KFC Nashville Hot Fried Cauliflower Recipe
Cook time
Total time
This vegan take on the famous KFC Nashville Hot Chicken uses cauliflower to give you that juicy, crispy, fried chicken taste you're used to. This fried cauliflower recipe is the best cauliflower you'll ever have!!
Author: The Edgy Veg
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Vegan
Serves: 6 servings
Ingredients
- Drumstick "Chicken”:
- 3 small or 2 large heads cauliflower, cut into large drumstick-like pieces.
- Brine Mixture:
- 1 cup soy milk
- ¼ cup louisiana hot sauce
- 1 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
- 1 tsp Himalayan salt
- Buttermilk Breading Mixture:
- 2 eggs worth of egg replacer
- Soy milk mixture from above
- ¼ cup new soy milk + 1 Tbsp ACV to create buttermilk
- 3 Tbsp louisiana hot sauce
- Seasoned Flour:
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp Himalayan salt
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- 2 Tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp celery salt
- 1 tsp dried sage
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried marjoram
- 1 tsp onion salt
- Nashville Hot Sauce:
- 1 Tbsp cayenne pepper
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 Tbsp garlic powder
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- Vegetable or peanut oil for frying
- Serve with Dill pickle medallions
Instructions
To Make the "chicken" drumsticks
- Sprinkle the cut cauliflower with salt and pepper.
- Whisk soy milk with hot sauce in a large bowl or large freezer bag.
- Place the cauliflower “drumsticks” in the bowl or bag, and chill for a minimum of two hours (I like to marinate overnight).
Reserve cauliflower marinade.
- Heat oven to 425F and roast cauliflower in oven for 40 minutes, turning after 20.
- Remove cauliflower from heat and set aside.
To Cook
- Whisk together egg replacer and set aside.
- Whisk soy milk with ACV and set aside for 5 minutes to create soy buttermilk.
- In a large bowl whisk together reserved marinade, egg replacer mixture, soy buttermilk mixture, and hot sauce to create the buttermilk breading mixture.
- Whisk all of the ingredients for the seasoned flour together in a separate large bowl.
- To cook you can use a deep fryer or a deep pan with a lid.
- If using a deep fryer, heat frying oil (I like peanut or vegetable) to 325F.
- If using a deep pan, pour enough vegetable oil to measure 3 inches inside the pan. Cover with a lid and heat the oil over medium-high heat to 325F.
- Dredge the cauliflower in the flour mixture and shake off any excess. Then dip the drumstick in your buttermilk mixture, and dredge the cauliflower again in flour mixture and place in a separate bowl or baking pan.
- Cook 3 to 4 cauliflower drumsticks in the hot oil at once.
- In a deep fryer this should cook up golden brown and crispy in about 3-4 minutes.
- If you are using a deep pan with a lid, turn the cauliflower occasionally. This should take about 3 to 6 minutes.
- Keep an eye on the pieces and remove when golden brown and crispy.
- Place finished drumsticks on a tray or bowl lined with paper towel to soak up excess oil.
- Continue to fry your cauliflower in batches of 3 or 4, allowing the oil to return to 325°F between batches.
Nashville Hot Sauce
- While you are frying your cauliflower, whisk together cayenne, brown sugar, garlic salt, paprika and vegetable in a small saucepan to create your Nashville sauce.
IF YOU DO NOT LIKE SPICE PLEASE SEE NOTES.
- Cook on low-medium heat, whisking often.
- Cook for 15 minutes, making sure it never comes to a boil.
- Strain using a tight sieve and transfer in a jar.
Toss the finished cauliflower in the spicy oil to coat completely.
- Seal remainder of hot sauce and keep in fridge until you need it.
- Serve with dill pickle medallions/chips.
Notes
!THIS RECIPE IS VERY SPICY...
!If you do not enjoy heat AT ALL:
-Simply leave out the hot sauce in all steps
!If you enjoy a MILD amount of heat:
-Do not toss cauliflower in the Nashville Hot Sauce. Instead use the hot sauce on the side as a dipping sauce
!My personal preference:
-I personally prefer simply tossing my fried cauliflower in Louisiana Hot sauce, as I enjoy vinegar based hot sauce instead of oil-based hot sauces.
!If you do not enjoy heat AT ALL:
-Simply leave out the hot sauce in all steps
!If you enjoy a MILD amount of heat:
-Do not toss cauliflower in the Nashville Hot Sauce. Instead use the hot sauce on the side as a dipping sauce
!My personal preference:
-I personally prefer simply tossing my fried cauliflower in Louisiana Hot sauce, as I enjoy vinegar based hot sauce instead of oil-based hot sauces.
Recipe by The Edgy Veg at https://www.theedgyveg.com/2016/08/22/kfc-nashville-hot-fried-chicken-recipe-using-cauliflower-vegan-recipe/