General Tso's Cauliflower {Baked not Fried}

General Tso's Cauliflower - Hold on a minute! Homemade General Tso’s that tastes every bit as good as take out? And it’s healthy, baked (not fried) and takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish? Oh yes! yes! Meet General Tso’s Cauliflower! Golden brown, lightly battered, Panko crusted cauliflower in a tasty sauce with just the right amount of sweet heat and tang. Only 212 calories/serving (Vegetarian, Vegan, Healthy, Gluten - Free option)

We are about to have a serious flavor packed meal!

C.A.U.L.I.F.L.O.W.E.R! This cruciferous gem is such a chameleon!  Besides being a healthy anti-inflammatory superfood that has been shown to fight cancer and boost heart health, it has a neutral flavor that makes it perfect for dishes like General Tso’s Cauliflower. All that glorious sauce seeps into the cauliflower infusing it with flavor. When used in recipes like this one, cauliflower florets are a great low calorie, low carb, vegetarian option. ( But you don’t need to be a Vegetarian to enjoy General Tso’s Cauliflower..just sayin’)

Here’s how this goes….How to Make General Tso’s Cauliflower

1. Lightly battered + Panko + baking = No need for deep frying.  Prep the cauliflower by lightly battering it in a mixture of almond flour (or all-purpose flour), water and a few spices and then roll in Panko crumbs ( use GF Panko for GF option). Bake for 20-25 minutes until cauliflower is tender and  golden brown.
2. Add all the sauce ingredients ( water, soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, Hoisin (or tomato paste), sesame oil, cornstarch and ginger to a small pan. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat and let sauce thicken for about 2 minutes.
3. Add cooked cauliflower to a large bowl and add the sauce. Toss gently to coat the cauliflower. Serve over rice and garnish with toasted sesame seeds.

Recipe tips:

Keeping hands clean- Sometimes the process of battering and then rolling the cauliflower in Panko crumbs can mean messy hands. I dip the cauliflower in the batter with my left hand and gently place in in the bowl with the Panko crumbs. I then roll in the Panko with my right hand and place on the baking sheet. This does help !

What type of flour to use- I’m using almond flour (I like Bob’s Red Mill brand)  to keep things Gluten-free , however, you can use regular all-purpose flour if you prefer.

The Sauce- This recipe makes enough sauce to lightly coat cauliflower. If you like things extra saucy or want additional sauce to pour over rice, consider doubling the sauce portion of the recipe.

Other healthy cauliflower recipes to try:

Baked Orange Cauliflower + Forbidden Rice

Shrimp Fried Cauliflower Rice

Sour Cream + Chive Cauliflower Mashed “Potatoes”

Curried Cauliflower “Rice” Soup

General Tso's Cauliflower { Baked not Fried}

Susan Randall

General Tso’s Cauliflower- Golden brown, lightly battered, Panko crusted cauliflower in a tasty sauce with just the right amount of sweet heat and tang. Only 212 calories/serving (Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-Free)

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Main

Cuisine American, Asian

Servings 4 servings

Calories 212 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

For the Panko coating

• ▢ ½ cup almond flour or all –purpose flour
• ▢ ½ cup water
• ▢ ½ teaspoon pepper
• ▢ ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1 medium head of cauliflower cut into bite sized florets ( about 2 lbs. or 4 cups)
• ▢ 1 cup Panko use GF Panko for GF option

For the General Tso’s sauce

• ▢ ½ cup water
• ▢ 2 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos
• ▢ 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
• ▢ 2 tablespoon brown sugar
• ▢ 2 teaspoon hoisin sauce
• ▢ 2 teaspoon sesame oil
• ▢ 2 teaspoon cornstarch or arrowroot starch
• ▢ 2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• ▢ ½ teaspoon sriracha or a pinch of red pepper flakes more or less, to taste
• ▢ Garnish with sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds
• ▢ Serve over rice and/or with greens like baby bok choy

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone liner. Set aside
• In a medium bowl mix flour, water, pepper, and garlic powder. Mixture should be about the same consistency as pancake batter. Place Panko crumbs on a plate or in a low flat bowl, and line up next to flour mixture.
• Dip cauliflower florets in flour mixture then roll cauliflower in Panko crumbs to coat, place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all cauliflower florets have been coated. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until florets are tender, flipping over halfway through.
• While cauliflower is cooking, prepare the sauce. In a small saucepan, add ½ cup water, soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, hoisin, sesame oil, cornstarch, ginger and Sriracha. Stir until all ingredients are combined and cornstarch is completely dissolved. Bring sauce to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until sauce thickens (approx. 2 minutes).
• Place cooked cauliflower in a bowl and add sauce, tossing to coat all cauliflower pieces (carefully so coating does not come off). Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with toasted sesame seeds and chopped green onions.

Notes

* Recipe makes enough sauce to lightly coat cauliflower, however, if you like yours extra saucy or to have some extra to spoon over rice or veggies consider doubling the sauce portion of the recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 212kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 7.1gFat: 9.8gSaturated Fat: 0.9gCholesterol: 0.1mgSodium: 378.2mgFiber: 4.6gSugar: 8.4g

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!