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Sticky Lemon Cauliflower

4.95 from 37 votes

Sweet, sticky, savory, and seductively crispy lemon cauliflower.

Crispy Lemon Cauliflower Recipe

One of my favorite restaurants growing up was a local Chinese place just outside of Philadelphia.

We’d often go there on weeknights, because it was close to home, offered quick service, and the food was consistently good every time.

Upon sitting down at the table, I’d always immediately start on the deep-friend crispy noodles and duck sauce while waiting for my order of sticky glazed lemon chicken to arrive.

(I was pretty much on a sugar high before we even got to dessert.)

Also Try This Recipe: Cauliflower Mac And Cheese

vegan lemon chicken

Years later when my family moved to China, I remember being initially confused by the cuisine.

Where were the General Tso’s, the fortune cookies, the sweet and sour?

Where was the lemon chicken???

Much of what we in America know as Chinese food is not actually Chinese at all.

For example, fortune cookies were invented in San Francisco!

And in all my time living in Shanghai, not once did I ever see lemon chicken listed on a menu.

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chinese cauliflower
crispy cauliflower


This crispy lemon cauliflower is my healthier, vegan answer to Chinese-restaurant lemon chicken.

The sticky lemon glaze is absolutely addictive.

And if you’re not feeling cauliflower, you can easily opt to pour the sauce over chickpeas, tofu, broccoli, or anything else you think would taste good with lemon sauce.

Here are 25 more healthy and super simple Cauliflower Recipes.

Crispy Lemon Cauliflower, this recipe was SO good!

Adapted from Sticky Sesame Cauliflower

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Sticky Lemon Cauliflower

A sweet, sticky, savory, and delicious lemon cauliflower recipe.
Total Time 40 minutes
Yield 3 – 4 servings
5 from 37 votes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 large head cauliflower
  • 1/4 cup milk of choice
  • 1/4 cup fine cornmeal or flour
  • 1-2 tsp oil
  • 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs, regular or gf
  • 1/4 cup vegetable broth
  • 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 1/2 tbsp pure maple syrup, honey, or agave
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp powdered ginger
  • 2 tsp cornstarch or arrowroot
  • lemon zest, optional for garnish

Instructions

  • Finely crush breadcrumbs, either in a blender (easiest method) or by placing them in a bag and crushing with a rolling pin or heavy object. Preheat oven to 425 F. Cut cauliflower into florets. Whisk milk, cornmeal, and oil, then toss with the cauliflower in a large ziploc. Put the cauliflower in a colander to drain off excess batter. Toss with the breadcrumbs. Arrange in one layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 35-40 minutes. Meanwhile, make the lemon sauce by whisking together all remaining ingredients except cornstarch. Then quickly whisk in cornstarch. Turn heat to medium. Stir frequently – it thickens pretty quickly. Remove cauliflower from oven and stir into the sauce. (If you wish to omit the oil, feel free to experiment. I have not tried and so can’t say how it would affect taste/texture.)
    View Nutrition Facts

Notes

If you’re still craving cauliflower, be sure to try this Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce.
 
 

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More About The Cookbook

Published on June 6, 2019

Meet Katie

Chocolate Covered Katie is one of the top 25 food websites in America, and Katie has been featured on The Today Show, CNN, Fox, The Huffington Post, and ABC's 5 O'clock News. Her favorite food is chocolate, and she believes in eating dessert every single day.

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61 Comments

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  1. Karen says

    5 stars
    I don’t usually comment, but this recipe was so good! I am trying to do less starches, but I found that putting this over some salad greens was prefect, a combo of the sweet and sticky with the savory. I’ll keep sharing this one!

  2. Amy says

    5 stars
    This was so reminiscent of the lemon chicken I used to get at my local Chinese restaurant but now I can enjoy it without eating an animal! I doubled the recipe to make sure we had enough and I am so glad I did!! I can imagine it would be great with orange sauce. Have you ever swapped out the lemon for an orange?

  3. Mickey says

    5 stars
    10/10! Although I’m not sure how this yields 3-4 servings as I ate the entire thing to myself – absolutely delicious.

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