These Spicy Orange Cauliflower Bites, 辣橙花椰菜 (Là chéng huā yē cài) recipe is a scrumptious vegan adaption of the popular orange chicken (橙花鸡, Chéng huā jī).
It has a sticky sauce with a tangy citrus flavor that is perfect with a bowl of rice or as an appetizer. Not only is this recipe easy, but it is also easily made with gluten-free and oil-free options as well.

Cauliflower has gained its popularity in the last few years as it’s a versatile ingredient. It is certainly an amazing vegetable that you can turn into so many amazing dishes not to mention its high nutritional benefit. It’s true that it’s quite bland by itself which is exactly why it’s a wonderful ingredient to turn into sauces or crisp them up into a snack food like this recipe.
Personally, I love adding citrus in savory foods as it adds a wonderful tang without the need for much sodium. This is probably why I love the sweet and sour sauce so much. This Orange Cauliflower Bite is one of my many vegan adaptions, which in this case is Orange Chick’n. So, let’s see how to make this simple recipe with the steps below.

How to make Spicy Orange Cauliflower Bites
These bites are really easy to make and can be deep-fried, baked, or air-fried.
First, make the batter which I used all-purpose flour for and seasoned it with salt and pepper. Gluten-free all-purpose flour is a great option for this batter. Then, add enough water to make it into a somewhat thick batter. The consistency is similar to pancake mix.
The good thing about this batter is that you can add more flour if it’s too runny even after you add in the cauliflower florets. This happens when there is still water trapped in between the florets.
Preheat your air-fryer (I used the fries setting). Dredge the cauliflower florets in the batter and shake off excess. Place them in the air-fryer and ‘fry’ until golden brown with a shake in between. Remove and set aside.
Heat up a non-stick pan and add in the freshly squeezed orange juice along with other seasoning.

Bring the mixture to a rolling boil.

Once the sugar has melted, stir in cornstarch slurry. Add the cauliflower florets and toss to combine. Serve warm.
Spicy Orange Cauliflower Bites Cooking Tips
- Batter consistency? – It should be as thick as a pancake mixture once water is added. But rest assured, if it starts to turn runny, just add more flour to the mix to thicken it. The batter should be thick enough to coat the floret without many drippings.
- Gluten-free options – Replace all-purpose flour with gluten-free flour and add enough water to turn it into a thick batter. Use gluten-free sauces where necessary in this recipe.
- Other cooking options – These can be deep-fried or baked. To bake them:
- Preheat oven to 450°F [230°C]. Dredge cauliflower florets in the batter, shake off excess, and place them on a lined baking sheet.
- Brush or spray each floret with oil and bake until golden brown for about 20 mins, flipping halfway. (You can also turn the broiler to low & broil for about 3 mins to get the roasted look at the top)
- Citrus – Sweet navel oranges work really great for me but other oranges would be a great option. Some are more tart, so please adjust the sugar accordingly.

Check out my other delicious Cauliflower recipes:
These Spicy Orange Cauliflower Bites are
- Tangy and Sweet
- Flavorful
- Easily customizable
- Perfect as a dish or appetizer
- Vegan
- A great Allium Free dish (replace spring onion with cilantro for garnish)
If you try this recipe, I would love to hear your feedback and see your beautiful re-creation. Leave me a comment, rate it, and tag @woon.heng and #woonheng to your photos on Instagram or Facebook. Happy cooking, friends!

Spicy Orange Cauliflower Bites – 辣橙花椰菜
Equipment
- Air-Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 small head of cauliflower washed and cut into florets
- cilantro stems or chopped green onions for garnish
- oil for cooking
Batter
- ¾ cup [94g] all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour
- ¾ cup [175ml] cup water or plant milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- a few shakes of white pepper
Sauce
- ¾ cup freshly squeeze orange juice from 2 oranges
- 1½ tablespoons [22ml] soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon red chili flakes or chili of choice
- 1½ tablespoons maple syrup or 1 tablespoon sugar adjust depending on the sweetness of your orange
- cornstarch slurry mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch in 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Pat cauliflower florets dry with a paper towel or let them air dry in a colander.
- Whisk together batter ingredients in a bowl until well combined. The batter should be thick enough to coat the florets.
- Preheat the air fryer to 390°F [220°C]. Dredge cauliflower florets in the batter, shake off excess and place them on the air fryer rack.
- Air 'fry' until golden brown, about 8 – 10 minutes with a shake in between, if needed. See notes to bake these in the oven.
- In a heated non-stick pan, slowly pour in the orange juice along with the sauce ingredients, except cornstarch slurry.
- Bring the mixture to a rolling boil and stir until the sugar has melted, then stir in the cornstarch slurry.
- Add in the cauliflower florets, and quickly toss everything together until well-combined.
- Serve immediately with a sprinkle of chopped cilantro or scallions and toasted sesame seeds.
Video
Notes
- Preheat oven to 450°F [230°C]. Dredge cauliflower florets in the batter, shake off excess and place them on a lined baking sheet.
- Brush or spray each floret with oil and bake until golden brown for about 20 mins, flipping halfway. (You can also turn the broiler to low & broil for about 3 mins to get the roasted look at the top)
Feel free to pin the below picture on your Pinterest Board for easy reference.

I made this tonight and it’s absolutely delicious, and very accessible to make. I made it as a main dish with rice and crushed cucumber salad and absolutely loved it. Will be making it regularly! ❤️
Hi! This looks amazing. If I want to do chicken instead, is it the same prep? I also want to bake this so can I do that? If so, what type of chicken (thighs?) and what temp and time? Thanks so much!
Thanks Karen for your interest. Since I don’t consume meat, I’m not sure how it will work. Apologies I can’t help on this. Hope you give my other recipes a try. Thank you.
I made this recipe for dinner tonight and it was delicious! My orange juice didn’t have a strong flavor so I added some chopped orange peel to the sauce and that did the trick. The texture of the cauliflower was perfect and the sauce had just the right spice. We will definitely be making this again ❤️❤️
Essa receita é perfeita, bem organizada e detalhada. Preparo simples e um sabor final delicioso, agridoce e cheio de potência.
Fiz dois dias seguidos e indiquei aos meus amigos.
Thanks so so much, Vitória! Super grateful for your time in sharing your feedback and rating. Thank YOU!
This was super tasty. We baked the cauliflower since we don’t have an air frier. Still turned out great. We used blood oranges from our tree instead of oranges and the color and flavor were sooooo good. A fun variation to mix things up if you make this one a lot. I also sautéed some 1/2″ pieces of onions and bell peppers in a skillet and mixed it in when we tossed everything in the sauce. We’ve also made the teriyaki tofu balls and loved them. Thanks for all the great inspiration!
Mmmm.. homegrown blood orange!! That must taste so so lovely. Thanks so much for sharing your amazing subs too. Love it and thanks a lot for trying out the teriyaki tofu balls too. Hope you get to try other recipes soon. Best, WoonHeng
I made this a couple nights ago after seeing it featured on Meatless Monday’s Instagram. It was so good! Served it with rice and edamame. It was very filling! Back today to check out more recipes. Thank you 🙂
that’s so so awesome, thanks a lot! I’m so glad you liked it and love your combo with rice and edamame. Yum! Best, WoonHeng
Thank you so so much! It’s one of my go-to recipes. 🙂 Wishing you a wonderful one. Best, WoonHeng
Ok. I made it and it was delicious but where is the spicy? I added crush red pepper and sweet chili sauce while the sauce was simmering. Delicious!!
Thanks so so much for letting me know that I missed it in the recipe. Yes, I added crushed red pepper flakes as well, good tip on the sweet chili sauce as well. Yum. Thank you again!
Made this last night for dinner. It was delicious! I’m loving your recipes.
woohoo, so glad you loved the recipe! Hope you get to try some others soon. Happy cooking and have a beautiful day!
Wow another lip smacking good recipe! Cant wait to try this. Thanks for the detailed recipe and video, love them!
thanks so much for your lovely feedback. I am so glad you loved it. ❤️