Before my plant-based journey, I was never a fan of steak, so when I told my dad I was trying to make cauliflower steak, he was baffled. The goal was not to make my cauliflower taste like a meaty steak but to have a delicious flavor that my family and I could enjoy.

One Great Vegan inspired this recipe, and with just a few minor tweaks, her magnificent cauliflower steak was a little bit more to my liking! I think my favorite part of this cauliflower steak recipe is that the acidity of the pickle juice makes the hot sauce more palatable, especially for someone who has become very sensitive to spicy foods post-covid.

Yes, this recipe is deep-fried, which I don’t often do, but I typically pair it with Parmesan-Ranch Crusted Potatoes and Strawberry-Feta Salad, so it balances the fried foods well. The flavors of all three recipes really brought together the flavor palette and were absolutely delicious.

Remember, it’s not all or nothing and an occasional fried food is far better than the standard American diet (SAD).

So, without further ado, I introduce my take on a deep-fried cauliflower steak, which is plant-based and vegan-friendly. This recipe can be made free from coconut, dairy, gluten, grains, nuts, and soy, and with a few minor tweaks, it can even be whole-food plant-based (see recipe notes for details). It takes about 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook and serves four people.

INGREDIENTS

• Water (for boiling)
• 1 head of cauliflower
• 1 1/2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All-Purpose Baking Flour)
• 2 tbsp. grilling steak seasoning (I use Watkins Organic Grilling Steak Seasoning)
• 1 tbsp. smoked paprika
• 2 tbsp. nutritional yeast(I use Anthony’s Non-Fortified Nutritional Yeast)
• 1 tbsp. garlic powder
• 1 tbsp. onion powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• Oil (I use cold-pressed avocado oil)

Cauliflower Steak Marinade:

• 2 cups vegetable broth (I use low-sodium)
• 1 cup pickle juice
• 1/4 cup hot sauce
• 3 tbsp. grilling steak seasoning (I use Watkins Organic Grilling Steak Seasoning)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Start by bringing a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.
2. While the water is coming to a boil, cut the cauliflower into large, steak-sized slices (I cut it horizontally and into roughly 1-inch-thick slices).
3. Add the cauliflower slices to the boiling water and boil for ten minutes.
4. While that’s cooking, combine your cauliflower steak marinade ingredients in a large bowl (big enough for the cauliflower to be submerged).
5. When the cauliflower is done cooking, add it to the marinade and let sit for 30 minutes.
6. Now, prepare the seasoned flour mixture by combining the flour and seasonings (grilling steak seasoning, smoked paprika, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, pink salt, and black pepper) in a large enough bowl to dip the cauliflower steaks.
7. Add oil to a frying pan over medium-high heat to preheat.
8. As the oil gets to temperature, dip your marinated cauliflower into the seasoned flour mixture, ensuring each slice is coated entirely.
9. When the oil is ready, fry the breaded cauliflower for roughly 10 minutes per side, ensuring a beautiful golden-brown color.

NOTES

• If you wish to omit the oil, simply use an air fryer or oven to make the cauliflower. (I haven’t tried this method, but I’d recommend cooking at 400ºF for 10 minutes and then 5 minutes increments until the desired golden color is achieved).

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Deep-Fried Cauliflower Steaks

This is my flavorful take on a plant-based and vegan-friendly deep-fried cauliflower steak. It can be made free from coconut, dairy, gluten, grains, nuts, and soy, and with a minor tweak, it can even be whole-food plant-based. This recipe takes about 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook and serves four people.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Servings 4

Recipe by: Sarena-Rae Santos (The Holistic Hipppie)

Ingredients

1x2x3x

• Water (for boiling)
• 1 head of cauliflower
• 1 1/2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour (I use Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All-Purpose Baking Flour)
• 2 tbsp. grilling steak seasoning (I use Watkins Organic Grilling Steak Seasoning)
• 1 tbsp. smoked paprika
• 2 tbsp. nutritional yeast (I use Anthony’s Non-Fortified Nutritional Yeast)
• 1 tbsp. garlic powder
• 1 tbsp. onion powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• Oil of choice (I use cold-pressed avocado oil)

Cauliflower Steak Marinade

• 2 cups vegetable broth (I use low-sodium)
• 1 cup pickle juice
• 1/4 cup hot sauce
• 3 tbsp. grilling steak seasoning (I use Watkins Organic Grilling Steak Seasoning)

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

• Start by bringing a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.
• While the water is coming to a boil, cut the cauliflower into large, steak-sized slices (I cut it horizontally and into roughly 1-inch-thick slices).
• Add the cauliflower slices to the boiling water and boil for ten minutes.
• While that’s cooking, combine your cauliflower steak marinade ingredients in a large bowl (big enough for the cauliflower to be submerged).
• When the cauliflower is done cooking, add it to the marinade and let sit for 30 minutes.
• Now, prepare the seasoned flour mixture by combining the flour and seasonings (grilling steak seasoning, smoked paprika, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, pink salt, and black pepper) in a large enough bowl to dip the cauliflower steaks.
• Add oil to a frying pan over medium-high heat to preheat.
• As the oil gets to temperature, dip your marinated cauliflower into the seasoned flour mixture, ensuring each slice is coated entirely.
• When the oil is ready, fry the breaded cauliflower for roughly 10 minutes per side, ensuring a beautiful golden-brown color.

Notes

• If you wish to omit the oil, simply use an air fryer or oven to make the cauliflower. (I haven’t tried this method, but I’d recommend cooking at 400ºF for 10 minutes and then 5 minutes increments until the desired golden color is achieved).

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