A flavor-packed roasted cauliflower recipe that’s great on its own or served over rice.

Today I’m sharing a recipe that will please cauliflower lovers and Chinese take-out lovers alike:

Kung pao cauliflower.

This recipe is meatless, but even if you’re not vegetarian I think you’ll like it.

About The Recipe: Kung Pao Cauliflower

This recipe is inspired by the popular Chinese take-out dish, kung pao chicken. But instead of chicken, we’ve substituting cauliflower.

The end result is saucy, sticky, spicy, and slightly sweet. The cauliflower is roasted until it’s melt-in-your-mouth, fork tender. It’s addictive. I ate nearly the whole pan myself.

If you want to make a meal out of it, serve it over rice. Leftovers heat up nicely.

More Chinese Takeout Recipes

• Crockpot sesame chicken
• Spicy honey tofu
• Spicy green bean appetizer (vegetarian)
• Chinese chicken salad
• Peanut ramen salad

Continue to Content

Kung Pao Cauliflower

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Print

Ingredients

• 1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1/4 cup soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free diets)
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon cold water
• Olive oil
• Sesame seeds and chopped scallions, for topping

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Place cauliflower florets in a large mixing bowl.
2. In a small saucepan, combine soy sauce, brown sugar, sriracha sauce, rice vinegar, and garlic powder. Turn on heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring. Add the dissolved cornstarch and continue mixing until the sauce thickens, about a minute.
3. Pour sauce over cauliflower florets and stir to evenly coat.
4. Coat a large baking sheet with olive oil. Pour cauliflower on to baking sheet and spread out so florets are not touching each other.
5. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until cauliflower is tender. Top with sesame seeds and chopped scallions, and serve.

Did you like this recipe?

Please give it a 5-star review on the recipe card above!