Whether you are a vegetarian or someone who refuses to eat your veggies, you will love this fried cauliflower recipe! This recipe is actually my mother-in-law’s, so all credit goes to her! Beautifully crispy cauliflower covered in Italian breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and seasoning that will be a hit with any child. Serve these with a lemon wedge, marinara sauce, or as a substitute for chicken nuggets!
My mother-in-law is Italian. She was born in Italy and moved here when she was pretty young. The best part about this recipe is that these fried pieces of goodness can be used in a variety of ways. Serve these as “chicken” nuggets, use them as a vegan substitute for buffalo wings or in your favorite Asian-inspired dishes like orange cauliflower or sweet and sour cauliflower. Needing some cheat in your salad? Add some of these! You won’t be completely cheating, I promise!
Something like this is perfect for a Superbowl party served with some dip. Maybe even just a get-together with some friends will make this the perfect dish! The ingredient that makes this dish great is using Italian seasoned breadcrumbs. My mother-in-law adds parmesan cheese, oregano, basil to her cauliflower. I decided to use a little improvising and added some garlic powder to it. This has been my fiance’s favorite snack as a child.
How to Make Fried Cauliflower Bites
I recommend following this recipe as is, only because this is such a delicious bite to have! But, if you so wish, you can add some cajun seasoning instead of the seasonings listed. It’s up to you, but try this recipe first before switching things out!
- Head of Cauliflower: Don’t feel like cutting a full head into florets? Buy a prepacked cauliflower floret bag, such as Green Giant! Do not buy frozen florets.
- Avocado Oil, for frying: You can use vegetable oil if you wish. Avocado oil is a bit healthier.
- All-purpose Flour
- Eggs
- Milk
- Italian-Seasoned Breadcrumbs
- Dried Oregano
- Dried Basil
- Garlic Powder
- Salt and Pepper
- Parmesan Cheese
- Chopped Fresh Parsley, for garnish
Parboil your cauliflower. Bring a pot of water to a boil with a little salt. Boil the cauliflower for 3-5 minutes, just until the cauliflower is easy to break apart but not totally soft. Remove them with a slotted spoon and put them in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Put flour, salt, and pepper in one bowl. Beat eggs and milk in a second bowl. In the third bowl, add the breadcrumbs, oregano, basil, garlic powder, and parmesan cheese. In a large skillet, heat avocado oil on medium-high heat until the oil reaches 375F. You can tell the oil is heated if you drop a little flour in and it starts to bubble. Dip the cauliflower florets into the flour, eggs then breadcrumbs. Place them in the oil and fry for 1-2 minutes total, or until all sides are golden brown. They fry pretty fast depending on how big they are, so be careful!
Tips & FAQs
- Can I use different seasoning? You can, but I recommend that you make the recipe as is first before tweaking. You can use cajun seasoning, taco seasoning, or cayenne pepper and paprika. You can also use a different style of breadcrumbs. I haven’t tried with panko yet, but I feel that panko might make it a bit thick in a sense.
- The ideal oil temperature for frying is 350F-375F and is best regulated with a cooking thermometer. If you don’t have one, place the end of a wooden spoon in the oil, when there are bubbles around the handle that float toward the top, the oil is ready.
- Always use fresh cauliflower, never frozen. The extra moisture will ruin this batter. The raw cauliflower is perfect for this batter and you can do broccoli or even zucchini the same way.
Want the recipe? Click print below! Let me know how it came out for you by tagging me on Instagram (@missravenskitchen) and using #missravenskitchen! Follow my Facebook page for updates as well! Let me know if I need to tweak anything.
Italian-Style Fried Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1 medium head of cauliflower cut into florets (*1)
- Avocado oil for frying (*2)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup whole milk
- 1 ¼ cups breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Bring a lightly salted large pot of water to a boil. Drop in the cauliflower and allow to parboil for 3-5 minutes, just until you can break the cauliflower apart, but it’s not completely soft. Create an ice bath in a separate bowl with half ice, half water, then use a slotted spoon to transfer the cauliflower to the ice bath to stop the cooking process. Transfer the cauliflower to a colander and allow it to drain for a few seconds.
- In one bowl, add the flour, salt, and pepper. Mix to combine. In a second bowl, beat together the eggs and milk. In a third bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, oregano, basil, garlic powder, and parmesan cheese.
- In a large skillet, add enough avocado oil and fill half of the skillet, then heat on medium-high heat to 375F. To test if it is hot enough, drop some flour in. If it bubbles, it’s hot enough.
- In order, coat the cauliflower in flour, dip in the eggs, and coat in the breadcrumbs. Drop the cauliflower in the oil and fry for 1-2 minutes total. Turn the cauliflower around so it browns on all sides; they fry pretty quickly. Be sure to watch them carefully. Serve immediately with parsley sprinkled around it.
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