This vegan cauliflower burger with BBQ sauce is the perfect comfort food! It’s super crispy and packed with flavor! Serve the cauliflower steaks on burger buns with tomatoes, lettuce, red onion, and vegan mayonnaise.
As a kid, I didn’t really like cauliflower very much. I mean I didn’t hate it or anything but I just didn’t care about it. Today that’s definitely different! Cauliflower is such a versatile vegetable and it’s a real hit for vegan cooking. Over time, I really fell in love with cauliflower! Haha!
I’ve already used it to make cauliflower hot wings with BBQ sauce, which you guys absolutely loved. I got so much positive feedback for my cauliflower hot wings with vegan aioli. I’m so glad you like them this much. This really is the best part of blogging – hearing that people love your food and seeing photos of remakes!
They’re so tangy, spicy, and incredibly comforting. And they make the perfect party or game food! We’ve also used them to make cauliflower tacos, which turned out to be pretty delicious.
If you’re looking for a spicier version, you might like my cauliflower buffalo wings with Frank’s Red Hot Sauce and vegan ranch sauce. Or what about BBQ pizza with cauliflower? Yes, this really is a thing! You can even make cauliflower Bolognese, which tastes so much like traditional Bolognese sauce while being a lot healthier. Cauliflower really is one crazy vegetable!
But let’s get back to the cauliflower burger! It’s basically a vegan cauliflower steak on a burger with mayonnaise, lettuce, tomatoes, and red onions. If you haven’t tried vegan cauliflower steaks yet, you should really give them a try! They’re sooo good and crispy!
Vegan Cauliflower Burger – What You Need:
- one medium-sized cauliflower (for two burgers)
- vegan BBQ sauce
- all-purpose flour
- unsweetened plant-based milk (I usually use soy or almond milk)
- smoked paprika powder
- regular paprika powder
- garlic powder
- salt and pepper
- panko breadcrumbs
- burger buns
- lettuce
- tomatoes
- red onions
- vegan mayonnaise
As always, you can find the full recipe in a separate, printable recipe box at the end of this post.
How to Make A Cauliflower Burger
The preparation of this cauliflower burger couldn’t be easier! All in all, the recipe takes a while, but the baking time makes up most of the time. The actual preparation steps are very easy and don’t take very long.
1. With a sharp knife, cut the cauliflower into half. Slice in the center from top to bottom. This way you will have two cauliflower steaks. Leave the large stem at the bottom as it helps to hold together the “steaks”. Use the remaining cauliflower for another recipe such as cauliflower wings. Or just freeze them for another time.
2. In a bowl, combine the flour, the plant-based milk, the water, paprika powder and garlic powder. Stir until well combined. Dip the cauliflower steaks into the batter, so they’re completely coated.
3. Pour the panko breadcrumbs on a plate. You could also use other breadcrumbs, but the cauliflower burger will get a lot crispier when you use panko breadcrumbs. So I highly recommend using panko breadcrumbs.
4. Turn the cauliflower steaks in the panko breadcrumbs. They should be evenly covered.
5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and carefully put the cauliflower steaks on top. Preheat the oven to 350 °F and bake them for 25 minutes. Turn them halfway.
6. After baking, carefully coat the cauliflower steaks with the BBQ sauce. I used a silicone basting brush for that.
7. Put the cauliflower steaks back in the oven and bake again for 15 minutes (still at 350 °F).
8. Serve the cauliflower steaks on burger buns together with vegan mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato and red onion slices. So yummy!
Cauliflower Burger – Cooking Tips:
- In the summer, you can also make the cauliflower “steaks” on the grill if you want. Just skip the coating and use more BBQ sauce instead.
- For a gluten-free version, use garbanzo bean flower instead of the all-purpose flour. Besides, just skip the breadcrumbs or use gluten-free breadcrumbs instead. Just note that the cauliflower burger won’t be as crispy this way, but it will still be super delicious!
- You could also serve the cauliflower “steaks” with a classic American potato salad or maybe even a vegan pasta salad.
- It’s important to use a good BBQ sauce for this recipe. Or you could even make your own vegan BBQ sauce.
Cauliflower Burger (Vegan & Super Crispy)
Ingredients
- 1 medium-sized cauliflower
- 1/2 cup vegan BBQ sauce
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened plant-based milk (I usually use soy or almond milk)
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika powder
- 1 teaspoon regular paprika powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 burger buns
- lettuce
- 2 tomatoes, sliced
- 1/2 red onion, cut into rings
- 2 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise
Instructions
- With a sharp knife, cut the cauliflower into half. Slice in the center from top to bottom. This way you will have two cauliflower steaks. Leave the large stem at the bottom as it helps to hold together the "steaks". Use the remaining cauliflower for another recipe such as cauliflower wings. Or just freeze them for another time.
- In a bowl, combine the flour, the plant-based milk, the water, paprika powder and garlic powder. Stir until well combined. Dip the cauliflower steaks into the batter, so they’re completely coated.
- Pour the panko breadcrumbs on a plate. You could also use other breadcrumbs, but the cauliflower burger will get a lot crispier when you use panko breadcrumbs. So I highly recommend using panko breadcrumbs.
- Turn the cauliflower steaks in the panko breadcrumbs. They should be evenly covered.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and carefully put the cauliflower steaks on top. Preheat the oven to 350 °F and bake them for 25 minutes. Turn them halfway.
- After baking, carefully coat the cauliflower steaks with the BBQ sauce. I used a silicone basting brush for that.
- Put the cauliflower steaks back in the oven and bake again for 15 minutes (still at 350 °F).
- Serve the cauliflower steaks on burger buns together with vegan mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato and red onion slices. So yummy!
ooo, this sounds really good! what a great idea!
I absolutely loved these cauliflower burgers! Even my husband couldn’t believe how delicious they turned out. I’ll definitely try your cauliflower wings as well. So glad I found your blog!