Deep Fry Your Cauliflower For Crispy, Flavorful Bites

Just about everything tastes better when it's been deep-fried — cauliflower included. If you want to upgrade your cauliflower to make it taste extra delicious, break out the deep fryer. The process is actually super simple.

Start by breaking a head of cauliflower into florets. Bring a pot of water to a boil, then add the cauliflower and cook for about five minutes or until the cauliflower is tender. Next, heat oil in a deep fryer (or a deep pot if you don't own a deep fryer) to 365 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, you'll need to make the batter mixture. Some recipes call for a combination of flour, cornstarch, and milk, but you can also opt for whisking together just milk and one egg — it really comes down to your preference or what you have available in your kitchen.

Next, you'll dip each piece of cauliflower in the batter and then roll it in breadcrumbs or crushed crackers. Finally, fry the cauliflower pieces for about four minutes, then flip them over with tongs and fry for about four more minutes. Take them out when they're golden brown on all sides. Finish by draining the fried cauliflower on paper towels to get rid of any excess oil. 

While it tastes delicious all on its own, it's also the perfect vessel for fun dipping sauces. For something light and refreshing, you could pair it with a tzatziki sauce; infused with cucumber and herbs, this sauce is packed full of flavor. Or, maybe you want to go the cheesy route and make a batch of zesty queso. There's also classic cocktail sauce, which is always a hit. If you're planning on using the fried cauliflower as an appetizer at a dinner party, you could always include multiple dipping options, as it may be too hard to choose one.

The fried cauliflower can also be turned into a full meal by adding it to a rice bowl. You could steal the sauce from our baked orange chicken recipe to coat the cauliflower for a vegetarian version of the popular takeout dish. To finish off the bowl, you could add sauteed veggies such as bell pepper, bok choy, and mushrooms. Or, opt for General Tso's or a sweet and sour sauce.

Additionally, the fried cauliflower can be used as the protein in tacos or burritos. If you need a starting point, you can use the cauliflower to replace the fish in our beer-battered fish tacos recipe — since the fish in this recipe is fried, the fried cauliflower will fit right in.