I feel like when the weather starts to get chilly is when I want to start frying things. This vegan bang bang broccoli is always the first thing on my mind! In the summer time, fried food just doesn’t appeal to me. It is heavy and greasy, which sucks in the heat of summer, but is an amazing comfort in the chill of winter and fall. Last week, I had the insane pleasure of going to Dirt Candy in New York City. It was hands down in the top 5 meals of my entire life. One of the many dishes I had was the Korean Fried Broccoli. So I immediately started brainstorming, and came up with a test for Bang Bang Broccoli!
This fried vegan bang bang broccoli is so good and filling and comforting, but still light and crisp. The perfect comfort food for a cold night in! The whole recipe has only 12 ingredients (including the oil for frying), the sauce is only 3! A customary Bang Bang sauce has sweet chilli sauce and honey. I thought that was WAY too much sugar, so I went with a simple Vegan mayo, chilli paste and agave. So easy, so sweet and spicy, but not too sweet:) The batter is only 5 ingredients, and everything is just thrown together. After dipping into the batter, you just toss it in panko, and it is ready to get nice and brown and crispy.
What You Need To Make This Vegan Fried Broccoli:
- Fresh Broccoli: It really is best to use fresh and not frozen
- Vegan Mayo: This starts the bang bang sauce.
- Chili Paste and Agave Syrup: I like to use garlic chili paste and light agave.
- Non-dairy Milk: I used almond milk, but any unsweetened plant milk will do.
- Apple Cider Vinegar, Cornstarch, Flour, Salt and Hot Sauce: Mixed with the milk, these create the wet batter.
- Panko Bread Crumbs: To coat the broccoli in and make it extra crunchy.
- Oil: For frying!
If you love broccoli, you should make my Vegan Crispy BBQ Broccoli Tacos!
Vegan Bang Bang Broccoli
Ingredients
Bang Bang Sauce
- 1/4 C. Vegan mayo
- 2 Tbsp. Chili paste
- 1 Tbsp. Agave nectar
Batter
- 1 C. Almond milk
- 1 tsp. Apple cider vinegar
- 3/4 C. All purpose flour
- 1/2 C. Cornstarch
- 1 tsp. Salt
- 2 tsp. Hot sauce
And the rest
- 2 C. Panko bread crumbs
- 1 Head of Broccoli
- Oil for frying
- Chives for garnish(optional)
Instructions
- Make the sauce, whisk together the mayo, chilli paste and agave in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Make the batter, add the apple cider vinegar to the almond milk in a small bowl and let sit for a few minutes to make vegan buttermilk. Add the flour, cornstarch, and salt to a medium sized mixing bowl, then add the hot sauce and almond milk mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk together until combined.
- Put the panko in a separate bowl.
- Cut broccoli into florets, then heat the oil on medium high in a large pan, I like to use a cast iron skillet, you need about 1/2-1 inch of oil at the bottom of the pan.
- Dip each floret of broccoli in the batter, then into the panko and coat thoroughly. Once the oil is hot add the broccoli to the hot oil. Fry for about a minute or two on each side, or until brown and crispy. Drizzle with sauce and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Saw this on insta , was so tempted that I had to visit this. Amazing idea . Totally gonna try making this one. Thankx for this one
Thank you so much! It is so delicious, I hope you enjoy!
Same!
Is there anything i can replace the agave nectar with?
SOOO GOOD! You can also make Yum Yum Cauliflower … and onion. or whatever you have waiting in your fridge.
It’s great even without agave, but real maple syrup can be a substitute sweetener.
I prefer to add sweet to the dipping sauce.
I’d use maple syrup
Honey or syrup can be used instead.
Honey or maple syrup
How many servings does it make?
Can this be baked instead of frying?
Yes. You should be able to. I would bake at a high temperature, and maybe spray them with oil of your choice. I love avocado oil spray!
This was so great!! Made it for thanksgiving appetizer yesterday and everyone loved it! Baked at 425 for 25 minutes or so and sprayed with avocado oil before putting in – turned out great!! Thank you for all of your recipes!
I baked it at 425 for 20 min. It was perfect except for the colour. It was not golden brown but white. But it was delicious! I also replaced the floor with quinoa flour and agave with a heaping TBSP of organic unsweetened apple butter. ….YUMMY!
Yay! Sounds delicious! Yeah, to get it to brown, you probably have to give it a spray of oil. However, if you are trying to avoid oil all together this sounds like a great alternative! Thank you for sharing and the feedback!!
I always prerogatives my panko before using to ensure it isn’t “raw” and it comes out perfect on cauliflower wings etc
This was great, and the only criticism is when to put in the hot sauce, as it is slightly ambiguous in the recipe details. Does one place it right into the milk and vinegar mixture? This is obviously a minor note, and thank you for the wonderful recipe.
hot sauce of your choice is in the batter. The mayo and chili paste is a dipping sauce. In the directions you add hot sauce to the batter, and after it’s all done you dip or drizzle
My boyfriend doesn’t like mayo based sauces, so I am going to do a separate sauce for him. Is there something else I can use? I was thinking to replace the mayo with veggie broth and thicken it with flour. Do you have any advice?
I think it needs to be creamy. How does he feel about avocado? You could do a creamy avocado sauce blended with veggie broth and then mixed with the agave and chili paste. Or you could use vegan plain yogurt? Or you could just mix the agave and chili paste without the creaminess. It would still be delicious! I hope that helps! Let me know if none of these appeal to you! I will do more brainstorming!
Try olive oil with honey and brown mustard, thin with white balsamic vinegar. It’s a good, simple dressing for fried food.
Wondering if anyone has tried this with an air fryer? Looking for yet another reason to dig in and buy one…and this recipe must might be the push!
Actually, yes! Someone sent me a picture a few days ago of the outcome of the using an air fryer for this recipe. They said it was amazing, and it looked really good!
Thanks for asking this, I had the same question! 🙂
This is delicious. I replaced the 2nd tsp of chili pepper with agave. I don’t like hot, hot. Thanks
Yay! I’m so glad you liked it! You are so welcome!
I like my broccoli cooked, not raw or crunchy… does the broccoli soften up or is it still hard?? Maybe i can steam it a tad first. I know… I am weird but I like all veggies cooked. ????
It definitely gets soft, but you can try and steam it a bit first if you want. I do think it gets soft enough just frying, so it is up to you. I am not sure how well the coating would work on steamed broccoli. However, you could give it a try.
You might try leaving your broccoli uncovered in the refrigerator a couple of days. It tends to get softer.
Made this evening. Used coconut milk instead of almond. Whole family LOVED it!! Definitely making it again. Thanks for the recipe
Yay! You are so welcome!
has anyone made this using frozen broccoli? I have some on hand and was just curious…
I have not tried that, and I am not sure if anyone else has. However, you could definitely give it a try! I would just defrost it first and then coat it like you would with fresh. I can’t guarantee it will work, but I would love to know if it does! I think it will!
I appreciate vegan recipes with good flavor!! Thanks for this.
You are so welcome!
Could you use an air fryer
Thank you. can’t wait to try it…looks delicious!
Is 1/2 cup cornstarch a typo? Holy cow, that seems like a lot
Nope, not a typo. It is mixed with flour to make the batter. So it just makes a nice light crispy batter. I promise it works????
Can you use arrowroot instead?
I think that would work, but I haven’t tested it.
Just made with arrowroot and it worked! Don’t know how it compares to the cornstarch but it was super crispy!
OMG!! I think I’m in LOVE! This is the most delicious vegan appetizer EVER! Thanks!
This makes my heart happy!
By the way, I used rice milk and it works just ad good.
Awesome! So good to know!
I am new to the vegan world and havent tried a lot just yet. But I am also gluten free. What is the best flour to use for this?
I have tried quinoa, almond and brown rice flour. Brow rice flour have me the best results. It have it a crispy texture. I do not fry bit bake in oven.
I have been told by many people that a gluten free all purpose flour works! You can also find some gluten free panko, Ian’s makes really good gluten free panko! Also Bob’s red mill makes my favorite gluten free ap flour!
Where can I find chili paste?
You should be able to find it at any grocery store in the international section or Asian section. If you can’t find it, I would try sriracha or a thicker hot sauce. I think you should be able to find it though. I use Sambal chili paste!
This was DECLICIOUS. I mean insanely good. We are basically non vegans eating mostly vegan for health reasons. Looking for new, tasty things for dinner. I made this with a side of teryaki zoodles and not only was it our of this world, but super filling as well! Thanks for such a great recipe.
That makes me so incredibly happy! I love hearing that! You are so welcome!
Hi Lauren! This looks s9 good! I was wondering his many servings it makes?
Thank you! It is soooo good! If you are serving as a side dish, I would say 3 or 4. If you are serving as a main dish I would say 2 or 3.
Wowwwwwwwwzers!! Bang Bang in my mouth…delicious!!
Ah.may.ZING!! Like seriously…delish…I baked the broccoli and it browned nicely…will definitely make this again!!!
I’m so glad I bought a broccoli today !
I made a few minor adjustments, since I didn’t have all the ingredients. Like using milk and lime instead of cider vinegar. I also added bell pepper, for there was a lot of batter left after coating the florets.
Anyway, thanks a lot for this !
These were amazing. I followed the instructions just as they were but instead of using oil and a skillet I used my air fryer. 330 for 10 minutes flipped them over added additional 4 (checking on them in between of course), turned out wonderful and full of flavor. My new favorite recipe. Thank you for the recipe!
we are transitioning to vegan. I don’t have agave, or almond milk. Can I sub with sugar, and 1% milk?
You can totally use regular milk. I would use honey instead of sugar if you have it. If you only have sugar, that may work, but it may be a little grainy. I don’t normally add regular sugar to a sauce that won’t be cooked. You can totally give it go though and see how it turns out. However, I would definitely go with honey if you have it. I hope that helps!
For anyone looking for a non-mayo sauce – I have served it twice with a sour cream/horseradish dip to raves. I make it in a 425 degree oven, just turning the pieces once during cooking, and I use a combination of broccoli and mushrooms. Thanks so much for this!
If I only have vanilla (unsweetened) almond milk, will the vanilla flavor be too strong? Thanks!
I have accidentally used vanilla almond milk in savory recipes before, and it usually doesn’t taste great. However, you could give it a try. The rest of the flavors may over power it.
This recipe is DELICIOUS!! We are recent vegans for health reasons. We have 3 growing teenagers they complain how hungry they are all the time. Well this recipe is fixing that.
I made 8 heads of broccoli b/c they take leftovers for lunch at school. They are still eating and 90% of the 8 heads are gone. Lol my 6’4″ autistic teenage son is on his second plate already. I doctored the sauce a little with Dave’s insanity sauce and some crush lime flavored peanuts. The question has come up as to when I am making this again.
Honestly I expected them to like it but this is the absolute best result we could’ve expected.
You have no idea how happy this made me! Seriously, thank you so much for sharing this!
I just made these and OMG sooo good. I used gf panko bread crumbs and fried in avacado oil. Make these!
I made this today for New Year’s. It was SO good, I will def make it again!! I baked it, it was nice and crunchy. A good balance between plain old veggies-and-dip and a super-heavy, greasy app. I didn’t feel guilty eating….. well, let’s just say, “many.” Thanks!! Just discovered this site, love it 🙂
Made this last night using my new Air Fryer – all I can say is WOW! I cannot wait to get home from work to eat the leftovers! 🙂 What a delicious way to eat broccoli! I’m sure this would be an amazing coating for Brussels sprouts and tofu as well. Can’t wait to experiment. Thanks for the awesome vegan recipe – I really love your stuff, I have made at least half a dozen of your recipes and they were all winners!
Hi Lauren. Oh wow. Thank you!!! I made these for an all-vegan New year’s Eve dinner and they were a HUGE hit. Seriously delicious! I only wish I had saved this dish for last because nothing afterwards quite measured up to it. My suggestion to anyone planning to make this, is to double the bang bang sauce and set it aside because it’s awesome and everyone was hunting around for more.
I just have one question: my dish came out looking just like the thumbnail image for your video but in the photos there’s bright red specks of something and visually it looks really awesome. What may I ask is that bright red?
Anyway, thanks again for this recipe… AND for your blog because I made the birthday cinnamon rolls too and they were OMG outstanding!
Just made this recipe again and want to mention that not only can you prepare this a day in advance ( keep the broccoli in the batter mix and bread before frying ), but that it also reheats really well the next day! This dish is the perfect (vegan) appetizer for any party!
PS I’ve think the bright red flecks I mentioned in my previous comment, come from chili sauce. This recipe doesn’t call for chili sauce but I served it and chili oil on the side for those who wanted more heat. Both were also great with this dish.
I just made these baked and they came out bang bang! What a great recipe.
I’ve been saving this recipe in my bookmarks for a while, so I tried it out today and man! This is an amazing recipe! Thanks so much. I oven baked mine, and it turned out great 👍🏽
Just made this and bang bang broccoli is bangin’! It’s just the right amount of crunchy and spicy. The flavors are so yummy. Thanks for a great recipe!
Just made these. Baked. Sprayed with olive oil spray beforehand to encourage browning. Baked for 20 minutes then flipped them to crisp up the other side. Baked for an additional 3-4 minutes. Wow! Fabulous! Flipping them is key to get all around browning. Will be making these again …and again!
My family loves this recipe! I swap cornstarch for arrowroot, all purpose flour with almond flour, and agave with honey. There is never any leftovers and they hover the dish while I’m still cooking. Thanks so much for sharing!
This was sooo good! We used soy milk and Frank’s Red Hot and it was bomb. We also added ghost pepper sauce into the batter to add some more extra heat and it was delicious. Can’t wait to make for my friends and family!
Just made this and it was so delicious! I drizzled 1 tbsp of avocado oil over it and sprayed it with oil, then put it in my air fryer at 360 for 15 minutes. So good! And the sauce makes it.
Amazing recipe! Used soy milk and Thai garlic chili paste. Sprinkled fresh chives, basil and oregano as a garnish! Air fryer temp 360 for 14 minutes.
We just made this and it was incredible!!! 😍😍
I made this tonight and it was really good. I used honey and I did half broccoli and half cauliflower. I baked it and I didn’t spray with oil. It was a little chewy, thought maybe it was because I didn’t use oil???? But it was still delicious.
OMG. This was soooooo delicious. I used the air fryer and it worked perfectly. I love how your recipes seem so fancy and unique but have so few ingredients. You are amazing. This would be great for parties, like for the Super Bowl or something.
Delicious. Had to sub a few things that made it vegetarian instead of vegan – honey in my aquafaba mayo, sriracha and trader joes chile onion crunch for heat, Yogurt for buttermilk. Bread Crumbs for Panko. Air Fried at 400 F about 8 minutes, flipping 1/2 way through. Family loved it.
Made this tonight and blown away by how nice they are!!!!! My sauce was a little thicker than the video (wrong type of paste I think) but 100% one for the list of things I’ll make on a regular basis. Great work!!
Amazing recipe. I am trying to ensure I eat healthy during this COVID-19 self-quarantine. While I like broccoli, I don’t prepare it often. I used potato starch instead of corn starch and baked it in the toaster oven at 425 for 20 minutes and finished it off on broil so they were browned. Liked the fact that they were nice and chewy and yummy. Will definitely use the batter for other veggies, and the sauce for other dishes. Thanks for posting, and certainly will check out more of your recipes. Stay well and healthy.
Bang-Bang Broccoli is the best! Made it the other night as I am self-quarantined in Ohio. Used potato starch in the batter instead of corn starch. Baked it in toaster oven and broiled it at the end to get them brown. Crunchy and tasty even the next day cold. Will be using the batter recipe and sauce for other veggies! Thanks and stay well!
Hi. Do you think it will work with Cauliflower?
Absolutely!
Would Ripple Milk work instead of almond milk?
Yes, that should work fine!
So good!!!
I googled a vegan broccoli recipe as i had a head in the fridge that I wanted to use – and OMG I’m so glad that I came across this recipe!!! 😍😍😍
I expected it to taste good, but it was SUPER DELICIOUS 🤤🤤🤤👍👍👍👌👌👌🐱🏍🐱🏍🐱🏍
I’ve shared with a whole lotta Aussie vegan friends, so I’m expecting this at the next potluck I go to 😊
Hi there, this looks fab! I haven’t got cornstarch or arrowroot, is there a substitute please? X
I have to say, this is absolutely AMAZING. We probably make it at least once a week and it’s my boyfriend’s most requested dish. Love this so much. Thank you!
Do you think you could air fry this??
Yes you can!
Can you use oat milk instead of almond milk?
Thanks for sharing.Will try once time.
Soooo glad I made this. SO YUMMY!!!!!! Will definitely make again. The bang bang sauce is amazing.
We have A LOT of broccoli in the garden all coming ready at the same time! I wanted to use it for something new and came across this recipe. WOW! This is fantastic!!!!
YUM!!! I made this last night. I baked it and it was still so crunchy~ I had extra sauce and my husband put it on his corn on the cob. It was so good! Thank you!
I used cauliflower and baked it at 425 for 25 minutes. It was amazing. We made tacos with some Mexican. Rice and vegan mozzarella. It is a keeper.
I have made this at least once a fortnight for the last 4 years. A must try recipe. Even toddlers wolf it up 🙂
I have made this at least once a fortnight for the last 4 years. A must try recipe. Even toddlers wolf it up 🙂 Even people who are not really into Broccoli think it is delicious
Hi Lauren,
I wanted to let you know the good you have been doing in the world. You influenced me that I could go vegan. . the first recipe I tried was your bang bang broccoli. I loved it and the vegan parmesan and it was then that I realized that I could be vegan and no miss a thing! That began in 2019. Thank you for your work and awesome sauces, especially. . You have such tremendous value in this world and I just want you to know!