Name: Gochujang Cauliflower Baked
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: 1/2 cup rice flour; 3 tablespoons tapioca starch (or cornstarch); 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/4 teaspoon salt; a good dash of black pepper; 1/2 cup water; 2 teaspoons oil; 1 teaspoon sesame oil; 1 small head of cauliflower (chopped into equal-sized florets, about 4 cups); 1/2 cup gochujang, (I use Mother-in-Law brand, use Glutenfree brand if needed. Use 1/4 to 1/3 cup for less heat); 2 tablespoons soy sauce (,use tamari for gluten-free); 2 tablespoons maple syrup; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar; 1 teaspoon cornstarch (mixed with 1/4 cup of water); green onion and sesame seeds for garnish

This recipe has an amazing, spicy flavor and a crunchy texture without the need to deep fry. While you bake the cauliflower, prepare the sauce in a pan on the stove. Toss it all together, and enjoy!

gochujang cauliflower wings in bowls with rice and green onions

If you’re not familiar with gochujang, it’s a fermented Korean red chili paste with a sweet and spicy flavor. It adds sweet heat and an umami flavor to all sorts of dishes and pairs perfectly with crunchy, baked cauliflower.

Why You’ll Love Gochujang Cauliflower

Easy to make
Baked, not fried
Perfect, crunchy texture
Full of flavor
It’s naturally gluten-free

More Vegan Cauliflower Recipes:

Sticky Sesame Cauliflower

General Tso Cauliflower

Cauliflower Tikka Masala

Black Pepper Cauliflower

Ingredients:

cauliflower coating: we use rice flour, tapioca or corn starch, garlic powder, salt and pepper, water, oil, and sesame oil. Rice flour gives a nice crunchy coating. You can use all purpose flour as well but it won’t be as crunchy
cauliflower cut into bite-sized florets
gochujang sauce: a spicy Korean chili paste
rest of the sauce ingredients: soy sauce, maple syrup, salt, rice or apple cider vinegar, and cornstarch mixed with water (to thicken)

Tips:

Make sure you have your cauliflower ready to go before mixing the batter. The batter thickens quickly, so you want to toss the cauliflower into it immediately.
When you spread the cauliflower onto the baking sheet, do it in a single layer, and try to make sure the wings aren’t touching each other.

How to Make Gochujang Cauliflower Wings:

First, cut the cauliflower into florets and gather your batter ingredients.

Mix the dry ingredients for the coating in a large bowl. That’s the rice flour, starch, garlic, salt, and pepper. Then, add the water and oils and mix until you have a smooth batter.

cauliflower batter in the bowl after mixing

Toss in the cauliflower florets, mixing to coat them really well in the batter. The batter should be just thick enough so it coats the cauliflower well, and it’s going to be enough for the cauliflower. The batter keeps thickening as it sits, so you’ll want to mix it in pretty quickly.

cauliflower in the bowl with the batter before tossing together

cauliflower in the bowl with the batter after tossing together

Transfer the cauliflower to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet in a single layer, making sure the florets are spread out and not touching each other. Bake at 425° F/220° C for 30 minutes.

cauliflower on the baking sheet before baking

cauliflower on the baking sheet after baking

While the cauliflower bakes, make the sweet-and-spicy gochujang sauce.

Add the gochujang, soy sauce, maple syrup, salt, and vinegar to a large skillet over medium heat and mix well.

gochujang sauce ingredients in the pan before cooking

When all of that is combined, mix the cornstarch in a quarter cup of water, then add that to the skillet, mixing again. As soon as the sauce thickens, remove the pan from the heat.

gochujang sauce ingredients in the pan after cooking

Add the baked cauliflower to the skillet, tossing to coat in that flavorful sauce.

adding cauliflower to the pan of gochujang sauce

cauliflower tossed in gochujang sauce in the pan

garnish with green onions or sesame seeds, if you like. Serve with rice or noodles or in lettuce wraps

Storage and Reheating:

Store in a covered container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in the oven at 350° F or in a pan on the stove. Do not microwave, because the breading will get mushy.