15-Minute Sticky Sesame Cauliflower

This recipe for 15-Minute Sticky Sesame Cauliflower is crispy, saucy, and takeout-inspired! It's a healthy weeknight dinner option that's ready in a flash. Serve it over rice or in lettuce wraps for a simple meal.

 Also, it's important to note, this is not an authentic Asian recipe! I am not an authority in that space. This simply draws inspiration from a cuisine I admire and like learning about.

Sticky Sesame Cauliflower: A Takeout-Style Meal You Can Make at Home

Roasted cauliflower florets  are coated in a sticky glaze that is equally sweet and savory, full of umami and spice. This recipe is ready in less than 20 minutes!

I enjoy eating this cauliflower inside a lettuce wrap - the cool and crunchy texture of romaine is a nice counterpoint to a sticky sauce. However if you want this to be more filling I recommend serving over a bed of rice with some lentils or tofu for protein.

Ingredients in Sticky Sesame Cauliflower

• Small to medium head cauliflower
• Soy sauce (or coconut aminos if gluten-free)
• Maple syrup
• Rice vinegar
• Garlic
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• Sesame oil
• Ginger (powdered or fresh)
• Cornstarch, to thicken the sauce

Can this recipe with sesame glaze be made ahead?

Yes! While this sticky sesame sauce is ready in just 5 minutes, feel free to make it in advance and store in the fridge until ready to use. I would note that it will thicken more while cooling, so you may want to cut the amount of cornstarch down to 1 TBS while boiling.

Looking for more takeout-inspired recipes? Try one of these next:

• 20-Minute Spicy Peanut Noodle Soup
• 15-Minute Sesame Ginger Noodles
• Tofu Meal Prep: Peanut Tofu, Sesame Tofu, and Orange Tofu Recipes

15-Minute Sticky Sesame Cauliflower

Emily

This recipe for 15-Minute Sticky Sesame Cauliflower is crispy, saucy, and takeout-inspired! It's a healthy weeknight dinner option that's ready in a flash. Serve it over rice or in lettuce wraps for a simple meal.

5 from 4 votes

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Course dinner

Cuisine Asian

Servings 3 servings

Calories 103 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 small to medium head of cauliflower chopped into florets
• ▢ ⅓ cup low sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos
• ▢ ¼ cup maple syrup
• ▢ ¼ cup lite rice vinegar
• ▢ 3 cloves fresh garlic minced
• ▢ 1 TBS crushed red pepper flakes optional
• ▢ 1 teaspoon sesame oil*
• ▢ 2 teaspoon powdered ginger or 1 TBS minced fresh ginger
• ▢ 1 and ½ TBS cornstarch
• ▢ ¼ cup water
• ▢ Sesame seeds romaine lettuce wraps, or cooked rice for serving

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray/oil a baking tray and line cauliflower in a single layer. Bake for 10 minutes.
• While cauliflower is baking, combine soy sauce, maple syrup, rice vinegar, garlic, red pepper if using, oil, and ginger in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
• In a separate cup, whisk cornstarch and water. Add this cup to the boiling sauce mixture as soon as it is rapidly bubbling. Cook for 2 minutes over medium heat. The sauce will begin to thicken, so continue to stir!
• Remove sauce from heat. After 10 minutes of time in the oven, flip cauliflower and bake 5-10 minutes more (until browned but not burned). Remove from oven and add to the pan with the sauce. Mix thoroughly.
• Serve in lettuce wraps garnished with sesame seeds or over a bed of rice.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 103kcalCarbohydrates: 20.4gProtein: 3.9gFat: 1.3gSaturated Fat: 0.3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 649.7mgFiber: 2.6gSugar: 11.9g

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