Cauliflower Wings - A Real Vitamin Bomb

You read right, why not prepare your fresh cauliflower in the style of Chicken Wings?

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Crispy, spicy and exciting. Cauliflower goes like this too. The old image of cauliflower as a grandmother’s vegetable is long gone. In international food blogs and trendy restaurants the cauliflower has been experiencing a change of image for a long time. And rightly so. Cauliflower is a real vitamin bomb. Packed with vitamin C, magnesium and calcium, cauliflower is an absolute 0Power food.

Those who are tired of drowning their cauliflower in sauce hollandaise will find it really exciting. Cauliflower BBQ Wings is the keyword. You read right, why not prepare your fresh cauliflower in the style of Chicken Wings?

Cauliflower Wings are also ideal for barbecuing at the next barbecue party. And the preparation is very easy and the result is simply mega tasty. So if you want to convince a few carnivores of the advantages of a vegetarian dish, cauliflower BBQ Wings is the perfect choice. Easy to make, crispy and healthy. What more could you want? So let’s start directly with the recipe.

What ingredients do I need?

You don’t need much to make delicious wings without any meat for you and your loved ones. Of course, you need a cauliflower or two. It’s best to make more right away. You can also freeze the wings very easily for later barbecues and parties. Then you need water, flour, garlic powder and salt. For the vegan version you can choose a vegetable milk e.g. almond milk. But classic milk will do, don’t worry. And last but not least breadcrumbs and the barbecue sauce. Instead of breadcrumbs you can also use panko flour, which can be found in every well-assorted supermarket. The panko flour gives the cauliflower that certain extra crunch. Sounds delicious? Then you can already start with the recipe.

Step by step

The first thing to do is to preheat the open. 230 degrees Celsius are optimal for the BBQ Wings.

In the second step, the cauliflower should be thoroughly cleaned and cut up. A small tip on the side, it is best not to cut the florets too small, let them be a little bigger. Then they won’t fall through the grill, if you prefer to prepare the Wings on the grill. Otherwise, the preparation is of course super easy without much effort in the oven.

Then it’s time for the spices. Of course you are free to experiment with the spices as you like and let off steam creatively. The recipe is only a starting aid. After all, cooking is creative and tastes are different.

The selected spices, in our case salt and garlic powder, are mixed well together with the flour, water and milk in a bowl. It is better to mix for a little longer, otherwise there is a risk of lumps forming. The consistency of the dough should be viscous. If your dough is too thick, you can add an extra shot of water.

Now dip each cauliflower wing into the dough and let the excess drip off. Once you have turned all the sprouts in the dough, it is time for the breadcrumbs. Roll the Cauliflower Wings thoroughly in your breadcrumb coating. You should not apply too much pressure, however, as this will reduce the crispness. A little extra salt or pepper in the breadcrumbs will not harm the crispness. Shake off the excess breading and place all the wings on the baking tray lined with baking paper. Leave some space between the wings, so that each one gets the necessary heat and doesn’t stick together in the end.

After 20 minutes baking time, it is recommended to take the wings out of the oven for a short moment. Spread your barbecue sauce on all wings and put them back into the oven. To make the sauce spread better and to make the wings even crispier, you can add another teaspoon of oil to the barbecue sauce. But this is not a must. After another 8 to 10 minutes, your own BBQ cauliflower wings are ready to serve.

Extra crispy wings

If you want the wings extra crispy, you can also spread the cauliflower BBQ Wings with the sauce after the baking time of 28 to 30 minutes, just before serving. Then you should take the wings out of the oven after half of the baking time and turn all the wings once.

It doesn’t matter if you serve them as a side dish or with rice or a fresh green salad. The wings will not last long, as they will surely be torn out of your hands. To get the extra fresh kick in the wings, you can rub some lemon peel over the wings after the baking time. But please make sure that you only use the rubbing of untreated lemons. Waxed fruits are better not to use.

Barbecue Sauce - Can I make it myself?

Of course you can and it’s not that difficult. All you need is ketchup, brown sugar, paprika powder, vinegar, water and, if you like, some chili or Tabasco. Mix everything well and voila. Your own delicious barbecue sauce is ready. A bought sauce is of course also possible. But with a homemade sauce you can be sure that your sauce does not contain any artificial chemical ingredients. And it doesn’t take much effort to make your own sauce.

Have fun with recooking. Long live the Cauliflower Revolution.