This orange cauliflower recipe is crispy baked cauliflower pieces coated in an orange sauce. It’s like orange chicken but with cauliflower instead!

a close-up photo of chopsticks holding a piece of baked orange cauliflower

Yes, I’m still making cauliflower recipes. I really love cauliflower-izing everything. I’ve made several variations on orange chicken in the past, but this is my first time replacing the chicken with cauliflower.

The addicting sauce, as you can imagine, works wonderfully with the crispy baked golden cauliflower pieces that are first coated in panko bread crumbs. This is a great vegetable main dish – you won’t miss the chicken.

Love love how this turned out and hope you will too!

Ingredients

  • Cauliflower floret
  • Panko breadcrumbs
  • Large eggs
  • Water
  • Orange juice
  • Granulated sugar
  • Rice vinegar
  • Low-sodium soy sauce
  • Minced garlic
  • Minced ginger
  • Sriracha
  • Ketchup
  • Cornstarch and water mixed together
  • Optional garnishes: sliced green onions, scallions, or sesame seeds

a close-up photo of baked orange cauliflower on a white dish

How to Make It

Coat the cauliflower florets in egg and allow the excess to drip off. Coat all of the florets in the bread crumbs and place them in a single layer on a baking sheet.

​Bake for 15 to 20  minutes at 400°F or until the breading is golden and crispy.

While the cauliflower bakes, make the sauce. Combine the orange juice, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sriracha, and ketchup in a saucepan. Bring the sauce to a boil, and then add the cornstarch and water mixture. Stir until the sauce is thickened.

Drizzle the orange sauce over the baked cauliflower and add your garnishes if using.

Tips for the Best Orange Cauliflower

Be sure to let the excess egg drip off the cauliflower before you bread them. If there is too much egg, it will get your breadcrumbs too wet, and they won’t stick as well.

To make breading easy, I place the panko in a resealable bag and place a couple of florets in the bag, seal it, and shake until they are evenly coated. Don’t add too many florets at once because your breadcrumbs will get too wet.

This dish is best when it’s made. The breading will soften once you add the sauce.

a photo showing a pair of chopsticks holding a piece of baked orange cauliflower

More Cauliflower Main Dishes

You can also check out my entire cauliflower recipe collection.

Baked Orange Cauliflower
4.95 from 18 votes

Baked Orange Cauliflower

Crispy baked cauliflower pieces are coated in an orange sauce. It's like orange chicken but with cauliflower instead!
Servings: 2
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 1/2 head of cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
  • 2  cups panko breadcrumbs, Kikkoman brand preferred for even baking
  • 2 large eggs, whisked

For the Sauce

  • 2 tbsp water
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp orange juice
  • 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
  • 2 1/2 tbsp vinegar
  • 1/8 cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/4 tsp ginger, minced
  • 1 tsp sriracha, if you find this to be too much spice, you can replace half of it with ketchup to get the orange color without affecting flavor too much
  • 1 tsp ketchup
  • 2 tsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp water

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F. Set aside whisked egg in a small mixing bowl. Add about 1/2 cup of panko breadcrumbs into a Ziploc bag. Line an extra-large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Dip cauliflower in egg mixture and then shake a few times so that excess egg drips off. You don't want to dampen your breadcrumbs with excess egg because then they won't stick to the cauliflower. Set aside dipped cauliflower on a cutting board or plate, so that more excess egg has a chance to drip off. Repeat with remaining cauliflower.
  • Take an egg dipped cauliflower and place into a bag of breadcrumbs. Seal and shake a few times until it is completely covered in breadcrumbs. Remove and place onto baking sheet. Repeat with remaining cauliflower, adding an additional 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs to the bag whenever you run out. You can do a few cauliflower at a time, but I don't recommend more than 3-4 because your cauliflower won't be as well covered in breadcrumbs.
  • Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until coating is a dark golden brown and crunchy. 
  • While the cauliflower is baking, make the sauce. Using a small saucepan, add all ingredients listed except the last set (1 tbsp water + 2 tsp cornstarch). Bring sauce to a low boil, stirring constantly. In a small bowl, completely dissolve cornstarch in water, then add to the mixture. Stir until sauce boils again and cook until sauce thickens. Drizzle sauce over cauliflower. Add fresh chopped scallions if desired.
Serving: 0.5of recipe, Calories: 382kcal, Carbohydrates: 68g, Protein: 19g, Fat: 5.3g, Saturated Fat: 1.8g, Sodium: 819.1mg, Fiber: 3.3g, Sugar: 33.1g, NET CARBS: 65
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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