Both spicy and crispy, keto bang bang cauliflower is a powerfully-flavored side dish that goes with almost anything! Don't forget the homemade bang bang sauce.
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Why are side dishes sometimes so difficult to think of? It's easy enough to plan the main course - whether it is pork chops or your favorite chicken recipe.
The real challenge is thinking of what to make with it. Sure, you can chop up a salad or steam some veggies, but those get old after a while.
The secret to staying in ketosis is cooking meals that don't bore you. Try to find something new and different! When you really enjoy that new recipe, make it again, but with different sides or entrees.
This bang bang cauliflower recipe was inspired by one of my favorite main dishes - bang bang shrimp!
Cauliflower is one of those all-purpose veggies that you can turn into so many different recipes, and it works perfectly in this one.
It's a great dish!
💛 Why you'll love it
Small cauliflower florets breaded in almond flour and drizzled with spicy bang bang sauce - it's the most amazing side dish recipe you'll make.
Even if you don't think you like the taste of cauliflower, you haven't tried it air-fried and covered in yummy sauce!
I air-fried the cauliflower to make them crispy without extra grease or oil. It makes for really easy clean-up and cauliflower that isn't greasy at all - just nice and crispy!
You'll enjoy eating them as a snack, serving them as an appetizer, or serving them on the side with your favorite takeout-inspired recipes.
📋 Ingredients
This is a very simple recipe with just a few main parts - the cauliflower, the breading, and the spices.
Bang Bang Sauce
This low-carb bang bang sauce is what makes it bang bang cauliflower. You could try to find a sugar-free bang bang sauce at the store, but I love how my recipe turned out.
This bang bang sauce recipe is made with sriracha, sugar-free sweet chili sauce, and mayonnaise. It's a creamy and spicy sauce that you can use in lots of recipes! (It really is the spicy chili sauce that does it!)
The best thing about the sauce ingredients is that they are easy to find and taste amazing.
Cauliflower
I used an entire head of cauliflower in this cauliflower bites recipe. Make sure and cut it up into really small florets!
The smaller the florets, the easier they are to eat.
To save yourself time, you could buy some pre-chopped cauliflower from the produce department. The crispy cauliflower will cook faster if you cut them smaller, so make them tiny.
Breading
For the gluten-free breading, I used a combination of almond flour, egg, and heavy whipping cream. This is the closest thing to Panko breadcrumbs coating I have found.
Be sure to use almond flour, not almond meal. Almond meal will have bits of almond skins in it, which will give the cauliflower a grainy texture.
Spices
I spiced up the breading with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. If you use garlic salt, then don't add additional salt. Paprika can also be added for more color and flavor.
Please note: Check out the recipe card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients used to make this low-carb recipe.
💭 Tips
- Add water to the breading mixture if you notice that the heavy whipping cream and egg mixture is too thick. Just a little splash to thin it out will do.
- Turn cauliflower halfway through the cooking time to ensure the cauliflower cooks evenly on each side.
- Be sure to preheat the air fryer to make sure that the cauliflower cooks within the listed time frame.
🔪 Instructions
This is such an easy vegetable side dish! Bang bang cauliflower is simply air-fried breaded cauliflower with bang bang sauce drizzled on top.
Bread The Cauliflower
The very first step is to chop up the cauliflower into bite-sized florets. Then, toss them in the breading batter.
Make sure they are completely covered with the batter.
Air Fry The Cauliflower
Next, fry the cauliflower in the air fryer. Put the coated cauliflower in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Then, cook them for about 10 minutes.
Flip them over about halfway through the cooking time and cook for another 5 minutes.
You'll know they are done when the cauliflower florets are golden brown and crispy.
Drizzle With Bang Bang Sauce
Finally, take them out of the air fryer basket and drizzle them with the delicious bang bang sauce. Now you have some yummy bang bang cauliflower!
You can even sprinkle some sesame seeds on top if you want!
🍽️ Serving suggestions
This bang bang cauliflower recipe is the perfect side dish for any Asian-inspired meal.
I like to serve it along with some shredded sugar-free teriyaki chicken. The sweet flavors in the chicken really set off the spice in the cauliflower.
Then, add some keto egg drop soup at the beginning of the meal. It is the perfect way to start out a delicious dinner that tastes just like takeout.
I also really like to eat this bang bang cauliflower with keto pepper steak stir fry. It has so many fresh and tasty flavors - and the peppers go perfectly with the cauliflower.
🙋 FAQs
Before we get to the printable recipe card, here are some questions people often ask about how to make it.
Since this is breaded and fried, you definitely want to use some kind of root vegetable that will hold up to the batter without getting too soft.
The best substitute for cauliflower in this recipe is turnip. It is low in carbs and will give you a fantastic crunch.
Yes, pork rinds are an excellent breading choice for bang bang cauliflower. It is low in carbs (basically has no net carbs) and will give the cauliflower a fantastic crunch.
Since this is breaded, I suggest storing it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. After three days, the texture will begin to deteriorate.
If you want the cauliflower to have more kick to it, add red pepper flakes to the batter. You can also add more sriracha to the bang bang sauce.
📚 Related recipes
If you enjoyed this bang bang cauliflower recipe, then you should really try these keto side dish recipes next! They are all low in carbs and taste delicious with any recipe you make for dinner.
- Keto Broccoli Salad With Bacon And Cheddar is a super-easy and light salad that has such a mild flavor that it pairs with almost any entree.
- Crispy Gluten-Free Green Bean Fries are a fun little side for things like hamburgers or fried chicken.
- Keto Cauliflower Mac And Cheese is a creamy and cheesy side dish that kids and adults will both like.
- Oven Roasted Artichoke Hearts are a simple side dish that look and taste fancy.
- Keto Onion Rings only have 4 grams net carbs and taste like the classic bar food.
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📖 Recipe
Bang Bang Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1 batch bang bang sauce
- 1 head cauliflower cut into larger florets
- ½ cup almond flour
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 375°F.
- Combine the egg, almond flour, garlic powder, paprika, heavy whipping cream, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl. If the mixture is too thick, you can add a little water to thin it out.
- Place the cauliflower florets into the bowl and toss to coat with the batter.
- Place a single layer of the coated cauliflower into the air fryer basket and cook for about 10 minutes, turning halfway through. Keep an eye on them so they don't get too browned.
- Remove the florets from the air fryer and serve with bang bang sauce drizzled on top.
Notes
Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart
Nutrition
Additional Info
Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Unauthorized use of this material without written permission from Lisa MarcAurele is strictly prohibited unless for personal offline purposes.
Single photos may be used, provided that full credit is given to LowCarbYum.com along with a link back to the original content.
Donny
This will be perfect for my Super Bowl party. Thanks!
jennifer
What a perfect game-day snack for my low carb friends -- I'm adding it to the line up, thanks!!!!
Sidney Patin
I don't have an air fryer and no space on the counter to keep one. Can this recipe work in a regular oven? What temp would you recommend?
Lisa MarcAurele
An air fryer is really just a convection oven so you can certainly use a standard oven instead. I'd try 420°F for about 12-14 minutes.
Megan Stevens
I love the natural simple ingredients in this and how the cauliflower turns out. It will make a fun appetizer for Super Bowl. Thank you!