Sesame Cauliflower

Sesame Cauliflower is a delicious, incredibly flavorful way to put an Asian-inspired vegetarian meal on the table any night of the week. It’s a super simple recipe that takes just 20 minutes to make.

This post contains affiliate links. See our Disclosure Statement for more information.

Back in my vegetarian days, using cauliflower as a replacement for starchier foods or meat wasn’t anywhere near as popular as it is now. I believe mashed cauliflower and cauliflower rice were the two ways cauliflower was being used the most.

There really weren’t many, if any, Chinese cauliflower recipes. I remember I used to order “broccoli in brown sauce” whenever we ate takeout. I’m not even sure if that’s the correct term for the sauce, or if the sauce is even vegetarian.

This is why I rarely ate out. It can be hard to know exactly what’s in the food you’re eating. Unless, you make it yourself.

Why This Recipe Works

The combination of crispy cauliflower in a sweet, sticky sesame sauce is absolutely delicious. It’s family friendly, but it you want a spicier dish, simply add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the sauce.

This Sesame Cauliflower recipe has all the same delicious flavors of take out sesame dishes, but without any questionable ingredients. The homemade sesame sauce recipe is 100% vegetarian and can easily be made vegan. Simply swap out the honey for agave.

This dish can be made gluten free, as well.

How to Make Sesame Cauliflower

What You Need To Make This Recipe

For The Cauliflower:

• 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets. You should have 4-5 cups.
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons oil for frying (I use vegetable or olive oil)

For The Sesame Sauce:

• 1/2 cup water
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons honey (or agave to keep vegan)
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 clove garlic (minced)
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger (or 1 tablespoon fresh, grated ginger)
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch (whisked with 1 tablespoon of water)
• sesame seeds (optional, garnish)
• sliced green onions (optional, garnish)

Prep!

Cut the cauliflower into bite size florets and mince the garlic.

If you are serving this dish with rice, noodles, or spaghetti squash, you will want to get that cooking, as well.

Create!

Whisk together the 3 tablespoons of soy sauce with the 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. It will be somewhat thick.

In a large bowl, combine the cauliflower florets with the soy sauce and cornstarch mixture. Toss well.

Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the battered cauliflower florets.

Cook, stirring frequently, until browned and crispy. This will take anywhere from 3-5 minutes depending on the size of the florets. Remove to a plate.

Meanwhile, combine all of the ingredients for the sesame sauce in a medium bowl and whisk well.

Pour the sauce into the same skillet used for the cauliflower and raise the heat to bring to a boil, stirring constantly until the desired thickness is reached. This typically takes just a minute or two.

Stir the cauliflower back into the skillet and toss to coat with the sauce.

Present!

Serve over rice, noodles, or even spaghetti squash.

Want to make it even fancier? You can serve this dish (or any similar dish) in really cool chopstick bowls. Garnish with sesame seeds and/or sliced green onions, if desired.

Tips and Techniques

• Use low sodium soy sauce for a less salty tasting recipe.
• You can make this a spicy sesame cauliflower recipe simply by mixing a 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper into the sesame sauce.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Use within 3-5 days.

How to Make This Recipe Gluten Free

To make this recipe gluten free, just be sure to use gluten free soy sauce and serve over rice, gluten free noodles, or spaghetti squash.

More Recipes With Cauliflower to Try

If you love cauliflower, you’ve come to the right blog. Here are a few of my favorite cauliflower recipes, but there are many, many more:

• Loaded Cauliflower Bites
• Cheesy Broccoli Cauliflower Rice
• Keto Cauliflower Au Gratin
• Cheesy Cauliflower Soup
• Cauliflower Pizza Crust
• Roasted Cauliflower Corn Chowder
• Cauliflower Chicken Chowder
• Instant Pot Coconut Curry Meatballs & Cauliflower

I also have a post on How To Cook Cauliflower with 7 different methods and one on How To Rice Cauliflower that you might find helpful.

Love this Sesame Cauliflower recipe? Follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook for more!

This recipe was originally published on June 6, 2017. It was updated with an improved recipe, new images, tips, and techniques in April 2020.