Cauliflower Zings

Cauliflower becomes the perfect substitute for wings in this all-American favorite. Featuring garlic, Frank’s red hot sauce, and a little orange liqueur, this recipe is a great one to make for a festival of appetizers on game night.

Tips and Tricks

Sauce options

Frank’s Red Hot sauce is the traditional ‘wings’ sauce, the one you’ll find on almost every American bar menu. You don’t have to use this if you’re not a fan. Feel free to choose your own sauce, doctor it up differently than specified below, or get creative and create something new! The preparation method will be the same.

Why use a batter?

You may wonder: why can’t I just bake these? The answer is you can! It will just change the texture of your ‘zings’. Adding a batter beforehand makes it so the sauce coats the cauliflower the way it would on a chicken wing. Feel free to simply bake the cauliflower and add the sauce on afterward.

Triple Sec?

This recipe calls for a tablespoon of Triple Sec, or orange liqueur. It’s just something extra that gives the sauce a lift. It’s not necessary, and you won’t be missing out on the magic of these zings without it.

Ingredients:

Cauliflower & Batter:

  • 1 whole cauliflower, chopped into bite-size pieces

  • 1/2 cup of almond milk (or another alternative of your choosing)

  • 1/2 cup water

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1 tbsp garlic powder

  • 1 tbsp onion powder

  • 1 tsp kosher salt

Sauce:

  • 3 tbsp plant-based butter

  • 2 tbsp garlic, minced (about 3 - 4 cloves)

  • 1 bottle Frank’s Red Hot sauce

  • 1 tbsp Triple Sec (orange liqueur), optional

  • salt to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Taking a large bowl, mix your almond milk, water, and flour together until smooth, but slightly thick. It should stick to your cauliflower, but not be so thick that it doesn’t drip. Add the garlic powder, onion powder, and salt.

Dip each cauliflower floret in the batter, being sure it’s evenly coated. Use a slotted spoon to take out of the batter so as to let some of the excess batter drip off before placing on the prepared baking sheet. Continue the process, placing the florets a few centimeters apart so they don’t stick to one another. Once finished, place in the oven and bake for 40 - 45 minutes, or until crispy and lightly browned.

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While the cauliflower is roasting, melt your plant-based butter in a medium-sized sauce-pan over medium heat. Once fully melted, add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the Frank’s hot sauce and the Triple Sec (if using). Let cook for 5 minutes, or until everything tastes just how you like (taste test for salt). Take off the heat.

Once the cauliflower is done, cover the cauliflower in the sauce and serve.