These gluten-free crispy cauliflower bites use a rice flour, tempura-like batter mixed with nutritional yeast for an umami-rich snack. They're extra crispy on the outside with a tender bite, full of cauliflower flavor. Serve with dipping sauces for a delicious appetizer!
Serve these crispy cauliflower bites as a vegetarian option to chicken wings and they'll satisfy even the most avid meat-eater (*coughmydadcough*).
With a secret ingredient in the batter, they're crispy and salty on the outside while the soft inside melts with each bite!
Using Rice Flour for the Batter
The batter for this crispy fried cauliflower was adapted from my gluten-free tempura asparagus recipe with the key difference being the addition of nutritional yeast in the batter. I've learned from making gluten-free fried chicken or tofu that nutritional yeast in the breading leads to a cheese-like umami flavor.
Mixing nutritional yeast into this egg-based white rice flour tempura batter creates an umami-rich crispy shell. The nutritional yeast also seems to melt and disappear when the cauliflower is fried, creating a very light and airy fritter.
How to Fry Cauliflower
When I started my blog, I swore off deep frying over fear of burning myself, but the more confident I got in the kitchen, I realized it's really quite easy.
Heat 1-2 inches of oil to 350°F over medium-high heat, using a thermometer to keep an accurate temperature.
For this deep-fried cauliflower, dunk a floret in the batter with a fork, then lightly slide it into the oil. Use a slotted spoon to turn it while it cooks for 2 minutes, then lift it out of the oil and transfer to a paper towel-lined wire rack set over a baking sheet to catch drips.
Repeat. When you're done, strain the oil into a large mason jar to reuse a few more times.
Recipe
Crispy Fried Gluten-Free Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower, cut into small florets (1-2 inches)
- 1¾ cup white rice flour
- ½ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1¾ cups cold seltzer water
- 3-4 cups vegetable oil, for frying
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 2 tablespoons buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons good-quality mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon fresh dill
- 1 teaspoon fresh chives
- 1 teaspoon fresh parsley
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup good-quality marinara, I use Rao's Roasted Garlic
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ⅓ cup good-quality mayonnaise
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 2 teaspoons pickle brine
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon sweet paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon onion powder
- Smidgen cayenne
INSTRUCTIONS
- Prepare any desired dipping sauces by mixing all the ingredients together for the respective sauce in a bowl. Chill until ready to serve.
- Heat 1½ inches of oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F. Adjust the heat to keep the oil at 350°F. Set a paper-towel-lined wire rack set over a plate or baking sheet near the stove.
- Whisk together white rice flour, nutritional yeast, salt, and baking soda in a large mixing bowl.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together egg yolk and seltzer water until smooth and fizzy. Pour the egg and water into the flour and mix gently with a fork until just combined.
- One at a time, dip a cauliflower floret into the batter, making sure to the floret is covered in batter. Shake off any excess batter. Drop directly into the heated oil. Repeat. frying a batch of 6-8 florets at a time (more or less depending on the size of your pot), and fry for 2 minutes, turning gently with a spoon until crispy and lightly golden.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer each cauliflower bite to the paper towel-lined wire rack. Repeat with the remaining cauliflower.
- Sprinkle cauliflower with salt and serve immediately with dipping sauces.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge and reheated in a air fryer at 400°F for 3 minutes.
Dips for crispy cauliflower bites
The sauces are what really take them over the edge for game day, adding variety to each bite. A trio of sauces allows folks to choose their own adventure. These sauces are super simple to make and each batch yields just a small amount, perfect for serving with a single platter of cauliflower bites.
If only making one dip, you'll want to double the recipe to make sure there's enough!
Buttermilk Ranch
Homemade ranch mixes buttermilk, sour cream, mayo, and a load of fresh herbs. With lemon and garlic, it's bright and flavorful. Be sure to use good-quality mild mayo that won't overpower the flavors.
Special Fry Sauce
This is my take on that secret proprietary sauce every burger joint has. Ever since my friend Erin put out a fry spice seasoning recipe for sweet potato fries, I've been dreaming of turning the same flavors into a dipping sauce. Inspired by her blend, my special fry sauce combines mayo and ketchup with pickle brine (from that jar of pickles you have sitting in your fridge) and flavorful spices.
Smoky Marinara Dip
This third dip was inspired by my craving for the sauce on patatas bravas. To keep it super simple for this dip, I started with a high-quality marinara - Rao's Roasted Garlic Marinara - and added smoked paprika. That's it.
(Pro-tip: This is also how we dress the pasta in our house).
Comments
No Comments