General Tso’s Baked Cauliflower

Baked instead of fried, this General Tso’s Cauliflower is easy, healthy, and full of flavor!

I love cauliflower.

This is a relatively new love affair.

Just a year ago I would have passed right by the cauliflower at the grocery store, but nowadays it is always on my list.

For the most part, I’ve always been a vegetable lover. Given the choice, I’ll always pick vegetables over fruit!

Over the last few years my veggie choices have gotten a bit exotic. I bring home bok choy, romanesco, Chinese cabbage, kohlrabi, and daikon radish while cruising right past the broccoli, carrots and cauliflower.

It’s truly a tragedy.

At least I can say that I’m finally working cauliflower back into my regular rotation.

I make this zaatar roasted cauliflower for vegan pitas way too often. It’s a good thing that cauliflower is cheap because I go through zaatar and tahini like crazy.

If you’re in need of a good Asian cauliflower recipe, look no further than this General Tso’s Baked Cauliflower!

If this sticky sauce doesn’t turn you into a cauliflower lover, then I don’t know what will.

When I decided that I wanted to make General Tso’s Cauliflower, I knew I wanted to bake the cauliflower rather than fry it.

You might think that this is because I want to keep things healthy, but really it’s because I’m too lazy to fry the cauliflower.

I loathe frying things. I made mejadra for Christmas and had to deep fry EIGHT sliced up onions to go with it. It was traumatic.

I like to serve this with some crisp greens added to the plate right before serving. It adds a little textural variety as well as color.

This time I used fresh bok choy leaves, but you could also use Chinese cabbage or sliced scallions.

I made this to go alongside the Sichuan bok choy tofu stir fry I made, but you could also eat this as a main dish.

I have a feeling that this Chinese cauliflower recipe would be just as delicious in some kung pao or sweet and sour sauce!

Here’s the Recipe!

General Tso’s Baked Cauliflower

Yield: 2 main servings or 4 servings as a side

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

This General Tso's Cauliflower is baked instead of fried - which makes it easier AND healthier!

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Ingredients

• 4 cups cauliflower florets
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
• 4 to 6 seeded and stemmed dried red chilies
• Garnish: fresh greens, toasted sesame seeds

For the sauce:

• 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger
• 4 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 teaspoon corn starch

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the cauliflower in a large mixing bowl. Whisk the canola oil, corn starch, and soy sauce together in a small bowl. Pour over the top of the cauliflower and toss well to coat. Transfer the cauliflower to a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and roast in the pre-heated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, turning once halfway through, until tender and golden.
2. When the cauliflower is nearly done, prepare the sauce by whisking together the soy sauce through corn starch.
3. Heat a large skillet or wok over low heat. Add the chili peppers and toast for 1 to 2 minutes or until fragrant. Pour in the sauce and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the baked cauliflower and toss well until coated. Turn off the heat and transfer the cauliflower to a serving dish. Garnish as desired.

Nutrition Information

Yield 4 Serving Size 1
Amount Per ServingCalories 236 Total Fat 14g Saturated Fat 1g Trans Fat 0g Unsaturated Fat 12g Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 902mg Carbohydrates 24g Fiber 6g Sugar 11g Protein 7g

Nutrition information has been auto-calculated for your convenience.