Vegan Richa

Vegan Food Blog with Healthy and Flavorful Vegan Recipes

  • Home
  • Recipes
    • (new) Recipe Filters
    • Popular Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch / Dinner
    • Dessert
    • Indian
    • Instant Pot
    • Burgers
    • Pizza
    • Recipe Index
  • Videos
    • Instant Pot
    • Dessert
    • Holidays
    • Easy Vegan Meals
    • All Recipe Videos
  • CookBooks
    • Vegan Richa’s Everyday Kitchen (Print & Digital)
    • Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen (Print & Digital)
  • Resources
    • How To Start A Food Blog
    • Resources for Food Bloggers
    • Vegan Subs & Resources
    • Our Vegan Journey and FAQs
    • Indian Pantry
    • Indian Dal / Lentil Names
  • Shop
  • About / Contact

Baked Vegan General Tso Cauliflower

March 25, 2021 By Richa 27 Comments

Jump to Recipe   Print Recipe

You will love this Baked Vegan General Tso Cauliflower  – it is so quick and easy to prepare even on a weeknight and the flavor is just like from a Chinese restaurant or take-out joint!

overhead shot of two servings of vegan general tso cauliflower served on rice

Enjoy flavorful restaurant-style General Tso cauliflower at home for an easy weeknight dinner! These cauliflower florets are battered and baked, not fried. The crispy cauliflower is then coated in a deliciously sweet and sticky sauce that comes together is a cinch. You definitely won’t miss your take-out joint’s grub with this baked vegan General Tso Cauliflower recipe.

vegan baked general tso cauliflower served over rice and sprinkled with sesame seeds

The flavors in the sauce are spot on, with the perfect balance of sweet and salty but not so much that you feel like you need to drink a gallon of water afterward. This Chinese-inspired dinner was so delicious served on a bed of rice.

a fork digging into a serving of baked vegan general tso cauliflower served over rice

Let’s talk about the General Tso sauce for a second! Other than just a mix of ketchup, soy sauce and vinegar, which many restaurants use, we start this sauce from scratch – adding fresh bell peppers, garlic and ginger to really get a deep round taste. You will want to bottle this sauce and put it on everything.  Trust me!

side view of a bowl of general tso cauliflower

MORE VEGAN CHINESE RECIPES FROM THE BLOG:

  • Sticky sesame Cauliflower
  • 1 pot Lo Mein with everyday ingredients
  • Sweet and Sour Chickpeas, Broccoli and Peppers. 
  • Sticky Sesame Ginger Tofu & Veggies- no refined sugar
  • Check out this Chinese recipe round-up 

Print Recipe
5 from 10 votes

Baked Vegan General Tso Cauliflower

You will love this Baked Vegan General Tso Cauliflower  - it is so quick and easy to prepare even on a weeknight and the flavor is better than anything from a Chinese restaurant or take-out joint! 
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time40 mins
Total Time1 hr
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Chinese
Keyword: baked general tso cauliflower, vegan general tso cauliflower
Servings: 4
Calories: 218kcal
Author: Vegan Richa

Ingredients

For the Cauliflower

  • 1 Small head Cauliflower chopped into small florets
  • 1/2 cup (80 g) rice flour
  • 3 tbsp tapioca starch or use cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp soy sauce
  • 2 tsp oil
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) water

For the General Tso Sauce

  • 1 tsp oil
  • 1/2 cup Chopped red bell pepper
  • 1/2 cup Chopped green bell pepper
  • 3 cloves of garlic minced
  • 2 tsp minced ginger
  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) soy sauce
  • 3-4 tbsp brown sugar
  • 3 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp mirin
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp or more sambal oelek or other Asian chili sauce
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) water
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch

Instructions

  • Chop your cauliflower florets into equal sizes, and set them aside.
  • In a bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients for the batter, until well combined, then mix in the cauliflower florets into the bowl, and toss well to coat. The batter is going to be a thick batter. It will continue to thicken as it sits. So if it's thinner when you mix it, let it sit for a few minutes before adding the florets. You can also add in 1-2 tsp more rice flour as needed to thicken it. Toss the florets until all the batter coats them evenly. There is just enough batter to coat all of the florets.
  • Transfer the coated florets to a parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake at 400 degrees F (205 c)for 30-35 minutes.

For the sauce

  • Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add in the bell peppers, and cook until they're starting to get golden on some edges.
  • Add in the garlic and ginger, and mix in for a few seconds, then add in the soy sauce, sugar, rice vinegar, mirin, sesame oil, sambal oelek, and salt, and mix in.
  • Cook for 2 minutes. Meanwhile, mix your cornstarch into the water until well combined, then add the cornstarch slurry to the skillet, and mix well. Bring this whole mixture to a good boil. Then simmer for another 2 minutes for it to thicken evenly. Let it continue to simmer for another minute if it hasn't thickened enough.
  • Switch off heat, then add in your baked cauliflower florets, and toss gently to coat.
  • Top the cauliflower florets with sesame seeds, and green onion, and serve as is, or over rice.

Notes

  • You can use low sodium soy sauce to reduce sodium.
  • You can use onion powder instead of garlic powder for the batter.
  • Coconut sugar can be used instead of brown sugar. 
  • For even cooking, turn the baking sheet once after 20 minutes to allow for even browning on your cauliflower. 

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Baked Vegan General Tso Cauliflower
Amount Per Serving
Calories 218 Calories from Fat 54
% Daily Value*
Fat 6g9%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 943mg41%
Potassium 358mg10%
Carbohydrates 39g13%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 13g14%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 652IU13%
Vitamin C 71mg86%
Calcium 39mg4%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Ingredients for Baked Vegan General Tso Cauliflower

 

ingredients for making sauce for vegan general tso cauliflower

  • Bell pepper, garlic, and ginger form the base of the sweet and sticky general to the sauce
  • soy sauce, as well as salt, makes this nice and salty
  • the sweet spiciness we love about this dish comes from a combination of sugar, mirin, and sambal oelek
  • some rice vinegar for acidity to balance out the flavor profile
  • sesame is a must-add ingredient and I not only like sprinkling the finished dish with sesame seeds but also add some sesame oil to the sauce
  • Cornstarch thickens the glaze to glossy-shiny perfection

ingredients for making baked vegan general tso cauliflower

  • Cauliflower – cut into equal-sized florets
  • We use a combination of rice flour and tapioca starch in the batter – it bakes up crispy and keeps the cauliflower moist.
  • Garlic powder salt and soy sauce are the seasonings needed for the breading

Tips & Substitutions

  • You can use low sodium soy sauce to reduce sodium.
  • You can use onion powder instead of garlic powder for the batter.
  • Coconut sugar can be used instead of brown sugar.
  • For even cooking, turn the baking sheet once after 20 minutes to allow for even browning on your cauliflower.

How to make Vegan Baked General Tso Cauliflower

cauliflower being tossed in rice flour for making general tso cauliflower

Chop your cauliflower florets into equal sizes, and set them aside.

ingredients for general tso breqading batter being mixed in a bowl

In a bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients for the batter, until well combined, then mix in the cauliflower florets into the bowl, and toss well to coat. The batter is going to be a thick batter. It will continue to thicken as it sits. So if it’s thinner when you mix it, let it sit for a few minutes before adding the florets. You can also add in 12 tsp more rice flour as needed to thicken it.

batter for breading general tso cauliflower

Toss the florets until all the batter coats them evenly. There is just enough batter to coat all of the florets.

vegan breaded cauliflower on a baking sheet

Transfer the coated florets to a parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake at 400 degrees F for 30-35 minutes.

bell pepper cubes frying in a pan to make general tso sauce

For the sauce, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add in the bell peppers, and cook until they’re starting to get golden on some edges.

minced garlic being added to frying pan

Add in the garlic and ginger, and mix in for a few seconds, then add in the soy sauce, sugar, rice vinegar, mirin, sesame oil, sambal oelek, and salt, and mix in.

chili sauce and soy sauce being added to general tso sauce in skillet

Cook for 2 minutes. Meanwhile, mix your cornstarch into the water until well combined, then add the cornstarch slurry to the skillet, and mix well. Bring this whole mixture to a good boil. Then simmer for another 2 minutes for it to thicken evenly. Let it continue to simmer for another minute if it hasn’t thickened enough.

general tso sauce reducing in a frying pan

Switch off heat, then add in your baked cauliflower florets, and toss gently to coat.

breaded baked cauliflower getting tossed with general tso sauce

Top the cauliflower florets with sesame seeds, and green onion, and serve as is, or over rice.

general tso cauliflower being tossed in sweet and sticky sauce

Eat this right away as the cauliflower gets softer over time. I love this served over rice but it would also be great with quinoa, noodles or cauliflower rice.

two servings of general tso cauliflower served over rice

 

Filed Under: Comfort Food Recipes, gameday, gluten free, kid approved, main course, nut free, superbowl Tagged With: brown sugar, cauliflower, rice flour, sambal oelek, sesame oil, soy sauce, tapioca starch



⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you Love the Recipe, Please consider rating it using stars in comments! It helps readers and helps more people find the recipe online! I love hearing from you all! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

« Instant Pot Teriyaki Fried Rice
Baked Pakora (Onion Bhaji) »

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Sa Rz says

    March 25, 2021 at 8:00 pm

    Hi Rika,
    Could I use frozen cauliflowers for this dish?
    If so, what steps do I have to adjust?

    Please advise.

    Thank you,
    Sa

    Reply
    • Vegan Richa Support says

      March 27, 2021 at 7:57 pm

      thanks for your question – you sure could – just pat dry with a kitchen towel to remove any moisture

      Reply
  2. Janet says

    March 26, 2021 at 2:41 am

    We don’t eat oil. WILL the batter be ok if I omit it or is there a substitute? Thank you.

    Reply
    • Jeananne says

      March 26, 2021 at 5:46 am

      I don’t use oils either. I would say some nice, runny tahini, cashew or almond butter would be good subs.

      Reply
      • Janet says

        March 28, 2021 at 1:59 am

        5 stars
        Good idea.

        Thank you!

        Reply
    • Richa says

      March 27, 2021 at 2:17 am

      Yes leave it out

      Reply
  3. Steve says

    March 27, 2021 at 6:02 am

    5 stars
    Cauliflower and baked, love it! General Tso Cauliflower sounds awesome and the photos are beautiful. I can’t wait to try it. Bookmarked!

    Reply
    • Vegan Richa Support says

      March 27, 2021 at 11:33 pm

      Thank you 🙏

      Reply
  4. Anne says

    March 27, 2021 at 3:01 pm

    I made this tonight! Wow! My family was thrilled to have this new recipe in the line up. Perfect flavor , spice, heat the cauliflower was so good. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Vegan Richa Support says

      March 29, 2021 at 8:14 pm

      Awesome!! Do leave a rating too!

      Reply
  5. Danielle says

    March 29, 2021 at 12:54 pm

    Would all purpose flour work ok for this? Looks delicious!

    Reply
    • Vegan Richa Support says

      March 31, 2021 at 10:33 am

      no – the batter needs the starch

      Reply
  6. Blue Butterfield says

    March 29, 2021 at 5:55 pm

    5 stars
    Another delicious dinner! Thanks so much Richa! Only change I made was did 2 T of sugar (rather than 3-4) as none of have much of a sweet tooth. Also, I would double the whole thing for 4 people, but I do have two teenage boys in the mix.

    Reply
  7. Anne says

    March 30, 2021 at 7:12 am

    5 stars
    Family already asking me to make it again. Awesome.

    Reply
  8. Sarah says

    March 30, 2021 at 2:02 pm

    5 stars
    This was great, my family loved it. My husband said it was what he’d be expect to be served at a good Chinese restaurant. Delicious!!!

    Reply
    • Vegan Richa Support says

      March 31, 2021 at 10:50 am

      thank you for the compliment

      Reply
  9. Rhianna says

    March 31, 2021 at 9:45 pm

    5 stars
    Hi there, I made this using less sugar and more spice. The battered cauliflower came out very nice and the sauce was good with the fresh peppers and garlic. I served it with quinoa and cilantro, and more sriracha of course. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Vegan Richa Support says

      April 2, 2021 at 6:46 pm

      Excellent

      Reply
  10. Eileen Nolan says

    April 3, 2021 at 11:04 am

    5 stars
    This was excellent! We made it as a last-minute dinner (we are just easing out of lockdown & our friends’ visit in the garden lasted a deliciously long time!). It was easy & full of flavour! The sauce would go well with anything. Definitely a keeper!

    Reply
    • Richa says

      April 3, 2021 at 11:15 am

      Awesome!

      Reply
  11. Lauren Chong says

    April 4, 2021 at 1:24 pm

    5 stars
    To make the sauce thicken, I used peanut butter instead of corn starch.

    Reply
    • Vegan Richa Support says

      April 6, 2021 at 11:53 am

      sounds yummy

      Reply
  12. Cheryl says

    April 6, 2021 at 3:14 pm

    5 stars
    Made this today for dinner. My son and I both really liked it a lot! Will definitely make again.

    Reply
    • Vegan Richa Support says

      April 8, 2021 at 9:12 pm

      ❤️❤️ nice to enjoy together

      Reply
  13. Tibs says

    April 13, 2021 at 12:18 pm

    Hi, Richa!
    Is there another flour I can use in place of rice flour? Thank you! By the way, your site is by far my favorite for recipes, the flavors are always on point. 😊

    Reply
    • Richa says

      April 14, 2021 at 12:35 am

      You can use all purpose (doesn’t get as crispy as rice ) or a mix of all purpose and 2 tbsp semolina flour.

      Reply
  14. Paula says

    April 19, 2021 at 8:52 am

    5 stars
    I made this last night and finished it for lunch today. This is an amazing recipe! New favorite! I used oil per the recipe but I will try without next time because I try to limit oils. Also, I cannot eat gluten so was so happy to find it used rice flour!

    Reply

ORDER TODAY!

Vegan Richa's Everyday Kitchen Cookbook Now Available everywhere where Books are Sold | VeganRicha.com
Amazon // Barnes & Noble // BAM! // Chapter Indigo // International

Hi, I'm Richa! I create flavorful plant based recipes that are inspired by my Indian upbringing, including many gluten-free, soy-free, and oil-free options. Read more about me and the blog...

Lets get Social! Join 1Million followers and friends

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Vegan Richa 's Indian Kitchen Cookbook
Amazon || Barnes & Noble || BAM! || IndieBound || Details & International

Affiliate Links

All content on this blog is owned by Vegan Richa LLC.  Links on some posts are affiliate links for e.g. we are participant in Amazon services LLC Associates program. Vegan Richa is monetized in part through the use of such affiliate links. More Details

LINKSPOPULAR POSTSKEEP IN TOUCH
My Favorite ThingsBuffalo Chickpea PizzaYouTube
Recipe IndexLentil Quinoa LoafFacebook
Advertise, Work With MeCrispy Orange CauliflowerInstagram
Privacy PolicyPumpkin Cinnamon RollsPinterest
Terms Of UseSweet Potato Peanut BurgersTwitter
Copyright and Disclaimers
Copyright © 2021 Vegan Richa LLC