General Tso’s Cauliflower Bites

All the flavors of a classic Chinese takeout dish in these easy, baked General Tso’s Cauliflower Bites. No need to feel guilty indulging in this crowd pleaser.

Well, we all made it through the holidays and now it’s already almost mid-January. Where does the time go? Even though it’s January, which for many of us means lots of short, cold days, our entertaining possibilities are NOT over.

There’s still playoff football games, basketball, hockey and of course, the Super Bowl. All of these games are an opportunity to invite friends and family over and, yeah, watch the game (blah, blah, blah). But, more importantly, it’s an opportunity to get together and enjoy some yummy appetizers.

Since we all probably did our fair share of indulging over the holidays, I think some lighter, healthier appetizers are in order. And don’t worry, just because it’s healthier doesn’t have to mean it’s any less tastier.

Enter General Tso’s cauliflower bites. They’re a healthier baked version of the traditional Chinese takeout, General Tso’s chicken. But, just because they’re healthier doesn’t mean these bites are lacking in flavor.

Other Recipes If You Like Chinese Takeout Makeovers

• Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
• Pork Fried Cauliflower Rice
• General Tso’s Chicken Meatballs

Far from it, these delightful bites have a bold, sweet and spicy sauce that will satisfy your Chinese takeout craving. And, since cauliflower is super low in calories, you can pretty much eat your weight in them.

The recipe as written here is not vegetarian or vegan, but with a couple of simple swaps you can easily adapt it. For vegetarian, just swap out the chicken stock for vegetable stock.  If you want the vegan option, you’ll also want to swap out the honey for agave nectar.  Easy peasy.

What Do I Need to Know to Make General Tso’s Cauliflower Bites?

• I used pre-chopped cauliflower that I cut down into bite size pieces, but a whole head of cauliflower is fine to use.
• I highly recommend using reduced sodium soy sauce otherwise the sauce will tend to be too salty.
• You can easily turn these cauliflower bites into a meatless main dish. Just serve over hot, cooked rice. My preference is brown rice which adds a nice nutty flavor.
• Don’t overcook the cauliflower. You want it to be tender but not mushy. Check it right at 15 minutes and if it’s not tender, check every 2 minutes.