently asked questions
Cauliflower should be rinsed to remove any dirt or debris, but I don’t find that soaking is necessary.
The trick to this recipe is baking the cauliflower at a high temperature, then tossing it in the sauce and serving immediately so it doesn’t have time to seep into the cauliflower.
More cauliflower recipes to try
General Tso’s Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1 large cauliflower chopped into bite sized florets
- 1 cup milk I used unsweetened almond milk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour gluten free, if needed
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
For the sauce
- 1 teaspoon oil I use vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup low sodium vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon Hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar or coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the milk, flour, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper, and mix until combined. Dip each piece of cauliflower in the batter until completely covered. Place the batter-covered cauliflower on the lined baking dish. Repeat until all the cauliflower is covered in the batter.
- Bake the cauliflower for 40-45 minutes, flipping halfway through. While the cauliflower is baking, prepare the sauce.
- In a small saucepan, add the oil and heat on medium. When it is hot and the oil is sizzling, add the vegetable broth, soy sauce, Hoisin sauce, and brown sugar. Heat up for 2-3 minutes until warm. Add the cornstarch and whisk into the sauce mixture. Allow it to simmer for a further 5 minutes to thicken.
- Once the cauliflower is golden brown remove from the oven. Place in a large mixing bowl, and pour the sauce all over it. Toss until all the cauliflower is covered in the sauce.
Notes
- Add some heat. This sauce is more sweet and salty, less spicy. If you want to add heat, sprinkle red pepper flakes or diced red chili into the sauce mixture.
- Aromatics. For a brighter flavor, stir some freshly minced garlic and ginger into the sauce.
- Garnish. Top the cauliflower with sesame seeds or green onions.
Dee-am, this was delicious! I saw the recipe a week or so ago and finally made it. My whole family loved it. It is going in my “keeper” recipes. I made it with white whole wheat flour, which worked really well. I may try it with a medley of veggies next time. I image it would we tasty with the likes of sweet potatoes, onions, green beans, broccoli, etc. in addition to the cauliflower. YUM!