Cauliflower hot wings so crispy, your guests won't know they're baked not fried
CBC Life | Posted: February 28, 2019 9:22 PM | Last Updated: March 13, 2019
Perfect for wing night or game night, these saucy, souped-up veggie bites are an instant score
We give game day grub special regard for it's deep-fried goodness that hits the spot — even when the team we’re cheering for doesn’t knock it out of the park. But, since the fall sporting season seems to line up with a few of our favourite food-based holidays, having healthier options to bring into the mix is a must as well. Enter, this Buffalo Cauliflower with Blue Cheese Dip. What makes it “better than before”? Lightly breaded and baked in the oven, these saucy bites crisp up just like all of the deep-fried hot wings that came before them, plus these are suitable for all vegetarian diets. And since we could never serve them without a creamy dip to cut the heat, we made ours with a Greek yogurt base for added protein.
Watch the video and check out the recipe for a lightened-up take on buffalo hot wings that’ll deliver major flavour, even if the game doesn’t shake out in your favour.
Ingredients
- 1 head of cauliflower
Batter:
- 1 cup brown rice flour
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp oil
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- Cooking spray, for greasing baking sheet
Buffalo sauce:
- 1 tbsp Greek yogurt
- 1 cup hot sauce of choice
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
Blue Cheese Ranch Sauce:
- ½ cup crumbled blue cheese
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- 1 cup plain Green yogurt
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
- ½ tsp onion powder
- Salt & cracked black pepper to taste
Preparation
Preheat oven to 425F degrees.
Trim and discard cauliflower stem, then cut cauliflower in half from top to bottom. Some florets will fall off; cut the remaining florets into 2 inch pieces.
To prepare the batter for the cauliflower, combine all of dry ingredients in a medium bowl then add the oil, buttermilk and egg, and whisk until smooth and slightly thickened.
Gently toss the cauliflower in with the batter, making sure all of the pieces are well coated.
Place the battered cauliflower pieces onto a greased baking tray, leaving enough room between pieces so they don’t touch each other.
Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, then flip and bake for 15 more minutes, or until the cauliflower starts to brown.
Meanwhile make the buffalo sauce. In a large bowl, whisk together butter, hot sauce and maple syrup until well combined, set aside.
In a second medium bowl add all of Blue Cheese Ranch Sauce ingredients and whisk until combined. Transfer to serving bowl.
Remove cauliflower from the oven and toss into the hot sauce mixture and add to serving platter. Serve with Blue Cheese Ranch Sauce.
Optional: For making the cauliflower crispier after it has been covered in hot sauce, transfer them onto a sheet tray lined with a greased cooling rack on it. Put back in the oven for an additional 10 minutes.
Servings: Makes 6-8 servings