Breaded & Fried Cauliflower Nuggets Recipe | Elephantastic Vegan (2024)

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These Breaded & Fried Cauliflower Nuggets are the perfect game day snack! Even when you’re not into sports, you’ll love these crispy veggie nuggets. It’s almost unbelievable that these are made with cauliflower! Dip them into BBQ sauce and enjoy!

Breaded & Fried Cauliflower Nuggets Recipe | Elephantastic Vegan (1)

I really don’t know how to begin to describe these Cauliflower Nuggets because they are UNREAL. You have to try them for yourself to find out how amazing these are!

They are super crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside. It’s almost unbelievable that it’s cauliflower!

These Breaded & Fried Cauliflower Nuggets are my favorite thing to make with cauliflower right now (and probably forever). I always felt that cauliflower is the meh-cousin of broccoli, but these nuggets made me fall in love with the vegetable for real.

Served with BBQ sauce, these are the perfect snack for game day get-togethers or parties!

  • Breaded & Fried Cauliflower Nuggets Recipe | Elephantastic Vegan (2)
  • Breaded & Fried Cauliflower Nuggets Recipe | Elephantastic Vegan (3)

How to make Breaded & Fried Cauliflower Nuggets

The Ingredients

The ingredients you will need for these CauliflowerNuggets are super basic. You can find the whole recipe at the end of the post. But here’s an overview:

  • cauliflower
  • frying oil (strain leftover-oil and reuse it!)
  • for the batter, you will need:
    • flour,
    • water,
    • and spices
  • for the breading, you’ll need:
    • fine breadcrumbs,
    • panko flakes,
    • flour (to make sure the cauliflower florets are coated completely),
    • sesame seeds,
    • and spices

If you don’t have panko flakes at home, no worries, just use more fine breadcrumbs! If you’re missing some of the spices, feel free to experiment with what you have!

The basic steps

Breaded & Fried Cauliflower Nuggets Recipe | Elephantastic Vegan (5)
Breaded & Fried Cauliflower Nuggets Recipe | Elephantastic Vegan (6)
Breaded & Fried Cauliflower Nuggets Recipe | Elephantastic Vegan (7)

If you’re unsure about frying, I’ve compiled a couple of tips on how to deep-fry in a pot.

More Cauliflower Recipes you will love

  • Looking for healthier, baked wings? > Baked BBQ Cauliflower Wings
  • Want spicy wings? > Spicy Cauliflower Wings
  • Golden Cauliflower Rice
  • Tandoori Cauliflower Wrap
  • Cauliflower Rice
  • Creamy Cauliflower Soup

Love it? Rate it!

I hope you enjoy these cauliflower nuggets as much as I do! Let me know if you give them a try!

If you don’t want to miss out on new recipes,sign up for my weekly newsletter, join me onInstagramandFacebook.

Cheers, Bianca

Breaded & Fried Cauliflower Nuggets Recipe | Elephantastic Vegan (8)

Breaded & Fried Cauliflower Nuggets Recipe | Elephantastic Vegan (9)

Breaded & Fried Cauliflower Nuggets

Bianca Haun | Elephantastic Vegan

These Breaded & Fried Cauliflower Nuggets are the perfect game day snack! Even when you’re not into sports, you’ll love these crispy nuggets. They are quick and easy to make!

4.31 from 26 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Snacks

Cuisine American, Vegan

Servings 4 people

Calories 443 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 head cauliflower
  • frying oil

Batter

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika powder
  • 1 pinch turmeric powder
  • 1 cup water

Breading

  • 1 cup fine breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 cup panko flakes
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary

Instructions

  • Break the cauliflower in florets and wash them.

  • For the batter: In a bowl, combine the flour, salt, paprika powder, turmeric powder. Add water and whisk until it’s a smooth batter.*

  • For the Breading: Combine all the ingredients listed above for the breading in a bowl.

  • Heat the frying oil in a pot.** Make sure you don’t fill the pot more than half the height of the pot to prevent oil from spilling over.

  • Then take one cauliflower floret at the stem, dip it in the batter, then in the breading (make sure it's coated well), then carefully lower it into the oil. Work in batches (4-8 nuggets depending on the size of your pot). Let them fry for 8 minutes until golden brown.

  • Transfer the cauliflower nuggets onto a paper towel to remove excess oil.Repeat until you’ve used up all the cauliflower florets. They are absolutely delicious dipped in BBQ sauce or sweet & sour sauce!

Notes

*You can adjust the consistency of the batter by adding more flour if it’s too thin and more water if it’s too thick. Ideally, it should be between a crepe (thin batter) and a pancake batter (thick batter).

**If you have a deep-fryer you can use it of course!

Nutrition

Calories: 443kcalCarbohydrates: 60gProtein: 12gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 12gSodium: 1318mgPotassium: 567mgFiber: 6gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 431IUVitamin C: 69mgCalcium: 138mgIron: 5mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @elephantasticvegan or tag #elephantasticvegan!

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Breaded & Fried Cauliflower Nuggets Recipe | Elephantastic Vegan (2024)

FAQs

What is vegan batter made of? ›

Eggless batter is a valid vegan substitute for the traditional batter used to fry fish, vegetables or meat: the basic mixture is the same – water and flour – but there are as many variations as there are possible additional ingredients.

Why is my fried cauliflower mushy? ›

The secret to giving cauliflower the perfect texture when battering and frying, is to not parboil it. When you fry cauliflower with batter, it also cooks the cauliflower. So if you parboil beforehand, you will end up with mushy cauliflower.

How healthy is fried cauliflower? ›

Fried cauliflower contains 183 calories per 85 g serving. This serving contains 11 g of fat, 3.3 g of protein and 18 g of carbohydrate. The latter is 0.9 g sugar and 1.4 g of dietary fiber, the rest is complex carbohydrate. Fried cauliflower contains 1.6 g of saturated fat and 8.5 mg of cholesterol per serving.

Where does fried cauliflower come from? ›

Fried cauliflower is found both in Mizrahi and Sephardic traditions, which were brought to Israel when Jews immigrated to Israel, often as refugees.

What to use instead of egg for breading vegan? ›

Coconut oil

Once melted, this delicious oil will mix well into most batters, brownies and bakes. And it can be used to replace eggs when you're breading foods, such as tofu, before baking or frying. Others oils, such as vegetable oil, can also be used to replace eggs.

What to use instead of egg for breading? ›

THE BOTTOM LINE: We recommend using heavy cream when breading foods if you cannot use eggs. CREAM IS BEST: If you can't use eggs, use heavy cream to hold breading in place.

Why are my cauliflower bites not crispy? ›

Cauliflower has a very high water content, so it won't get crispy if you bake the florets crowded together. "Be sure to give each floret a bit of room so that the they have space for airflow. I'd also recommend baking them on a silicone baking mat," says Blay.

Why do you soak cauliflower before cooking? ›

If you're planning to roast the cauliflower whole or slice it into steaks, slice off the thick stem at the base. Drop the whole cauliflower head upside-down into cool, salted water. Let it soak for 10 to 15 minutes to remove dirt, residue and bugs.

Why isn't my roasted cauliflower crispy? ›

Like all veggies, cauliflower needs some breathing room on the pan. Otherwise, the florets will produce so much steam that they'll never turn crisp on the edges. It's better to use two pans, arranged on separate racks near the middle of the oven, than to cram too much onto one pan.

Is cauliflower better for you than chicken? ›

Unlike chicken wings, cauliflower is free of cholesterol and low in fat and saturated fat. It's also packed with fiber and antioxidants, making it a powerful food for heart health!

Is fried cauliflower bad for cholesterol? ›

Cauliflower is fat-free and cholesterol-free. And it's low in sodium.

Is cauliflower better for you than potatoes? ›

Nutritionally, cauliflower is lighter in calories and carbs than potatoes and is more nutrient-dense. That's why it's popular among the low carb and weight loss communities.

Why do vegans love cauliflower? ›

Its naturally mild flavor make it a worthy vehicle for all sorts of seasonings, and when pureed, cauliflower can bring a surprising creaminess to vegan sauces. Here are some of our favorite vegan cauliflower recipes. Grab some cauliflower, and try one today!

Why is cauliflower so expensive? ›

Drought and rising costs have led to a reduction of the acreage in Spain, and just like in other European producing areas, adverse weather conditions have also caused production losses. The demand is far outstripping the supply in Europe and prices are reaching unprecedented levels.

Is cheesecake factory Korean fried cauliflower vegan? ›

Most of the side dishes are vegan; just make sure you ask for your veggies to be prepared without butter. The avocado Thai lettuce wraps and Korean fried cauliflower are suitable for vegan dining, so long as you order the latter without the ranch.

What is vegan fried fish made of? ›

Made from hearts of palm, Old Bay seasoning, and a rich beer batter, the tender fried “fish” is best served with tartar sauce and fries. Just like authentic fish and chips, but better! Vegans may not eat fish but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy beautifully fried and flaky “fish”.

Is tempura batter usually vegan? ›

Is tempura batter vegan? Traditionally, no tempura batter isn't suitable for vegans as the batter usually contains eggs. However, plant-based batters are easy to make at home and many restaurants do offer vegan options.

How to make batter stick without eggs? ›

The best egg substitute for frying is a flour and water slurry. Mix equal parts flour and water or a small bowl and whisk thoroughly. For a lighter consistency, opt for a 2:1 ratio of water to flour. You can also make a slurry using cornstarch, arrowroot powder, chickpea flour, and rice flour.

What is vegan fried chicken made of? ›

Seitan, in this case. However this really depends on which recipe or product you use. Some recipes use pea protein or soy protein. Alternatively you can simply used clusters of oyster mushrooms, since their texture is naturally so meaty.

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