Dripping in flavor, crunch and spice, this is the Ultimate Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Sandwich! Instructions for both baked and fried versions included.
If you follow me on Instagram you may have seen a sneak peak of this bad boy on my stories last week. I was just too freaking excited about it not to share a snippet with you.
But I couldn't leave you hanging any longer.
The recipe is finally here!!!
If you have been around TSV for a while, then you know buffalo sauce is a favorite around here. So far we have made Roasted Cauliflower Buffalo Pizza, Roasted Cauliflower Buffalo Quesadillas, Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos, Beer Battered Cauliflower Buffalo Wings.
As you can see there is a common thread through all of these recipes - our good 'ol friend CAULIFLOWER.
I know some of you have an aversion to cauliflower (I think when people think of cauliflower they think of the steamed kind, in a bag, with no seasoning - yuck). But I promise that when you season and cook cauliflower the right way, it is one of the most tasty foods EVER! It has a "meaty" texture which makes it the perfect swap for recipes that would normally call for chicken.
And it is hearty, so it can be battered and fried (or baked) like a champ.
In all of my past buffalo cauliflower recipes we have cut it up into florets. But today, we're making cauliflower steaks. Oh ya, we're getting crazy.
TSP TIP: When picking a cauliflower, look for one on the smaller side. This will allow your steaks to fit on your buns and not have too much overhang. Can't find a smaller cauliflower? Don't worry about it. You can cut your steaks in half and cook them that way.
To help with the overflow I also went with ciabatta buns. They were wider than a traditional burger bun, so the cauliflower steaks fit perfectly. But use whatever buns you like. Again, you can always cut your steaks to fit your buns perfectly.
Now let's talk about frying vs. baking.
I am going to share both methods with you, and let me say that they are both AMAZING.
I literally devoured both!
The perk of frying these is of course the "crunch" factor. Obviously, when you fry something over baking it, you get a really crisp outer layer. There's just no denying it. But, I get it. I don't love the smell of frying oil taking over my house either.
So, if you want to forego the oil, go ahead and bake your steaks. They will still get a nice crunchy crust on them - it will just be a different texture than the fried version.
And again, they are both drool-worthy.
Once your steaks are ready, serve these with your favorite sandwich toppings - I opted for lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado and of course...vegan ranch. Because what is a buffalo sandwich without ranch?
I hope you love these as much as I do. Say goodbye to fast-food veggie burgers and say hello to comfort food at home!
Ultimate Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Sandwich
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower* cut in ½ inch steaks
- 1 cup buffalo sauce separated
- 1.5 teaspoon garlic powder separated
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon flax meal
- 3 tbsp water
- ¾ cup flour
- ¾ cup sparkling water
- oil for frying
- 4 ciabatta rolls
- Optional Toppings lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado, vegan ranch
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Prepare cauliflower by destemming and cutting it into ½ inch steaks (from top to bottom).
- Combine ½ cup buffalo sauce, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, chili powder and olive oil in a bowl.
- Dip each steak in the sauce and allow excess to drip off. Place on the baking sheet and cook in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and flip the steaks. Baste with leftover sauce and cook in the oven for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool while you prepare the batter.
- Combine flax meal and 3 tablespoon (flat) water in a small bowl and set aside for 5 minutes.
- Add ½ cup buffalo sauce, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, flour, sparkling water and flax "egg" to a bowl.
- IF FRYING: Heat oil in a shallow pan until it reaches 360 degrees. Dip each steak in the batter and allow excess to drip off. Working in batches, carefully add battered steaks to the oil and fry until golden on both sides (approx. 4-7 minutes). Remove from the oil and place on paper towel-lined plate until ready to serve.
- IF BAKING: Place a new sheet of parchment paper on the baking sheet. Dip each steak in the batter and allow excess to drip off. Place steaks on the baking sheet and cook in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and flip the steaks. Cook for an additional 10 minutes, or until browned and crispy.** Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
- For serving, toast the buns and layer with cauliflower steaks, lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado and vegan ranch.
Notes
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Chelsea
Turned out amazing. So flavourful. Will definitely make this again!
Thank you
Rene
Awesome! So glad you liked it!
Bethany
This is the second time I’ve made these (the first time I had my meat-loving father in town for dinner and he loved them!). They were just as good a second time. I always have a problem getting the “steaks”, but end up still baking all of the pieces and forming my own patties once I get to the batter step. Definitely a fun alternative at dinner time.
Rene
Haha, I totally understand - every cauliflower is not made equally. But this recipe is definitely forgiving when it comes to making the cauliflower work 😊
MJ
Truly delicious! The flavor was outstanding. I fried and maybe my oil was too hot and they were on the dark side, the only reason I didn't take a photo to share with my social media friends. Definitely going to try again, probably will try baking the next time.
Rene
Glad they turned out - even if they weren't photo-worthy 🙂
Bethany K
This was so good!! My only issue is that I think I cut too much of the core initially so I only got about 3 intact steaks. I ended up roasting the rest of the pieces and then used to the batter to combine them into a single piece before going into the oven, and it surprising worked out perfectly! So learn from my mistakes 🙂
Added some cheese and ranch and paired them with some broccoli tots, and my meat loving family couldn’t stop raving about how much they loved it. Delicious!!
Rene
So glad you were able to make it work 🙂
Alena | nutriciously.com
what a fantastic recipe, Rene! The sandwich looks so mouth-watering... recommended it in my latest blog post so our readers can try your version: https://nutriciously.com/vegan-chicken-wings/
keep up the great work ?
Jessie
Just made this for dinner tonight and it was great! I didn’t have flax, so I skipped that part and it still turned out nice and crispy when I baked it 🙂 definitely making again!
Rene
Great! So glad it still worked well for you, even without the flax!
Emma
Amazing! I didn’t have flax or sparkling water so I just used regular water and flour.. perfect amount of spice! I used ciabatta rolls and added some vegan avocado ranch. Will definitely make again!
Cori
Hello non-Buffalonians, wanted to let you know traditional Buffalo wings are served with blue cheese., not ranch. Anyone know how to get “Vegaized” blue cheese flavor? That would make it perfect!
MaLinda
Sorry but not everybody likes the taste of blue cheese. It's disgusting.
Jenny
She wasn't asking for your personal opinion on blue cheese. To say what she wants to eat is "disgusting" is pretty rude. Cori, I hope you find a veganized blue cheese recipe you're looking for.
Wendy
Daiya has a tasty bottled blue cheese????
debera
I agree..
Brookie
Baking now. I had lime flavored Perrier and I was confussed withvthe flax egg so i just put an egg. This was super easy but allot of cauliflower brranches fell off so im making nuggest to go with the steaks. I didn't have chilli powder so Inused paprika my bf likes it so it tastes fine. I was confussed at fist but I really need to read the full reciepe b4 I get ahead of myself i do this too often. Thank God I put the flaxpowder on one side of the bowl bcus I had already skipped and put flour but I was still able to make the rue on the side of the bowl can't wait to eat these. I am bumbed I dont have avacado bcus I love avacado but I'm sure it will still be so yummy. I did the double bake process. Thank u for this reciepe yummy cant wait ok need to go flip them.
Ecfinn
Follow Your Heart makes a good Bleu Cheese dressing!
MB
My problem with all vegan sandwich recipes is the bread. They always show the best looking bread but there are never any brand names or directions on where to find/ how to make it. Where I live choices are VERY limited when it comes to finding vegan bread. The sandwich filling sounds great but I also want to know about that bread.
Amber
That was my first thought too! Most bread isn't vegan. I am allergic to eggs and gluten. Schär makes a fabulous gluten, egg and dairy free ciabatta....especially.if you toast them!
Sam
Costco has an amazing bread selection.
Kristen
Can I sub GF flour for flax? And I’m not vegan would egg beaters work instead of actual egg??
Christina Alvarez
I Just made this for dinner for me and my mom and it got rave reviews! This was so satisfying and delicious. Thank you!
Alexa
I just made this sandwich and it was fantastic! I didn't actually have any buffalo sauce so I used BBQ sauce instead and it turned out great. I still added the cayenne and it gave just enough spice for my taste. I must have cut my cauliflower weirdly because I only got 2 "steaks" and then when I tried to cut additional steaks, the florets just fell off. I decided to bake, batter, and fry those florets too and they made cute little nuggets that I love, I gave one to my brother (16yr old very non vegan) and he looked impressed and said "they aren't bad" which I consider a rave review on his scale. My mom (also non vegan) ate the other "steak" on a sandwich and she ate all of it and says it was "very tasty, had a nice texture, would definitely eat again"
Rene
Love your use of the "extra bits" of cauliflower - who cares what they look like, it's all about the taste. And BBQ sounds awesome! Glad everyone liked it!
Stephanie V
I don’t have sparkling water. Would it ruin it if I just used regular water?
Rene
No, you can use regular water. The bubbles in the sparkling water just give it some extra crunch.
jenny
Can I substitute the flax egg for a chia egg? I hate flax I'm assuming it would be fine
Rene
Yes - any egg replacement should work fine.
Fernando
Wow...just. WOW! I can not wait ti try this! Do you happen to have the nutritional info on this?
lyndsay bishop
If I dont have flax meal what would I use as a subsitute?
Rene
I would just omit it and follow the instructions for baking. The soda water/flour combo is already a binder - the flax egg just provides another layer of binding, which is especially important when frying.
Chelsea
Instead of frying in oil, would you be able to make these in an Air Fryer?
Rene
I don't own an air fryer, nor have I ever used one so I can't speak to whether it will work or not. If you try it, please let us know, because that seems like a common question. 🙂
Chris
Have you ever tried this n an air fryer?
Kristine
This looks AMAZING and I cannot wait to try! Would this be something that could be meal prepped? i think this would be great to bring for a work lunch, but i don't know how the cauliflower would hold up being zapped in the microwave?
Rene
I think your instincts are on point - good in theory, but probably not the best idea. Unless you go the baked route and have an oven (or toaster oven) at work that you can reheat the cauliflower in. In the microwave the flavor will still be there, but you are going to lose all of the crunch. I think this is best eaten right away.
Maria
You wonderful magician! I've been practically living off buffalo cauliflower bites and wraps for months now. And never in my wildest dreams did I think to make a burger out of it. Thank You! I can't wait to try this
Rene
OMG, I feel you - buffalo cauliflower is so addictive! Enjoy!