Honey and Soy Cauliflower Wings Recipe

Honey and Soy sauce has to be a match made in heaven. They go together like a dream and its so addictive. The sweet stickiness of the sauce, paired with the chewy crisp batter and light juiciness of the cauliflower make this meal a hole in one. What more could you want out of a dish. Cauliflower steaks, who? This is where its at!

This Chinese inspired cauliflower wings dish may well have been the first recipe I created over 10 years ago when I first learnt to cook, although back then it was chicken instead of cauliflower. It is so versatile and can have so many different sides from stir fried vegetables, to rice, to potatoes, I’ve even had it with Sushi. I quite regularly have it on its own too.

What makes this recipe healthier than chicken wings?

These soy and honey cauliflower wings provide a delightful alternative to traditional chicken wings, offering a vegetarian twist that’s both sweet and savory. The crispy battered cauliflower, paired with a flavourful soy and honey sauce, creates a deliciously satisfying dish that’s perfect for snacks or as a main course.

A note about portions:

Yep, more confirmation that my eyes are much bigger than my stomach! I couldn’t finish the this massive portion of cauliflower wings in the picture! I’d say if your having this beautiful dish on its own then this recipe will be for one portion, or in other words, one small cauliflower. If your planning on having a side with this dish then id definitely either half it or invite a friend for dinner. I haven’t personally tried yet, but i don’t think this recipe would keep well. P.S. Don’t forget to subscribe and follow me on socials so that you never miss any of my healthy recipes for weight loss.

Do you have a diet restriction?

This recipe is suitable for the following diet restrictions:

• Vegetarian
• Vegan (if honey is subbed with maple syrup)
• Gluten Free (if using GF flour)
• Nut Free
• Dairy Free
• Ultra Processed Food Free

Ultra processed food free recipes are recipes that use ingredients where no additives have been used. This will include ingredients that can be made at home to be UPF free such as stock cubes, sauces and seasonings.

Step 1: Cut the cauliflower

To start with, cut your broccoli into florets. Generally i think its best to aim for bite sized pieces but more often than not i just cut the florets off whatever size they already are, its really down to personal preference.

Step 2: Create the batter

Its taken me a while to perfect the batter part of this dish. It needs to be thick enough so that it doesn’t completely run off on the tray yet thin enough to drip when lightly shaken so that it doesn’t get too stodgy on the cauliflower. Once I got the thickness down I also found I had problems with it not looking particularly aesthetic and it was a nightmare to photograph so i had another think and decided to cook the battered cauliflower on a wire wrack so that any batter that drips off the cauliflower doesn’t create a puddle around the cauliflower. The cauliflower is high in moisture so we want a nice crispy batter to offset that and when you use a wire wrack you also help air flow underneath the broccoli and get an even crisp. I’ve tested this recipe with both plain flour and gluten free flour and the gluten free flour works just as well as the original, you may just need an extra splash of water as gluten free flour is more absorbent. Once you have mixed your batter and coated your cauliflower well in the batter, bake in an oven, preheated to 200c for 20-30 minutes.

Step 3: Create the honey and soy sauce

Whilst the cauliflower wings are baking, we can make the sauce. This sauce calls for cornflour to be mixed in with water separately from the other sauce ingredients before being added into the sauce. This is just so aid mixing and to avoid lumps, its called a slurry and I use cornflour slurries in so many of my dishes. Add all of the sauce ingredients to a small sauce pan along with the cornflour slurry and heat on a low heat on the hob. Stir constantly. After around 5 minutes the sauce should start thickening and you will notice the sesame seeds start to become suspended within the sauce rather than floating on top. This is how you know its done!

Unfortunately this sauce cannot be batch made or frozen, it has to be made within an hour of serving as it just keeps getting thicker and thicker thanks to the honey. You’ll also want to soak your saucepan as soon as your done. Its a nightmare to get clean once the sauce has dried out, again, thanks to the honey.

Save a small pot of your sauce for serving and then add your cauliflower wings to the saucepan just to fully coat all of the florets in the soy and honey (or maple) sauce before returning them to the wrack/baking tray they were on. Return them to the oven for another 10 minutes for the sauce to glaze.

Serve with the saved sauce on the side of your plate of tasty soy and honey cauliflower wings.

Variations

Experiment with Flavors:

• Feel free to adjust the spices in the batter to suit your taste. Add a pinch of cayenne pepper for a spicy kick or try smoked paprika for a different smoky flavor.

Vegan-Friendly Option:

• For a vegan version, substitute honey with maple syrup and ensure the soy sauce used is vegan-friendly.

Cooking Tips for Success

Even Coating for Crunchiness:

• Ensure each cauliflower floret is well-coated with the batter to achieve an even, crispy texture after baking.

Perfecting the Sauce:

• Stir the sauce continuously while heating to achieve the right consistency. The sesame seeds will integrate seamlessly when the sauce thickens.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Can I Make This Dish Gluten-Free?

• Yes, you can! Choose a gluten-free flour for the batter and ensure the soy sauce used is gluten-free or opt for a gluten-free alternative.

Is the Sauce Adjustable for Spice Levels?

• Absolutely! Adjust the amount of chilli flakes in the sauce to cater to your preferred level of spiciness.

Can I Serve This Dish With Anything Specific?

• These cauliflower wings pair wonderfully with rice or can be enjoyed on their own as a tasty snack.

Find another recipe just as tasty as cauliflower wings:

• Gluten Free Cauliflower Gnocchi
• Green Goddess Salad With Avocado
• Healthy Tuscan Chicken
• Why Is It Important To Drink Water? – The Importance Of Hydration
• Healthy Vegan Lentil Dhal

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Honey & Soy Cauliflower Wings Recipe

HealthyHeartyWholesome

Honey and Soy sauce has to be a match made in heaven. They go together like a dream and its so addictive. The sweet stickiness of the sauce, paired with the chewy crisp batter and light juiciness of the cauliflower make this meal a hole in one.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Main Course, seasoning and sauces

Cuisine American, British, Chinese

Servings 2

Calories 300 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 250 g cauliflower
• ½ cup flour
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• ⅔ cup water

Soy and Honey sauce:

• 2 tsp corn flour
• ¼ cup water
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce or GF/vegan alternative
• ⅓ cup honey or maple for vegan.
• 2 tsp ginger ground
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• ¼ tsp chilli flakes
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds

Instructions

 

• Cut cauliflower into bitesize florets. Preheat oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
• Mix all dry ingredients for the batter and add water a bit at a time, you can add more if you need too.
• Dip cauliflower florets in the batter and shake lightly to remove excess before placing on tray.
• Bake battered cauliflower for 25 minutes or until batter is golden and crispy.
• Meanwhile, mix corn flour and water and set to one side whilst you mix all other sauce ingredients in a saucepan, then add the cornflour slurry.
• Heat sauce on low until it thickens stirring continually. The sesame seeds will stop floating and mix themselves in with the sauce once it thickens, this is how I know when to remove the sauce from the heat. It usually only takes a few minutes.
• When the cauliflower is crispy, remove from the oven and drizzle or brush on the sauce, I often leave a little left over for pouring on any dry areas after.
• Place back in the oven for 15 minutes (optional)
• Pour any remaining sauce and serve with rice or on its own.

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