Parmesan Cauliflower Bites
by Chungah
Crisp, crunchy cauliflower bites that even the pickiest of eaters will love – perfect as an appetizer or after school snack!
When it comes to snacking, I’ll munch on anything – donuts, chips, almonds, cookies – you name it. And since I work from home and snack for pretty much every minute of every day, I just had to find a way to sneak in some veggie snacking, like these cauliflower bites.
Now I’m all for veggies but I can’t just snack on raw cauliflower. I could, but I’d really rather not. So instead, I did something bad. Like really, really, really bad.
I tossed them in a light Parmesan coating and deep fried them to absolute crisp perfection. And then I dipped them in Ranch. And then I devoured every last one of them. Seriously, even the pickiest of eaters will want to lick the plate clean!
At least I’m getting my daily serving of vegetables with these, right?
Parmesan Cauliflower Bites
Ingredients
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup Panko*
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 1 tablespoon Emeril's Essence Creole Seasoning
- 4 cups cauliflower florets
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs, beaten
Instructions
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
- In a large bowl, combine Panko, Parmesan and Emeril’s Essence; set aside.
- Working in batches, dredge cauliflower in flour, dip into eggs, then dredge in Panko mixture, pressing to coat.
- Add cauliflower to the skillet, 5 or 6 at a time, and cook until evenly golden and crispy, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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I love the idea of mixing the seasonings in the plastic bag to start with. I do this with my daughter because she does not like having to touch the raw chicken…not that anyone really does. 🙂
Thanks for the idea Mike – I have my son help with the cooking and he too, does not like touching too many things.
These are delicious! Mine didn’t turn out nearly as pretty as yours though. I have yet to perfect the art of deep frying.
Wondering if I can reheat these in an oven when I drive at the party I am attending. It is a 3 hour drive….
This is really best when served immediately.
Made way too many for 5 people! However we liked these. Next time need I will reduce amount of cauliflower. Very nice. A lovely change from normal cauliflower. Made the Creole seasoning from scratch. Cooked in the oven to reduce fat. Thanks for a lovely recipe.
Could frozen cauliflower florets be used after it has thawed?
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot advise if using thawed frozen cauliflower florets will yield the same results. Please use your best judgment.
I used rice flour instead of AP flour and substituted Old Bay Seasoning. The Panko gives them a nice crunch.
Ever try using ranch dressing to tip them in instead of egg? OMG.. sooooo good..
So does the cauliflower turn out soft/cooked or still raw after frying?
Carrie, the cauliflower is cooked through.
Thanks! I’m making it tonight but know my kids won’t eat it raw 🙂
Going to make these tonight, along with the Asparagus baked with panko/parmasan. I’m going to try baking them both. Sounds Divine!!! Thank you Chung-ha
Would you be able to freeze this after baking or frying, if so what would be the best way to defrost. Thanks
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself – there were no leftovers left to freeze! Please use your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
i wonder how your recipe would taste with broccoli…think I’ll try both
Emeril’s Essence
2 1/2 T paprika 1 T onion powder
2 T salt 1 T cayenne pepper
2 T garlic powder 1T dried oregano
1 T black pepper 1 T dried thyme
Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
Makes 2/3 cup
Thank you for this recipe Pegi for the spice mix!!!
This is an amazing recipe!! I love cauliflower anyway, but I absolutely love this! I have made this several times and one time I was out of Panko, so keep this in mind because it really works in a pinch. I keep several bags of different types of croutons on hand for times when I need to bread something and am out of Panko or just want to change something up.
I made this for my friend when she came for dinner. She doesn’t cook much, since she’s a widow, but she raved about this recipe and even asked me for the recipe!
Thanks so very much!
Just made these & they were a huge hit! My husband loved them! Thanks for the recipe!
Oh my goodness, these are at the absolute top of my cravings list, nothing better than a fried veggie!
These look absolutely delicious! Can’t wait to try this recipe!
a friend of mine is not a fan of cauliflower but I have a feeling after making it this way they won’t be able to resist! Thanks!
Hi Chungah, thank you so much for this recipe! It is amazing. I have just put a link to it in my own blog post 🙂
What would be a good dip?
We loved dipping these in Ranch!
We really enjoyed these! I made them for New Years along with several others! Thanks for the inspiration. I added a link to your original recipe. If you would prefer that I didn’t, just let me know!