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Air-Fried Korean Chili Cauliflower (Vegan)

Air-fried Korean chili cauliflower with a sparkling-water batter for a lighter, crispier coating. Tossed in a sticky gochujang-honey glaze and served over kimchi fried rice for a bold vegan weeknight meal.
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Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Asian, Korean
Calories: 295
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cauliflower
  • 1 cauliflower 1 large head, cut into florets
  • 0.25 cup flour
  • 0.25 cup cornstarch
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 0.75 cup sparkling water cold sparkling water
  • 0.5 salt to taste
  • 0.25 pepper to taste
Korean glaze
  • 3 tbsp gochujang
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp ginger grated
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 sesame seeds for garnish
  • 1 green onion for garnish
To serve
  • 1 kimchi rice to serve

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Make the batter and coat
  1. Mix flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Whisk in cold sparkling water until you have a light batter.
  2. Coat the cauliflower florets in the batter until well covered. Shake off excess so the surface can crisp in the air fryer.
Air fry
  1. Place battered cauliflower on a sheet pan in a single layer. Air fry at 400°F for 18-20 min, flipping halfway, until golden and crisp.
Glaze and toss
  1. Simmer gochujang, soy sauce, honey (or maple syrup), sesame oil, minced garlic, grated ginger, and rice vinegar for 3 min until slightly thick. Turn off the heat and keep the glaze warm.
  2. Toss the hot cauliflower immediately in the glaze. Stir until every piece is coated and the glaze clings to the crisp surface.
Serve
  1. Serve the glazed cauliflower over kimchi rice. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onion.

Notes

Pro tip: Air-fry in a single layer and don’t let coated cauliflower sit too long—tossing hot helps the gochujang glaze cling without sogginess. Store leftovers refrigerated up to 3 days; reheat in the air fryer or oven to restore crispness. Freezing isn’t recommended because the coating loses crunch. For a vegan swap, use maple syrup instead of honey (the recipe is already vegan when prepared this way).