Bang Bang Broccoli
If I had to choose one way to eat broccoli for the rest of my life, it would be this bang bang broccoli recipe. Ready in 20 minutes, this recipe works as a healthy snack, appetizer, or side dish.
Picture this… As you’re shopping for your weekly groceries, you load up on fruit and vegetables with the full intention of eating them. But maybe you’re too tired to cook one night. Maybe you’re invited to lunch, or you forget to take your lunch to work.
Next thing you know, the produce piles up in the back of the fridge, and you have to come up with ways to avoid throwing it away! Well, I have good news for you. PlantYou Scrappy Cooking is a cookbook that can help you reduce food waste and get creative in the kitchen.
This bang bang broccoli recipe is a great example of a vegetable-centric recipe, similar to what you’ll find in my cookbook. Roasted to a crispy exterior and served with spicy bang bang sauce, this will be your favorite way to cook broccoli from now on.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- If you love broccoli, you’ll want to add this recipe to your arsenal. And if you don’t, this might just be the recipe that changes your mind!
- The bang bang broccoli gets its name from the amazing sauce you drizzle over the top. Spicy and earthy, it’s a perfect addition to any roasted vegetable dish!
- This recipe works as a side dish, a delicious appetizer, or an afternoon snack. Once you try it, you’ll want to include bang bang broccoli in all of your meals!
- The crunch is unparalleled! Roasted broccoli will retain some of its texture, while the cornstarch and breadcrumbs create the perfect coating for virtually any vegetable or even crispy roasted tofu.
Key Ingredients
- Broccoli is both the star of the show and the delicious vessel for the breadcrumbs and sauce.
- Olive oil acts as an adhesive, coating the broccoli so that it’s covered in carbs and spices.
- Cornstarch, breadcrumbs (cornflake or panko), and spices make up the crunchy outer layer of the broccoli.
- Bang bang sauce is a yummy combination of tahini, sweet chili sauce, and sriracha.
Hack It!
- By default, this recipe was designed to be gluten-free. As long as you use cornflake breadcrumbs and double-check the ingredients in your bang bang sauce, you’re good to go.
- This method works on almost any type of vegetable. The only caveat is that the cooking time would vary based on the main ingredient and the size you cut it into.
- If you can’t handle too much spice, try the bang bang broccoli sauce without sriracha. You can also generally play around with the ratio of tahini and hot sauce.
- Cut or break the broccoli into florets as equal in size as possible. This will guarantee that all of the broccoli bakes thoroughly.
- Got an air fryer? Even better! You can save some time by cooking in an air fryer, or leave for the full 20 minutes for the extra crunch.
How to Make Bang Bang Broccoli
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400F as you prep your ingredients.
Step 2: Break the broccoli into florets, and transfer to a large bowl. Coat in the olive oil, then mix with cornflake crumbs, cornstarch, and spices.
Step 3: Evenly spread the broccoli on the sheet pan. Roast for 20 minutes until golden, tossing halfway through.
Step 4: While the broccoli bakes, prepare the sauce. Add tahini, sweet chili sauce, and sriracha (optional) to a bowl or jar.
Step 5: Adding 1 tbsp of water at a time, combine the mixture until the sauce is shiny and pourable.
Step 6: Once the broccoli is done baking, remove it from the oven and drizzle the sauce over top. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frozen broccoli is great for a lot of things, but it won’t work for this recipe. At least, not as written.
You can try to develop your own version of bang bang broccoli by thawing the broccoli and experimenting with cooking times.
Absolutely! Why not try it with easy peanut sauce, vegan green goddess sauce, or carrot ginger miso dressing?
More Appetizers and Sides
Just because you’re eating plenty of fruit and veggies, doesn’t always mean your nutritional criteria are met. I have recently collaborated with an amazing women-led supplement company to create a multinutrient aimed at plant-based and plant-centered eaters. With Complement x PlantYou Essential, thriving on a vegan diet has never been easier!
The Recipe: Bang Bang Broccoli
Ingredients
- 2 heads broccoli, broken into florets
- 1½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 3 tbsp cornflake breadcrumbs, or panko
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp paprika
Bang Bang Sauce
- ¼ cup tahini
- 2 tbsp sriracha, adjust depending on spice you want
- 1 tbsp sweet chili sauce, heaping
- 2 tbsp water, to thin, if needed
Topping
- 1 tsp sesame seeds, or to taste
Equipment
- Sheet pan
- Parchment Paper
- Bowl or jar for the sauce
- Mini whisk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Break the broccoli into florets, and transfer to a large bowl. Coat in the olive oil, then add all listed spices. Toss until evenly covered.
- Transfer to the sheet pan, and roast for 20 minutes, tossing halfway through, until golden.
- While the broccoli bakes, prepare the sauce by combining all ingredients in a bowl until completely smooth. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time to thin until the sauce is shiny and pourable.
- Once the broccoli is done baking, remove from the oven and drizzle the sauce over the top. Toss and top with sesame seeds, if desired.
Notes
- If you’re gluten-free, double-check the ingredients in your bang bang sauce.
- If you can’t handle too much spice, try the bang bang broccoli sauce without sriracha. You can also generally play around with the ratio of tahini and hot sauce.
- Cut or break the broccoli into florets as equal in size as possible. This will guarantee that all of the broccoli bakes thoroughly.
- Got an air fryer? Even better! You can save some time by cooking in an air fryer, or leave for the full 20 minutes for the extra crunch.
