Nashville Hot Cauliflower Nuggets

About

Hot cauliflower “buffalo wings” are all the rage. This Keto recipe is a take on the vegetarian favorite, making a better nugget that has more crunchy breading and thickened, sticky sauce. Riced cauliflower is seasoned and blended with low-carb binders before it’s shaped into large nuggets. They’re frozen and then breaded in a spicy almond flour coating. Instead of being fried in unhealthy oils, the hot nuggets are baked to golden. Each bite has a crisp outside and soft, steamy inside. The cauliflower nuggets are then tossed in a special Keto buffalo sauce. The sauce is thickened with butter and a little cream cheese to increase your fat macros and also give the sauce a tangy twist. To cool your palette, eat the Nashville hot cauliflower nuggets with low-carb celery sticks or Carb Manager Keto Ranch Dressing.

Parmesan Cheese On a Vegetarian Keto Diet

Parmesan cheese can become an ace up your sleeve if you’re vegetarian. Parmesan cheese has good qualities to use as a binder in foods, like “meat” loaf or any type of nugget. It also is high in protein, so it’s a good addition to your meal without meat. That’s what makes an ingredient like parmesan cheese so great for the Keto diet too.

How Many Should I Eat In A Meal?

Carb Manager makes it easy to add as many servings of any recipe to your food log. Just tap the + and – buttons to adjust how many cauliflower nuggets you are going to eat. For a Keto meal, 2-3 pieces would be the most ideal to stay within your macros. You can eat this serving size as a snack, or include other high-fat, low-carb Keto ingredients to make a larger meal.

Ingredients

12 oz cauliflower
1 large raw egg
2 large raw egg, yolk
1 ½ tbsp, grated parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
2 large raw egg
1 tablespoon water
7 tablespoon almond flour
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¾ cup red hot original cayenne pepper sauce
2 tablespoon butter, unsalted
1 oz cream cheese

Instructions

Begin with a medium to large head of raw cauliflower, and rice it into a large mixing bowl. The riced cauliflower should equal the amount listed in the ingredients. Mix egg, yolks, parmesan, salt, pepper, paprika, chili powder, and garlic powder into the riced cauliflower until you have a thick mixture. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper, and scoop 2-tablespoon portions of cauliflower mixture onto the paper. Make sure each scoop is packed densely so the cauliflower rice doesn’t fall apart.
Set the tray in your freezer and leave them for at least 2 hours or until frozen. The nuggets need to be frozen all the way through for the best end result. Once they’re frozen, turn on your oven to preheat to 375 degrees. While the oven is preheating, whisk together the second amount of egg and water in a bowl. On a clean plate, mix together the almond flour, salt, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder.
One by one, dip a frozen cauliflower nugget in the egg wash, let the excess egg drip off, then roll in the almond flour breading. Set each breaded cauliflower nuggets back on the tray. Bake the tray of nuggets for 45 minutes or until the breading is browned and crispy. Depending on your oven, you may need to rotate your sheet tray to ensure even browning on the nuggets. Let the nuggets cool for 5 minutes before doing anything further with them.
While the nuggets are baking, you can make the buffalo sauce. Pour your preferred brand of vinegar-based hot sauce into a pot, and bring it to a simmer. Add melted butter and cream cheese, and stir the ingredients until they’re melted. Softening the cream cheese beforehand may make it easier to break up any lumps in the sauce. Once the sauce is free of white streaks, let it cool and thicken until you’re ready to toss it with the nuggets.
Once the nuggets have finished cooling, transfer them to a large mixing bowl. Pour the thickened buffalo sauce over the nuggets, then toss or fold everything together. Folding the nuggets in the sauce with a spatula will help ensure the breading doesn’t come off. Serve right away while warm and include any Keto dipping sauce you enjoy at your discretion.