If you’re looking for fall comfort food, look no further than these Baked Crispy Cauliflower Sandwiches! Crispy, savoury, and filling, these plant-based sandwiches tick all those boxes!
While creating a recipe for Crispy Chicken Sandwiches we decided to create a plant-based version as well. And I’m not sorry we did. Thick cauliflower steaks get an even coating of crispy Panko and are then baked to a golden perfection. Loaded with crisp lettuce and crunchy dill pickles, these Crispy Cauliflower Sandwiches will be on repeat! You can make this vegetarian or vegan (see the subs below) or gluten free by substituting gluten free variation of the ingredients (flour, Panko, buns etc).
Ways to Use Cauliflower
Is there nothing cauliflower can’t do? It really is such a versatile ingredient. From using it in soups, adding nutrition to mashed potatoes or to turning it into pizza crust it’s the vegetable that can do it all. Jill has a cauliflower gnocchi recipe over on her blog that I need to try (and if you haven’t tried the Cauliflower Tacos in the cookbook you’re missing out!). Cauliflower is low in calories and carbohydrates with cancer-fighting phytochemicals.
Cauliflower works well in this recipe: it can be sliced thick, has a great texture and bakes to the perfect tenderness. If you want to level up this sandwich you could also try coating the outside of these crispy cauliflower steaks in hot sauce after baking for a buffalo cauliflower sandwich! We enjoyed these with a generous spread of vegan mayo, crisp lettuce, and piles of dill pickles. You could also add some avocado for extra healthy fats and vitamins or a thick slice of tomato.
How to Cut Cauliflower Steaks
There isn’t much forgiveness in cutting cauliflower steaks in my experience. Therefore, we wanted to give you some guidance. No pressure lol. Start by removing all leaves and the protruding part of the cauliflower head stem, leaving about 1/2″ of stem at the bottom to hold your head of cauliflower together. Using a large sharp knife, hold the cauliflower upright and cut it vertically into 1″ thick slices, keeping each cauliflower ‘steak’ intact. You’ll have some pieces that don’t hold together and that’s normal! With those smaller end pieces you can bread them individually and enjoy them as a snack or save them for another recipe.
Baked Crispy Cauliflower Sandwiches
Baked Crispy Cauliflower Sandwiches
These sandwiches are so satisfying and make for such a fun dinner!
Ingredients
Cauliflower:
- 1 large head cauliflower, cut into 1" thick steaks*
Flour Mixture:
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Egg Mixture:
- 3 eggs, well beaten (or 1 + cup of plant-based milk)
Panko Mixture:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups panko crumbs
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
Sandwich:
- 4 buns
- green lettuce
- mayonnaise
- sliced pickles
Instructions
Directions:
-
Preheat the oven to 400F and place a wire baking rack on top of a large baking sheet. Alternately you can use a parchment-lined baking sheet (it may just not be as crispy on the bottom this way).
-
In a shallow bowl or pie plate combine the flour mixture ingredients together well. Set aside.
-
In a separate medium shallow bowl or pie plate whisk the eggs together until well-beaten (alternately place the milk in the bowl).
Prepare the Panko
-
In a large frying pan heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat. Mix all of the remaining panko mixture ingredients together in a shallow bowl or pie plate and pour them into the pan. Stir constantly until the panko is lightly toasted and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Pour the mixture back into the original shallow bowl or pie plate.
-
Using your hands, take a piece of cauliflower and coat it on both sides in the flour mixture shaking off the excess (if it doesn't stick simply rinse it lightly under water first and try again).
-
Next, coat each piece with the egg mixture or milk and finish by pressing each side into the panko mixture to evenly coat. Place the piece of cauliflower on the prepared baking rack and repeat with the remaining cauliflower pieces, being careful not to make them touch. Once the pieces are all coated and placed on the baking rack, place the pan in the oven and bake until they are golden brown, approximately 30-40 minutes.
-
Assemble your sandwiches with your desired toppings and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
*Remove all the leaves and the protruding part of the cauliflower stem, leaving about 1/2″ of stem at the bottom to hold your head of cauliflower together. Using a large sharp knife, hold the cauliflower upright and cut it vertically into 1″ thick slices, keeping each cauliflower ‘steak’ intact.
I’ve been eyeing this recipe for a while now and decided to make it tonight. As usual – you never disappoint ! It was so tasty and super easy. Great alternative!! I used almond milk and used vegan mayo. Thanks Tori. I hope you and Jillian will make another cookbook. You have so many more recipes that need to be shared! I will be making your lettuce wraps next !
Thank you Adrienne that is so kind of you!! Happy you liked it!!!
Another delicious recipe! These sandwiches were a hit in my house – even my kids loved them! This recipe will definitely be included in the rotation. Thanks for sharing, Tori!
Hi Stephanie! Thank you SO much! Happy you loved them as much as my family does. Tori
One of the most delicious things I’ve cooked in a real long time. Thank you!
This recipe was easy to make! Husband approved. I thought the seasonings of the panko could be a bit stronger/a recommendation for a sauce to pair it with…. but still very good and would recommend! Especially on a fresh, decadent brioche bun…
Thanks for the feedback Amanda and for taking the time to rate the recipe!
Wow! So much flavor and we didn’t miss the meat! Thanks Tori!
We had a lot of flour left over so next time I may wet the cauliflower or just reduce the flour in the recipe.
Love the idea of toasting the panko!
Served this for dinner, without the bread to treat it more like an actual steak. We had some gorgeous fresh living butter lettuce that made it look so pretty.
I just put a little mayo on it. Was tempted to reach for the hot sauce but wanted to try it as it was. Again, nice flavor.
Served with a Coppola Chardonnay.
Will for sure serve this once-a-month. 👍🏻🌵💗
Kristina! Thank you so much for taking the time to review, and share how you made this recipe your own! It sounds so delicious. Happy to hear you found a new favourite! xx Tori
Success the 2nd time around. (Brian made it from start to finish…HURRAY!)
FYI your suggestion of hot sauce (we used Burman’s which is fantastic for wings) was a GREAT idea!
This time we served the cauliflower with bratwurst.
Hey Kristina! That’s awesome to hear! Thank you for the lovely review. xx Tori