Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower
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One of my favorite things to order at restaurants is fried cauliflower wings. I love the thick, deep-friend breading and the smothering of buffalo sauce that happens.
Air fried cauliflower stared calling me. I thought it would be fun, and let’s be real, really freaking tasty, to make an air fried buffalo cauliflower recipe.
There is a naked buffalo cauliflower wings recipe on my site. It calls for pure florets with some spices, roasted to perfection in the oven and then smothered with buffalo goodness.
In this recipe I’m going for the classic breaded buffalo cauliflower wing, but instead of deep-frying it, we are air frying it which requires way less oil and mess.
Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower Ingredients:
Cauliflower. I used a medium head of cauliflower and cut it into medium sized florets. You can buy pre-cut florets, just make sure to cut them all into medium and uniform sized florets so they cook evenly.
Flour. I used gluten free all-purpose flour, but you could also use regular all purpose flour.
Milk. I used whole milk, but almond milk or whatever your favorite milk is totally works and can be subbed in here!
Spices. Smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to be exact.
Buffalo Sauce. Arguably the star of the show! I used a bottled buffalo sauce from the grocery store, but you can definitely make your own!
Something to dip in. Blue cheese, baby! Ranch works too!!
Celery. Totally optional but adds a refreshing option to serve along your spicy buffalo bites.
How to make buffalo cauliflower in the air fryer:
Step 1. Cut the cauliflower into medium-sized florets. You want to make sure all the florets are about the same size so they cook evenly.
Step 2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, milk, and spices. Allow it to sit for a few minutes to thicken up.
Step 3. Toss the florets in the flour-milk mixture until the florets are coated. You want to make sure the breading gets into the nooks and crannies of the florets.
Step 4. Spread the cauli bites out on the trays or on the bottom of the basket in a single layer. You don’t want to overcrowd to pile the cauliflower on top of each other because they they will bake together and be one big cauliflower wing.
Step 5. Air fry at 400F for 15 minutes, making sure to toss the cauliflower halfway through so it cooks evenly. if you have two trays in your air fryer, switch the trays so they both have the opportunity to cook on the top shelf and the bottom. If your air fryer has a basket, you may need to work in batches.
Step 6. Toss the air fried cauliflower in buffalo sauce, plate and serve with blue cheese dressing.
How to make buffalo cauliflower in the oven:
If you don’t have to have an air fryer to enjoy this recipe! Set your oven to 400F and bake for 20 – 25 minutes, until the cauliflower florets are golden brown.
What is the best air fryer?
This is an impossible question because there are so many options! I wish I could go into an in depth post about the pro’s and con’s of all the brands of air fryers out there. But, I don’t have the time or money to invest in that type of endeavor.
I’ve had two air fryers in my life. Both worked great, but the one I have now I love most. I have the Instant Vortex air fryer. It’s a great square shape that fits nicely in my pantry. It also has two trays you can slide in and out instead of a basket which I like better.
Both air fryers I’ve had smell like melting plastic the first few times I’ve used them. I’ve also heard this from other people too. Hang in there, the smell goes away.
More cauliflower recipes:
- Low Carb Cauliflower Flatbread
- Low Carb Cauliflower Falafel
- Blackened Tilapia + Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
- Instant Pot Chicken Cauliflower Rice Soup
- Mediterranean Cauliflower Chickpea Salad
- 5-Min Instant Pot Cauliflower (Whole Head)
- Vegetable Cashew Curry + Cauliflower Rice
Description
Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower is a delicious snack or savory appetizer perfect for dipping in your favorite blue cheese or ranch dressing!
Ingredients
- 1 medium cauliflower head
- 3/4 cup all purpose gluten free flour (or regular all-purpose flour)
- 3/4 cup whole milk (any milk works here)
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 cup Buffalo sauce
- 1/4 cup blue cheese dressing
- 2 stalks of celery, cut in sticks
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 400F.
- Cut the cauliflower into medium-sized florets.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, milk, and spices. Allow it to sit for a few minutes to thicken up.
- Toss the florets in the flour-milk mixture until the florets are well coated.
- Spread the cauliflower bites out on the trays or on the bottom of the basket in a single layer. You don’t want to overcrowd or pile the cauliflower on top of each other because they they will merge together and be one big cauliflower wing.
- Air fry for 15 minutes, making sure to toss the cauliflower halfway through so it cooks evenly. If you have two trays in your air fryer, switch the trays so they both have the opportunity to cook on the top shelf and the bottom. If your air fryer has a basket, you may need to work in batches.
- Toss the air fried cauliflower in buffalo sauce.
- Plate the air fried cauliflower and serve with blue cheese dressing.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup
- Calories: 242
- Sugar: 4.3g
- Sodium: 2378mg
- Fat: 17.4g
- Saturated Fat: 9.6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18.7g
- Fiber: 4.1g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 31mg
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