The best Bang Bang cauliflower recipe (in oven)

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This irresistibly crispy baked cauliflower bites, perfectly coated in a spicy bang bang sauce, is as easy to make as it is delicious!

Bang Bang cauliflower with sesame seeds and fresh chopped chives in a white plate, with chopsticks and a small bowl of sesame seeds.

💙 Why you'll love it

Make everyone LOVE cauliflower - if you already do, you'll be absolutely thrilled by this delicious recipe!
Versatile - it can be the perfect appetizer or a delicious side dish in a main course.
Super easy - all you have to is prepare the easy batter, place cauliflower florets in it, bake them and coat them with the sauce! Easy, right?!

🍳Other ideas to cook cauliflower

Polenta, roasted cauliflower and avocado

Cheesy cauliflower and broccoli au gratin

Cauliflower puree

🧄Ingredients & substitutions

You can find a full list of ingredients and measurements in the recipe card below. Here are a few ingredient notes to make this delicious vegetarian appetizer.

Flour - use gluten-free flour to make it gluten-free.
Panko breadcrumbs - trust me, when you try them, you can not go back to regular breadcrumbs...
Garlic - if you want to choose your garlic carefully so you do not encourage the slavery of Chinese prisoners, read my Eco Tips on the subject.
Store-bought mayonnaise can be replaced with homemade mayonnaise (see the FAQ below) or with vegan mayonnaise, if you're vegan.

Ingredients of Bang Bang cauliflowers in white and beige bowls and plates.

🍗What to serve it with?

Here are several serving suggestions:

Jasmine rice or any rice that you like, such as this coconut lime rice or if you want a more complete meal, this Cantonese rice.
Chicken: crusted Romano chicken, homemade chicken tenders, Karaage chicken or grilled chicken skewers.
Raw salmon, that would go perfectly well with the Bang Bang sauce!
More veggies, such as carrot or broccoli!
Asian noodles.
Topping ideas: lime quarters, lime juice, sesame seeds, sliced green onions, fresh herbs.

Bang Bang cauliflower with sesame seeds and fresh chopped chives.

✨How to make the best Bang Bang cauliflower?

Recipe details and quantities are in the recipe card below.

Preheat your oven at 420°F/215°C in natural convection/static heat mode top and bottom.
Mix all-purpose flour and milk in a mixing bowl.
Then add baking powder, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, a pinch of salt and black pepper and mix well until you have a smooth batter.

Spices added to the flour and milk batter, in the grey bowl.

Batter in the grey bowl, ready to be used.

Cut cauliflower in bite-sized florets and place cauliflower florets in the batter.
Mix until they are all perfectly coated.

Marie pouring cauliflower florets into the bowl of batter.

Every single cauliflower florets coated with batter.

Add the Panko breadcrumbs and mix again.

Panko breadcrumbs added to the coated cauliflower florets.

Cauliflower florets coated with batter and Panko breadcrumbs.

Place the breaded florets on a baking tray lined with parchment paper - make a single layer for best results - and add the olive oil.

Marie placing coated cauliflower florets on an oven tray, lined with parchment paper.

Cauliflower floret on parchment paper, drizzled with olive oil.

Place in the middle of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Meanwhile, prepare the Bang Bang sauce: in a small bowl, mix the Mayonnaise with Thai sweet chilli sauce, rice vinegar and Sriracha sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary (more sriracha sauce, more Thai sweet chilli sauce, etc.).

Ingredients of the Bang Bang sauce in a white small bowl.

Bang Bang sauce ready. A portion of it is in a tablespoon.

When the cauliflower florets are cooked, pour the sauce, mix well and enjoy!

Cauliflower florets coated with Bang Bang sauce.

👩🏻‍🍳Chef's tips

One single layer of cauliflower florets - this is the best way to get them super crispy everywhere! You might need two baking sheets (depending of the quantity of cauliflower you want to make): prefer using two baking sheets rather than cauliflower florets overlapping.
Taste and adjust the sauce according to your tastes - you might want to add more Sriracha sauce to make the sauce more spicy, more Thai sweet chilli sauce to add a more intense (but delicate) sweetness to the sauce.
Only add the sauce if you plan to serve the dish right away - if not, see the Storage section.

💡Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make them in the Air Fryer?

Of course! When coated in batter and Panko breadcrumbs, place pieces of cauliflower in the Air Fryer basket (try to make a single even layer) and let it cook at x for x minutes.

Can I make homemade mayonnaise?

Yes, it's so much better and so quick, you won't regret it! You'll need 1 egg yolk, 1 teaspoon mustard, 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, 6 tablespoons neutral oil, 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and black pepper.
Mix the egg yolk with the salt, pepper, mustard and balsamic vinegar. Then gradually add the neutral oil and olive oil, beating with an electric mixer until the sauce thickens to the usual mayonnaise texture.

What's the difference between Boom Boom sauce and Bang Bang sauce?

They're quite the same. You'll find mayonnaise and Thai sweet chili sauce in both, but the only difference is that there's no ketchup in Bang Bang sauce.

Bang Bang cauliflower with sesame seeds and fresh chopped chives in a white plate.

❄️Storage

Store - I don't recommend storing this dish, as it's so much better when it comes straight out from the oven!

Make ahead - I don't recommend making the cauliflower florets ahead, but you can definitely make the Bang Bang sauce ahead and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

😋 Other Asian-inspired recipes

If you make this Bang Bang cauliflower, it would be so nice to leave me a comment and rate the recipe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. You can also tag me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook or Tik Tok, or even send me a photo, I love seeing my little dishes in your homes!

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