This Korean Cauliflower dish features perfectly roasted florets tossed in a soy-chili crisp glaze, delivering a bold kick with every bite. It’s finished with a crispy onion and nori topping that adds a savory crunch and umami depth.
Put this on your appetizer menu
“We shouldn’t eat cauliflower any other way” to quote my husband after we enjoyed this recipe with dinner. I am working on amping up APOP’s vegetable recipe index and that starts with this exceptional Korean-flavored Cauliflower.
I sat on the idea of this recipe for a while, and I’m super pleased with how it turned out. I’ve been craving Asian-Inspired flavors since we returned from our Honeymoon in Asia (Udon Noodles, Sheet Pan Chow Mein, Dumpling Salad, Miso Maple Salmon, Spring Roll Salad…okay you get the idea) so there has been a lot of inspiration in my kitchen lately!
The savory cauliflower in this dish is roasted to get a little crispy on the outside and a tender inside, with an amazing crispy coating of crunch onions and nori seasoning full of umami flavor. I really think you’re going to love it!
Recipe Inspiration
There is a similar Cauliflower appetizer at our favorite sushi restaurant in Atlanta. It’s the perfect appetizer and since I don’t have many cauliflower recipes on my site, opportunity was calling!
Recipe Ingredients
- Cauliflower – One head, chopped into florets.
- Oil – When roasting veggies, you want to use oils with high smoke points. Avocado oil is perfect for this.
- Chili Crisp – For a little heat and texture
- Soy Sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil – The perfect balance of salty, savory and sweet, Asian flavors.
- Crispy Onions – As a crunch topping. I use Lars Own brand.
- Honey – Can also sub maple syrup or brown sugar to give a little sweet glaze on top of your crispy cauliflower pieces.
- Nori Seasoning – You can find this at any Asian grocery store, but Trader Joe’s has it, too!
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
- Try this same recipe with broccoli instead of cauliflower. It’d also be a great sauce/topping combo for chicken wings.
- Texture Boost: For the toppings, add toasted sesame seeds or crushed peanuts for crunch and nuttiness.
- Want more heat? Stir in a tablespoon of gochujang sauce (fermented chilli paste) or your favorite hot sauce to take it up a notch.
How to Make This Recipe
1. Wash and de-stem a head of fresh cauliflower and pat dry. Remove the outer leaves, cut into quarters and slice out the core from each quarter. Chop into small pieces – sizable for a bite. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients until smooth.
3. Add the cauliflower florets to the bowl and toss.
4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour the coated cauliflower onto the pan. Make sure all of the sauce from the bowl is on the pan.
5. Bake for 32-38 minutes, until cauliflower is well roasted and golden brown. Toss once or twice to avoid the sauce from burning.
6. Transfer hot cauliflower to a serving dish and top with crispy onions, cilantro, drizzle of honey and Nori seasoning. Enjoy!
PRO TIPS
Soak the cauliflower in salted water or baking soda with water for about 15 minutes before cutting to remove any extra dirt. This is a great tip for cleaning fruit as well.
Recipe FAQs
Store your Korean fried cauliflower in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. It will lose a bit of crispiness as it sits in the fridge. I suggest reheating in the air fryer or under your oven’s broiler and adding the toppings, just before enjoying.
First remove the leaves, then cut into quarters. For each quarter, angle your knife and cut out the thick white core in a wedge shape. It’ll free up the florets. Once the core is out, the florets should fall apart naturally. You can then break them up with your hands if there are still large pieces. This is my preferred method as opposed to using a knife as it gives the most naturally shaped florets as opposed to pieces with flat sides.
Tip! Put the core in a food processor, give it a few pulses and you’ve got cauliflower rice instantly.
If you don’t use parchment, your sauce is more likely to burn/stick to the pan. Also, if you forget to stir the veggies halfway through roasting, it’s likely the sauce will get a little burnt.
Serving suggestions
My cilantro lime white rice would be a fabulous pairing to this roasted veg. It would also go well with my Spicy Salmon Bowls or a simple stir fry.
More Recipes You’ll Love
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Korean Cauliflower
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Whisk
- knife & cutting board
- sheet pan
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 3 tbsp chili crisp honey
- 2 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
Topping
- 1/4 cup Crispy onions, I use Lars Own brand
- 1/4 cup Cilantro, diced
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp Nori seasoning
- Red pepper flakes, optional
Instructions
- Wash and de-stem a head of fresh cauliflower and pat dry. Remove the outer leaves, cut into quarters and slice out the core from each quarter. Chop into small pieces – sizable for a bite.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients until smooth.
- Add the cauliflower florets to the bowl and toss.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour the coated cauliflower onto the pan. Make sure all of the sauce from the bowl is on the pan.
- Bake for 32-38 minutes, until cauliflower is well roasted and golden brown. Toss once or twice to avoid the sauce from burning.
- Transfer hot cauliflower to a serving dish and top with crispy onions, cilantro, drizzle of honey and Nori seasoning. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Notes
Looking for this in MyFitnessPal?
If you’re using MyFitnessPal, search ‘A Paige Of Positivity’ and find Korean Cauliflower calories and nutrition facts. Disclaimer: for most accurate macronutrients and caloric breakdown, it is recommended that you input each ingredient into your MyFitnessPal food diary.
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a TASTY app indeed!
obsessed!!!! will eat plates and plates full of a saucy veggie, this one in particular!!!