This easy crispy orange cauliflower is a vegan version of a classic orange chicken dish that you may find at your favorite Chinese restaurant.  With a sweet and sticky orange sauce glazing fried cauliflower nuggets, your whole family will go crazy for this meal!

A plate of crispy fried cauliflower on a bed of rice with vegan orange sauce drizzled over top and chop sticks on the side.

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Many years ago before I stopped eating meat, Orange Chicken was my favorite dish to order when I went out for Chinese.  I went many years without that sweet and savory flavor until I figured out how to make this orange cauliflower, and it completely satisfied my cravings!

If you like meals with sweet sticky sauces over rice like sticky tofu, sweet and sour tofu, or teriyaki tofu, you will love this dish!

❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe

  • It’s simply delicious and satisfies your craving for orange chicken.
  • This recipe is vegan and easily made gluten-free.
  • It’s a kid-friendly family favorite that will make everyone happy.
  • You can easily make this sugar-free.

🧾 Ingredients and substitutions

  • Cauliflower Florets – I usually just buy a head of cauliflower and cut the florets into bite-sized pieces.  You can also buy a bag of florets ready to go.  (You need to use fresh, not frozen cauliflower).
  • Flour – for the batter.  You can use all-purpose wheat flour or a gluten-free flour mix.  (I find that gluten-free flour gives it a lighter and crispier texture).
  • Corn Starch – to make it crispy.  When cornstarch is fried, it gets very crispy.  You can swap this out for potato starch if needed.
  • Baking Soda and Baking Powder – just a little of each helps the batter puff up a little and gives it a lighter feel.
  • Salt – for flavor.  You can reduce the salt for a low sodium option.
  • Garlic Powder – for flavor.
  • Tumeric – for flavor and color.  It gives them a nice golden brown color.
  • Canola Oil – for frying the cauliflower.  You will need enough so that your nuggets can float and turn in the oil with ease.  I like canola oil because it has a very neutral taste and a light texture.  It also has a high smoke point, so it will be stable and won’t smoke or break down.  You can use any other neutral-flavored oil that you like.
  • Sesame Seeds – optional for garnish.
  • Green Onions – optional for garnish.
  • Stir-Fried Veggies – for more color, texture, and nutrition.  Broccoli, bell peppers, and green onion work well. (optional)
  • Orange Sauce – to pour over the dish.

🔪 Helpful tools

  • Deep Frier – This is not totally necessary, but it makes it much easier because you can control the temperature of the oil and you have a basket to get out all of the nuggets at once when they are done cooking.
  • Tongs – to allow you to drop the breaded cauliflower into the hot oil without getting too close and accidentally getting splashed with it.  (Don’t put the breaded cauliflower into the basket before submerging, or the batter may stick to the basket).
A white plate with white rice and vegan orange cauliflower with chopsticks on the side.

🥄 How to make orange cauliflower

Cook the Grain
  1. Cook basmati rice or any other grain of your choice like quinoa according to package directions.
Make the Orange Sauce
  1. Add orange juice, sugar, vinegar, starch, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic chili sauce, ginger, and turmeric to a small saucepan and stir with a whisk.
  2. Turn the heat on to medium and stir the sauce frequently.
  3. Once it starts to bubble stir continuously and allow to boil for 30 seconds.
  4. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.  (It will thicken some more as it cools off a little)
Prepare the Cauliflower
  1. Wash the head of cauliflower under running water then shake the water off of it.
  2. Cut the cauliflower florets off the head of the cauliflower and into bite-sized pieces removing the large stem in the center of the head.  (Try to keep the pieces a similar size, so they cook at the same rate).
Make the batter
  • Put the dry ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl. (Flour, corn starch, salt, garlic powder, turmeric, baking soda, and baking powder).
  • Pour in the water and stir the batter until it becomes a smooth paste.
  • Put the cauliflower pieces into the batter and toss until well-coated.

Deep Fry the Cauliflower

  1. Heat oil to 334° F.
  2. Use tongs to pick up the pieces of coated cauliflower and place them into the hot oil.  (It will bubble and spatter so stand back).
  3. Allow to cook in the oil for 2-3 minutes until the bubbling slows down and the cauliflower nuggets are golden brown.
  4. Immediately remove from oil and place on a paper towel-lined plate.
  5. Serve over cooked rice with orange sauce drizzled over top.

✨ How to fry cauliflower

If you don’t have a deep fryer – you can use a saucepan filled with about 3-4 inches of oil.  A thermometer that goes up to 400°F will also be helpful.  You can then use a slotted spoon or tongs to remove the cauliflower from the oil.

A collage of 4 pictures showing the process step for deep frying cauliflower in a pan.

Frying temperature – I find that 334°F is the perfect temperature to fry cauliflower.  I don’t fry it quite as hot as some other things like french fries because I want it to cook slowly enough to cook the cauliflower all the way through.  However, don’t cook it lower than 325° F or it will absorb too much oil and get soggy instead of crispy.

If you don’t have a thermometer – you can test the temperature of your oil by cooking one piece first. You know that you have the right frying temperature if it bubbles vigorously when you first put it in and then the bubbling slows way down after about 2-3 minutes and you have a crunchy golden brown cauliflower nugget that is cooked through.

💭 Can I bake the cauliflower?

If you want to bake the cauliflower instead of deep frying it, you can. It’s not as crispy and authentic tasting as the fried method, but it does reduce the oil. Simply place the battered cauliflower on parchment paper on a baking sheet then bake in the oven at 425° F for 45 minutes, flipping the pieces every 15 minutes.

You can also use my roasted cauliflower nuggets recipe instead of the fried cauliflower method.

👩🏻‍🍳 Pro Tips

  • Once you put the sauce on, they will start to lose their crispiness.  Only add the sauce just before eating or serve it on the side and dip the cauliflower nuggets into it.
  • Fresh squeezed orange juice will give your orange sauce the best flavor.
  • If using sweet fresh oranges, you won’t need as much sugar.  Add half the sugar suggested and taste it to see if it needs more.

🍝 Sauces for fried cauliflower

If you want some flavor variation, you may want to try some of my other vegan sauces drizzled over the fried cauliflower.

A top view of a white plate with crispy orange cauliflower with sesame seeds and green onions sprinkled on top

🌟 More vegan recipes

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📋 Orange cauliflower recipe

A close up of sticky orange cauliflower with sesame seeds and green onions on top.
5 from 5 rating

Orange Cauliflower

Yield: 4
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 2 minutes
Total: 17 minutes
Author: Monica Davis
A breaded deep-fried cauliflower drizzled with a Chinese style orange glaze served over a bed of rice or other grain. A gluten-free and vegan orange chicken alternative.
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Ingredients

For the Orange Sauce

  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 1/2 cup sugar, (1/4 cup if you use fresh-squeezed orange juice).
  • 2 tablespoons white vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce, or tamari or Bragg's Liquid Aminos for gluten-free.
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon garlic chili sauce, (optional for spicy sauce)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon corn starch, or potato starch
  • 1 dash turmeric, for extra orange color (optional)

For the Battered Cauliflower

  • 1 head cauliflower, about 4 cups of florets
  • 3/4 cup flour, gluten-free flour mixes work great!
  • 2 tablespoons corn starch, or potato starch
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt, (reduce for lower sodium or if using seasoning with salt in it)
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon turmeric
  • 3/4 cup water

Oil For Frying

  • 3 inches oil, for frying

To serve the cauliflower

  • 4 cups cooked rice , or other grain of choice
  • 1 sprinkle sesame seeds, (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon green onions , chopped (optional)

Equipment

Instructions
 

Make the Orange Sauce

  • Add orange juice, sugar, vinegar, starch, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic chili sauce, ginger, and turmeric to a small saucepan and stir with a whisk.
  • Turn on heat to medium, and stir frequently until it starts to boil.
  • Allow it to boil slowly for about 30 seconds and then remove from the heat.

Prepare the Cauliflower

  • Wash the head of cauliflower under running water then shake the water off of it.
  • Cut the cauliflower florets off the head of cauliflower and into bite-sized pieces removing the large stem in the center of the head.  (Try to keep the pieces a similar size, so they cook at the same rate).

Make the Batter

  • Put the dry ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl. (Flour, corn starch, salt, garlic powder, turmeric, baking soda, and baking powder).
  • Pour in the water and stir the batter until it becomes a smooth paste.
  • Put the cauliflower pieces into the batter and toss until well coated.

Deep Fry the Cauliflower

  • Heat oil to 334°F (168°C)°.
  • Use tongs to pick up the pieces of coated cauliflower and place them into the hot oil.  (It will bubble and spatter so stand back).
  • Allow to cook in the oil for 2-3 minutes until the bubbling slows down and the cauliflower nuggets are golden brown.
  • Immediately remove from oil and place on a paper towel-lined plate.
  • Serve over rice and drizzle with the orange sauce just before eating. (The cauliflower will lose its crispiness if it sits in the orange sauce.)
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Notes

If you don’t have a deep fryer – you can use a saucepan filled with about 3-4 inches of oil.  A thermometer that goes up to 400°F (204°C) will also be helpful.  You can then use a slotted spoon or tongs to remove the cauliflower from the oil.
Frying temperature – I find that 334°F (168°C) is the perfect temperature to fry cauliflower.  I don’t fry it quite as hot as some other things like french fries because I want it to cook slow enough to cook the cauliflower all the way through.  However, don’t cook it lower than 325°F (163°C) or it will absorb too much oil and get soggy instead of crispy.
If you don’t have a thermometer – you can test the temperature of your oil by cooking one piece first. You know that you have the right frying temperature if it bubbles vigorously when you first put it in and then the bubbling slows way down after about 2-3 minutes and you have a crunchy golden brown cauliflower nugget that is cooked through.
Note:
  • If you want super crispy cauliflower, serve the orange sauce on the side and let people pour it on just before eating.
Serving: 1cup, Calories: 218kcal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 794mg, Potassium: 481mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin C: 69mg, Calcium: 59mg, Iron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating and review below!

*Originally posted October 12, 2019.  Updated to include new images and more detailed instructions on 8/10/20.