This delicious Korean fried cauliflower is crunchy, saucy, and simple to prepare. Cauliflower florets are dipped in a light rice flour batter, pan-fried until golden, and tossed in a bold Korean BBQ sauce. The recipe is gluten free and can easily be made vegan.
Table of contents
- How to make it
- Recipe tips
- Ways to serve it
- Dietary modifications
- More Asian-inspired vegetarian recipes
I love this Korean BBQ sauce so much I find myself adding it to everything. It’s sweet, savory, and slightly spicy, and—importantly—it’s naturally vegan. After using it on chicken, beef, pizza, and tacos, I wanted a vegetarian dish that highlights the sauce. Enter Korean fried cauliflower: crisp florets coated in a rice flour batter and tossed in a glossy, flavorful sauce. It’s a great appetizer, snack, or main when served over rice or in lettuce wraps.
How to make it
- Make the Korean BBQ sauce. In a medium pot over medium-high heat, combine brown sugar, soy sauce (or tamari for a gluten-free alternative), mirin, water, and rice wine vinegar. Stir in chili paste, sesame oil, ground black pepper, grated ginger, crushed garlic, and a chopped green onion. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook 5–7 minutes to meld flavors.
- Thicken the sauce. Mix cornstarch with a tablespoon of water until smooth. Whisk the slurry into the simmering sauce, bring back to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer 3–4 minutes until slightly thickened. Keep warm on very low heat until ready to use.
- Prepare the batter. In a large bowl, whisk together rice flour, salt, and pepper. Stir in a whisked egg yolk (or a vegan substitute—see notes) and add cold water. Mix until a smooth, slightly runny batter forms.
- Fry the cauliflower. Heat about 2 cups of canola or vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Dip cauliflower florets into the batter, letting excess drip off, then carefully add to the hot oil. Fry 3–4 minutes per side or until golden and crisp. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate to drain. Work in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.
- Toss with sauce and serve. Add a few fried florets at a time to the warm sauce and toss to coat. Remove to a serving platter and garnish with diced green onions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately for best texture.
Recipe tips
- Keep the cauliflower crispy: Once sauced, cauliflower should be eaten right away to avoid sogginess. If you’re serving a crowd, toss only a portion of the batch with sauce and add more just before serving.
- Rice flour works best: A light rice flour batter yields a crisp exterior. If you have access to an Asian market you’ll often find economical bags of rice flour; otherwise most grocery stores carry it in the baking or gluten-free section.
- Don’t overcrowd the fryer: Fry in 3–4 small batches depending on pan size so each floret browns evenly and retains crunch.
- Portion and calories: This recipe makes about 24 pieces. Serving six florets per person is a generous portion and pairs well with rice or lettuce wraps.
Ways to serve it
These bite-sized pieces are perfect as an appetizer—serve with toothpicks for easy party eating. They also shine as a vegetarian main: pile the sauced cauliflower over steamed white or brown rice, or wrap in crisp lettuce leaves for a lighter meal. If you have extra sauce, drizzle it over the cauliflower or serve on the side for dipping.
Dietary modifications
The recipe is naturally gluten free when using tamari in place of regular soy sauce and rice flour in the batter. It’s vegetarian by default and can be made vegan easily:
Vegan option: Omit the whisked egg yolk and substitute 1 tablespoon of almond milk or an extra tablespoon of cold water to achieve the same batter consistency.
More Asian-inspired vegetarian recipes
Try these other flavorful vegetarian dishes for more inspiration:
- Spicy Vegetable Pad Thai
- Shishito Peppers with Soy Ginger Sauce
- General Tso’s Vegetarian Noodle Stir Fry
- Thai Green Avocado Curry
- Grilled Vegetable Lo Mein
Korean Fried Cauliflower
24 pieces
45 minutes
45 minutes
Whitney Bond
Ingredients
Korean BBQ Sauce
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup low sodium soy sauce (use tamari for gluten-free)
- ¼ cup mirin
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1½ tbsp chili paste
- ½ tbsp sesame oil
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tbsp grated ginger
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 green onion, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp water (slurry)
Fried Cauliflower
- 2 cups canola or vegetable oil
- 1 cup rice flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 egg yolk, whisked (or substitute as noted for vegan)
- ½ cup cold water
- 4 cups cauliflower florets
- ¼ cup diced green onions, for garnish
- 1 tsp sesame seeds, for garnish
Instructions
Korean BBQ Sauce
- Combine brown sugar, soy sauce, mirin, water, rice wine vinegar, chili paste, sesame oil, black pepper, ginger, garlic, and green onion in a medium pot over medium-high heat.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook 5–7 minutes.
- Whisk cornstarch with water and add to the sauce. Whisk to combine, simmer 3–4 minutes until thickened, then reduce heat to low and keep warm.
Fried Cauliflower
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- In a mixing bowl, combine rice flour, salt, black pepper, and whisked egg yolk. Add cold water and stir until smooth.
- Dip each cauliflower floret into the batter, let excess drip off, and carefully place in hot oil. Fry 3–4 minutes per side until golden and crisp. Work in batches.
- Drain fried florets on paper towels. When all are fried, toss small batches in the warm sauce to coat.
- Arrange on a serving platter and top with diced green onions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately over rice or in lettuce wraps.
Notes
- To keep texture crisp for serving later, only sauce portions of the cauliflower when ready to eat.
- Overcrowding the pan lowers oil temperature and prevents browning; fry in 3–4 batches if needed.
- Vegan batter swap: omit the egg yolk and add 1 tbsp almond milk or an extra tablespoon of cold water.
Nutrition Facts (per piece)
Calories: 88 kcal | Carbohydrates: 15 g | Protein: 1 g | Fat: 2 g | Sodium: 341 mg