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!
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!
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❤️ 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).
🥄 Instructions
Cook the Grain
- Cook basmati rice or any other grain of your choice like quinoa according to package directions.
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 the heat on to medium and stir the sauce frequently.
- Once it starts to bubble stir continuously and allow to boil for 30 seconds.
- 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
- Wash the head of cauliflower under running water then shake the water off of it.
- 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
- Heat oil to 334° F.
- 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 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.
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.
🌟 More vegan recipes
📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!
📋 Orange cauliflower recipe
Orange Cauliflower
Equipment
- deep fryer ( helpful, but not necessary)
- Wire Skimmer (if not using a deep fryer)
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)
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.)
Video
Notes
- If you want super crispy cauliflower, serve the orange sauce on the side and let people pour it on just before eating.
Nutrition
*Originally posted October 12, 2019. Updated to include new images and more detailed instructions on 8/10/20.
If you bake it in the oven, do you recommend spraying the florets with oil?
Yes, they will get crispier with a little oil sprayed on them.
Could this be air fried? If so, any substitutions and suggestions about temperature would be helpful
It doesn't work well since the batter is wet and will drip all over the inside of your air fryer.
I thought that might be the case. On the other hand, my previous fryer was always used with parchment. Maybe parchment paper would work for this recipe?
This sounds amazing. Going to add a pinch of ground ginger and red pepper flakes.
Sounds delicious, enjoy! 🙂
Can you use spelt flour or brown rice flour for the batter and grape seed oil instead of canola?
Omg amazing thank you soooo much I received cauliflower from food bank and had all the rest of the ingredients it was a fave with my daughter also 😉
You are very welcome, Sarah! I'm so happy that you and your daughter liked it! 🙂
so yummy!I tried cauliflower, tofu, suji(vegan chicken ),pineapple, this orange sauce is perfect! Thank you so much
You're welcome! I'm so happy that you liked it! 🙂
This cauliflower is AMAZING! It tastes like it came from a Chinese restaurant! I will be making this again!
I'm so happy that you liked it, Elizabeth! 🙂
What about cooking them in an air fryer?
Since the batter is kind of drippy, I don't recommend that you use an air fryer, but you can bake it on a cookie sheet in the oven at 425F for about 45 minutes, flipping them halfway through cooking.
Can't wait to give this a try. This looks like a great dish for so many meals...even Thanksgiving! Somehow I always think or orange flavors in the fall.
Thanks! It's great for snacks, appetizers or a full meal and it is that beautiful fall orange color! 🙂