This Sweet and Sour cauliflower wings recipe is a twist on a popular takeout order! They’re crispy, crunchy and coated in a sweet and sour sauce with just a few ingredients. Learn how to make these in HALF the time!!
Course Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Side Dish
1medium head cauliflower if using a large head, you may need to double the batter and sauce quantities
¾ cupflourall-purpose gluten-free flour or regular all purpose flour works
3tablespoonscornstarch
¾cupunsweetened vegan milkany kind works
¼ teaspoonsea salt
½teaspoonground black pepper
½teaspoon garlic powder
1cuppanko breadcrumbs seasoned with salt & pepper (use gluten free if needed)
Sweet and Sour Sauce
½cupsugar I use cane sugar, you can use brown or any granulated kind (meaning not a liquid sugar)
¼ cupketchup
¼ cupvinegarpreferably rice or white
¼ cupwater
1tablespoonsoy saucegluten free if needed, or liquid aminos or tamari
1teaspoongarlic powder
2 teaspoonscornstarch + 2 teaspoons water stirred together
½tablespoonsesame seeds for garnish
Chopped Scallionfor garnish
Instructions
Cauliflower Wings
Preheat oven to 450°F/230°C.
Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with a silicone baking sheet or greased foil. Using a knife, remove florets from the cauliflower (aka cut off the leaves and don't use the stems). Chop the cauliflower into smaller pieces to resemble the size of the wings.
In a separate bowl, whisk the gluten-free flour, cornstarch, almond milk, sea salt, ground black pepper and garlic powder in a bowl to make the batter. If the batter is too thick, feel free to thin it out with some more milk and vice versa. In a separate bowl, place the breadcrumbs. Line it up beside the batter bowl.
Toss the cauliflower in the batter mixture (you can add them all at once), using a spatula or spoon to coat them all. Transfer them to the breadcrumbs (you can do this in two or three batches) to coat completely, then place onto the baking sheet, giving each wing enough space. Repeat until all of the wings are coated.
Bake for 22 minutes. Please ensure your oven is completely preheated and hot.
While baking, prepare the ingredients for the sauce by heating & whisking together.
Remove from oven. Toss the wings in the sauce (I like to use a spatula to move them around to get properly coated) then using tongs or a spoon, remove and place back on the baking sheet. Bake for another 5 minutes for the sauce to soak into the wings.
Remove from oven, and garnish with sesame seeds and chopped scallions. Eat immediately - enjoy!
Sweet and Sour Sauce
In a pan over medium high heat, whisk together the sugar, ketchup, vinegar, water, soy sauce, garlic powder and the cornstarch slurry for the sweet and sour sauce and stir together until fully combined and cornstarch slurry is dissolved.
Bring to a slight boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened up. Taste test and add more sugar or soy sauce if you desire. Whisk frequently so the cornstarch doesn't thicken up in spots but instead mixes evenly throughout the sauce. If you’d like the sauce thicker, add more cornstarch, one teaspoon (+ a teaspoon of water) at a time. Remove from heat until needed.
Video
Notes
Expert Tips and FAQs
When you’re cutting the cauliflower off of the stem, don’t make them too small. Think: hand held wing-like pieces!BTW, and it’s a big “by the way”, I completely hacked my own recipe! You don’t have to dip each cauliflower wing in individually (like I used to in the past). Like in the video, you can just toss them all at once! It saves SO much time and energy (and you get to eat them faster!)!If you can’t have it, you can skip the cornstarch. But it does make the cauliflower extra crispy and crunchy by drawing out any excess liquid!Ensure that you simmer for 5 mins so that the sauce reaches the perfect viscosity. A thick sauce is preferred over a thin one.The sauce only takes a short time to prepare. Starting it early in the baking process allows the sauce to cool and ensures the wings stay crispy.I highly recommend using a (affiliate link) silicone baking sheet for this. Nothing sticks to it, and it’s so easy to clean! This is especially important with this sticky sweet and sour cauliflower wings recipe. This is the (affiliate link) one I use.