Crispy baked cauliflower bites are drizzled with an addictive and easy bang bang sauce.
I’ve recently become obsessed with bang bang sauce, a creamy sweet and spicy chili sauce that is easy to make. It tastes great for dipping chicken, seafood, vegetables, just about anything really. So I decided to apply it to cauliflower.
I’ve got a couple healthier recipe ideas to share and then we’re moving onto sweets, baked goods, chocolate and more chocolate.
The other day, Mr. K and I were in the car when Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” song came on the radio for the billionth time (you know the one with the chorus of “maybe we found love right where we are.”) For those unfamiliar, the song is about a potential love lasting until they are old. Mr. K commented that it was one of his favorite songs and then he started singing out loud and sang this lyric:
And, darling, I will be loving you ’til we’re 17
So until this moment, I haven’t really paid attention to this song, but I immediately knew that lyric made no sense. What kind of everlasting love only has him loving her until she’s 17? The actual line is “And, darling, I will be loving you ’til we’re 70.” (Which actually still seems a little short to me. Is he going to dump her after 70?) After I pointed out the correct lyric to Mr. K, he acknowledged that made much more sense. Now I can’t listen to that song without laughing.
This story really has nothing to do with the bang bang sauce other than that I was really eager to share both with you today. If you like sweet chili sauces, I encourage you to try this.
Feel free to play around with the ratios and even try out different hot sauce variations. I used sriracha but you can try others. I also used low-fat mayonnaise but you can use regular mayonnaise. I think I’m going to whip up a batch this Sunday to use for a general dipping sauce for all the fried foods we are having.
If you enjoy this recipe, be sure to check out my Bang Bang Zucchini, Keto Low Carb Bang Bang Cauliflower, Skinny Bang Bang Cauliflower, Bang Bang Pasta, and Skinny Bang Bang Zucchini Noodles.
Bang Bang Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1/2 head of cauliflower cut into bite sized florets
- 2 cups panko bread crumbs Kikkoman brand preferred for even baking
- 2 large eggs whisked
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped (optional, for garnish)
For the Bang Bang Sauce
- 2 tbsp sweet chili sauce I bought mine from an Asian grocery store. Make sure to buy the kind that is just sauce without chili seeds
- 2 tsp hot sauce I used sriracha
- 1/4 cup light/low fat mayonnaise
- 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 mayonnaise lumps remain. Drizzle over finished cauliflower, reserving additional for dipping. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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I was actually having a very “feeling down” moment when I read your post & I really wanted you to know that your lil husband story made me laugh so hard! I really appreciate that …along with the great recipe!! It’s funny how you never know where/when someone can make you smile…when you really needed it!
The beauty of social media & strangers I guess????
Aww, I’m so glad my post was able to cheer you up. I never really realize people are reading until they comment and every once in a while I get a beautiful comment like yours as it makes me really happy. Your comment totally made my day! Thank you for taking the time to write it!
Sooo delicious!! Made this yesterday and it’s a new favourite for us, LOVE it, thank you for sharing!
that is so awesome to hear! glad you like it so much!
Want to do this for a party but not sure how far in advance I can bread the cauliflower?
Can I hold in the frig, till I put in the oven?
Any thoughts?
Hmm, I haven’t tried it, but I think if you’re just putting it in the fridge for a few hours before putting it in the oven, it should be okay!
I goner try it thanks for that story
hope you like it!
This is to “Marsha” of the date of March 17, 2015; eggs are NOT from mammals! Since when do chickens, ducks, geese, quail, or any other bird, have teats with which to suckle their young??? And Kirbie did NOT claim anywhere in the recipe that it was “vegetarian;” just a sort of, but not really, hint that you need to read and research some things before commenting.
Why do I want the recipe to read “skinny skinny bang bang?” Also, when my father was little he thought “’round yon Virgin” meant the halo behind her!
haha!!!
My daughter and I ADORE Ed Sheerin and this song is one of my faves too. I swear I’ve always thought it was 17 too but I assumed he meant like he did when they were 17. Speaking of the daughter, she is 14 and has found a recent affection for cauliflower so we will for sure be trying this recipe.
I have a lot of cauliflower recipes! I hope you try them out with your daughter soon. It’s funny how many people hear 17. My husband is happy to know he’s not the only one!
I am a little late coming to the conversation but I had to share. This recipe is amazing and I’m so excited to take it to 2 different Christmas parties and wow my friends with it. Lol I also enjoyed the story about the lyric and I can completely relate. It reminds me of a commercial full of incorrect lyrics one in which a young girl singing The Beatles’ Ticket to Ride says she’s “got a chicken to ride”. Lmbo
lol! I haven’t seen that commercial but I need to search for it!
How many servings does this make? It looks great and am excited to make it for Christmas.
the recipes uses half a head of cauliflower so about 2-3. If you are serving it with other things, maybe four. You could always double the recipe if you need it to serve more.
These are the bomb!
so glad you enjoyed!
We made this last night ….YUM…it was delicious. Thanks so much . Definitely a keeper recipe.
So glad you liked it!
these sound amazing can you make ahead and freeze
The panko coating won’t be crispy upon reheating if you freeze
Can frozen cauliflower be used?
Frozen cauliflower will be difficult to work with because it is hard to keep the surface dry to coat properly
Just made this and it’s fabulous! Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed!
We LOVED THIS!!!
It turned out soo great! I did add some Parmesan cheese to the coating.
I added a little buttermilk to the egg coating, too!
Thanks this will be one of our special treats!
I’m so glad you liked it!
Made these for an apple…fantastic! We go to a brew pub that makes a similar dish but it is deep fried. I do have a question – how do I get a better result with the coating? I did house my hand to press into the cauliflower but they did’t turn out as beautifully coated as yours….any tips?
Yes, check out this recipe and I go into more detail on how I coat the cauliflower in the instructions. It also has a video of how I coat the cauliflower: https://kirbiecravings.com/honey-garlic-baked-cauliflower/