Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower
Total Time
40 mins
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Rating
4.72 out of 5 stars
(25)
Ingredients
4 servings
- ⅔ cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¾ cup water
- 1 head cauliflower, about 2 pounds, broken into large florets
- Buffalo Sauce, for brushing
- Vegan Ranch, for dipping, optional
How would you rate this recipe?
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the air fryer to 400°F.
Step 2
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and salt. Add the water and whisk until smooth. Add the cauliflower and stir to coat.
Step 3
Lift the cauliflower florets out of the batter, allowing any excess batter to drip back into the bowl. Arrange in a single layer in the air fryer basket, leaving a little space around each floret. Don’t crowd the basket. Work in batches as necessary.
Step 4
Air fry for 9 minutes. Remove from the air fryer and use a spatula to carefully flip the florets. Brush with some of the buffalo sauce. Air fry for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until the cauliflower is dark and crisp around the edges.
Step 5
Remove from the air fryer and brush with additional buffalo sauce. If desired, serve with vegan ranch for dipping.
Step 6
Save recipe for the next time?
Chef's notes
Really coat that cauliflower! The batter is what gives the cauliflower its crispy, “fried” effect, so you want to get it into every nook and cranny of each floret.
Don’t crowd the basket. If it’s too crowded, the cauliflower will steam instead of getting browned and crisp. Arrange the florets in a single layer and leave a little space around each one. Work in batches if necessary.
Flip it carefully. When you flip the cauliflower after the first few minutes of cooking, it might want to stick to the air fryer basket. That’s ok! If you use a spatula to loosen the cauliflower from the basket, you’ll be able to flip it without tearing off its crispy coating. To minimize sticking, you can also lightly grease the basket with cooking spray before adding the cauliflower.
Sauce it twice. For the best buffalo flavor, you’ll need to sauce these cauliflower bites twice:
once halfway through the cook time, and once just before serving. Don’t hold back here! Rotate the florets as you brush on the sauce in order to coat them on all sides.
Eat it right away. This buffalo cauliflower is best hot from the air fryer, when it’s still nice and crisp. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days, but they’ll lose some of their crispness. If you’re making this recipe for a party or game day, I recommend air frying the cauliflower just before serving.
