These Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower are crunchy, crispy, tangy, and irresistible. Perfect as a side dish or a healthy vegetarian appetizer with a creamy dip. It's so easy to make and takes only 15 minutes.
Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower Bites (Crispy & Easy)
Cauliflower is a very versatile vegetable and it's one of my favorites. I cook cauliflower in so many ways in the Air fryer like Air Fryer Cauliflower Steaks and Crispy Roasted Cauliflower.
When I couldn't find chicken wings in the stores to make some Buffalo wings I tried it with cauliflower and we loved them! It has become one of our go-to vegetarian appetizers now.
This Air fryer Buffalo Cauliflower is crispy and crunchy thanks to a coating of panko breadcrumbs. It's spicy, tangy, and mildly sweet. I use Frank's Buffalo wing sauce because it's convenient and has great flavor.
I love cooking vegetables in the Fryer. You'll love Air fryer vegetables such as Air Fryer Green Beans, Air Fryer Broccoli, and Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts. The Air fryer cooks food by circulating hot air around, making them perfectly roasted and so delicious than any other cooking method. Plus they're convenient and take less time. We consume more vegetables now thanks to the Air fryer.
Pair these Air fryer Buffalo cauliflower with your favorite dipping sauce. I'll show you how to make a creamy dip that makes these Buffalo cauliflower an awesome appetizer. It makes the perfect vegetarian alternative to Buffalo chicken wings. Or serve these Buffalo cauliflower as a side dish with any main dish.
Cauliflower is a healthy addition to any meal with plenty of fiber and nutrients. You can make these Air Fryer Buffalo cauliflower low carb by substituting breadcrumbs with almond flour. Or skip the breadcrumbs completely for Buffalo cauliflower with no breading.
If you're looking for more Air fryer side dishes, check our Air Fryer Recipe collection.
Why We Love Buffalo Cauliflower in Air Fryer:
- Crunchy, tangy, spicy and irresistable
- Quick and easy - cooks in about 12 to 15 minutes
- Full of flavor and delicious
- Healthy side dish or appetizer
Ingredients and Notes
- Cauliflower - one medium or large head of cauliflower.
- Olive oil cooking spray
- Buffalo sauce - I use Frank's Buffalo Wing Hot Sauce as a base.
- Sugar - to give abit of sweetness to balance the flavors out. You can skip this or use an alternative sweetener for keto/low carb healthy version.
- Egg white - it helps the breadcrumbs stick to the cauliflower.
- Panko breadcrumbs - substitute with almond flour for keto or lowcarb.
Buffalo Sauce
I use Frank's Buffalo Wing Hot sauce, a bit of sugar and egg whites to make the Buffalo sauce. If you can't find this particular sauce or prefer using the plain old Hot Sauce follow the measurement below.
Combine ¾ cup of Hot Sauce with ¼ cup of melted butter for Buffalo Sauce.
How To Cut Cauliflower Florets
Choose a cauliflower that's blemish-free and looks white and creamy in color. If it's individually wrapped make sure it doesn't smell when you remove the plastic. Then remove the tough outer leaves with a sharp knife. Cut the cauliflower into quarters.
Now, cut the stem off of each quarter. Then, separate into bite-sized pieces.
How To Make Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower
Scroll below for the printable recipe card and ingredient measurements.
To make the Buffalo sauce, whisk together Frank's Buffalo hot sauce, sugar, egg whites in a small bowl. Add the cauliflower florets into a large bowl and pour the Buffalo hot sauce mixture in.
Toss the cauliflower florets with the sauce to evenly coat. Take the breadcrumbs in a separate bowl. Add a few cauliflower florets in and cover with breadcrumbs making sure the breadcrumbs stick to the cauliflower on all sides. Coat the remaining florets with breadcrumbs. Spray cauliflower florets with some olive oil cooking spray.
Preheat Air fryer to 350F. Place the cauliflower florets in the Air fryer basket. Air fry for 15 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through, until tender and crispy. Transfer to a plate and serve immediately with your favorite creamy dip.
Best Tips
- Evenly sized pieces - Make sure the cauliflower florets are the same size to ensure they all finish cooking at the same time.
- Single layer - Place the cauliflower in a single layer for the hot air to circulate completely and make it crispy. Cook in batches if needed. You can keep them warm by heating up all cauliflower for a minute or two in the Air fryer just before serving.
How To Store And Reheat
STORE leftover cauliflower in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
REHEAT them in the Air fryer at 350F for 2 to 3 minutes or until warm and crisp.
Creamy Dips To Serve With Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower
You can make your own creamy dip to serve with zesty and crispy cauliflower bites. Add celery sticks and carrot sticks to make an appetizer platter.
Creamy Dip- Combine ¼ cup sour cream, ¼ cup mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Thin it down with 1 tablespoon milk if you prefer.
Or try some of our favorite creamy dips.
- Ranch dressing - this classic dressing goes well with any appetizers, specially with buffalo sauce.
- Blue cheese dressing - the traditional blue cheese dressing has mayonnaise, sour cream, half and half and is luxuriously creamy.
Common Questions
How long to cook Air fryer Buffalo cauliflower?
Cook the cauliflower for 15 minutes at 350F. You can cook for a few more minutes depending on how crispy you want it to be.
How to make Buffalo cauliflower in the oven?
Preheat the oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the breaded cauliflower on that and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until cauliflower is crispy.
How do I make it Keto/low-carb friendly?
- Replace the breadcrumbs with almond flour.
- Skip the sugar or use an alternative.
More Cauliflower Recipes:
More Air Fryer Recipes You'll Love:
- Air Fryer Hasselback Sweet Potatoes
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Cubes
- Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
- Air Fryer Carrots
- Air Fryer Broccoli
- Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts
Check out my Air Fryer Recipe Collection for more Air fryer recipes.
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Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 cup Buffalo wings hot sauce I use Franks
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 egg whites
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
Creamy Dip
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon milk to thin it down optional
Instructions
- To make the Buffalo sauce, whisk together Frank's Buffalo hot sauce, sugar, egg whites in a small bowl.
- Add the cauliflower florets into a large mixing bowl and pour the Buffalo sauce mixture in. Toss the cauliflower with the sauce to evenly coat.
- Take the breadcrumbs in a separate bowl. Add a few florets in and cover with breadcrumbs making sure the breadcrumbs stick to the cauliflower on all sides. Coat the reamining florets with breadcrumbs. Spray cauliflower with some olive oil cooking spray.
- Preheat Air fryer to 350F. Place the cauliflower in the air fryer basket.
- Air fry for 15 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through, until tender and crispy. Transfer to a plate and serve immediately with the creamy dip.
- To make the creamy dip, whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic powder, black pepper in a bowl. You can add milk to thin it down.
Notes
- Store - leftover cauliflower in an airtight container for 3 days.
- Reheat - in the Air fryer at 350F for 2 to 3 minutes until warm and crispy.
- Substitute - almond flour for breadcrumbs for a keto/low carb option.
- Buffalo Sauce - I use Frank's Buffalo Wing sauce for this recipe. If you want to use regular Hot sauce, combine ¾ cup hot sauce with ¼ cup melted butter to use in this recipe.
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