Description
Air-Fried Korean Chili Cauliflower (Gochujang) is a deliciously crispy and spicy dish that brings the bold flavors of Korea to your table. This vegan-friendly recipe features tender cauliflower florets coated in a light tempura batter, air-fried to perfection, and tossed in a sticky, flavorful gochujang sauce. It’s perfect as an appetizer, side dish, or even a main course served over rice. With its combination of sweet, spicy, and savory elements, this dish will surely leave your taste buds craving more!
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 medium heads cauliflower (cut into florets about 650g)
- 1 ½ cups gluten-free flour blend (or brown rice flour)
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 ¾ cups seltzer water (extra cold)
- ½ cup maple syrup (or agave nectar; reduce to ¼ cup if sensitive to sweetness)
- 6 tbsp soy sauce (use low-sodium if sensitive to salt)
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 3 tbsp minced garlic (2–3 cloves)
- 2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 5 tbsp Korean Chili Paste or sauce
- ¼ cup mirin
- 2 tbsp cornstarch for serving
- Toasted sesame oil (or vegetable oil) for serving
- ¼ cup chopped green onion for serving
- 1 tbsp toasted white sesame seeds for serving
- 1 lime for serving
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 400°F (or oven to 425°F if baking).
- Line the air fryer basket with parchment paper. If you're baking, place a cooling rack on the baking sheet. Add parchment paper on top to enhance crispiness.
- Cut the cauliflower into small florets.
- In a large bowl, combine all dry tempura batter ingredients.
- Stir in cold seltzer water until just mixed. It should resemble thick pancake batter; adjust with flour if too thin.
- Evenly coat each floret in tempura batter. Place them in a single layer in your air fryer basket or on the cooling rack/baking sheet.
- Spray with cooking spray or brush with oil: Air fry for 17 minutes, flipping halfway through. Bake for 20-22 minutes, also flipping halfway for even cooking.
- Prepare the sauce by mixing all sauce ingredients together.
- Once cooked, toss the cauliflower in the gochujang sauce before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 0mg