Skinny Bang Bang Cauliflower
Crispy baked cauliflower bites are drizzled with a healthier, nearly fat-free version of Bang Bang sauce. This healthy bang bang cauliflower is just as tasty but without all the guilt!
When I posted my Bang Bang Pasta, a reader “MChew” left a comment inquiring if there would be a way to make the recipe a little healthier, like with Greek yogurt. So I tested it out.
And it works! The consistency is a little runnier, and the color is more of a pale orange rather than the bright orange of the original version it doesn’t taste exactly the same as the fattier version, but it still tastes pretty darn good.
I paired the sauce with crispy baked cauliflower, and the combination is so good – even though it’s lightened up, it’s still satisfying. We like making this healthy bang bang cauliflower as a snack or appetizer for parties.
Ingredients
- Cauliflower Florets
- Panko bread crumbs
- Whisked eggs
- Chopped fresh parsley
- Sweet chili sauce
- Hot sauce
- Fat free Greek yogurt
- Honey
Cauliflower: For this recipe, I like to bread and bake it so it has a golden crispy coating. If you want to make the recipe easier (and healthier), you can roast the cauliflower florets and skip the breading. The sauce is delicious on the plain cauliflower, too.
Panko: I like Kikkoman panko breadcrumbs the best because they bake evenly.
Sweet chili sauce: This is a key ingredient for bang bang sauce. I buy mine at Asian grocery stores. Be sure to buy the smooth sweet chili sauce instead of the one with chili seeds in it.
Hot sauce: I like to use sriracha, but a similar kind of hot sauce will work.
Yogurt: Use a thick plain Greek yogurt to make the sauce. I don’t recommend regular yogurt because it is too thin. I like Fage brand because it’s thicker than other brands.
How to Make the Recipe
Dip a floret in the whisked egg and then roll it in the panko so it’s evenly coated. Place it on a prepared baking sheet. Repeat this process with the rest of the cauliflower.
Bake the breaded cauliflower at 400°F for about 20 minutes or until the breading is dark golden brown and crispy.
Make the bang bang sauce while the cauliflower bakes. Whisk the chili sauce, hot sauce, yogurt, and honey in a small bowl.
Drizzle the sauce over the breaded cauliflower and garnish with the chopped parsley.
Tips for the Best Bang Bang Cauliflower
Breading Tip: When you coat the cauliflower in the panko, use your fingers to lightly press the coating to help it stick.
Baking Tip: I like to line the sheet pan with parchment paper. This ensures the cauliflower doesn’t stick and makes clean-up easier. Also, be sure to place the cauliflower in a single layer. There should be some space between each floret, too, so the breading cooks evenly.
Sauce: I like to drizzle some of the sauce over the cauliflower and serve some on the side as a dip.
More Bang Bang Recipes
- Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta
- Keto Low Carb Bang Bang Cauliflower
- Bang Bang Pasta
- Bang Bang Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Skinny Bang Bang Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1/2 head of cauliflower, cut into bite sized florets
- 1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs, (see note)
- 2 large eggs, whisked
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped (optional, for garnish)
bang bang sauce
- 2 tbsp sweet chili sauce, (see note)
- 2 tsp hot sauce, I used sriracha
- 1/4 cup fat free plain Greek yogurt, (see note)
- 1 tbsp honey
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Dip cauliflower pieces in egg and then roll in panko until fully coated and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. You will need to use your fingers to press on the coating to help it to stick to the cauliflower bites. Repeat until all cauliflower is coated.
- Bake for about 20 minutes or until coating is a dark golden brown and crunchy.
- While cauliflower is cooking, make the bang bang sauce. Add all ingredients into a small bowl and whisk until uniform and no yogurt lumps remain (a whisk is a better tool to get the yogurt lumps out than a fork). Drizzle over finished cauliflower, reserving additional for dipping. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
Notes
- I prefer Kikkoman brand panko breadcrumbs because they bake evenly.
- I bought my sweet chili sauce at an Asian grocery store. Make sure to buy the kind that is a smooth sauce without chili seeds.
- I like to use Fage brand because it's thicker than other brands.
I tried doing this with flaxseed egg mixture. Worked pretty good. I never thought to bake cauliflower. Was wonderful and the sauce is great too
thanks for sharing your experience!
Do I have to dry the washed wet cauliflowers before dipping into the eggs and rolling in the panko. ?
yes!
These look soon yummy…will have to try them soon! I was thinking about rolling the cauliflower in the Panko, what about shaking the mixture in a ziplock bag? Shake it, shake it!! 🙂
the thing is, the panko doesn’t stick well to the cauliflower surface, so I find rolling and sort of manually patting the panko on works best, but you can try shaking it.
Made these last night and was a little disappointed on the lack of flavor in the breaded cauliflower. Maybe I need to use seasoned bread crumbs or I used to much bread crumbs?? The sauce was delicious and covered up the blandness, so it was salvageable. Any suggestions for making them more flavorable… maybe garlic?
what brand of bread crumbs did you use? i’ve found that different brands taste different. you can definitely use seasoned panko ones as well if you find the cauliflower too bland. I thought they were fine, especially since they already have a dipping sauce.
I’ve never had Bang Bang sauce before – which is amazing – as it sounds like it could be my favourite kind of sauce ever! Thank for sharing these savoury cauliflower bites, I’ve made it my mission to make these this weekend 😀
bang bang sauce is so addicting!
these look amazing. If I double the recipe, will they freeze well?
i haven’t tried, but I imagine it would freeze well!
I’m watching Bloodline! Just into the first episode, I love the hot, muggy feel of it.
I’m impatiently waiting for the weekend so we can binge watch the rest! I’m on ep 5 right now
Pinned! These look awesome. They turned out so crispy!
thanks! I really enjoyed them!