The best cauliflower I’ve ever had!
I don’t love cauliflower, but this, this my friends, is one of the best meals I have ever had. Vegan crispy black pepper cauliflower steaks smothered with the best dang mushroom gravy are all kinds of totally amazing! Super crispy, a little spicy, and so easy. I definitely think these cauliflower steaks are the perfect Thanksgiving entree.
These cauliflower steaks are dipped in a wet, black peppery batter. Coated in panko and fried to get them brown and crispy. Then you finish them in the oven while you make the mushroom gravy. I could literally just eat this gravy by the spoonful. It is that good!
This recipe makes about 4 large steaks. Which can either serve 4 people a huge cauliflower steak, or 8 people can share them, because they are definitely shareable! These vegan black pepper cauliflower steaks will be everyone’s favorite dish at all your holiday parties.
I love how quick and easy this recipe is, because what I want during the holidays is more time out of the kitchen and with family and friends.
Please, add these to your Thanksgiving or any holiday meal list immediately. They will not disappoint! They are so crunchy, so flavorful and so festive. If you, like me, aren’t a cauliflower lover, this will change your mind forever.
Super crispy, peppery cauliflower steaks. Smothered with the best mushroom gravy.
- 1 Head Cauliflower
- 1 Cup Non dairy milk, I used soy milk
- 1 Teaspoon Apple cider vinegar
- 3/4 Cup All purpose flour
- 1/2 Cup Corn starch
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Fresh cracked black pepper
- 2 1/2 Cups Panko bread crumbs
- Light oil for frying
- 1 Tablespoon Olive oil
- 4 Cloves Garlic, chopped
- 1 Cup Mushrooms, sliced
- 2 Tablespoons Vegan butter, I used Earth Balance
- 2 Tablespoons All purpose flour
- 1 Cup Vegetable broth
- 1 Teaspoon Poultry seasoning (usually contains Thyme, Sage, Rosemary and Nutmeg)
- Salt and Pepper to taste
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Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
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Now, cut your head of cauliflower into steaks. You will probably need to trim the ends where the florets aren't connected to the stem. Then cut the center into steaks you should be able to get about 4 steaks. Set them aside.
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Then, whisk together the non dairy milk and apple cider vinegar.
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Next, in a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour and corn starch. Then whisk in the salt and pepper. Then pour the non dairy milk and vinegar into the dry ingredients. Whisk to fully combine and create the wet batter.
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Put the panko in a separate bowl.
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Put each cauliflower steak into the wet batter. Coat completely, let any excess drip off. Then place in the bowl of panko and coat each side in panko completely. Repeat with all the cauliflower.
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Now heat the oil in a large non stick pan on medium high, about 1/4 an inch of oil should be in the bottom. Then add the cauliflower steaks. Cook on one side for 2-3 minutes until nice and brown and crispy. Then flip and brown on the other side.
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Then, place the cauliflower steaks on a sheet pan, and finish in the oven at 425 degrees for 5-7 minutes. To make sure the cauliflower is cooked through.
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While the cauliflower is in the oven, make the gravy. Heat the olive oil on medium high in a non stick or cast iron skillet. Add the garlic and mushrooms. Saute for about 5 minutes or so to cook the mushrooms and garlic, reducing heat as needed. Season with a few pinches of salt and pepper.
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Remove the mushrooms from the pan, and put in a bowl and set aside. Then add the vegan butter to the pan.
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Melt the butter on medium low and then add the flour. Whisk together to make a roux. It should be paste like. Cook for a minute, then whisk in the veggie broth. Make sure the roux is fully combined and there are no lumps. Simmer for a moment to let thicken.
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Then season with the poultry seasoning and a pinch of salt and pepper. Then add the mushrooms back in. Taste and adjust seasoning.
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Once the cauliflower and gravy are done, serve immediately. I top my cauliflower with the gravy right before serving so they don't get soggy!
You can just bake the steaks without frying first, they just won't be as brown and crispy. You can bake them at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Until crispy and cooked through.
Jill
October 28, 2018 at 10:38 pmI just made these cauliflower steaks and we loved them. Can I save the leftover batter?
Lauren Hartmann
October 29, 2018 at 12:34 pmYes, you should be able to save any leftover batter in the fridge! I’m so glad you loved them!
Jo
March 2, 2019 at 8:35 pmI just used the rest of the cauliflower and the batter to cook off the rest! Super yummy?
Alex
November 2, 2018 at 12:44 amOmg so delicious. Awesome recipe. Turned out amazing!! Loooove the sauce.. added a mix of shitake with regular mushroom. Let me know if you want a pic 😉 thanksss
Acacia
November 4, 2018 at 5:52 pmMy meat eating husband said he wants these every day! They were incredible. I topped with a lemon caper sauce but I’ll try the gravy next time. Awesome recipe!
Lauren Hartmann
November 5, 2018 at 2:39 pmThat is AMAZING!
Nicole
November 12, 2018 at 12:10 amMade this tonight to see if it would be a good thanksgiving entree and it was amazing. This is the perfect vegan holiday meal. The gravy was delicious and the cauliflower would work even if you were meat eater. Everything on this site looks so good! So glad I stumbled onto it.
Jelena
November 20, 2018 at 8:01 amMade this for dinner tonight and it was amazing! I usually don’t like cauliflower but the taste and texture was really great.
That mushroom gravy is so so good, you could eat it by the spoonful.
Heidi
November 21, 2018 at 10:57 pmI made this the other night and absolutely loved it. So so delicious – thanks for the recipe, it will definitely be included in my Christmas menu
Michelle
November 25, 2018 at 4:57 pmWe made this last night and it was amazing! Being a long time vegetarian, I think it has been 25 years since I had a gravy! I just never added a mushroom one into my series of typical dishes, but it was fabulous over the cauliflower steaks and I will add this dish into our Fall Comfort Foods for sure! Thanks!
Charlotte Moore
December 11, 2018 at 3:53 pmThis was one of the best vegan dishes I’ve ever had. It was so crispy and the gravy so yummy I couldn’t stop eating it. I doubled the amount of mushrooms in the gravy because they are one of my favorite foods. If it wasn’t for all the oil, I’d eat this every day.
Olga
December 29, 2018 at 12:23 pmAwesome texture and flavor. Skipped the gravy as it made the steak too mushy. Instead melted mozzarella on top and served with a dip.
Lauren
January 12, 2019 at 4:13 amso good! i used a tahini sauce instead. cannot get over the perfect crust on the cauliflower!
Kelly R.
January 18, 2019 at 12:05 amOk, so this was SO GOOD! It was surprisingly easy to make, yet tasted like I worked on it for hours! I actually even forgot to put Panko on half of my cauliflower steaks and it still turned out amazing. I’ll be making this again and again for myself and when I want to impress people with my cooking skills 🙂
Christina
January 18, 2019 at 1:17 pmI finally made these last night-loved it! I used to cook a lot of chicken/meat cutlets, and so this was nice and hearty and substantial-thanks. I made some changes to the mushroom gravy-added red wine, fresh nutmeg, parley and omitted poultry seasoning simply because I didn’t have any, and it was delicious either way. Your frisco melt sandwich is next on my list to try!
Carolyn Sloboda
January 27, 2019 at 1:17 pmI made this last night for my older husband who wants to eat healthier. Unbelievable! All he said was, delicious! And that coming from an older generation of meat eaters, that’s a BIG compliment! I have totally converted him with your recipes and will experiment and make him new meatless recipes every week. Any recipes from you are always the best! Every recipe that I make from you is my favorite. Thank you!
Liliane URBANIAK
April 13, 2019 at 11:35 amUn petit coucou,
Je vais essayer demain, ma fille est Végan et je compte bien apprendre de nouvelles recettes ,
j’ai déguster pendant 3 semaines des repas Végan et j’ai beaucoup aimé, alors je me suis décidée à en savoir davantage sur ces plats afin de continuer un maximum de savourer ces recettes.
Merci d’en communiquer d’autres!
Lillye
Jamie
April 16, 2019 at 12:26 pmERMAGAWDDDD…….Once again, your recipes are AHHHH-Mazing! Made this last night and it was spectacular. I only got 2 cauliflower steaks and made the rest into florets. I also used shitake mushrooms for the gravy and I baked the cauliflower to eliminate some oil. This was so incredibly delicious! I already ate some leftovers for breakfast. You are my recipe queen! You make my boyfriend think I’m a fantastic cook, so thank you 🙂
Lauren Hartmann
April 16, 2019 at 2:47 pmYay! That makes me so happy! You are so welcome!!
Schmoozequeen
April 16, 2019 at 3:02 pmAmazing! Sliced the steak when it cooled and used it next day in Bao buns and tacos?
Chris
May 18, 2019 at 5:37 pmSuggestions for making this gluten free???
Thanks!
Lauren Hartmann
May 19, 2019 at 10:07 amYou should be able to just substitute the flour for gluten free all purpose flour and the panko for gluten free panko!