This easy Black Pepper Cauliflower recipe is a vegan spin on Black Pepper Chicken. Bake the cauliflower, make the sweet and spicy chili sauce, combine and your meal is ready. Nut-free and gluten-free!
Craving takeout? Make Black Pepper Cauliflower! Ever since General Tso’s Cauliflower and Cauliflower Wings recipes went viral on social media, we all know that cauliflower is a great vegetable to carry all those delicious sweet and sticky sauces we love and are usually served at our local takeout favorite.
This recipe for Black Pepper Cauliflower is a new favorite and a vegetarian spin on Black Pepper Chicken. Bake, make sauce, assemble and yummy! Your food is ready.
Unlike many other cauliflower recipes, this one does not require a roast. We simply toss the cauliflower florets with cornstarch and some spices – freshly ground black pepper is obviously the most important – then bake.
While the cauliflower is baking we make our spicy, sticky sauce, then toss everything together.
For the sauce, we rely on the magic sweet-salty combination of soy sauce and maple syrup with white pepper, ginger and cayenne pepper for some heat. You will love the combination of spicy, sweet and salty in this dish.
I like to add some chopped celery stalks for some fresh crunch.
You can serve black pepper cauliflower, or with rice, or as a topping in bowls or as a filling for lettuce wraps. Any way you serve it will be delicious.
More Cauliflower Foods:
Baked Gobi Manchurian; Cauliflower Manchurian
Sticky Sesame Cauliflower
Bbq Cauliflower Wings
Nashville Hot Cauliflower Bites
Spicy Baked Cauliflower Bites with Celery Ranch.

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Black pepper cauliflower
This easy Black Pepper Cauliflower recipe is a new favorite and a vegetarian spin on Black Pepper Chicken. Bake the cauliflower, make the sweet and spicy sauce, assemble and your meal is ready. Nut-free and gluten-free!
Serving: 4
Calories: 108kcal
material
- 3 stacking cup (300 g) Cauliflower Flower, A small head of cauliflower
For the marinade:
- 1 table spoon I am Willow Or use tamari for gluten-free
- 1 teaspoon ketchup
- 2 teaspoon the oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Again ground pepper
- 2-3 table spoon Cornstarch Or use tapioca starch
For the sauce:
- 1 teaspoon the oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced meat
- 1/2 inch Minced ginger
- 2 dry red chillies, For example, use cayenne, or California red for less heat, or Chinese, Indian, or Thai for spiciness.
- 1/4 the cup Chopped red onion
- 3/4 the cup Chopped celery
- 2 table spoon I am Willow Or use tamari for gluten-free
- 1 table spoon Maple syrup
- 3/4 teaspoon or more freshly ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon White pepper
- 1.5 teaspoon Cornstarch Or use tapioca starch
- 1/2 the cup (120 Milli) the water
- Green onions and sesame seeds For the garnish
instructions
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Cut the cauliflower into small to medium sized florets and add to a large bowl.
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Combine soy sauce, ketchup, oil, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper in a small bowl. Pour mixture over cauliflower and coat well (toss for half a minute). Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of cornstarch over the cauliflower and toss again until all the cauliflower is coated.
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If there is any sauce in the bowl, add some more cornstarch. Cauliflower florets should not be soggy and should not have dry patches of cornstarch.
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Once all the cauliflower florets are evenly coated, transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet and spread them around so they don’t touch each other.
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Bake at 400ºF (200ºC) for 24-28 minutes. Check at the 24 minute mark to see if the cauliflower is done, otherwise bake for another 5 minutes or so.
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Meanwhile make the sauce: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and when the oil is hot add the garlic, ginger and dry red chillies and stir for a few seconds. Then add the onion, celery and a good pinch of salt. Mix really well and cook till the onion starts to become translucent.
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Then add soy sauce, maple syrup, black and white pepper and mix. Mix cornstarch with 1/2 cup water. Then pour the mixture into the pan and mix well. When the sauce boils and thickens, turn off the heat.
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Remove the cauliflower from the oven and add to the sauce. Really good coat toss. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds or serve with rice or quinoa.
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shop Keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days in a sealed container.It makes a light dinner like rice or a side salad. For a fun dish, serve over quinoa or replace half the cauliflower with tofu to make Black Pepper Cauliflower Tofu.
Comment
- This recipe is nut-free, gluten-free (including tamari).
- To do without it Cornstarch Use another starch such as tapioca starch or potato starch.
- Substitute dry red chilliesUse 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes.
- For extra heat, halve the red peppers
- oil free: Skip the cauliflower, add 1-2 teaspoons of aquafaba or broth instead. For the sauce, stir in 2-3 tbsp of the broth and proceed
nutrition
nutrients
Black pepper cauliflower
No. per job
calories 108
Calories from fat are 27
% Daily Value*
thick 3g5%
0.4 grams of saturated fat3%
Sodium 632 mg27%
potassium 441mg13%
carbohydrates 18 grams6%
3g of fiber13%
7 grams of sugar8%
protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 309IU6%
Vitamin C 71 mg86%
calcium 48 mg5%
iron 1 mg6%
* Percent Daily Value is based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Ingredients:
- Cauliflower Cauliflower – A small head of cauliflower is enough
- Cauliflower is seasoned with soy sauce, ketchup and oil as well as garlic powder and black pepper.
- Cornstarch helps turn the dry and liquid seasoning ingredients into a breading that coats the cauliflower.
- For the sauce we saute ginger, garlic and chillies
- Veggies: Red onion and celery provide some crunch
- Soy sauce and maple syrup are added to achieve that sweetness and saltiness
- Black pepper and white pepper are added for heat
- A cornstarch slurry helps thicken the sauce
- Garnish: Green onions and sesame seeds
Suggestion:
- This recipe is nut-free and gluten-free.
- Use other starches like tapioca starch or potato starch to make it without corn starch.
- If you don’t have dried red pepper, add 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes.
- For chilies, you can use California red for less heat or Chinese, Indian or Thai for spicier.
How to Make Black Pepper Cauliflower
Cut the cauliflower into small to medium sized florets and add to a large bowl.
Combine soy sauce, ketchup, oil, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper in a small bowl. Pour the mixture over the cauliflower and coat well.
Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of cornstarch over the cauliflower and toss again until all the cauliflower is coated.
If there is any sauce in the bowl, add some more cornstarch. Cauliflower florets should not be soggy but should not have any dry spots of cornstarch.
Once all the cauliflower florets are evenly coated, transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet and spread them around so they don’t touch each other.
Bake at 400ºF (200ºC) for 24-28 minutes. Check at the 24 minute mark to see if the cauliflower florets are done, otherwise bake for another 5 minutes or so.
Meanwhile make the sauce: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and once the oil is hot add the garlic, ginger and dry red chillies and stir for a few seconds then add the onion, celery and a good pinch of salt.
Mix really well and cook till the onion starts to become translucent. Then add soy sauce, maple syrup, black and white pepper and mix. Mix cornstarch with 1/2 cup water. Then pour the mixture into the pan and mix well. When the sauce boils, turn off the heat.
Remove the cauliflower from the oven and add to the sauce. Really good coat toss.
Serve garnished with some green onions and sesame seeds, or with some rice or quinoa for added protein.
It makes a light dinner like rice or a side salad. For a fun dish, serve over quinoa or replace half the cauliflower with tofu to make Black Pepper Cauliflower Tofu.
shop Refrigerate for up to 3 days.