• Home
  • About
    • New? Start Here
    • My Life
    • Press
    • Contact
    • LEGAL
  • Recipes
    • All Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Beverages
    • Big Daddy’s Dish
    • Breads
    • Breakfast
    • College Student Recipes
    • Desserts
      • Cobblers
      • Pound Cake Recipes Reviewed
    • Dressings & Sauces
    • Entree
      • Beef
      • Pasta
      • Pork
      • Seafood
      • Poultry
    • Encore
    • Healthy
    • Recipe Collections
    • Salads
    • Sandwiches
    • side dishes
    • Soup
    • Snacks
  • Resources
  • Extras
    • Crafts/DIY
    • Fit & Fab
    • Housekeeping
    • Travel
    • Local Eats
    • View My Instagram
    • Videos
  • Shop
    • SHOP MY FAVORITES
    • PHOTOGRAPHY ESSENTIALS
    • Amazon Favorites
    • Kitchen
    • Home + Candles
    • Shop Beauty Favs
    • Shop Gift Ideas
  • Recipe Box
  • Stay up to date. Subscribe to receive blog updates in your email inbox.

Call Me PMc

Cooking. Creating. Sharing

NASHVILLE HOT CAULIFLOWER BITES

May.posted by Paula 8 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Jump to Recipe

Sweet, spicy, and crispy, Nashville Hot Cauliflower Bites are a healthy alternative to traditional Nashville hot chicken and wings with none of the guilt! This recipe is easy to make and insanely delicious! They are a savory and healthy bite-sized snack, appetizer, or side.

Nashville Hot Cauliflower Bites

NASHVILLE HOT CAULIFLOWER BITES

These cauliflower bites have what I like to call sneaky heat. It’s not hot when you first taste them. However, it sneaks up on you seconds later and builds. That’s not a bad thing. Simply beware and don’t add more red pepper and/or hot sauce until you sat with it a hot minute. 😅 get it?

These Nashville Hot Cauliflower Bites are great served with tzatziki, blue cheese dressing, ranch dressing, or any cool, creamy sauce or dressing. Currently, I’m obsessed with tzatziki. Therefore, I have included that recipe for you.

cauliflower recipe

What is Nashville Hot Sauce?

Nashville Hot Sauce is a regional hot sauce developed by Prince’s restaurant in Nashville, TN. It’s made with cayenne pepper, spices, and brown sugar. Originally, Nashville Hot Chicken referred to chicken that was fried with cayenne pepper in both the batter and the sauce that covered it after it was fried. The chicken was served on slices of white bread with dill pickles.

For this recipe, I kept the components of the original Nashville Hot Chicken but replaced the chicken with cauliflower. As well, I baked it instead of frying it for an overall healthier dish. It’s just as lip-smackin’ good as the original!

baked cauliflower

How to choose a good head of cauliflower

  1. Cauliflower should be firm and tightly closed.
  2. White cauliflower should be pale with no soft or mushy parts and no dark spots.
  3. The head of cauliflower will feel heavy for its size.
  4. Ideally, the cauliflower heads will have a few green leaves attached.
  5. Overall, the cauliflower head should look fresh and vibrant.

Can I use frozen cauliflower?

I don’t recommend using frozen cauliflower. It’s mushy and just doesn’t result in a good final product.

 Hot Cauliflower Bites

Ingredients you’ll need for Nashville Hot Sauce

Batter

  • Seasonings. Salt,  garlic powder, paprika, black pepper
  • Hot sauce. Optional, if you want it spicier.
  • Milk
  • All-purpose flour
  • Baking powder
  • Corn starch

Sauce

  • Olive oil
  • Hot sauce. Like Tabasco, Texas Pete, Frank’s, or Louisana Hot Sauce
  • Rice vinegar
  • Agave. I use this Agave. You can also use maple syrup or honey.
  • Black pepper
  • Paprika
  • Garlic powder

I covered the cauliflower florets with batter and baked them for 20 minutes. Next, I pulled them out and tossed them in the Nashville Hot Sauce, put them back in the oven, and baked them another 5 minutes. Make note, the batter gets crispy. However, the Nashville Hot Sauce will not get crispy because of the liquid in it. If you want crispy cauliflower, I recommend serving this hot sauce as a dipping sauce and not coating the cauliflower with it.

PRO TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST NASHVILLE HOT CAULIFLOWER

  1. Cut your cauliflower in uniform sizes so that they cook at the same time.
  2. Pat the cauliflower dry after washing or allow enough time to air dry. The batter will adhere much better to dry cauliflower.
  3. I  highly recommend covering your sheet tray with foil or parchment paper for easier clean-up.
  4. Pierce the cauliflower with a fork to test for doneness. If they pierce easily, the cauliflower is cooked, if not allow it to cook another 5 minutes.

cauliflower recipe

You’ll enjoy these healthy cauliflower recipes too!

  1. Scalloped Mascarpone Cauliflower
  2. Panko Baked Cauliflower Bites
  3. Baked Breaded Cauliflower Bites with Sriracha Peanut Butter Sauce
  4. Cheesy Cauliflower Gratin
  5. Cheddar Bacon Cauliflower Casserole 
Cauliflower Bites

NASHVILLE HOT CAULIFLOWER BITES

A healthy alternative to traditional Nashville hot chicken and wings with none of the guilt.
Author: Paula
5 from 35 votes
Print Pin Rate

Want to save recipes? Create an account or login & then you can use the “Save Recipe” button when viewing a recipe to save it to your Recipe Box. You can access your saved recipes on any device and generate a shopping list for recipes in your collections.

Save To Your Recipe Box Go to your saved recipes
Prevent your screen from going dark
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • ½ head cauliflower cut into florets (about 4 cups)

For the Batter

  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour or almond flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 3 tablespoons corn starch
  • ⅓ cup milk almond or soy milk for vegan
  • optional, add 1/ teaspoon hot sauce if you want it spicier

Nashville style hot chicken sauce

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon hot sauce
  • 1 and ½ tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon agave honey or maple syrup
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder

Tzatziki

  • 5 ounces Greek yogurt plain, unflavored
  • ½ large cucumber cut into bite size pieces
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon garlic minced
  • 1 medium lemon zested and juiced
  • ½ teaspoon dry dill
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425°F. Cut the cauliflower into florets. Line a sheet pan or baking dish with parchment paper. Make sure the pan is large enough that the cauliflower is spread in a single layer and not touching. Use two pan if necessary.

For the Batter

  • Whisk the salt, garlic, paprika, pepper, flour, baking powder, and cornstarch together.
  • Add the milk and whisk until combined.
  • Drop the cauliflower into the batter and stir to coat all the cauliflower.
  • Pour the cauliflower onto the parchment-lined sheet pan and spread it into a single layer. If there is any batter left in the bowl, pour it over the cauliflower.
  • Bake at 425°F for 20 minutes.

Nashville style hot chicken sauce

  • Meanwhile, whisk together the ingredients for the Nashville hot sauce. That's the olive oil, hot sauce, agave, vinegar, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder.
  • THERE ARE TWO OPTIONS FOR THE HOT SAUCE. Remove the cauliflower from the oven and toss in the Nashville hot sauce. Return to the oven for 5 minutes
    OR
    If you want the cauliflower to stay super crispy, leave them in the oven for another 5 minutes then serve the Nashville Hot Sauce as a dipping sauce and don't pour it over the cauliflower bites.

Tzatziki

  • You can make the Tzatziki sauce 2 to 3 hours in advance and refrigerate it.
  • Squeeze most of the juice out of the cucumber before mixing it with the remaining ingredients.
  • Combine all ingredients for the Tzatziki sauce into a blender, and blend until smooth.
  • Transfer sauce into a bowl, cover, and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Nutrition

Calories: 235kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 641mg | Potassium: 485mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 440IU | Vitamin C: 52mg | Calcium: 125mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Please take a moment to comment letting me know how you liked it & consider giving it a 5 star rating. I love hearing from you!
Do you have questions about the saving recipes to your Recipe Box?Visit Recipe Box FAQ!
Paula
« EASY GREEK CHICKEN GYRO WITH TZATZIKI SAUCE
CREAMY BAKED SPINACH CHICKEN »

Comments

  1. Melissa says

    05.06.22 at 1:34 pm

    Oh, I love Nashville Hot Chicken so I know I’ll love these cauliflower bites, too! I’ll definitely be making these soon!

    Reply
    • Paula says

      05.06.22 at 3:04 pm

      You’ll love it then. I’m obsessed with this recipe. 😅

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Your email address will not be published. Have you tried this recipe? Consider giving it 5 stars!




The Big Pound Cake Review

60 pound cake recipes

Featured Categories

  • Appetizers
  • Beverages
  • Breakfast
  • Desserts
  • Entrees
  • Side Dishes
  • College Student Recipes

Search specific recipes

Search specific recipes

Archives

Old Fashioned chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Old Fashioned Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Easter Sand Art Brownies

Easter Sand Art Brownie Recipe

Cinnamon Chips with Daiquiri Dip

CINNAMON CHIPS with DAIQUIRI DIP

Chocolate Chess Pie

Chocolate Chess Pie

Favorites

Southwest Blackened Chicken Salad

Southwest Blackened Chicken Salad

blackened chicken plated

Southwest Skillet Blackened Chicken

Hawaiian Loco Moco, regional recipe for hamburger steak

Hawaiian Loco Moco {Hamburger Steak}

lettuce Wraps

BLTA Wraps

Chocolate Chip Snickers Cookies

THICK CHOCOLATE CHIP SNICKERS COOKIES

Mexican beef dinner

QUESABIRRIA STACK {Cheese Birrias Taco Stack}

profile picHi, I'm Paula. I'm a blogger, a baker, a runner, a writer, a recipe developer, & a cookie dough eater. I love creating great recipes & sharing them with you! You'll find healthy recipes, comfort food and my favorite, indulgent desserts!
read more
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • RSS

DISCLOSURE

Call Me PMc is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no cost to you. 

Read my Privacy Policy.

COPYRIGHT

© 2012 – 2023 All recipes & images are original & the sole property of CallMePMc.com All Rights Reserved. All content is for your personal enjoyment & content herein is in no way to be used for commercial purposes. Other than linking to a page, do not copy or otherwise use images or original recipes without my written permission. Republishing posts in their entirety is prohibited. Use of this site automatically constitutes your agreement to these terms.

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER

Stay up to date. Subscribe to receive blog updates in your email inbox

  • Copyright © 2023 Call Me PMc. Design & Development by Melissa Rose Design