Baked Orange Cauliflower- Cauliflower florets are coated in panko crumbs and baked (not fried) to golden brown crispy perfection and topped with a sweet orange chili glaze. A healthy vegetarian version of Panda Express Orange Chicken. Ready in about 30 min. {under 350 cal., vegetarian, vegan option, clean eating}.
It’s no secret I have a sweet spot for Asian dishes, especially those that feature a sweet orange chili glaze. Last year I set out to make a healthy version of the famous Panda Express Orange Chicken (Skinny Orange Sesame Chicken) and it’s become one of the top searched and viewed recipes on SHK. In that post I included instruction on how to make it vegetarian by swapping out the chicken for tofu.
Always up for a challenge, this time I set out to make a different vegetarian version , one that was soy-free and vegan friendly. Oh, and clean eating and under 350/cal. per serving too! So who did I turn to? To be the star of the show? None other than my crush (you can read more about that here) CAULIFLOWER!
Cauliflower is so versatile! (and really healthy!) When breaded in panko crumbs and baked to crispy golden brown perfection, it’s perfect for smothering with sweet orange chili sauce , sliced green onions and sesame seeds and serving on top of a bed of rice.
I’m serving the Baked Orange Cauliflower over “Forbidden Rice” (aka Black Rice) . I do have to admit just the name “forbidden rice” appeals to my rebel side a bit but it’s really the subtle nutty taste of the rice that I think just works really well with sweet orange chili flavors of the cauliflower.
Oh course, you can choose to serve the cauliflower over any variety of rice (or even noodles) you like. For a lower carb or lower calorie option you can serve the Baked Orange Cauliflower over zucchini noodles (you can find info on making zucchini noodles here).
Pair with an easy Asian inspired side dish like Sesame Bok Choy or Sesame Sugar Snap Peas (click links for recipes) for a tasty vegetarian, vegan, clean-eating, under 350 calorie, ready in about 30 min meal. Whoosh…lets just keep it simple, move over Orange Chicken there is a new favorite in town!
- 1 large egg (for Vegan option- substitute 3 Tbsp warm water + 1 Tbsp ground flax seeds)*
- 1 cup panko crumbs
- 1 small head of cauliflower, cut into small (bite sized) florets
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 6 Tbsp orange juice (approx. juice of 1½ oranges)
- ¼ cup honey (for Vegan option substitute 2 Tbsp. agave)
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce, low-sodium
- 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tsp ketchup
- ½ tsp sriracha (more or less to taste)
- ¼ tsp minced ginger
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 3 cups forbidden (aka black) rice, cooked
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper , set aside.
- Set out two small bowls. In the first bowl, whisk egg. In the second bowl, add panko crumbs. Dip each bite sized cauliflower floret in egg and then dip in panko crumbs, using your fingers to gently press coating onto cauliflower. Set cauliflower on baking sheet and repeat until all cauliflower is coated. See notes below for vegan preparation.
- Bake until cauliflower is golden brown and crunchy. (approx 15-20 min.)
- Make while the cauliflower is cooking. In a small bowl whisk together corn starch plus 1 Tbsp water, set aside. In a small sauce pan mix together orange juice, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ketchup, sriracha, ginger and garlic. Bring sauce to a low boil, stirring constantly. Stir in cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil again. Continue stirring until sauce has thickened. (approx 1-2 min.)
- Warm up cooked rice if necessary, top with cauliflower and drizzle with sauce. Sprinkle with green onion slices and sesame seeds.
For vegan option - substitute 3 Tbsp warm water + 1 Tbsp ground flax seeds for the egg. Whisk together water and flax seed in a small bowl and dip cauliflower florets in mixture, followed by dipping in panko crumbs.
For lower calorie and lower carb option- serve cauliflower over 1 cup zucchini noodles
*recipe inspired by Kirbie Cravings
This sounds so amazing! I can’t wait to try this recipe. Yum!
WOW this looks amazing! Who knew that cauliflower could replace chicken! NOMS!
This recipe looks incredibly good. I wonder how gluten-free bread crumbs would work…
I haven’t personally tried them with this recipe but I would think gluten-free panko would work great! Hope you enjoy!
This recipe was so delicious! It got a rave review from the fiancé when I made it for dinner this week. Definitely will go in the dinner rotation.
Thanks Ashley! so happy to hear!