Sweet and Spicy Baked Cauliflower

Name: Sweet and Spicy Baked Cauliflower
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 1 large head cauliflower (cut into florets); Cooking oil spray; 2 tbsp garlic salt; ? cup liquid aminos or low sodium soy sauce; 1 tbsp Sriracha; 1 tbsp Hoisin Sauce; 1 tbsp cornstarch; 3 tbsp sesame seeds (optional)

This fragrant delicious Sweet and Spicy Baked Cauliflower is a bold succulent take on classic baked cauliflower!

baked cauliflower with sesame seeds, sliced green onions, and seasoning in a white bowl on a table

At Ajpal, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – because I am a home cook without any formal training, and I find I am more confident making dishes when I understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. My goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.

baked cauliflower with sesame seeds, sliced green onions, and seasoning in a white bowl on a table with forks next to the bowl

Asian Fusion Baked Cauliflower

I am a big cauliflower lover, it’s one of my favorite vegetables to use because everyone in my family will eat it without complaining. My son calls it “broccoli’s cousin.” While I absolutely love classic baked cauliflower. I decided to throw the Asian section at the grocery store at a cauliflower and this savory sweet and spicy cauliflower was the mouthwatering result!

For those of you who don’t garden, cauliflower if actually the un-bloomed flower of a cauliflower plant. Broccoli really is a close cousin, and you can substitute broccoli for cauliflower in this recipe, but I think cauliflower soaks up the aromatic tangy Asian flavors better.

How to make Spicy and Sweet Baked Cauliflower

To make this appetizing roasted favorite you will need:

Cauliflower – this versatile nutty superfood is packed with Vitamin C and is a great base for the strong Asian flavors.
Cooking oil spray – you can use regular olive oil instead of spray but the cooking oil spray is easier. If you don’t already have a reusable cooking oil sprayer its a kitchen must have!
Garlic Salt – garlic salt is the perfect way to get salt and pungent garlic in one sprinkle without adding additional moisture to the cauliflower.
Liquid aminos or low sodium soy sauce – liquid aminos is a great keto alternative to soy sauce which is the base for this Asian sauce. Use low sodium soy sauce since the garlic salt has some salt in it.
Sriracha – sriracha adds the “spicy” to the sweet and spicy cauliflower, you can substitute another hot sauce if you don’t have sriracha.
Hoisin Sauce – hoisin sauce is a thick Asian sauce made from soybeans, vinegar, sugar, and various spices. It adds the “sweet” to this cauliflower.
Cornstarch – cornstarch is the thickening agent for the sauce that will glaze the baked cauliflower. You can use arrowroot powder as a corn free substitute.
Sesame seeds – sesame seeds add a wonderful crunchy texture to this cauliflower. You can use white or black sesame seeds, toasted will have the best flavor.

cauliflower, sriracha, hoisin sauce, liquid aminos, sesame seeds, green onions on a table

sriracha, liquid aminos, sesame seeds, hoisin sauce in a pot

a hand whisking spicy asian sauce in a pot

cauliflower florets on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil

roasted cauliflower florets on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil

Once you have the ingredients, use this method

Prepare the cauliflower. Lay the cauliflower on a baking sheet and spray them with cooking spray, flip to coat both sides. Next sprinkle with garlic salt and use your hands to mix.

Bake. Place the cauliflower in the oven at 400 degrees and bake for about 15- 20 minutes or until they start to brown around the edges.

Make the sauce. While the cauliflower is baking, combine all the sauce ingredients in a saucepan. Then place the saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat and stir frequently for 4-5 minutes until it is thickened and will coat a spoon.

Toss and enjoy. Remove the cauliflower from the oven, let cool briefly then coat in the sauce and top with sesame seeds. Enjoy!

Tips and Tricks for Perfect Baked Cauliflower

Don’t overcrowd the pan. If you want to get crispy cauliflower, make sure the cauliflower can lay out in an even layer and the pan isn’t overcrowded. An overcrowded pan causes too much moisture, prevents browning, and adds to the baking time.

Extra Toppings. If you want to add green to this dish top the cauliflower with diced green onions or some red pepper flakes for extra heat.

FAQs

Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Leftover sweet and spicy baked cauliflower makes a great salad topping!

Use liquid aminos instead of soy sauce and use arrowroot powder to thicken the sauce instead of cornstarch.

Other Delicious Asian Inspired Recipes

Whether you are looking for a main dish to go with your cauliflower or just more Asian inspired recipes you can’t go wrong trying these tried-and-true dishes – like our Korean Grilled Flanken Ribs, a quick and easy Spicy Peanut Noodle bowl, Garlic Chinese Style Green Beans, or Sesame Ginger Grilled Tuna Steaks!