There are not a lot of foods I miss since fully becoming vegetarian when I was around 16 years old...but KFC popcorn chicken still makes me salivate at the thought. It's the blend of seasonings and spices...and that CRUNCH! This Crispy Kentucky KFC Air-Fryer Cauliflower Sandwich Recipe are reminiscent of the KFC flavor we love but all VEGETARIAN. This recipe could easily be made vegan and gluten-free with some swaps too! No matter how you make it, it's sure to please everyone at the table.

Crispy KFC Kentucky Fried Cauliflower Sandiwch with fresh toppings like Lettuce, Pickles and spicy topping on a bun

I can go on about my old drive-thru trips before my switch to vegetarianism but why bore you with that? Let's get onto the recipe. KFC is famous for good reason, their blend of spices and seasonings is like no other. Completely their own. This recipe does a good job of getting a good base for the flavor, and although it is not chicken or 100% certified Colonel, it is satisfying! The Cauliflower pieces get crispy, and perfectly tender inside. I used an air fryer for this recipe, but you could bake it at the same temperature or slightly higher for a similar crispy texture. Just keep an eye on it to avoid overcooking!

Crispy KFC Cauliflower Sandwich Ingredients

To make the crispy KFC cauliflower sandwich note that the ingredients for the recipe are separated by the wet and dry ingredients. I suggest having dredging trays or baking trays for moving the cauliflower through the steps for breading the cauliflower. By planning ahead, the overall process and cleanup after will be much smoother.

Crispy breaded KFC Kentucky Fried Cauliflower Cooking in the oven until golden brown

Cauliflower
Flour
Milk
Hot Sauce
Cider Vinegar
Blend of spices
Brioche Buns
Toppings

See recipe card for quantities.

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Storage

Place the cooled cauliflower pieces in an airtight container. This will help keep them fresh and prevent moisture from making them soggy. Store all of the other toppings separately in their own airtight containers.

Real Tip

When you are ready to reheat the cauliflower pieces, you can microwave them but they may not get back to their original crispiness. If time allows, preheat the oven to 375 degrees and put just the pieces you need on the tray to heat up and retain some of the original crisp texture to the breading while bringing back to temperature. We aren't cooking to a set time, just getting the pieces hot enough to serve your leftover crispy KFC cauliflower sandwich.

Crispy KFC Kentucky Fried Cauliflower Sandiwch with fresh toppings like Lettuce, Pickles and spicy topping on a bun with piled high potato chips

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📖 Recipe

Crispy KFC Kentucky Fried Cauliflower Sandwich with fresh toppings like Lettuce, Pickles and spicy topping on a bun

Crispy KFC Cauliflower Sandwich

Savor the Crispy KFC Cauliflower Sandwich – a plant-based and meatless take on a classic with perfectly seasoned cauliflower and fresh toppings!

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Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Course Main Course

Servings servings

Ingredients

1 Medium Head of Cauliflower
11/2 Cups of Milk
2 tablespoon Cider Vinegar
½ Cup of Frank’s Hot Sauce
¾ Cups Flour
Vegetable Oil Cooking Spray

Dry Flour Mix

2 Cups of AP Flour
2 tablespoon of Cornstarch
1 tablespoon of Brown Sugar
2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 black pepper
½ teaspoon salt or to your preference

Toppings

Brioche Buns
Sriracha
Mayo
Lettuce
Kosher Pickle Chips

Instructions

Please read each step carefully as some of the flour and milk are used in varying amounts throughout the recipe.

Prep the head of cauliflower, rinse, and cut in half, then into about ½” slices, ensuring you are cutting some of the core of the cauliflower to hold the piece together. You may only get about 4 cuts like this; the rest will be Florets or a couple of Florets combined.
Put the Cauliflower to the side and mix the marinade for the cauliflower. Mix 1 cup of Milk, cider vinegar, and hot sauce until combined.
Put all of your cauliflower into a casserole dish with marinade, cover, and refrigerate. Let that refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.
While your cauliflower marinades in the fridge, Preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees.
Mix your dry Flour mix in a medium bowl by combining all of the dry ingredients listed.
In another medium bowl, mix 1 cup of milk with ¾ cup of flour.
Once the Cauliflower is finished marinating, take the cauliflower out of the fridge.
Set up a Baking sheet with parchment paper, this is just to prep and hold the dredged cauliflower before we air-fry it.
Shake off the excess marinade from the Cauliflower pieces and place the cauliflower onto the sheet tray. If there is still a good amount of the milk marinade left over, pour it into the medium bowl with the flour/milk wet mix.
Line up the two bowls of the wet and dry mixes. Take a piece of cauliflower and place it inside the wet mix, then into the dry flour mix. Repeat this a second time for each piece.
When you have finished coating all of the cauliflower, spray each piece with vegetable oil and place them onto the cooking sheet inside your air fryer.
Let the cauliflower cook for 15 minutes and turn it over halfway.
When they are done, remove them and let them stand for a couple of minutes to cool slightly.
Assemble the sandwiches, and Enjoy!

Notes

-I used Frank’s hot sauce but use your favorite hot sauce!

-To make this vegan, you can switch out the milk for your favorite non-dairy milk.

Keyword Cauliflower, Crispy, Crispy Cauliflower, Fast-Food, Healthy, KFC, Plant-Based, Sandwich, Vegan, vegetarian

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!