For a healthy side with a spicy kick, bang bang roasted cauliflower is a simple and flavorful dish to add to your repertoire!
Cauliflower used to be highly underrated. You’d mostly find florets lurking on mixed veggie trays. Then, something happened…and suddenly you could find cauliflower everywhere! It became rice, pizza crust, “oat”meal, wings, and even a terrific vegetarian replacement for orange chicken (check out my orange-glazed cauliflower recipe.)
Honestly, you won’t find me munching on raw cauliflower florets, even if there is a large bowl of ranch nearby. But, roasted is a different story. Cauliflower can be dense and satiating, almost “meaty,” with a mild flavor. Similar to lobster, it’s a terrific vehicle for other flavors! With just a few simple ingredients, roasted cauliflower becomes flavorful! It may not look like much- but don’t let looks fool you!
This simple bang bang sauce uses only 4 ingredients and is meant to be a little spicy! You could also lightly bread the cauliflower and then add a spicy sauce at the end.
Cauliflower Nutrition
In 1 medium head of cauliflower…
- 146 calories
- 1.6g fat
- 29g carbs
- 12g fiber
- 11g sugar
- 1g protein
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin B6
Ingredients in Bang Bang Roasted Cauliflower
Olive Oil
Cauliflower
Garlic
One Lime
Sweet Chili Sauce
Sriracha
Roasting Cauliflower Tips
- Set the oven to 425 degrees.
- Don’t overcrowd the sheet pan. Give the florets space to breathe.
- If the oven is set too low or the sheet pan is too crowded, the cauliflower will steam instead of roast! Steamed cauliflower becomes soggy and mushy.
- Don’t add too much oil- that can also lead to a mushy mess.
- Start with a head of fresh cauliflower, not frozen.
What to Serve with Bang Bang Cauliflower
- Rice
- Noodles
- Meat/Protein- steak, chicken, porkchops, etc.
Can I use frozen cauliflower florets?
Yes, you can use frozen cauliflower, but I wouldn’t recommend it. The issue is that there will be a lot of water. Frozen vegetables hold on to more water than fresh. Even at a high temperature, there will likely be a lot of water on your baking sheet. The delicious flavor will be there, but the final texture may not be what you want.
What Dishes Can be Made with Cauliflower?
- Vegan Cauliflower Tikka Masala
- Orange-Glazed Cauliflower
- Air Fried Cauliflower Nachos
- Cauliflower Mash
- Cauliflower Pizza Crust
- Cilantro-Lime Cauliflower Rice
- Cauliflower Soup
- Cauliflower Tots
- Buffalo Cauliflower
- And many more…
30 minutes
Bang Bang Roasted Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 2 heads of cauliflower, chopped into florets
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- Zest of 1/2 lime
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 Tbsp. orange juice
- 2 Tbsp. sweet chili sauce
- 1 Tbsp. Sriracha
- Salt and pepper
- Optional: cilantro, scallions
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Place the cauliflower in a medium mixing bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, garlic, lime zest, lime juice, orange juice, sweet chili sauce, and Sriracha. Then, pour sauce over the cauliflower and toss to coat. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Next, season with salt and pepper. Roast for 24-28 minutes, until tender and browned.