Feast on this super crunchy, crispy, and addictive Vegan Taiwanese Popcorn Cauliflower 酥炸 鹹酥菜花. This savoury golden-brown snack will be your best friend tonight! I think you'd bond well with its soft, tender heart.
Not too long ago, we made a batch of the Best Crispy Taiwanese Fried Turkey with dark meat thighs and thought it was the best thing since sliced bread.
We Love Cauliflowers
Now, for a vegan spin on Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken, we are using cauliflower florets. Cauliflowers are awesome, they are a great alternative to kimchi fried rice, chicken and even works in vegan cauliflower cakes.
Best Taiwanese Popcorn Cauliflower Cooking Tips
- Remember to marinade the cauliflower for at least 20 mins to 1 hour. Let the flavours develop and soak thoroughly. Use a mixture of dark soy, light soy sauce, shaoxing wine, sugar, five spice powder, white parts of green onions, ginger, and minced garlic for that pop of umami and depth of flavour.
- Taiwanese fried chicken is deep-fried twice: first at a low temperature to cook through the meat, and the second at high heat to push out the excess oil and create the crunch!
- Potato Starch: Coating your cauliflower with potato starch makes all the difference when it comes to making the crispiest fried cauliflower! It is night and day compared to using plain old flour! Potato starch has a bit more grit and, when deep-fried, creates little balls of crunchiness. It is lighter yet crispier and crunchier!
What Gives Taiwanese Popcorn It’s Distinctive Flavor?.
Five Spice Powder 五香粉: is a crucial ingredient in this infamous Chinese recipe. It consists of star anise, cinnamon, cloves, Sichuan peppercorns, and fennel.
It is available at most Asian supermarkets and on Amazon.
Some people find five spice powder too powerful and like to substitute with galangal sand ginger powder 沙薑粉. I must have some five spice powder in my seasoning to keep the flavour profile authentic
Thai Basil: Always garnish your Taiwanese deep-fried poultry with deep-fried Thai basil. It is aromatic and has a sweet bitter taste. Break a few leaves apart and sprinkle it on your fried turkey along with white pepper and sugar. Remember to air fry or deep fry Thai Basils at low heat.
White Pepper: The last finishing touch to your salty, crispy fried cauliflower is a sprinkle of white pepper and white sugar after it has been fried. Toss your cauliflower florets with this mixture to create a sharper taste.
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PrintVegan Taiwanese Popcorn Cauliflower 酥炸 鹹酥菜花 素食食譜
Feast on this super crunchy, crispy, and addictive Vegan Taiwanese Popcorn Cauliflower 酥炸 鹹酥菜花. This savoury golden-brown snack will be your best friend tonight! I think you'd bond well with its soft, tender heart.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 2-4 persons 1x
- Category: Appetizers, Snacks
- Method: Deep Fry, Air Fry
- Cuisine: Chinese
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1 bunch Thai basil
- 2 tbsp white pepper powder
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- 2 tsp sea salt
- vegetable oil, enough for frying
Breading
- 500g potato starch
- 500g AP Flour
- ½ teaspoon five spice powder
- 1 tablespoon white pepper powder
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- dash of salt
Marinade
- 2 tablespoon dark soy
- 1 tablespoon light soy
- 2 tablespoon shaoxing wine
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon five spice powder
- 3 stems white parts of green onions
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 2-inch thumb ginger
- ¼ cup oat milk
Instructions
Preparation
- Wash and cut the head of cauliflower into 1-inch florets. Pat dry with a paper towel.
- Prepare the marinade. In a medium mixing bowl, add in dry ingredients. Mix well. Add in oat milk and whisk together.
- Add cauliflower florets into the oat milk marinade. Cover the mixing bowl with saran wrap and let marinate for 20 minutes to 1 hour.
- Prepare the breading mixture in a medium mixing bowl. Mix well.
- Drain the marinated cauliflower florets from the oat milk marinade into another large mixing bowl. Set aside to use for breading the cauliflower.
- Bread the cauliflower 2 times: Dip the cauliflower florets into the breading flour mixture and ensure it is evenly coated. Shake off excess. Dip the cauliflower into the oat milk marinade and bread the cauliflower again.
Frying the Cauliflower
- In a large saucepan or wok, heat up vegetable oil over medium heat. The oil should be deep enough to cover half of the cauliflower. Check to see if the oil is hot with a wooden chopstick. If it there are bubbles around the chopstick, the oil is ready for frying.
- First Fry: Add in breaded cauliflower florets into the frying oil and fry until golden brown. Remove from the frying oil and let rest on a plate lined with a paper towel.
- Second Fry: Repeat and set stove temperature to medium-high heat.
- Add in previously fried cauliflower for 30 seconds to 1 minute, watching closely, so it does not burn.
- Remove and let rest on a plate lined with a paper towel.
- Immediately sprinkle the cauliflower with seasoning: white pepper, salt and sugar. Toss and mix well.
Frying Basil Leaves
- While the cauliflowers are resting, fry your basil leaves. Ensure the basil leaves are dry.
- Reduce frying oil temperature to low-medium heat. Add in basil leaves and fry them for 5 to 10 seconds. Be careful of some oil splatters because there is some water content in the basil leaves. Cover the pot with a lid if desired. Remove from oil and let rest on paper towel.
- Turn off the stove.
- Garnish Vegan Taiwanese Popcorn Cauliflower with fried basil leaves.
Air Fryer Method:
- Spray the tray and the cauliflower florets with some oil. We use a simple oil spray mister bottle.
- Place the coated cauliflower florets in the air fryer tray/basket with ¼-inch space between each piece.
- First Fry: Set the temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for 15 minutes. Flip halfway through and lightly spray the turkey with more oil.
- Remove air fryer tray/basket and let cool for 5 minutes, then air fry a second time.
- Second Fry: Set the temperature to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for 5 minutes.
- Remove from the air fryer basket and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Toss and garnish with white pepper, sea salt, and sugar, and air fried Thai basil.
Serve immediately and enjoy! 🙂
Equipment
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Bob's Red Mill gluten-free all purpose baking flour
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Buy Now → Notes
- Do not over-crowd when frying the cauliflower. Do it in batches.
- Do not cover the frying pot with a lid.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 232
- Sugar: 10.4 g
- Sodium: 1172.8 mg
- Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 53.3 g
- Protein: 3.7 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: Vegan Taiwanese Popcorn Cauliflower, 酥炸, 鹹酥菜花, 鹹酥雞, 素食, 食譜, Taiwanese, Chinese, Vegan, Cauliflower, Popcorn, Snacks
SAVE THE ABOVE IMAGE TO YOUR ASIAN VEGAN / PLANT-BASED RECIPE BOARD TO BOOKMARK THIS PAGE. WE ARE SO EXCITED TO SHARE OUR RECIPES WITH YOU!
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Jen says
Lots of flavor in this! Love it!
★★★★★
Nancy says
i can't stop snacking on it!
Kathleen says
Great marinade for these cauliflower bites. They are a perfectly crispy snack or appetizer.
★★★★★
Nancy says
so crispy it is unstoppable!
Mandy Applegate says
I tried the Vegan Taiwanese Popcorn Cauliflower and it was really good! I was a bit hesitant at first, but it ended up being really tasty. The cauliflower was nice and crispy, and the seasoning was perfect. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a delicious vegan option.
★★★★★
Nancy says
the cauliflower is such a nice substitute to use instead of meat. it crisps up so nicely!
Elizabeth says
These look so addicting! Yum. Your post is so easy to read. Can't wait to try these.
★★★★★
Nancy says
happy snacking!
Marisa says
I love cauliflower popcorn and could just snack on it all day. And, I especially love this vegan version. I'm looking forward to trying it this weekend!
Nancy says
it's the really addictive snack!
Terri says
This sounds incredible! Could I make it in the air fryer ?
★★★★★
Nancy says
absolutely!! air fryer is totally easy too!
Cindy Mom the Lunch Lady says
I have a cauliflower that I was planning on air frying tonight as a side, but I think this Taiwanese popcorn cauliflower would be way tastier than just simple salt and pepper. Wish me luck!
Nancy says
Oh Cindy thats a great idea! I should totally try it this way too!
Vanessa says
Well this was delicious and crazy addictive - couldn't stop popping them in my mouth!
★★★★★
Nancy says
We hear that a lot 🙂
Melanie says
These seasonings sound absolutely delicious - can't wait to try! Thank you for sharing!
★★★★★
Michelle says
My new favorite cauliflower recipe!!
★★★★★
Keri says
I've never made popcorn cauliflower, and this was so delicious! Thank you for another great recipe!
★★★★★
Savannah says
Wow! What a lovely combination–this is going to be for dinner tonight. My family will love it!
★★★★★
Katie says
This popcorn cauliflower is too good! I am hooked on this recipe!
★★★★★
Jacqui says
I made this in the air fryer and it turned out so good!
★★★★★
kaitlin says
I was so excited when I found this recipe. I hadn't had Taiwanese fried chicken in so long--every since I started eating more plant-based. This recipe hit the spot 🙂
★★★★★
Tavo says
I love healthy snacks! I prepared this recipe as an appetizer this time, though... my guest devoured them! Thank you!
★★★★★
Lucas says
This is the type of recipe that is fun and delicious! Thanks for sharing it!
★★★★★
Kayla DiMaggio says
Yum! This popcorn cauliflower was so delicious! I loved all the flavors of it!
★★★★★
Nancy says
bet you can't eat just one!
Anaiah says
Love these! I could snack on these all day. I like making mine spicyyy.
★★★★★
Jacqui says
I need to make this! It sounds absolutely delish and I love that it is entirely vegan.
★★★★★
Andrea White says
Need to make this! Such a great dish!
★★★★★
Kayla DiMaggio says
Loving this vegan taiwanese popcorn cauliflower! It is so easy to make and turned out delicious!
★★★★★
Nancy says
awesome! i love hearing success stories!
Choclette says
Your cauliflower popcorn sounds super delicious. Cauliflower is such a good veg anyway, but marinaded, coated and fried has got to be the best way to eat it.
★★★★★